Bittersweet Scents

It is my last week before I start working again, so naturally I am taking full advantage of my free time by reading articles and perfume descriptions on fragrantica. Something about the way that perfume writers describe smell and create a vignette to evoke a mood that mirrors that of the perfume is mesmerizing to me.

“The eye catching detail of this bottle is the top which symbolizes the time when a girl becomes a woman, and just like a peacock, proudly displaying her beauty, walking towards the chances that open before her, while, with her eyes wide open, she observes the world around her.” (Flight of Fancy by Anna Sui)

“It all starts with a hand on the nape of a neck… This is the story of a man in a car at night, of a manly hand that draws a perfectly fresh face towards him - expressed at the start by a bouquet of white flowers: lily of the valley, jasmine and orange blossom–, and who anticipates the chocolaty taste and tenderness of a mouth.” (Don't Get Me Wrong Baby by Etat Libre d'Orange)

"In Paris nothing disappears, anything can come back to life… The Spa, the nightclub, the hotel. Dance, linger, dream, perspire, drink, watch, sense, seduce, doze. All the yesterdays and now." (2015 Le Phénix by Les Bains Guerbois)

After spending a month in Turkey, I was fully reminded of the power of smell to resurface memories, transport us to places forgotten and even unknown, and aid in creating identities for the day.

The scent of jasmine reminds me of my grandparent’s neighborhood, where jasmine bushes grow unfettered in every yard and expand onto the streets, leaving little flowers blowing on the ground.

The scent of roses, history, and Ottoman rule as I enter Ciragan Palace, one of the last palaces that a sultan had built brand-new instead of using the palace of an ancestor.

The scent of plum and amber as I try to feign the sophistaticion and grace of an old movie-star at a black-tie wedding on the Bosphorus.

In high school during one of my spring breaks, I traveled to London for my first “girls only” trip with my mom. As we sat in Easter service at Westminster Abbey and watched the priests walk down the center swinging an incense ball on a chain in a rhythmic and hypnotizing manner, I immediately understood religion. I too, would come to service every weekend if it meant I could smell that burning incense. When the internet wouldn’t reveal to me the exact scent composition, I was disheartened. Further research taught me that frankincense and myrrh were the two most common incenses used in churches, a fact that may seem commonplace knowledge but not for me. Now, everytime I go into a store with incense, my heart can’t help but hope that one will smell like that Easter Day.

Undoubtedly one of my favorite scents is that of sunscreen. Summer, childhood, freckles, sun-kissed hair, and juicy fruit eaten at the beach so you can rinse off in the ocean.

I could go on forever about this scent memory palace of mine, as I’m sure almost anyone could if prompted. It’s universal yet private, evocative yet silencing.

Before I start work, I’m sure I’ll find more ways to effectively use my time. Trying new recipes, watching old French movies, going on early morning walks and finding new music–like In The Past by The Chocolate Watchband . Each new day a chance and a choice - to lay in bed for hours or to explore something new, each new day a chance for a new scent.