Scents: Do You Have a Favorite?

A few weeks ago I posted about “20+ Things I Can’t Live Without”  I’ve gotten so many great emails (and comments) about that post, I think they’ll be a “Part II” coming up in the future.  At the end of that post I asked for your favorite “can’t-live-without” products.  The comments were awesome!  I’m still going back periodically to reread them, trying out the fab ideas/products you mentioned, as well as those mentioned by the Bloggers who linked up for the impromptu linky party that day.

In the comments several folks mentioned a perfume called, Amazing Grace by Philosophy.  I’ve been searching for a new fragrance, having grown tired of the one I’ve been wearing for the last few years.  I wanted something with a light, fresh scent.  Since more than one person mentioned it, I knew I needed to check it out.

I purchased Amazing Grace and another perfume called, Daisy, by Marc Jacobs.  I’ve really enjoyed wearing both of these the last few weeks.  I often put them on just to wear around the house because they put me in such a great mood. I’ve always heard scents can effect your mood, but I hadn’t really thought about it that much until I purchased these two perfumes.

 

In doing a little research, I found an interesting article from Scientific American.  It states how we react to scents is often based on experiences we had in childhood.  We connect scents to those past experiences and memories.  Have you ever smelled something and you were instantly transported back to another place or time?  I definitely have.  I also do that with songs.  There are some songs I can’t listen to without hearing the sounds of roller skates whirling along on wooden floors on a Friday night.  They are there in my memory, playing right along with the music.  Do you ever experience that?

 

Did you know a scent we find pleasant here in the United States can carry a bad connotation in another country?  Wintergreen is considered a nice smelling scent in the US…we associate it with candy or gum.  But in Britain the smell of wintergreen is often associated with medicine and analgesics that were popular during WWII…not a time folks really wish to remember.  You can read more about that, HERE.

That same article states, “A number of studies have shown the odors people like make them feel good, whereas odors people dislike make them feel bad. These mood responses even effect folks physiologically.”  They found that heart-rates and eye-blink rates that happen in response to scents a person likes or dislikes, coincide with the mood the person is experiencing.  Fascinating!

Aromatherapy, which is a practice that uses plant materials to create essential oil and aromatic compounds to alter a person’s mind, mood and health, dates all the way back to the ancient Egyptians.  They used essentials oil in baths, massages and the embalming process.

Here a short list of some of the scents that are known for effecting ones mood:

  • Lavender- soothing and relaxing; helps to relieve stress, depression, anxiety, and nervous disorders.
  • Citrus scents- (grapefruit, lemon, orange, etc…) invigorating, uplifting and clean; eliminates anxiety and stress and can even help you concentrate
  • Vanilla- sweet scent. warming and soothing; relaxing and comforting; it can spur thoughts of favorite foods and happy memories from childhood
  • Cinnamon- Helps with exhaustion and fatigue; calms frazzled nerves; increases awareness.
  • Geranium- soothing and relaxing scent
  • Jasmine- deep and relaxing
  • Rose- Again relaxing…may even help to balance hormones
  • Sandalwood- relaxing and calming ability; lifts depression; is often associated with meditation
  • Lilac- is said to help decision making; improves memory

According to Dr. Solomon Snyder, a professor and director of the department of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “the parts of the brain where you find the olfactory regions also regulate emotions.”  Interesting, huh?

Dr. Gary E. Schwartz, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Yale University, found certain scents produce changes in blood pressure and other physiological responses comparable to those achieved through meditation.  In studies, the smell of spiced apple, was very effective and brought down systolic blood pressure an average of three to five points.

Pretty amazing how scents effect our mood, isn’t it?  I know they definitely have an effect on mine.

Do you have any favorite scents…scents that immediately make you feel calmer or more relaxed?  Any favorite scents that energize you?   Please share your favorite perfume or if you don’t have a favorite perfume, what’s you favorite scented candle?

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Comments

  1. Sally Hamilton says

    The original Jergen's lotion – can't smell it without thinking of my lovely grandmother, her sweet home, and how much I loved and admired her.

  2. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    Susan I've been using Amazing Grace for years, I love it!

  3. Very Interesting! I totally believe that scents carry an emotional connection. I love Pure Grace. Reminds me when our first grandchild was born a year ago.. I wore it to the hospital and while taking care of her Mom and her! I love, love, love, Aromatique Cinnamon Cider and is my signature scent for my home!

  4. Herballistic Garden says

    My favourite scent ever…hands down…was "Savannah Gardens" by Crabtree & Evelyn. I loved the bath products and especially the room oils, of which I have a smidgen left. They, sadly, no longer carry this scent. I was heartbroken! Now I gravitate towards musky, powdery smells and lavender is way up there. Your posting was very informative…thanks. xo wendy

    • I’m a year late on this, but I’m with you, Wendy. I’d worn “Savannah Gardens” since about 1980 – before Crabtree & Evelyn bought the original company that made that wonderful fragrance. When I found out it had been discontinued I was in shock. Purchased as much as I could. Am now down to my last 2 bottles of the perfume, but have a lot of the lotion, shower gel, room spray, and perfumed oil remaining. But I’m still always on the lookout for something that smells like this and it just isn’t out there. When C&E brought back “Savannah Gardens” a couple of years ago I was thrilled until I found out they’d only brought back body lotion and shower gel. And even those are gone for good now. Do you remember the Body Spray? It was probably the most amazing form of that fragrance, hands down. Sigh…

      • Teresa McNamara says

        Oh Annette….how I would love to be able to purchase some of the Savannah Gardens Environmental Oil again! If you ever want to sell some of that, I would be thrilled if you would contact me. I have a bottle of the shower gel and use a bit with water in a simmer pot when I want a treat….it’s not the same as the oil, but as close as I have come so far. Just this evening I did that and my sister-in-law commented how good my house smelled! Like you, I haven’t found anything that I like as well. Enjoy what you have left!

        • Teresa, Am only just now seeing your comment to my post. I just went hunting to see what I could track down in my house and – unfortunately – only have one vial (unopened) left of the Environmental Oil in Savannah Gardens. I’m just at such a loss without this fragrance. It’s been quite a few years back now, but when I used the last of the Body Spray I thought I’d have to go into mourning. It was SUCH an amazing rendition of the fragrance. In my search for you, I came across an extremely old vial of another of their Environmental Fragrances in its original bag! The company was Scarborough & Co (English), and this other fragrance was called “Moroika.” I just took a whiff (I bet the bottle hasn’t been opened in 20 years) and, Oh My! It, too, was truly beautiful. If you see this comment and want to continue the conversation, please go to my website and contact me from there. I’d love to hear from you, and if you need more of the Shower Gel I’d be more than happy to send you a bottle! All best!

      • magenta henry says

        Who was the original company? Maybe now that C&E is going out of business that company will reconsider making it again. The EDT has to be the post-1998 version though.

      • marvie cauffman says

        Please email C&E and ask them to bring back Savannah Gardens.I emailed them
        This week and they responded within one day. I was told that they would see to it that the approciate
        People would see my email. Please we need lots of us who love Savannah Gardens products to email
        Them. Please , please email them And ask them to bring back our favorite Savannah Gardens products. I slso love there Savannah Gardens drawer liner. I still have it in some of my dresser drawers. All my sweaters smell wonderful every winter when I take them out to wear. PLEASE GET All OUR FRIENDS To CONTACT THEM AND GET OUR FAVORITES BACK. Thank you

    • Can’t we do something to bring back Savannah Gardens. I have written to the company to no avail. I know Summer Hill and Nantucket Briar are still around, but they don’t hold a candle to the scent of Savannah Gardens. Each and everytime I wore the perfume, it brought me right back to long summer days as a child.

    • magenta henry says

      Savannah Gardens was my favorite, too–at least after they reformulated the EDT after 1997-98.(?) C&E, like a false-hearted lover, said they’d never stop making it, then WHAMMO they skipped town! Stupid business decision, since it was apparently a best-setter. Now they’re in Chapt 11 and one wonders why? Anyway you can get the EDT on E-Bay if you’re willing to spend some serious $$.

  5. ~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ says

    Isn't it wonderful to have a favorite scent. I have been marketing Young Living Essential Oils for many years so I am aware of the power of scents. Many of these oils are used for medicinal purposes as our ancestors did before modern medicines. I teach all about that and love doing so. Personally my favorite essential oil that I use every morning is an oil called JOY by Young Living. It is a blend of jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and a few other oils to uplife the spirits! Love it.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

  6. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Sally, I had forgotten about Jergen's lotion…thanks for the reminder. That one brings back memories for me, too.

  7. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Martina, I wish I'd known about it before now! 🙂

  8. Vanilla hands down. I love vanilla candles and vanilla lotions.

  9. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Pure Grace is a Philosophy scent, too…right? What a sweet memory!

  10. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Ooh, the name sounds wonderful. Such a shame they disc it. Check on eBay…you'll sometimes find a product on there for years after is was discontinued.

  11. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Ahrisha, that sounds delightful!

  12. Laurel's Quill says

    My aesthetician laughs at me because I want to know every product that she puts on my face so that I can know the scent. My beauty products MUST appeal to my senses…I love Yonka and Jurlique products as they heavily scented with smells I love. I love ginger and citrus. For perfume I love Beautiful. I am also greatly impacted by the scent of outdoor things, as I grew up in the country. Fresh cut hay, redwood trees, fireplaces… MMMMMMMMMMM. Thanks for asking. Laurel

  13. Enjoyed this post! I use a citrus scent for shower gel and lotion after a morning shower. It is energizing, helps me start a busy day with a little energizing mood boost! Befroe I begin decorating for Christmas, I grab the Aromatique, Cinnamon Cider and Smell of the Tree are my favorites! Lemon is a favorite anytime of year.

  14. I enjoyed this post! The scent I use is Philosophy Pure Grace. I love it the smell is very clean.

  15. Favorite scents: vanilla and pinetrees. My favorite perfume is Boucheron.

  16. Chubby Chieque says

    I been using Marc Jacobs Daisy 4 diff scents and a Splashing Gucci. Love all of them.

    I am a kinda que sera sera scent lover, so I bought diff kinds and stock in the dresser. Not even open yet.

    I love this topic… scents & make-up §;-)

    Happy Tuesday.
    /CC

  17. Without a doubt my favourite scent is vanilla. I recently was given a new perfume by one of my best friends & I love it, Wild Blubelle by Jo Malone. It might be a bit sweet for some people but it's very light.

  18. Lani @ Its My Life says

    Anything baking that makes my house smell more homey!

  19. Coastal Cottage Dreams says

    My favorite scents are lavender and lilac. I also have a candle with the scent of basil, sage and mint, it is wonderful.

    My favorite perfume is Hanae Mori and Lolita Lempicka.

  20. The scent of wild roses reminds me of when I was a young girl. My Grandma had a rose bush that climbed a trellis nest to her porch swing. I had many many happy days there.
    Gardenias are another special scent to me. It was in my wedding bouquet.
    I am going to check out the Grace scent. Thanks for an interesting post.

  21. Divine Theatre says

    Since I have so many allergies to chemical fragrances I usually wear lavender essential oil during the day. At night I wear either sandalwood or black pepper essential oil. they smell great all mixed together too! We also add lavender essential oil to the unscented laundry fabric softener and put it on cottonballs to spread throughout the house!
    Lavender essential oil is also useful in removing paint drips and gum…things like that. We buy it by the gallon on ebay!

    Great post!

    xo

    Andie

  22. Shabby chic Sandy says

    I agree–scents, just like songs, can bring me back to a time I have been before. My perfume is Caesar's Woman. I have always worn it. I started when my babies were little so they would feel comfort if I sprayed it on a blanket or something if I had to leave them for a short time. (which wasn't very often so they were really clingy to me). When one of my old employees went to Las Vegas he came home and immediately said, "It was so weird–when I went to Caesar's Palace the whole place seemed like you!" He didn't know that was my perfume. For house scents I like lavendar and rose.

  23. sweet violets says

    So glad you finally found Amazing Grace, do you have an Ulta store by you??? They carry all the products. I like vanilla scents for the home as in candles, etc. Also remember Jergens lotion and Cashmere Bouquet soap my mom used. And I still love Shalimar, wear it in the winter esp. at Christmas!!! Happy Spring!!!

    • magenta henry says

      I think the brilliance of L’Occitane’s shea butter line is that to many of us it smells like our mother’s cold cream. No particular brand–could be Cashmere Bouquet or Pond’s–but a strong association lies there.

  24. Mindy @ The Howell Blessings says

    Crabtree and Evelyn's Hand and body lotions, Lavendar scent. I use it liberally during the gardening months on my hands and legs and at night right before I climb into bed. I always associate it with a clean, relaxing feeling and peacefulness.

  25. Everytime I smell Jergens Cherry Vanilla hand lotion I instantly think of my mother. She put it on her hands every night and she'd lean down to kiss me good night and I remember the smell.

  26. Linda/patchwork says

    It is amazing what memories scents can induce.

    I once lost my sense of smell for a while. It was very disturbing. We do depend on that sense, more than we think.

    I've used White Linen for years…to the point I can no longer really smell it. Maybe it's time to find another good scent. I'll be looking for Amazing Grace.

    Very good post. Thanks….

  27. miss flibbertigibbet says

    I remember Love's Fresh Lemon from the 70's…my first scent from the drugstore. I've always loved lemon and citrus scents. I have worn for more than 10 yrs Jessica McClintock's original scent. it's a light floral and I get comments ALL the time from people. i can't smell it…..isn't that a shame how that happens to the perfume we wear?
    Lorraine

  28. Anonymous says

    Susan,

    I absolutely loved this post! I will have to check out Amazing Grace. I really haven't used perfume in quite a while.

    …but I have a habit to confess…sometimes when I'm at the grocery store I smell the old Coppertone #8 suntan lotion. It takes me back to Florida vacations as a young girl!

    You are absolutely right about the music. I listened to Styx the other day and for a brief moment I went from 48 to 17!

    Betsy

  29. I know what you mean about songs. I can hear a song I haven't heard in a long time and I am immediately transported back to place I haven't been in a long long time. My mother used to wear JOY perfume If I smell it now, I'm a little girl. My favorite scents are Orange blossoms, night blooming jasmine, and honeysuckle. They all transport me back to my childhood (but only the good times). Great Post.

  30. Happy Cottage Quilter says

    I am just learning about Young Living Essential Oils just like Ahrisha talked about. My favorite is Peace and Calming 🙂 I actually had someone ask me at Michael's the other day if I was wearing a certain Clinique perfume. It was the essential oil Peace and Calming, so you know it must smell good ;-D

    Jocelyn @
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

  31. I've worn L'air du Temps since I was in high school. Tried other perfumes over the years, but they either end up smelling like Comet cleaner or give me a bad headache, so it's back to the old faithful for me.
    I also love vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves. I can only use vanilla or some food-scented candles – others give family allergy attacks!

  32. Entertaining Women says

    I love the smell of freshly mown grass after a rain…takes me back to my childhood. I adore Joy by Jean Patou. I wore a fragrance called "Ebullience" for many years, but I can no longer find it…and I've certainly tried. It was created by a man in his garage in Philadelphia. Each bottle was different in design…he collected empty perfume bottles and reused them. It was carried by Neiman's and an upscale store in our city. I read on Goodgle that the formula had been bought by a woman in Chicago, but I've never again found any place that it is sold. If anyone knows where it is available,
    I would love to know. It's a really special fragrance. Cherry Kay

  33. I love the scent of Sweet Olive trees so I love Hové's "Tea Olive" cologne. I also love 'Thé Vert' by Bulgari and 'So Pink' by The GAP. For candles I prefer rose, gardenia, or jasmine. (I'm a flowery girlie girl!)

  34. Signature Scent: Gucci Guilty. When we adopted our daughter from Russia she would snuggle in and take a deep breath. She is now seven and while we are reading bedtime stories she will take a big sniff and inhale. I too remember the scent of my dear mother!

  35. oh, yes, I have two..
    One is the smell of Florida. When I was a child living in Miami the rain
    would come and the earth produced a smell, green grass in dirt… now that
    I'm back living in SoFla. after each rain I smell it.
    Then the parfume, Femm. As a teen one of my boyfriends in Beriut, gave me a bottle.
    I did get another one later on and have saved it to just open and smell.
    It's very French and no one sells it here in America.
    Nice post
    sandy

  36. susansspace says

    Aromatics Elixir body lotion by Clinique. Nothing else compares! For household scents, citrus or cinnamon.

  37. Tess Maxey says

    Hi Susan. Great post!! I wear Estée Lauder's White Linen and have for 30 years. My son was away at school a few years ago and said someone walked by with white linen on and he said he was looking around for me for a few seconds until he realized it was just the same perfume.

  38. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Tess, that is sooo sweet! Love that!

  39. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    CC, I could see me doing that. I like switching up, too. I guess we'll never have a "signature" scent, will we? 🙂

  40. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    So agree…love when you walk into a home and it smells yummy.

  41. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Never heard of those perfumes…gotta look those up. Such fun names.

  42. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Love gardenias!

  43. France Guérin says

    Hi Susan! It has been a while since I left you a comment, but I always read your post.
    I found the necklace from Daisy perfum in a second hand store! Just for a dollar.
    It is unused and I love it! I was looking for a new fragance when I turned 45.
    I also love Musk for Alyssa Ashley,since I am a teenager and the new one for Burberry,
    Body!

  44. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Andie, that sounds sort of exotic…black pepper with the others. I know it must smell wonderful.

  45. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Yep, bought it at Ulta. I tried all the Philosophy perfumes out while there, spraying them on a paper card. I think after a while my nose quit working because everything just began to smell like alcohol. Weird, huh?

  46. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Susan, I'll stop by and smell that next time I'm near a Clinique store.

  47. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    It is! Not fair! I have on Amazing Grace right now and can't smell it. I used to wear two of the Jessica McClintock perfumes…they are really nice.

  48. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Betsy…love your story about the Coppertone. That smell transports me back to Saturdays at the lake during high school, lying out in the sun searching for the perfect tan.

  49. I am with Debby B, in that I love L'air du Temps. I love it on others and love to wear it, but never get compliments. I also love Elizabeth Taylor's Passion. Might be an "old lady's perfume", but it is still nice to me. I wore Shalimar in high school and still like to spray some on now and again. I went to a show in Atlanta and Bob Hope was being honored. Miss Georgia came out and he hugged her. He asked her what perfume she was wearing and she said Shalimar. I figured that must have made a big impression on Bob to ask that right on stage !
    One last thought–years ago I read an article on scents. The conductors of the experiment filled a theater half full of women, telling them they could sit wherever they wanted. They sat for 20 minutes, and left. Then they told the same amount of men the same thing. 75% of the men honed in the seats where the women had been sitting !! Sorry so long-can you tell I liked the subject matter? !!

  50. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Fascinating, Cece! What an interesting experiment. I really want to learn more about this…how scents effect us.

  51. Donna (My Mothers {favorite} Daughter) says

    Susan what a great post! I am so like you…I will never have a true signature fragrance because I love fragrance so much that I have tons of them! I use Amazing Grace shower products a lot and love to wash my hair with it, it is wonderful during the night when I am tossing around unable to sleep! But one of the things that absolutely will transport me is the smell of a new baby doll…oh my gosh, if I am in a toy store, or even at Christmas when the neices open their new babies…I will have to press my face close and smell that wonderful new baby doll smell and instantly I am back to a little girl! It is so amazing how scent can do that!

  52. Bonida Kimbrough says

    I have always heard and do believe, if you can smell your own scent then you have applied too much and it is overpowering to everyone else. I know a woman who wears so much I can't stand to be close to her and she's a hugger, lol. Love your posts!

  53. Sweetladyelaine says

    ME TOO! I love the bath & body scents…..

  54. Sweetladyelaine says

    I loved reading all the comments. I could identify with alot of them. As a young woman I wore Charlie. Then loved Passion & White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. Now, Bath & Body Works, Sweet Pea or Warm Vanilla. I think I went to lighter scents because I hated going to church and being over powered by strong scents. This was a fun post Susan!
    Blessings My Friend,

  55. Pure Grace is my favorite by Philosophy!

  56. Porch Napper says

    My favorite is Nantucket Briar from Crabtree and Evelyn. Every time I smell it, I think of my grandmother. Such sweet memories.

  57. You sure have it right – scents and songs are so evocative!
    My favorite perfume is O de Lancome. It takes me to France every time I smell it, even after using it for many years.
    For home fragrance, I love citrus – lemon and grapefruit especially.
    Essential oils are fabulous. I love dabbing just a bit of patchouli on the wrists and behind the ears. That scent takes me back…Also, I always keep a bottle of peppermint essential oil near the bed. It is very soothing for me and great for headaches.

  58. I have to add 2 or 3 more cents worth !! I read the proper way to apply perfume is to hold the bottle in your hand with your arm straight out away from you and up, taller than you are. Give 2 good squirts into the air, and then walk under the falling mist. No one place is going to be too strong. Also-my DH loves me to wear Moonlight Path from Bath and Body works !

  59. Porch Napper says

    My favorite is Nantucket Briar by Crabtree and Evelyn. Always reminds me of my sweet grandmother.

  60. I currently don't have a favorite, but now want to try Amazing Grace!! It sounds like a scent I would like. I do like light scents. When I smell Jovan Musk Oil scent it transports me to my youth immediately and also so does English Leather.

  61. karen@somewhatquirky says

    Susan, My favorite scent for the home – besides great cooking – is the Trapp #4 (orange vanilla) candle. It is wonderful. Funny thing about the 20 things I can't live without… right after I started blogging I made one of those lists and linked it to your party. It was my fist link to one of your parties. I rushed to do it – only came up with 12 things, couldn't get Blogger to work correctly, had tons of problems and ended up with a post I wasn't too proud of. Anyway, not a day goes by that someone doesn't link up to that post. I have often thought of just taking the dang thing out – but instead I went back and improved it a little bit just so it wouldn't be a source of embarrassment!

  62. Susan, I'm not going to feel guilty about that six pack of cinnamon buns I bought at IKEA today now. I'm just going to go eat one and hope it will energize me because I'm exhausted from walking around in that store all day. I could camp out there and happily shop another day.

    My favorite fragrance is Calvin Klein Euphoria Blossom. I get so many compliments on it when I wear it I wear it – it's light and doesn't seem to affect those people with scent allergies.

  63. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    LOL! It is exhausting…but so much fun! They may have to start letting folks use go carts or roller skates in there. 🙂 Or, how about a giant shopping tram that circles around the store and you just hop on to ride to another dept and get off when you see something you want to check out. lol You DESERVE a cinnamon bun for sure! Euphoria sounds wonderful.

  64. Gucci Guilty is *my* scent as well…light, powdery and sophisticated at the same time

    I also go Earth Mother and wear patchouli oil on summer evenings because it helps keep the mosquitos away

    the scent of Coty loose face powder brings my gram to mind instantly

  65. Susan BetweenNapsOnThePorch says

    Karen, those Trapp candles are amazing! Good for you for just adding to it. I have plenty of old posts that I see and cringe. lol I was the smiley queen (still am) and used a million smilies in all my posts in the beginning…so don't feel bad. I occasionally de-smiley a post when I come across it…or at least reduce them down to say 10 a post. 😉

  66. Favorite perfume is Chanel No.5; home fragrance is anything peach – candles, air fresheners, etc. It is so refreshing!

  67. Phyllis@Around the House says

    I adore the small of gingerbread…it is yummy…for perfume I love Michael Kors and flowerbomb by viktor and rolf…such a great smell….and I love the smell of a great roast baking in the oven…yummy

  68. I've used Amazing Grace for several years now – LOVE!!!! I also like Bath & Body Words Cherry Blossom for every day kicking around. As for house sents, hands down my most favorite, year round, makes me swoon scent is Hollyberry by Yankee Candle. Can't get enought of it! What a great post – definitely food, I mean scent!, for thought. Jane :0)

  69. My signature scent is "Angel" Body Cream by Thierry Mugler….I get so many compliments from both men and woman. I prefer a body cream to a perfume. This one is heavenly and you don't need a lot…it lasts me a long time, that's how I justify the price 🙂

  70. What a lovely post. I always wore the powdery/floral scents Joy, Shalimar, Je Reviens, and Bal a Versailles before I settled on my two favorites – Opium in the winter and Chanel No. 5 for summer. For my home, I use Ocean Breeze in my Lamp Berger. It makes my whole house smell like the ocean. I, too, once used Savannah Gardens and loved it. L'Occitane used to make a soap called Vanilla Bourbon that I didn't know whether to use as a soap or eat.

  71. Jergens and Ivory soap bring back memories of childhood. My favorite smell is fresh lilacs. Mine are just starting to bloom. My favorite fragrance is Child. I am going to try out some of the scents mentioned here. Fun post.

  72. I discovered both of my favorite perfumes by asking total strangers what they were wearing. The first is Angel by Thierry Mugler and the second is Addict by Christian Dior. I agree totally about smells affecting your mood…I just feel so good when I wear these scents.

  73. Maria Elena says

    Susan, what an interesting post! I really enjoyed reading it!
    The smell of gardenias is one that brings me back to my childhood every time. Growing up in Madrid, Spain, we would go on vacation to the south, to a little town right on the Mediterranean and every morning, walking down to the beach, you could smell those gardenias mixed with the smell of the ocean. Unforgettable!
    I actually have two favorite perfumes. During the winter I use Paloma Picasso. Paloma is the daughter of the famous artist Pablo Picasso and I started using that perfume when it came out in Spain for the first time back in the mid 80's. It is wonderful, but a little too strong to use during the hot months. For Spring and Summer I use O De Lancome. It has a soft, fresh smell that stays with you all day. I think I am going to try Amazing grace. Thank you for a great post!

  74. Lizabeth @ Infuse With Liz says

    I'm going to see if they have this at our Macy's store. I usually shy away from scents with rose in them. One of those smells that can be overwhelming. If it's just a touch I might be able to live with it. I primarily wear Burberry Brit (always get compliments) which is described as: Italian Lime, Icy Pear, Green Almond, White Peony, Sugared Almonds, Amber, Mahogany, Vanilla, Tonka Bean. I also usually stay away from Vanilla or anything that smells too much like food! I was surprised that Vanilla is in my favorite scent! I know I like things with a musky scent and slightly floral. My mother has stayed with one scent forever "Estee Lauder- Youth Dew" and it still makes me nauseous. I recently was at a store and a woman was floating around with it on and I had to get away from her. It's a scent that seems to leave it's mark wherever it goes! Yes I do have memories generated from scents and music too! I'm huge on that subject! I have an old bottle of Laura Ashley's Emma that I've been saving the last 1/4 of the bottle of for years. They stopped making it and I decided not to use it all up. I like to take the top off and just smell it!

  75. Anonymous says

    Susan: I totally agree with the scents evoking a special memory. My Mother always had beautiful flowers around her tiny home…she didn't have much but her flowers looked amazing and smelled great…she always did too. Getting out of the car and smelling the Lily of the Valley was just heaven. How I wish I could go see her again and smell that wonderful smell. My personal favorite perfume is Ralph Lauren's "Blue". Absolutely LOVE this fragrance!! I too have Amazing Grace and enjoy it but the "Blue" is my favorite. Thanks for the wonderful posts. They make my day!!

  76. My top favorite scents are: coconut (reminds me of time spent on the beach); mint (any kind of mint – peppermint especially, it's so refreshing); pine (anything that smells like a Christmas tree); and musk (one of my all time favorite scents to wear – Jovan & Alyssa Ashley are my top 2 faves). Also among my favorite "scents" are: puppy breath (can't beat the kiss of a tiny puppy); and "human" baby scent (which is predominantly baby powder, but their milky, baby lotion/shampoo scent is mingled in there, too). After I'm done cleaning, I NEED my home to smell lemon-y. It just screams "clean" to me. I am a very scent/memory oriented type of person. I even bought some Body on Tap shampoo from Vermont Country store because of its scent & memories of my teen years. Thank you for this post. It was most enjoyable!

  77. nancylmt12 says

    My favorite right now is Philosophy's "Falling in Love" which is sweet and light (I wear it in the summer alot) and Calvin Klein's "Euphoria" when I want something a bit stronger. Loved "Love's Fresh Lemon" as a youth, "Shalimar" in my thirties and "Obsession" by Calvin Klein in my forties!

  78. FABBY'S LIVING says

    Oh I think now that I will be going to Florida, I will get this Amazing Grace, sounds like it's just the senses I like. I always used when I was young: White Shoulders and hubby remembers when we met and I do remember so much of my youth with that perfume. Than I used for many years Rive Gauche, of Ive St. lAURENT, many memmories with that one too. Thank you Susan, I'm getting this new one for sure!
    FABBY

  79. There is no hope for me….I like Windex….franki

  80. Haven't seen this on comments yet, but there's a site called "CB I Hate Perfume" and Chris carries all sorts of fragrances from home to personal use. It's a very unique place and you might take a look – there's a Library Book scent that I use in our den where yes, there are a ton of books. The fragrance is there, but not overpowering and takes me right back to the libraries I used to visit as a child and then as an adult. There's ones that smell of the ocean, certain fruits (like figs) and earth. Check it out.

  81. Mom/Carolyn says

    They should provide coffee beans to clear your nose in between sniffing.

  82. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    My Fav for a few years now has been Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue…very light, fresh scent…and my hubby loves it too! I have used Philosophy's Grace before and switched to the Light Blue….Great post!

  83. bammajan10 says

    Wind Song = Grandma. Always has, always will.
    Soon, we'll have lilacs blooming and I know where the bushes are…so I make little detours just to stand and inhale the scent.

  84. I called Crabtree & Evelyn and the lady told me that if all of us flooded them with requests to bring back Savannah Gardens that she felt that they would. She said that is what caused them to bri g it back last time.This is the only perfume that I ever wore. I bought lots of it but even bottles that I haven’t oppened yet have lost most of that wonderful smell. And the color has changed. Please call and write them . If all of us co it maybe they will bring it back again. Wonderful post!!!!

    • I cannot believe that C&E is no longer in business! I came across this link and wanted to share what I found about the Savannah Gardens. My wife of 40 years always wore it and even had some of the environmental oil put on the lamp bulb next to the bed for years before she passed away in 2000. I would be willing to bet that the wonderful scent of Savannah Gardens was very potent the night my son was conceived. Recently his wife was over and going through some things and found a brown box with Savannah Gardens written on it. A very small .3 fl oz jar with a squeeze stopper was in the box. The bottle was empty but as soon as she took the cap off, wonderful memories filled my head or how wonderful, caring and loving she was. The UPC on the bottom of the box is 044936815321 if this helps anyone.
      http://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/technical/article_page/Crabtree__Evelyn__British_Royalty/49110

  85. I loved reading about how scents affect our moods. Very interesting blog post!

  86. Smell and music take me back in time more than anything else. My best fragrance memory is that of my Mother. From the time I was very young, until years after, she wore the original Fendi. It is sadly no longer in production, however, I own a few old bottles to alwasy remember those better past years.

    • Okay, my heart just melted! Makes me wish I had worn a signature fragrance when my son was growing up so he would associate it with me. Love that memory, Josh! Every time I smell Estee Lauder, White Linen, I think of my mother-in-law…that was her favorite.

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