Smelling a fragrance that’s similar to one you wore in happier days can brighten your mood today. Learn how to Eau back in time.
Mary Rose Almasi
How To Find A Scent That Soothes You
Because everyone’s past is unique, odor associations vary wildly. Some people love roses, while others might hate the smell because it reminds them of a grandmother’s funeral or a creepy prom date. But there are a few scents with broad appeal. Studies have shown that citrus scents tend to make people feel positive, while lavender makes people feel relaxed, Herz says. If you don’t know what your feel-good odors are, think back to the scent you wore in high school, or the magnolia trees that bloomed outside your college dorm window. Or go even younger, to childhood, and recall happy holiday meals or a special dessert you and your mom used to make (sweets make for powerful scent associations—comfort foods lead to comforting thoughts). As the designers of this fall’s nostalgic fragrances can attest, childhood is a great source of inspiration, primarily because most of us link being a kid with innocence and happiness. Plus, childhood is loaded with firsts—like the first trip to the beach (that salty-air smell!) or the first trip to the circus (the cotton candy scent!)—that tend to offer up powerful frames of reference.
Got nothing? Then try plan B: “Pay attention to the everyday odors that give you a tingle now— like sugar cookies baking or a cup of herbal tea—and jot them down in a journal,” suggests Sean O’Mara, a perfumer and creator of Royal Apothic fragrances. You’ll start to connect the dots and find patterns in the scents you like.
Next, research the odors you love by seeing which fragrance family they fit into. (Fragrance families are groupings of scents. Everything in one family won’t smell exactly the same, but they’ll have the same vibe. If you like a perfume in one family, you’ll probably like other scents in that family.) Say you identify your favorite everyday scents as cinnamon and vanilla. You can log on to the Fragrance Foundation’s web-site (fragrance.org) to see what family that combo fits into (FYI, it belongs to the oriental/floral family). The site will also suggest fragrances available in stores that fall into that category.
Have An Off-The-Body Experience
You don’t have to wear a fragrance to feel its positive effects. Choose a room spray or a candle with a main note from your nostalgic scent. “When you wear the same fragrance for a long time, receptors in the nose become less sensitive to it, and you’ll stop smelling it,” Dalton says. “Using a dominant note for your home once in a while will have greater impact because you don’t smell it every day.”
Mist scent sprays onto tissues or quilted cotton pads and hide them around the room. For a custom effect, let two candles with different notes you like waft through your living space. The more, the merrier.
Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty-and-style/fragrance-tips?page=4