YOUR SCENT STORIES: PART 1

Over the course of the last week, we asked all of you: “which unconventional scents do you love?” 

We got an array of responses we want to share with you. From the smell of burning wood, to things as specific as Lysol and Ivory soap one thing is clear: people love smells that bring forth fond memories of good times with friends and family.

1. Violeta from New York says the smell of Argentina is her favorite smell. “Not sure how to describe it, but my sister and I agree. It is a really specific smell that is pleasant though a bit musty and all textile items that come from there have this smell. It evokes the country I was born in, some melancholy, but mostly joy because I can feel Argentina with just a whiff!"

2. “The smell of gasoline is comforting and takes me back to my childhood,” said Julie linking it to an unconventional proximity to boat yards and frequent visits to garages, “there is something about the scent that makes me happy.”

3. Both Flavia from Boca Raton and Jodi shared they have a love for the smell of burning wood. For Flavia, it is about remembering times when “we used to get together around the wooden stove to cook. It reminds me of family closeness and love!” Jodi shares memories of camping with family, adding that the “smell reminds me of the wonderful times I had cooking over it and warming up to it on cold summer nights.”

4. “Lysol and Ivory soap was what my Aunt Dobe used to clean her house. She hosted Christmas Eve every year, so when I smell Lysol and Ivory soap, it makes me think of Christmas as a child” says Julie, from Festus, MO, adding that the smells bring back feelings of “excitement and anticipation of Santa coming to visit.”

 5. Julie from Miami takes the cake though, sharing a love for Tigerbalm Liniment, through a dually heartwarming and heart wrenching short story of sorts: 

“As far as I can remember, my grandmother from Cuba was a very strong matriarch. She endured not only being ripped away from the only home she knew for political reasons, but also endured the terrible side effects and symptoms of Cancer. She did all this in silence and with a great deal of strength and faith. I thought that was enough for her to endure. While undergoing chemotherapy, she suffered a great deal of pain. As a strong woman, a traditional woman, and the wife of a doctor, she avoided any additional medications in her body. She always said that it was mind over matter. She did not want any additional pollutants in her system. She always turned to holistic and natural resources for healing. The main go to rub that she used was Tiger Balm Liniment. When she stayed at our house in my bedroom when I was a child, the smell of wintergreen and menthol lingered in the air. That smell still reminds me to this day of my grandmother. I know and I truly believe that the olfactory system in our bodies can bring us back to specific memories that we've had in our life. To this day, when I smell wintergreen or menthol, I think back on the days with my grandmother. The woman who faced so many challenges, trials and tribulations, and a great deal of pain both physical and mental. The strongest woman I have ever met in my entire life. I just think that it's very ironic that the logo for Tiger Balm is an actual tiger. A force to reckon with in the wild just like my grandmother.”

We are so thankful for everyone who took the time to share their love of unconventional scents and the memories related to them. Not just the few we mentioned here, but every single one. We hope that our home perfumes and fragrances, become one of your favorite scents too! And that you make fond memories with it as well!