Smelly Facts: The Making of a Best-Seller

Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a best-selling perfume? The obvious answer should be a combination of quality (first and foremost one would argue), capturing the zeitgeist of the period of release and of course some sort of universal appeal. But of course as we perfume lovers well know, far from all best-selling perfumes comply with these or similar criteria. In fact, most of the time it is marketing that drives a best-seller, with unfortunate, deleterious consequences for the sensitive noses and sensibilities of connoiseurs who end up disparaging the mainstream market as a result. For me one such perfume whose continuing success leaves me rather bewildered is Dior's J'Adore, a veritable golden goose for the company. Countless women profess their adoration (ugh, forgive the accidental pun) for J'Adore, much to my dismay and confusion. Well, I seem to have come across an (at least partial) explanation for its success while studying for Consumer Psychology, one of my elective courses this year, and now that I've more time I finally get to share it with you. According to Hoyer & MacInnis (2008, p. 34) it is not uncommon for modern marketing efforts to be driven by neuroscience:

Neuroscientists are seeking to understand consumer behavior by looking at brain activity using functional resonance imaging (fMRI). To do this, they examine which parts of the brain become activated when consumers are engaging in activities such as making a decision, viewing an ad, or selecting an investment. For instance, Christian Dior used fMRI research to test consumer's reactions to music, colors, and ad placement when planning its highly successful introductory campaign for J'Adore perfume. Although neuroscience research raises concerns about manipulation, one advertising executive notes: "Observing brain activity and setting up models for behavior is not the same as forcing a brain into making a consumption decision."

Although I cannot with certaintly refute the validity of this claim without further information, one has to question the extent of its truthfulness. Specifically, in the event that marketing is heavily based on automatic brain responses, what sort of defense is left for us against it? What do you think? Considering that not every household currently contains a bottle of J'Adore it is clear that freedom of choice still remains secure, but with more technological advances in the future I foresee this ethical debate heating up.

To briefly return to one of my initial points regarding universal appeal in perfume, I found another interesting little tidbit elsewhere in the book (idem, p. 84). According to the authors "Only one smell is universally regarded as pleasant. No, it's not vanilla... It's cola! Considering this, I am surprised we've yet to come across a perfume with cola notes! Or have I missed something?

References: Hoyer, D. W. & MacInnis, D. J., 2008. Consumer Behavior. North Way: GB, South-Western, Cengage Learning

Emphasis in original text added by author.

For the Love of Perfume, Fashion and All That is Fabulous: Paris (Part 4)

I envisioned our next day in Paris as the day of luxury: visiting all the big luxury boutiques at Avenue Montaigne, Rue Cambon and Saint-Honore and culminating to a fabulous dinner at L’Avenue at Avenue Montaigne at night. Still, as any true perfume lover knows, there is always room for perfume! Avenue Montaigne is one of my favorite places in Paris (if not the whole world) and I spent the better part of the day going in and out of its stunning boutiques: Gucci, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior… At Dior I had my first proper sniff of La Collection Particuliere which consists of Passage N°4, N°8 & N°9, all encased in beautiful bulb atomizer flacons. As much as I adore Dior (the Montaigne flagship is probably the best boutique in Paris and both this time and two years ago I have been served most excellently – the atmosphere is wonderful and the service simply superb) I have to say that I was not very impressed by the perfumes, if only when considered alongside their prices. The rose especially left a very bad impression, smelling fragile and superficial (I have to disclose I did not test these on skin, however). I was most impressed by N°8, a cheerful and feminine musky violet-iris composition which I would be very, very happy to wear if it did not cost over 300 euro! It is definitely worth sampling if you are looking for a great iris scent.

Leaving Avenue Montaigne I spotted a pink sign up ahead at rue Clément Marot. Something inexplicably flashed in my brain; I knew I had to explore it. “Do you see what it says?” I panted excitedly to my boyfriend as we approached nearer. He grinned. “No, but I can see the logo.” he replied naughtily. “What is it?” “Hello Kitty!!!” What?? Dear reader, you might not know this about me, but I have this almost obscene obsession with the Japanese cat! Even shopping to my heart's content a week earlier while in Greece at a licensed Hello Kitty pyjama/babydoll shop my taste for all things Sanrio had not yet been satiated (it never is). The boutique at at rue Clément Marot is called Victoria Couture and it only sells Hello Kitty things (clothes, accessories, jewelry). I went a little crazy in there. The store owner burst out laughing and told me I was like a kid in a candy store. Thankfully my obsession only messes with my brain up to a certain point - I did not actually feel compelled to shell out thousands of euros so that I can hang a diamond encrusted kitty head from my neck. I did leave with a pink velour bag however (pictured right), large enough to use at the gym and to take with me to the beach while vacationing in Mykonos later this summer. It has already given me so much pleasure, it makes going to the gym even more fun! And I realize this probably makes me sound very frivolous and silly. I’m sorry… I can’t help it. I LOVE Hello Kitty!

We proceeded looking for the Arabian Oud Shop, but when we reached rue de Marignan we found it closed, as in closed down. Asking around at shops close by didn’t lead us anywhere, but fortunately we decided to take a walk on Champs Elysées and favored by luck, we almost immediately stumbled upon the shop’s new location. The shop smells so strong that even when it is closed (as we discovered when passing in front of it the next day late in the evening) you can actually smell it out on the street! Inside the shop we were greeted by an exotic, rather handsome yet thoroughly unpleasant man, whose every word and behavior confirmed my suspicion of his being a raging misogynist! His restrained yet tinged with covert aggression behavior immediately made me feel ill at ease. Conversation flow, or rather conversation of any kind was impossible to achieve. The awkwardness was palpable in the air. I wanted to sample the perfumes and even though I made my preference for initially testing on a blotter before committing to skin space clear, he insisted on covering every available inch of skin on my arms with various oils and perfumes. Some of them were beautiful, some of them not really my cup of tea. All of them were unique and strange, and truly worth a sniff for any perfume lover worth his salt if only to open up new horizons in his personal olfactionary. Almost all of them were too strong and too far removed from what I would consider wearing myself. Not actually because they are so exotic and strange – that was not actually the problem. It was the fact that many of them smelled musty and spicy in a dirty amber sort of way, reproducing the scents found in headshops and tiny stores selling Indian paraphernalia and cheap eastern rugs and batik fabrics in which the scent of oils and incense burnt throughout the years has seeped into every fiber. What I mean to say is, the strength of the potions, combined with the dirty amber/incense smell simply does not smell chic to me. I do not want to wear something that makes me feel less than elegant. I don’t want to smell like a dreadlocked hippie chic covered in beads. I don’t want to smell like my nails, feet and hair are dirty.

We were the only customers in the shop and the atmosphere was electric with unease. In fact, the situation became so difficult, I can’t help but giggle when I think back to it, for it ended up being cartoonishly unbelievable and funny! Allow me to illustrate. The counters have a hollow under the glass and when peering downwards you can see among other things, oudh wood. In a desperate effort to make conversation, I asked politely with a smile “Is this oudh?” (pronouncing it “OOD” as the French tend to do). He however misheard me and looked at me with obvious outrage at my ignorance: “YES, it is WOOD. It is the most precious wood!” Oh dear! Not having learned my lesson (LOL!) I decided to try a little humor next: “May I ask you a silly question?” “No!” he told me with the calmness of a serial killer, before I had the chance to…err…charm him with my humorous question. After that I thought it best to shut up and say as little as possible. I should have walked out there and then, but my curiosity had the better of me. I wanted to return home with at least a few things to explore from the Arabian Oud Shop so I sprung for the smallest and cheapest size possible, a few ml really, of Black Amber, Myrrh Flower and White Musk. The proverbial cherry on top was when I paid at the register. Even though I was the one who had paid, he handed the bag to my boyfriend and thanked him not even giving me another glance. Wow. Just wow.

I will tell you more about my impressions on these three oils later in July, once I’ve actually finished with the Paris Perfume/Travelogue and once I am back from the Sniffapalooza in London, because there is a lot I want to say, both on these three as well as on animal notes (black musk, deer musk etc) and on Arabian/Eastern oils in general. Please look forward to it, I haven’t talked about this before, but I’m ready to break my silence.

We stopped at a café with the excuse of a quick pick-me-up cappuccino (and vicious arm scrubbing in the bathroom) before continuing down Saint Honoré to visit various boutiques. This included a perfume stop at Hotel Costes for Olivia Giacobetti’s IUNX line of perfumes. The young woman working the shop was delightfully sweet and gentle and guided me to smell the perfumes in order so as to not overwhelm the nose, explaining that since the last two are very strong, the beauty of the lighter first ones would be eclipsed if they were smelled last. I found no fault with this line of thinking so I happily complied, but it became instantly obvious to me that the lighter ones held no charm for me anyway. Give me the strong stuff, baby! Complex, dark and utterly strange and mysterious, the last two (Ether and Splash Forte) were indeed totally ‘me’. Splash Forte is the heaviest of the lot, with intense spicy notes of bay leaf, clove, cinnamon and cumin. Both Ether and Splash Forte share the same willful character, but Splash Forte is decidedly more masculine and the sales assistant happily agreed with my estimation. I asked to test Ether further (the original sniffing was through long vertical tubes) as I found it just as brave but much more feminine. Ether is at once luminous and dark, like a magical dark cloud that sparkles and crackles with multicolored jolts of electricity as it carries through the air. It employs a beautiful incense accord (myrrh, benzoin, woods, mmmmm) which seems to shift and change constantly, over a bed of sweet-sweet sandalwood and feminine flower notes. The sweetness is held in check by the dry bitterness of saffron and it’s all just magic. I did not buy a bottle, but I still have a blotter with the scent and its price (130 Euro for 150ml of EdP, pretty good, hmm?) and I have to tell you, it is still redolent with the beautiful scent. There is a huge collection of ambience scents in candle and stick format and the variety is fantastic. I instantly wished most of the scents would be made available in perfume. The SA informed me that the old line is slowly being re-introduced, so we have great things to look forward to.

After visiting the boutiques at rue Cambon (where the picture at the beginning of this article was taken in front of Chanel’s flagship) we took the metro (oof, some rest!) and made our way to the Jardins du Palais-Royal. One of the things I love about Parisians is how they make use of public spaces like gardens and parks. Other European capitals I’ve visited have shown me desolate faces of parks and gardens, lonely, deserted. Others are only used in the weekend and are mostly quiet during the week. When they are used they seem to be used in a solitary fashion presenting an image of quietness. Parisians however seem to take great joy in making great use of these spaces (and why wouldn’t they, they are beautiful!) which always seem lively and filled with people of all ages: children, young couples, workers on a break and silver-haired septuagenarians alike. The image of the couple kissing on the left might not be quite Robert Doisneu’s De Baiser de l'hôtel de Ville, but I think the boyfriend did an excellent job of capturing my feelings about the garden and the atmosphere in the park that late afternoon.

Under the shade of the arcades, we made our way to the quiet of Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido to revel in the beauty of Serge Lutens’ creations. I was very impressed with the (at the time of the visit) newest creation, Nuit de Cellophane which smells amazingly feminine and utterly perfect to scent a creamy neck and sensuous collarbone over a strapless cocktail dress at an evening summer party. It is at once innocently playful and very, very sexy and I must say I do not agree with criticisms that this is not in the spirit of Lutens. Personally, I believe that it makes perfect sense in the context of Lutensian florals. It snuggly fits between Tuberose Criminelle and Un Lys, giggling like the younger, frothier sister. I was given some wax samples as well as a miniature bottle of Chergui and left with the sweet taste of candied violet petals (they are rather decorative and completely fitting the atmosphere of the shop, these little purple candied mountains offered to customers) in my mouth.

After making a complete round of the arcades we exited and made our way to rue de Richelieu to visit Patricia de Nicolai, but unfortunately the shop was just closing. To my immense surprise I found a new Maître Parfumeur et Gantier boutique right next door (does MPG consciously make a habit of setting up shop next to PDN? Because they also have boutiques right next door to each other at rue Grenelle!). The boutique was ‘functioning’ but unfinished and looked very much like a work area, in fact I had to do a triple-take to ascertain whether it was open for business. By the time we agreed it was indeed open, both myself and my boyfriend had started feeling the tiredness of the day creeping in and we decided to leave MPG for when we would visit rue Grenelle on another day so that we could return to the hotel and rest for a couple of hours in order to be fresh and good looking for our dinner at L’Avenue. Leaving MPG for another day proved to be a mistake, but that’s a story for another day. (…to be continued)

Join me again tomorrow for another installment of the Paris series where we explore (with enthusiasm!) Montale among other perfumed delights.

Images: Myself in front of Chanel’s rue Cambon flagship, pink velour Hello Kitty bag via www.regencies.com, the Arabian Oud store from outside and again from inside as the crazed misogynist was decanting my oils into vials, a kiss at the Palais Royal gardens, the arcades at Palais Royal.

PS: To get a better look at the images click on them to enlarge. I don't normally go into the trouble of saying this as I presume all of you already knew that, but the one with the kiss is particularly sweeeeeeet when enlarged. Love the captured public display of affection, especially since a complete stranger is sitting right next to them!!

Learning to Love Orange Part 3 – Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier & Fahrenheit 32 by Dior : Perfume Reviews

With releases such as Narciso Rodriguez for Him, Gucci Pour Homme II, Amouage’s marvelous Jubilation XXV, Frederic Malle’s French Lover and Dsquared²’s He Wood, I find 2007 to have been a great year for masculine fragrances. But even if it weren’t for all those perfumes just mentioned, I’d still consider 2007 an excellent year. You see, if I am honest, the two releases I’m most excited about, even more excited in fact (bizarrely so perhaps), than I am about the excellent Jubilation XXV, are Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fleur du Male and Dior’s Fahrenheit 32. More than a year later now, these two fragrances still seem like bright highlights in my mind. I remember being terribly excited at the time of their release about the fact that two mainstream masculine fragrances were breaking the mold of “smell one, smell them all” bland freshness that has been the usual offering in the men’s fragrance department during the last decade. Both heavily featuring orange blossom, they still managed to steer away from the usual bracing eau de cologne background in which the note has traditionally been placed in masculine fragrances. Two sides of the same coin – one warm and comforting, one steely cold – I am still as excited about them today as I was when they were first released.

Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier: On the same musky, ambery, vanillic base that made his original Le Mâle so popular as well as unmistakably recognizable, nose Francis Kurkdjian has built this utterly gorgeous orange blossom scent that embraces femininity in the most faultless manner. After the initial freshness of the top notes fades, the gorgeously sweet orange blossom scent that has all the while been struggling to be freed is finally allowed to bloom. Different facets of it waft in and out for hours: it begins quite indolic and strong, but it becomes rounded and soft over time, its scent often coming across as tinged with accents of tobacco and at times with sunny hay, but presenting itself most beautifully when it finally becomes one with the beautiful vanillic lavender which cradles it warmly underneath. The drydown is at once milky and spiced, sweet and musky, utterly sexy.

Fahrenheit 32 by Dior: While Fleur du Mâle wears its lineage proudly, Fahrenheit 32 veers far away from its original. The first whiff is at once woody and fresh, packing a nicely done –if rather conventional- punch of masculinity in a plume of smoke. Give it a couple of minutes to settle and the absolutely delicious sweetness of freshly chopped spearmint leaves starts to emerge. If you love spearmint as much as I do, this is definitely one fragrance you have to try: the note is realistic, strong, beautiful and long lasting. The orange blossom arrives, frozen, cold to the touch, its usually warm breath surprisingly icy and heart-stoppingly beautiful. Its coolness is further enhanced by the aforementioned freshness of mint, as well as by a combination of dark, cold, earthy vetiver and an incense accord that remains as cool as the interior of a shady, abandoned church. Like Fleur du Mâle, Fahrenheit 32 also presents the wearer with accents of tobacco now and then, but even these threads of warmth don’t manage to dilute the steely cold edge of this perfume. Metallic, salty and iodine, Fahrenheit 32 makes the heart pick up speed with its strangeness.

Both of these fragrances present excellent reinterpretations of the orange blossom’s scent for men. Which one to choose? One is cold, the other warm. One is sexy and inviting, the other is an interesting intellectual, slightly reserved with its affections. I personally would have to go with the Gaultier, for I find it so attractive I have to nuzzle my own arm when wearing it. It must be said however, that I can’t help but be stimulated by the otherworldly coolness of the Dior. It is not often that the juice matches the name so very well – Fahrenheit 32 really is frozen and my nose loves to be intrigued by it.

Dior Addict Extravaganza : Perfume Reviews (Part Two)

Welcome back for the second part of “Dior Addict Extravaganza”. Today, reviews of Addict Shine and Addict 2:


Dior Addict Shine:

Dior Addict Shine starts out with an intense and rather generic, rather synthetic smelling hit of tangerine and grapefruit. Upon first try, I completely dismiss this as a disappointing failure. I forget about it and start going about my day, when about half an hour to an hour later, I suddenly find myself surrounded by a wonderful smell. Sure enough, the source is my wrist. I am astonished to find that the fruity-floral mess that was, has magically transformed to the most gorgeous, floral musk. The result is ultra-sheer and sensual, combining girly innocence with come-hither sultriness. This is most definitely a spring scent, shimmering, joyous and feminine. Although I do perceive hints of white florals, this undeniably synthetic mélange, does not allow me to pick out any individual notes aside from musk. I shouldn’t like this, but I really, really do. While it is extremely far removed from the type of scent I normally go for, there is something about it that has me hooked, like (uh-huh) an addict. I feel slightly sheepish liking this so much, because it is so unabashedly youthful: wearing it feels like I am going through a reversion to adolescence. I can see this becoming a favorite of younger girls and it will make a perfect gift that’s sure to please. Its musky eroticism however, makes it appropriate for any woman - young or old. I am not sure I would spend my own money on a full bottle of the stuff, but I would be absolutely delighted to receive this as gift. It’d become a spring favorite. Lastly, if you are to try this for the first time, spray once, and use a light hand. You’ll want to get to the gorgeous drydown quickly. Trust me.



Dior Addict 2:

Light, airy and intensely fruity, the opening of Dior Addict 2 does not do much to impress me. The predominant note is pink grapefruit, while freesias add subtle, watery hints. Giving Dior Addict 2 time to develop does not seem to do much to increase its appeal. Even though this is most certainly not a heavy scent, it somehow manages to be completely overpowering. There is absolutely no way to ignore it: like a shrill voice that never tires, it keeps demanding attention: it will enter your conscience and lodge itself there, refusing to leave until you finally succumb and scrub it off. No such luck for me: I had to give this one a fair chance, so I patiently waited through hours of its incessant whine to see its development to the end. What starts out bittersweet and, in comparison to what is to follow, almost pleasant, turns out sour and bracing, with an undercurrent of acerbic sweat. This is the smell of a house-cleaning product, not a perfume. Stay well away.


So, what are your feelings about these four, rather ubiquitous fragrances? Something I really appreciate about them, is that they are actually connected by an invisible thread, just as flankers should be in my opinion. Addict has produced some real flankers, not just connected by name but also by the juice itself. It is very gratifying when you realize that pink grapefruit is recurring in each and every one of these fragrances, as was realizing that lavender makes its return in Eau Fraîche. The vanilla is stronger (to my nose at least) in Eau Fraîche than in the original and the cinnamic spices more easily perceptible too: it feels that in Eau Fraîche they are allowed to occupy their own space somehow. The white florals remain a constant theme in every one of the four fragrances. While I feel reserved and doubtful about the quality of the juice (I can’t get the synthetic, chemical scent of Addict 2 out of my head), I now understand why the Addict line is so very popular. Does it deserve it? With the exception of Addict 2, I’d have to say yes.

Dior Homme by Dior : Perfume Review

“Mmmmm, oooooooh, my!” ...is all I can think, again and again every time I smell Dior Homme. How can something be so beautiful? This perfume has cast a spell on me: I am ready to make the wildly unrealistic proclamation that this is the classiest male fragrance I have ever smelled, at the very least among the non-niche offerings. Several weekends in a row now, I’ve found myself in front of the admittedly limited (at least in comparison to the ones showcasing female fragrances) shelves of male fragrances at my local Douglas, testing male scents with my partner to find the perfect one for him. He is leaning towards Prada. As for me...there is no question: no matter how much I like what he is testing at the moment, the instant he puts Dior Homme on his skin I am ready to tell the world that I’ve found genius in a bottle. The rest simply seem to pale in comparison: once Dior Homme makes an appearance, the rest suddenly appear cheaper, lacking. It has one thing in such abundance, the rest seem to have none at all when put side by side. That thing, is class.

The iris starts out buttery, almost solid, I want to take it all in, devour it. I do not get tired of inhaling it, I do not find myself wanting to take a step back to enjoy the scent from a distance...No, I want to stay there, nose pressed against the skin, sniffing wildly like an animal, lest I miss a precious molecule that might fly off unnoticed. Re-reading this last sentence I realize these are words I’d usually reserve for something intensely musky, that never fails to awaken a primal sexual desire... But Dior Homme isn’t even remotely dirty, nor does it try to be suggestive. It smells brave and lonely, hardy and fragile at once, like the edge of winter. The iris soon goes from buttery to strangely metallic: the sound effect of a well-whetted blade being drawn, a blade so sharp it would push into flesh with an ease that would ensure the victim felt no pain until it was far too late. The choice of words is not casual: there is an element of danger in this otherwise calm, collected...perhaps even calculated scent. Something of a breath, a last warm sigh amidst the wintry chill. Then everything softens with a quite unexpected sweetness – a thawed heart that manages to beat again, slowly, like a clock that counts every precious moment. Smelling it on the skin of a loved one, I get the irrepressible urge to cuddle, feeling rather protective. Smelling it on my own skin, this sudden, almost illusory warmth, speaks of cable knit sweaters and sheepskin lined boots. Each time this gorgeous scent enters another stage, I can’t help but feel a pang of regret, which is soon replaced by gladness, for I do enjoy everything it has to offer. The drydown is not an exception... I can’t help but feel disappointed as the already quiet scent loses intensity, as though dispersed in the winds. Yet soon I settle in, once again interested, once again intrigued. Readily, I take in its powdery feel, dry and woody, like a scratched bourbon vanilla pod. The merest hint of leather keeps my senses entranced, dispelling any thoughts that a powdery finish might veer into the realm of the mundane. To me, this is a masterpiece.

Images: www.100aromatov.ru and www.imageafter.com

Tried and Tested : Midnight Poison by Dior

As was announced in the beginning of this month, Tried and Tested is one of the new monthly features of Fragrance Bouquet. I knew the first perfume I was going to test-drive was Midnight Poison by Dior, not only because it’s new, but also because it made such an impression on me: It was completely opposite of what I expected it to be. I was expecting it to be seductive, mysterious and most of all feminine. To my surprise it was intensely citrusy (definitely not the note I associate with midnight) and not at all feminine. In fact, I found it very masculine. Was it just me? I had to find out what others thought. Equipped with my camera and a notepad, I took to the streets to find out.

Note: In order to avoid bias, subjects were not told which fragrance they were testing.

Sara, 23 years old, student

Would you say this is a feminine or masculine perfume?
- I’d say feminine
Would you wear this fragrance yourself?
- No, it’s too strong - I don’t like it! Personally, I go for lighter scents.
How would you describe it?
- Hmm, as I said, it is very strong. It’s a powerful, intense scent. It seems like something that would be mostly worn by older women.


Hans, 53 years old, Gallery Owner & Freelancer

Would you say this is a feminine or masculine fragrance?
- Masculine, definitely masculine. Wait... there must be a catch, right? If you are asking this question, it must mean it’s actually feminine!
- I am afraid I cannot tell!
Alright, would you wear this perfume yourself?
- No, it is too heavy. This is a fragrance you can smell from a mile away! You know, I believe fragrance is something you should only smell when you get close to someone, when you’re allowed to come close to someone. When you are attracted to someone and you approach them...and then you smell this...Let me just say, if a woman was wearing this, it would definitely be a minus point.
- Ouch!
How would you describe it?
- It is heavy, overwhelming. It is sweet, but very citrusy too. I smell musk; perhaps there is some leather in there as well. In some ways it reminds me of the way the core of a tree trunk smells like...


Jeroen, 27 years old, Carpet Installer

Would you say this is a feminine or masculine fragrance?
- It is a masculine fragrance. Mmm...well...it could go both ways actually, like a unisex fragrance. But I am leaning towards masculine.
Would you wear this perfume yourself?
- Yeah, I really like it! I would buy it.
How would you describe it?
- It is soft... Soft and seductive.


A big thank you is due to Sara, Hans and Jeroen, who agreed to be interviewed and photographed by a total stranger: Thank you for giving me some of your precious time. Doing this was definitely daunting at times: Not everyone has the time or inclination to participate is such a project. At the same time it was great fun! I love hearing people’s opinions and whether these echoed my own, or took me by complete surprise by being completely different was really exciting. We laughed a lot together with the people that participated and they all had questions to ask me in turn after I had finished asking my own. One even surprised me by producing a camera and taking my own picture afterwards! They made my day brighter – seeing them engage their senses and allowing me a glimpse of how they perceive this scent was most rewarding. I am really looking forward to doing this again next month. I hope you are too!

Images: Author's own.