Bad smells

Hello one and all, hope you are all enjoying this nice warm whether we are getting lately!

I notice that my blog posts often relate to nice scents and smells but what about bad smells? I have thought of this as I am currently sitting here writing this whilst my nostrils are being bombarded with a bad aroma of a dinner which is not pleasing to my senses.

A bad aroma worth mentioning here is that of body odor, the experience of being in a cramped space with no way to escape the smell is one i’m sure we’ve all know. Interestingly though a study has shown that bad body odor can actually create feelings of pity and empathy towards that person? Do you agree with this?

Another study reveals that when it comes to the opposite sex, 80% of British people are turned off by bad smells above all else. This study is well worth looking at as it also concludes the votes of a poll carried out on who British people think the best and worst smelling celebrities are!

So after all of these interesting (and sometimes humorous) studies, it has got me thinking to what your least favourite scents are?

Look forward to reading some comments!

Easter scents

Happy Easter one and all!

Chocolate, roast dinners, hot cross buns and simnel cake. All of these food products are key things that we can associate with Easter day. The rich warming scent of chocolate, the irresistible aroma of roast dinners, the essence of a hot cross bun and not to mention the delicious scent of a simnel cake.

All of these scents can easily transport me to an Easter memory which is a fascinating thing about our sense of smell; we can detect “at least one trillion distinct scents”.

Easter also brings with it a change in the smells outside, from new flowers growing, to the grass being cut and the blossom growing on the trees. All of these incredible natural smells enhance our day to day life and so it would be interesting if you could comment on any specific smells or aromas which remind you of this time of year?

Happy Easter everyone and happy scenting!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/occasions/easter 

Accessed: 05/04/2015

Spring Scents

Good evening one and all!

I am happy to announce that it is starting to look like spring has finally sprung! Yes, I am beginning to see changes all around me; sunny days, longer daylight, daffodils and much more. Not forgetting the scents that are changing around us too.

If we cast back to autumn I published a blog on scents which remind us of Autumn, this can be found here. I would like to do the same now for spring!

I feel as though spring brings with it a range of new scents and smells. One of my favourite which I have previously blogged about has got to be freshly cut grass. Spring brings around the opportunity to start gardening and this often entails mowing the lawn. The scent of freshly cut grass is one which I feel is rich and relaxing; do you have any thoughts on this scent?

Another scent I would like to mention with spring has got to be the flowers; daffodils has got to be the main one. The possibility to bring this scent into your household too means spring can be smelt wherever you go!

Finally we cannot forget chocolate! With Easter falling in the spring months means the prospect of indulgent smelling chocolate.

I would love to here your thoughts of the the scents of spring so please leave some comments!

Happy scenting

Cold!

The common cold, yes i’m sure we’ve all had it; the run down feeling, the hoarse voice and yes the blocked nose.

A symptom of the common cold can be a temporary loss of taste and smell. I don’t know if it is just me but this has to be one of the worst scenarios when getting a cold; unable to smell your breakfast cooking, the fresh air outside, or even your favourite perfume. For me, not being able to smell all of these things can make me feel even more under the weather when ill!

I think when getting a cold and the possibility of temporarily losing your sense of smell really helps you appreciate your nose and scent even more. To be able to smell and appreciate the rich scents of the world is truly something we should never take for granted.

Image taken from: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/coldsandflu/Pages/Coldcomfort.aspx Accessed: 13/03/15

New study

A new and very interesting study conducted by Alternatives finder and published by the Daily Mail has revealed how supermarkets use music, touch, colour and scent in order to encourage you to purchase products and prolong your stay within a store or restaurant.

The study on scent was very interesting in the way it noticed how shops use certain scents in order to target specific people and encourage you to perceive an area in a different way. For example Pumpkin pie and lavender arouses men and apple and cucumber helps to perceive the room as bigger. Furthermore it found that customers are more likely to spend 10% more when the product has been scented. The article is very interested and can be accessed here.

My question to you all is: Do you notice scents around any supermarkets and do you feel as though this consciously affects your buying decisions?

Article accessed 06/03/2015

skiing

What could be better than the fresh, alpine scents of a mountain top?

I recently went on a ski trip to Glenshee and as well as it being beautiful and astonishing it also bought with it the most amazing scents. The coolness of the outside air at such a high altitude was breathtaking.

It’s difficult to describe the scent of snow and high altitude better but it can be described i’m sure…can anyone help me out?

The sense of smell was something which truly enhanced my ski trip it filled my lungs with such freshness and I understand why these ‘alpine’ scents are bottled and sold as air fresheners.

Thank you for reading and take a look at one of my pictures from the ski trip.

Scent task

Hello faithful readers!

Over the next few days, I’m going to set you all a task. I would like you to go out and about in your everyday life and think about these questions.

1) What scents can you recognize? How best do you describe these smells?

2) Do these scents remind you of a specific memory? Why do you think this is?

3) What is your favourite scent? Why? Does it remind you of anything?

Thinking about these questions whilst going through your everyday life will help you to see how much scent has an effect on your life. Below I will give you my answers to the above questions.

1) Today some of the scents I recognized included: My car air freshener, the washing powder on my clothes, the smell of library books and there would have been a lot more which would make this blog continue on forever! The scents were very homely as they are scents I encounter on a daily basis.

2) If I was to encounter these scents in a different setting I would be able to easily relate them back to the primary source my brain tracks back to. For example if I smelt an artificial smell of cut grass, it would remind me of my car airfreshner

3) Finally one of my favourite scents has to be my washing powder as it is distinct and brings me happy and welcoming memories.

Freshly cut grass

I recently obtained a new car airfreshner with the scent of ‘freshly cut grass’. This scent can be argued to be a favourite scent for people with its rich, fresh tones and clean refreshing aroma. It truly is a unique and distinctive scent.

Whilst slowing driving along through traffic queues and congested streets the fresh fragrance of cut grass pulls me to memories of spring; it brings the outdoor calmness into my car and i’m sure can help ease road rage and the stresses of rush hour.

I hope this short blog post has explained to you my new found love for all this cut grass, whether artificial or natural.

Image taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/lawns_improvingyourlawn1.shtml

Accessed: 26/01/2015

Your scent

After a small research project, it was revealed that the scents I am most drawn to are:

White Musk, Sandalwood and Vanilla.

White musk can be seen as a very soft scent, Sandalwood a very warm, woody scent and finally the popular sweet scent of vanilla. All of these combined seem to create my perfect aroma.

So what scents are you drawn too?

Scented products

I’m sure many of us received a variety of perfumes and after shaves for Christmas as well as other bathroom scented products.

For Christmas I received two perfumes as well as a gorgeous candle. All of which contained unique scents; one floral, one fresh and the candle was fruity and whenever I smell these scents I am transported back to certain memories, but why?

When our receptors in our brain are stimulated, they transmit to our brain. This pathway is connected to the part of our brain which deals with emotions. That’s why our reaction to smell are that we usually either like or dislike a smell. Smells also leave long-lasting impressions and are strongly linked to your memories.(Hyperlink accessed: 14/01/2015)