Pick the Perfect Scent 07/19/2010

 From our friends at Allure Magazine in the online addition, and originally posted by Angelique Serrano (Beauty Editor), comes the following wonderful article on how to Pick the Perfect Scent.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Daily Beauty Reporter

Pick the Perfect Scent July 19, 2010

PHOTO: PATRICK DEMARCHELIER

Here at Allure, we get to smell all the latest fragrances—the good, the bad, and the celebrity-inspired. So after doing some serious sniffing, we thought it was time to bring you suggestions for the perfect perfume to fit any occasion.

At the office: One word should be going through your mind right now: imperceptible. (Seriously—trust us on this.) Skip any scent that smells full-strength for more than 20 seconds. Better yet, try a lighter scented body lotion instead of a perfume. We like Estée Lauder Pleasures Body Lotion, which smells of lilies, peonies, and jasmine.

Out and about: You’re walking around, enjoying the summer sunshine (wearing SPF, of course), so you need a fragrance that isn’t too heavy or overpowering. Try one with fresh green, grassy notes, or one with a zesty citrus zing to it. Take a whiff of Benefit The Garden of Good and Eva.

At an outdoor wedding: You want something light, sheer, and romantic. Think of subtle floral notes, like violet or freesia. We love Fresh Violette Eau De Parfum and the delicate scent of rose and white peony in Stella McCartney StellaNude.

For a hot date: Now’s the time to whip out the heavy artillery. If you love rich, sensual scents, a deep vanilla-based fragrance, a gritty patchouli, or musky essential oil would be perfect. You want something concentrated, yet not so overly complex and heady that it sends your date running for two Advils. Try these sexy-spicy concoctions: Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Parfum, with notes of amber and woods, and Tom Ford White Patchouli.

Mariah Carey’s Fragrance of Love 06/23/2010

When Mariah Carey’s new line of fragrances was recently launched she made it clear to everyone that the name of her new fragrance line, Lollipop Bling, was very much inspired by her personal love life!  It was Nick Cannon’s proposal to her back in 2008 that she was thinking about when she came up with the name Lollipop Bling.

“The inspiration for Lollipop Bling was Nick’s marriage proposal to me.  He first surprised me with a ring-pop – romantic, fun and young at heart – like me” Carey said at her launch event for the perfume.  The Lollipop Bling perfume comes in 3 different sweet fragrances:

• Mine Again is made with notes of chocolate and raspberry;
• Ribbon features a blue raspberry fragrance;
• and Honey will be made with a tropical infusion of pineapple.

Each of the fragrances (which are being manufactured by Elizabeth Arden) comes in a bright butterfly topped bottle, and will cost around $35 for a one-ounce bottle and you will be able to find them on the shelves in about another month.

Summer’s Here — Time for a New Scent! 06/21/2010

  Well, it’s official … Summer has started as of today!  Summer time is a great time to make a change to a new fragrance or perfume, but there are a couple of things that we should all remember as it relates to summer scents.

First, it is hotter.  Yes, that was obvious I know, but when it is hotter out two things occur.  First, the heat itself magnifies any fragrance … this is put into practice every time you light a scented candle.  So it is only natural that the heat from the summer sun will help to magnify any fragrance that you put on.  Second, our bodies naturally sweat more during the summer, and our sweat when mixed with certain fragrances can again magnify them and make them much more powerful than they are on their own.  So, even if you decide not to try out a new fragrance for the summer, you may want to use a little less than you normally do during the winter, spring and fall in order to compensate for the heat.  And those of you that do want to try something new?

1.  Think Fruity!  Nothing screams summer more than all of the fresh fruits that we find available, and you can replicate that with your fragrance as well.  In the mood for something tropical, like Mango’s or Papaya’s?  Then try out Escada’s Tropical Punch perfume, or Victoria Secret’s Moorea Passion Fruit that you can get in a 3 piece body care set.  How about something more creamy & rich, like Coconut & Vanilla?  Vanilla Coconut perfume by Lavanila  and Susan Lang’s Vanilla Coconut Eau de Parfum would be right up your alley.  Like your citrusy Lemons & Limes & Grapefruits?  Then check out Estee Lauder’s Azuree or Colonia Assoluta from Acqua di Parma.  And of course, you have lots of just plain old fun choices to think about — Juicy Couture Pure perfume (watermelon & mandarin oranges), DKNY Be Delicious (apples), and Coty’s Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit Perfume (apples, oranges & peaches).

2. Think Tropical Flowers!  Summer always brings thoughts of the Islands, and the gorgeous scented flowers that one can find on them.  One of the most classic tropical floral perfumes you will ever find is Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani.  Pacifica’s Tahitian Gardenia spray perfume is another to think about trying on.  And let us not completely forget about Tommy Bahama’s Signature Women’s Eau de Parfum, because if anyone knows tropical it really is Tommy!

3.  Think Clean & Fresh!  The beach on a crystal blue sky day with just a light breeze blowing in off of the water.  The morning stroll through the yard or park with the dew still on the grass and the sweet stillness from the night air lingering.  The crisp mountain air breathed in during a drive through the hills.  These are some of the images of summer we think of when we talk about clean & fresh, and you can find these scents and fragrances in a new perfume to try out also.  CLEAN makes a number of wonderful perfumes that fit into this category that you may want to check out.  You may also want to consider Thunderstorm by Demeter Fragrance Library, Aqua Motu by Comptoir Sud Pacifique, and Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue Pour Homme.

4.  Don’t forget the Guys!  Want to give your husband, boyfriend, dad, brother, or any other male in your life a new scent for summer?  There are many different colognes that will help fit the bill for him as well, and give him a chance to try out something different.  My personal favorite is Tommy Bahama’s Very Cool, but there are so many more these days to choose from.  Nautica’s Blue, AQVA Pour Homme by Bulgari, Erolfa by Creed, Tommy Summer and Tommy Summer Beach Chair by Tommy Hilfiger, and Capri Orange by Acqua di Parma are all excellent choices.

So, go out there and have some fun with a new scent — it’s summertime!!

The Sense of Smell and the Sexes 06/01/2010

I was reading a very interesting article written on the various aspects of our sense of smell, and one of the chapters I came across in the article talked a bit about the differences in smelling capability between men and women.  I was unaware of many of the aspects it talked about, and am intrigued enough to want to continue hunting for more information on this topic.  However, to help get everyone started here is the excerpt from the report itself regarding smell and the sexes … you’ll find a link at the bottom to the entire article online.

Sex-differences

On standard tests of smelling ability – including odour detection, discrimination and identification – women consistently score significantly higher than men. One researcher has claimed that the superior olfactory ability of females is evident even in newborn babies.

One study suggests that sex-difference findings may not be entirely reliable, and that sex differences in olfactory prowess may apply to some odours but not others.  It is also possible, however, that many studies have not taken account of the changes in female sensitivity to smell during the menstrual cycle.  It is known that female sensitivity to male pheromones (scented sex hormones), for example, is 10,000 times stronger during ovulation than during menstruation.  It may be that female smell-sensitivity is also generally more acute during this phase. (It has been shown that other senses such as hearing are more acute around ovulation, when women can also hear slightly higher frequencies than at other times.)

These fluctuations may account for some inconsistencies in the findings, although hormone cycles cannot explain why female children score higher than male children.  In an experiment at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, women without children held an unrelated infant in their arms for one hour and then were tested for infant-smell-recognition. Most were successful. The researchers conclude  “This indicates that the ability to identify infants by their odor is a more general human skill than previously realized”.” But they didn’t test men, so it may only be a general female skill.

Other tests have shown, however, that both men and women are able to recognise their own children or spouses by scent.  In one well-known experiment, women and men were able to distinguish T-shirts worn by their marriage partners, from among dozens of others, by scent alone.  Women are also significantly more likely than men to suffer from cacosmia – feeling ill from the smell of common environmental chemicals such as paint and perfume.

For the full article as written by Kate Fox, Director of the Social Issues Research Centre, click here:  The Smell Report – The human sense of smell.

Cacosmia — Smelling Horrible Smells that Aren’t There 05/31/2010

The Event Scents new-word-to-be-learned is “Cacosmia”.  Cacosmia comes from the two Greek words kakos (meaning bad or unpleasant) and osme (meaning smell, stink, or odor) and literally translates as “Bad Smell”.  The word Cacosmia is used to describe the olfactory hallucination or illusion of an unpleasant odor, when the unpleasant odor doesn’t exist in reality.  In other words, a person with Cacosmia experiences a horrible or rotten smell when there isn’t one there, and in fact may be substituting the bad smell for a pleasant one that exists.  Some of the worst examples of Cacosmia are the odors of rotting eggs, rotting fish, burning flesh, garlic, garbage and vomit.

Cacosmia is closely associated with, and many times confused with, Cacogeusia, which is the illusion or hallucination of a “Bad Taste”.    Cacosmia is one of many chemosensory disorders and can also be found being described by the term “hallucinated halitosis”.  The opposite of Cacosmia, or the hallucination of a good smell, is called “Agathosma”.

The cause of Cacosmia is not pinpointed to one specific reason.  Most of the time it is a result of an injury to the olfactory pathways — remember that the sense of smell is a chemical reaction of your brain perceiving specific airborne molecules.  The molecules bind to olfactory receptors in the tissue found lining the back of your nasal cavity, which generates the specific nerve impulses that travel to the olfactory bulb and then on to other areas of the brain. 

Any damage (i.e. viral infections, trauma) to any of these tissues can cause a problem and potentially bring about Cacosmia.  Additionally, these hallucinations have occasionally been found to be a symptom of both brain tumors and epilepsy, so should you ever experience it yourself you should immediately contact your doctor and/or a qualified neurologist.  There is no direct cure for Cacosmia, as it is a symptom of a separate issue.  Once the cause for the Cacosmia is found and treated, the Cacosmia itself will most times cease to exist as well.

With all of the horrible smells that already exist in today’s world, to have an issue with imagining bad smells is a thought that is somewhat inconceivable to me.

The Great Outdoors 05/28/2010

Is there anything better than going camping for a few days and having the opportunity to experience all of the sights, sounds and (of course!) smells of the great outdoors?  Not that I can think of.  Certain outdoor smells just scream camping to me and to many others I am sure, and here are some of the memories that I brought back with me from this trip.

     Of course, it all starts with the campfire, doesn’t it?  The cedar, oak, pine and hickory wood smells from the firewood brought along.  The resin & sap in the wood that is slightly sweet when it is burning.  The thick smoke that can come from having wood under-seasoned or wet … thick enough that when the wind blows it in your direction you find yourself moving fast to another part of the campsite away from it!

     Then we have cooking over the actual campfire … or more appropriately in my experience the attempt at cooking with an actual campfire.  You can find a foil-wrapped potato in the lower right as it bakes itself into basically a charcoal briquet since my coals were way-way-way too hot, which I was able to figure out when I pulled it out and could smell the burn all around it.  Much better luck was had with the Bannock bread cooked on a stick … smelled just like fresh-baked bread when it was cooking and after it was done.  We spread some homemade strawberry jam onto it that was so sweet, and the combination knocked our socks off!

     Jiffy POP popcorn!  One of the original camping treats from when we were kids growing up.  Once you get it cooked over the fire and pull back the foil pouch, that buttery-salty steam from the popcorn hits your nose, with just a touch of smokiness from the wood fire, and before you know you are digging in by the handful.

     Okay, so maybe a lot of my scent memories from camping revolve around food … then again, a lot of my life revolves around the love of food so I guess that makes sense.  Waking up in the morning and going outside of the tent, breathing in the fresh air that is damp, dewy and somewhat lightly sweet smelling before everyone else is up.  Firing up the propane stove and catching that small whiff of propane before it is lit.  Getting the coffee percolating (yup, old school style) and smelling the freshly-ground Jamaican blend as it brews, and suddenly realizing that you have to wait until it is completely done since there is no “pause’n’serve” button on old school style technology!  Frying up some bacon or sausage next, and then some potatoes & onions & peppers along with some eggs at the end … camp breakfast smells floating through the air that everyone by now is awake and ready for!

     We went hiking down to the small lake near our campground and experienced so many changes in the smells along the way.  Walking through the forest it was cool, damp, earthy and you felt like you could smell the moss and ferns.  Right at the bottom of the small man-made dam it was very moist from the small amount of mist coming off of the waterfall, with a moldy smell permeating through it from all of the dampness.  As we got closer to the lake itself the air became much warmer & heavier, and the smell of the lake bordered on swampy decay.  You could smell the thick scum settled on top of the water before you could see it.  You see, it was a smaller lake that fills with a lot of silty clay runoff from the surrounding area, doesn’t have a lot of water flowing through it, and heats up a lot more due to the shallowness.  Think stagnant, smell stagnant, and you have the picture!

I’ll post pics and descriptions of the living history farm we visited on our last day in a coming blog.  For now I hope that everyone has a great holiday this Memorial Day weekend, and don’t forget to thank those you know in the military that work to keep us all safe today, just as they have done throughout the past 234 years now!

Using Scent to sell more 05/18/2010

We may not realize it here in the United States so much, but the use of fragrance and scents to drive marketing in business is used around the world today.  From grocery stores using fresh baked bread, to coffee shops using fresh roasted coffee beans, to department stores using sensual perfumes in the lingerie departments, and even to fuel companies that are putting fragrances into the gasoline itself to make it smell better … all of it is driven towards trying to get consumers to pay attention and purchase more goods.  Following (reproduced in its entirety) is an interesting article written by Pankaj Molekhi from the India division of the Economic Times, which talks about the use of aroma marketing to drive sales of consumer goods in India.

Most interesting to me, of course, is the use of fragrance in gasoline … I am not sure that I personally would base my decision of where to purchase fuel based on what said fuel smelled like, but then again who knows.  And that brings to mind a good question … does anyone know if any of the fuel companies here in the United States put fragrances into their gasoline?  If so, who does and what do they use?  And if your gas smells like food would it make you hungry all the time while you are driving around, or would it make those you drive by who smell your exhaust hungry??

Things that make you go “Hmmmm” sometimes.  Here’s the article … enjoy!

“Aroma emerges as stimulant to urge consumers into buying goods & services” … May 16, 2010.

Have you ever walked past a coffee shop, inhaled the heady smell of roasted beans and felt a strong urge to buy a cuppa? Or strolled past a pizza shop only to come back for a Margherita right away?  Welcome to the mantra of aroma marketing, a strong selling device and the first physical encounter between the product and the consumer.

“Aroma is an important part of our ambience,” says Saurabh Swarup, head of marketing and product development, Barista. “After all, coffee is all about aroma. And Barista is not just about drinking coffee; it is about experiencing the drink.”  According to Mr. Swarup, the light smell of ground beans is their first face-off with the customer as he walks into Barista outlets. “So while coffee aroma per se is not our sole appeal, we do use this strong marketing tool to our advantage.”

Scientifically speaking, the information perceived by olfactory senses directly and immediately influences the decision-making. “We must not underestimate the role of smell in the perception of information from the surrounding environment,” says Ramanuj Majumdar, an IIMC professor and author of Consumer Behaviour: Insights from Indian Market.

According to Prof Majumdar, the idea of aroma as a marketing tool is age-old. It was first initiated by French cosmetics marketers and later gained space in liquor market too, where different flavours were introduced to boost up sales.  However, since unlike the sight and the hearing, olfactory senses cannot be activated through the mass media, the aroma marketing remains in the realm of the exotic and the exclusive. “The procedure is still evolving,” he adds.

Today, there are supermarkets in the West that saturate their escalators with expensive perfumes, conceived for a well-off clientele. Experts believe this immediately sets up a ‘connect’ with their high-profile patrons. The customer settles down, feels at home and sub-consciously decides that he has come to the right place.  Similarly, furniture traders use conifer tree or earthy aromas to stimulate their prospective customers make a quicker decision. The stores of undergarments and wedding accessories too use sensual and exciting aromas to stimulate feelings of comfort.

According to the Amsterdam-based Graphic Scents Direct, which provides “creative marketing solutions” to a number of MNCs across the Europe, the aroma marketing is a series of events, “using the potential effect of aromas to the human behaviour, stimulating the customers to purchase goods and services”.  For instance, bakeries increase the volume of sales by filling the vicinity with freshly baked bread and enhancing impulsive purchases. Fuel service company TOTAL aromatise the fuel with vanilla flavour while ESSO aromatises diesel fuel with strawberry smell.

Delhi-based aroma therapist Rupal Tyagi agrees. “Aromas that float in the air influence the decision of the customer in favour of one or another product. There are signature fragrances, suited to a certain element of our nature, which can calm down anxiety and possibly make the consumer keen to spend generously.”  A diploma holder in clinical aroma therapy from the Regent Academy, London, Ms Tyagi says there are aromas which can rejuvenate human system, create a feeling of well-being, and rouse a consumer to splurge. “Similarly, there are oil blends which can instantly improve appetite. These could help a restaurateur improve sales. The results can be compared within a month to judge the efficacy,” says the aroma therapist confidently.

But, as Prof Majumdar points out, the formal use of this marketing tool is still evolving in India.  “Each culture, region and people has its own preferred smells. While using aroma as a marketing tool, the vendor must research well about its clientele and customer profile,” says Prof Majumdar. So far, no particular brand is using aroma marketing, but the trend is palpable, he adds.

“You can realise it when you enter a multiplex, where each shop has its own smell and character. Like the feel of a cloth matters in buying garments, in addition to its looks and price, the scent of a market also goes beyond your nostrils.” So, marketers can you smell an opportunity already?

Spring Jasmine Blooming 05/14/2010

Our Jasmine Blooming

We are blessed to have one side of our backyard patio pergola absolutely covered in Jasmine vines, and blooming more spectacularly than ever before this year.  If you have never had an opportunity to experience the heady floral aroma of Jasmine while sitting outside on a spring evening, I am truly sorry!  We hadn’t either until we moved here 10 years ago, and when remodeling our backyard & patio a few years ago it was an absolute must-have for us.  The rich, full, sweet scent is intoxicating to smell, and such a harbinger to springtime down here.  You will find it growing and blooming everywhere, and you can pick any country or wooded road to take a drive down, lower your windows, and just breathe it in.  It is truly exhilarating!

Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance 05/12/2010

Longwood Gardens is presenting their first major exhibition that is currently running now and will continue all summer and into this fall until November.  “Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance” is described as an opportunity to “Experience the actual plants and flowers behind iconic perfumes, explore the mysterious power of the sense of smell, discover the unique combination of creative artistry and intricate science behind perfume composition, and have the opportunity to compose a basic fragrance at the Make Your Own Fragrance stations”.

More than 260 special aromatic plants and flowers have been added to the over 5500 types of plants from around the world that are housed in the conservatory.  Displays both in the conservatory and throughout the surrounding gardens will allow visitors an ability to see, touch and smell many different natural fragrances from the plants and flowers.  Different areas of the exhibition are being devoted to the scientific aspects of how we smell and respond to aromas, how perfumes are developed and made, tracing the key moments in the history of perfume, and a place to develop your own basic fragrance.

Additionally, there are going to be expert guest speakers throughout the season, as well as “Fragrant Fridays” which will be held once every month (on a Friday of course) and that will be a full-sensory focus on a single different fragrance for each of those days … i.e. Chocolate on one Fragrant Friday, Lavender on another.  Finally, the exhibition will be continuously changing and providing new experiences in a natural way as different plants and flowers come into bloom during the coming months with Lilacs & Narcissus now in the spring, Roses & Lavender & Scented Geraniums during the summer, Sages & Mints & Rosemary during the fall, and Paperwhites & Pines & Firs in the early winter.

Longwood Gardens is located just outside of Kennet Square, PA, an easy short drive from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wilmington and just a couple hours from New York and Washington DC.

Memorialize Your Wedding Day 05/11/2010

You plan out every detail of your special day … the dress, the tux, the colors, the day, the time, the place, the cake, the decorations, the rings, the flowers, the music, the photographer, the food, the drinks, and so many more details that it is impossible for me to list them all here.  And in the years that go by afterwards, there will be many triggers you come across that will remind you of your Wedding day.  A flower in a garden that was in your bouquet.  A song on the radio (if radio still exists then!) that played during your reception.  A piece of cake at a restaurant that was the same as your wedding cake. 

Of the 5 senses that we have, the strongest link to our memories by far is from our sense of smell.  I’ll go into the reasonings and details in a later post so as to not bother you with all of the scientific findings now … suffice it to say that your sense of smell will trigger more powerful memories in your brain than any of your other 4 senses can.  So when you take this knowledge together with the fact that your Wedding day is one of the single most (if not the single most) day that you will want to remember for the rest of your lifetime, doesn’t it make sense to incorporate scents into your Wedding?

The use of scents in Weddings is becoming much more prevalent these days, and in a way it seems only logical.  For years and years and years we have worked on providing an experience for all of other senses during our Wedding days … the perfect lighting and pictures for our eyes, the right songs and music playing for our ears, the textures and feel of the fabrics we wear for our fingers, and the taste of the cake and food and drinks that we serve.  But our sense of smell was most often forgotten and not especially planned for.  Oh yes, some people have planned accordingly and have been blessed with the opportunity to speak their vows under a fragrant arch of Jasmine in the spring, or on a southern plantation when the Magnolia trees are in bloom, or on a coastal beach with a beautiful sea breeze calmly blowing in the air.  But for each one of those lucky enough to get the perfect timing down with Mother Nature for a natural scenting, there have been hundreds if not thousands of Weddings that took place in locations and facilities that maybe, just maybe, a little scenting help might have been good!

Memorializing your Wedding day need not be an expensive idea, nor does it mean that you need to run out and create a custom fragrance to wear (though you most certainly can if you desire … there are lots of fragrance houses and perfumers that will work with you directly to create your own custom fragrance).  You can do simple things to create a memorable atmosphere that will be remembered for years to come, such as picking very fragrant (and fresh) flowers for your bouquets, using herbs such as lavender and scattering them about, placing fragrant sachets at each table for guests to take home, burning scented candles, and even using scent machines to fill the entire space with your chosen fragrance.

One word of caution I should provide is to try and ensure that you don’t over-power your guests with too much fragrance!  Maintaining a good balance of scented and neutral zones is important for your guests, especially those that may be more sensitive to them.  Other than that, have some fun and think of different ways to use scent in your wedding.  Have a relaxing fragrance for during your ceremony itself, a spicy fragrance for your reception, and a decadent gourmet chocolate or french vanilla during dessert and your cake ceremony.  And don’t forget to use scent in establishing that your upcoming Wedding day is one not to be missed by incorporating it into your invitiations … spritz them with a bit of the perfume you are going to be wearing, or with a fragrant oil spray that will be reflected in the flowers you are choosing, or include a sachet or other fragrant item so that every time they smell it they will think about your Wedding.

And for years to come afterwards.