They say we remember moments in our life, not days. We remember how someone made us feel, not the words they use. I agree with these statements, 100% (although, I do remember words). But let’s not rule out SCENT. Scent evokes a moment, a feeling, sharp memories and a STORY.
I recently had this feeling of my life in chapters flashing before me—at the perfume counter of all places! Yes, the story of my life in scent or SCENT MEMORIES. The events surrounding each perfume I wore at various decades of my life came to me with each sniff.
It was during the heat wave and I was inside the drug store and happened to notice the air conditioning was much more effective in the perfume/beauty section of the store. So I took my cart and stepped into the cool zone to tame my hot flash (during the hottest summer day on record). Was I shopping for perfume? Hell, no. But I pretended to be when the sales lady asked if she could help me with anything. I declined and explained I was just sniffing browsing.
I immediately recognized some of the old perfumes I used to wear and was a little surprised they were still on the market.
When I saw the bottle of Opium. I couldn’t resist spraying it into the air, knowing full well it would be a heady, unbearable scent. I was transported to the end of college, the jobs I had in Recreation Centers (there were several). And I wondered how this perfume ever suited my outdoorsy style. Yet I do recall how much I loved it back then.
Then I had a strong memory of that boy. I was the program leader for the teen drop-in program and he was one of the participants. I had planned an end of school dance. It was exciting for the kids who anticipated the kick-off of summer with giddy delight.
The dance was in full swing when the opening beats of “Like a Rock” by Bob Segar came blaring through the speakers. The boy–the quiet one–came straight for me. His confidence was almost audacious I was like his ‘teacher’! In hindsight though, I wasn’t much older than him being barely out of my teens myself. I can’t hear that song without smiling at the memory of a teen unabashedly crushing on an older woman. Ha.
Thanks for the memories Opium but I must bid adieu. For I am no longer in my early 20’s.
Ah, then I spotted an old favorite; Beautiful by Estee Lauder. I sprayed it too, knowing what it would evoke. I was immediately transported to April 25, 1987, my wedding day. Didn’t every bride in the late 80’s wear this scent? I was also taken back to my first year at University as a mature student. Calling a student in their early 20’s (and beyond) “mature” is just a nice way of saying, “Hey, you’re late to the game but come on in.” But I digress. Beautiful is optimism in a bottle. My own youthful hopes for a bright future are co-mingled in that scent.
White Linen also by Estee Lauder, made me smile when I saw the bottle with its clear, innocent looking liquid. I sprayed that one on my wrist and thought of the song by Heart, “These Dreams” from 1985. I must have gotten this perfume as a Christmas gift that year because I recall wearing it all season paired with an angora sweater dress I wore to Christmas dinner. Imagine! An angora sweater dress!
Then I decided to go back further. I looked deliberately for the Chanel section. Chanel No. 19, to be exact. My father bought me this when I was in tenth grade. I can still recall its woodsy, grassy scent. But when I spritzed this time, it didn’t smell exactly the way I remembered it. Still, I recalled the devastating heartache of not making the school basketball team. I recalled weekend trips to Whistler with my family. Sitting in the back of the Bronco Jimmy truck, bouncing along the dangerous mountain highway in the dark. Always the dark.
It was the first ‘classy’ scent I wore. Chanel No. 19 marked my graduation from Loves Baby Soft roll-on perfume.
Ah. Then I saw it. One of my favorite all time perfumes that I refuse to wear today. Coco Mademoiselle.
When I spritzed that into the air, my heart clenched as I recalled my brand new house and my young children. Then me, as a glam but lonely Haus Frau. I wore that scent two years leading up to my marital breakdown. Now my children are no longer young and neither am I.
Like I said, it is a beautiful scent but one that I have never worn since and never will again.
I couldn’t go much longer without garnering the attention of the saleslady.
“Are you doing alright?” she asked sweetly.
“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. Just remembering each decade of my life by scent.”
I didn’t actually say that.
She burst my scent-memory bubble by offering me a sample of the latest ‘release’ from Gucci. “It’s lemon, floral…” blah, blah, blah.
I smiled and let her spray the perfume on a sample paper and I had to agree, it smelled quite divine. So I tucked it into my shorts pocket, debating whether I would be tempted by this new scent. No memories attached, yet. I could start a whole new chapter in scent. In years to come, when I look back at this time, what will I remember?
I smiled at the saleslady. “It’s nice,” I said, “but it has no memories.” Then I took my cart and quickly got on with my shopping.
Scent is profoundly powerful and can take you back in time. The most important thing about it is how it makes you feel when you’re wearing it. And even though I don’t care for several of those old perfumes I used to wear, I can still recall how I felt wearing them and in some cases what I was doing at the time.
Want to see your life in flashbacks? Visit the perfume counter at your local department store. You can simply sniff your way through the decades. Moments, feelings and SCENT. They’re all linked.
Can you smell the story of your life through perfume or have you always worn the same scent?
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Mabel Kwong
October 3, 2021 at 4:39 amI thoroughly enjoyed reading this post, Lisa. You’ve got quite a few memories associated with quite a few perfumes, and to me they all sound like classy perfumes 😊 Personally I have a very sensitive nose and can’t tolerate many perfumes. Many blooming flowers with lovely scents give me sneezing fits especially in the spring. However, like Balroop, I like the smell of rain. I also like the smell of certain foods such as a nicely baked cake for a special occassion or a local dish that I ate somewhere on my travel – smells you don’t come across often but when you do, brings back memories and certain occasions too. Hope you are doing well, Lisa.
lisa
October 3, 2021 at 5:40 pmThanks, Mabel 🙂 Oh, no. I hate it when the sneezing starts. Yeah, perfumes are not for everyone and wearing too much can have an adverse effect on those around us lol. The smell of rain is a familiar one here on the coast. I think they tried to bottle that too, but not sure it worked. Baked cake smell is heavenly. Yes, scent is powerful trigger for memories. Nice to see you!
Marie Kléber
September 20, 2021 at 7:58 amI love this post Lisa. I agree memories and perfumes are linked in a way. I can recall moments in life when I smell something in the air.
Most memories are linked to childhood. My mum loved perfumes.
I did wear some but not many. Thought maybe I should try your experience, maybe it would bring back images and feelings too.
Have a lovely day Lisa
Xoxo
lisa
September 20, 2021 at 3:28 pmThank you, Marie. Yes, it doesn’t have to be perfume to trigger a memory for sure :)My mom always wore perfume, too. I didn’t as often and now find I wear it less. Yes, try it, memory lane with perfume. You, too xoxo
Tamara
September 15, 2021 at 6:54 amMy mom wore opium! That would take me back. And my grandmother wore Shalimar. I don’t know if they still make it but I’d probably buy it just to smell it, but I’d ration it. Like only once in a while to unleash those memories like a current!
I don’t wear perfume these days (Des’ teacher has a severe fragrance allergy) but I’d love to go back to remember the decades. I know I have a lot of Victoria Secret perfume and lotion memories.
When I was pregnant with Rider, I had this obsession with soaps and smells. Like, obsession. I didn’t want to eat them, luckily, but I would like showers and baths just to smell the soaps. It lasted until maybe a few weeks after he was born. I missed it! Anyway, about six months after his birth, I went into the shower and used a shower gel I hadn’t used since my pregnancy. Oh boy, the memories! I didn’t obsess over it anymore, but I was so back in those early days.
lisa
September 16, 2021 at 9:06 amAnd it’s pretty spicy. Very ‘out there’. I remember Shalimar. My best friend’s older sister wore that and she was soooo glamorous.
Ah, yes; “I’d probably buy it just to smell it, but I’d ration it. Like only once in a while to unleash those memories like a current!” well said! 🙂
I’m not surprised to hear about your pregnancy and soaps. I think our sense of smell is very, very intense during pregnancy. I don’t recall wearing perfume while I was pregnant. I know I worked where perfume was forbidden so I likely wasn’t in the habit of wearing any then. Scent is so strongly linked with feelings, too. I can imagine smelling the shower gel again after a 6 month hiatus would bring back your feelings of anticipation of the birth.
Ha. That’s good, Tamara. You’re into a new phase now. Calls for new soap! xo
LA CONTESSA
September 13, 2021 at 9:38 amI NEVER WORE A PARTICULAR SCENT DAILY…………but I had a few along the way.I think CHARLIE was my first from my Uncle JIM!Then PARIS was a gift too……………by YSL.
I LOVED YOUR WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE!
YOUR NEW SITE LOOKS FABULOUS TOO!I LIKE THE BLACK!
XXX
lisa
September 13, 2021 at 1:15 pmI remember Charlie! 🙂 YSL has some classic scents and I remember Rive Gauche or is that the same as Paris scent? Thanks for stopping by, LA CONTESSA. Thanks for the compliment on my site. I didn’t change the theme but just made some aesthetic changes and yes, the black background makes it easier to navigate on mobile device, I think. 😛
Balroop Singh
September 12, 2021 at 8:36 pmThe first scent that comes to my mind after reading your memories is the fragrance of first rain when it falls on soil… it is heavenly! I still rush out when first raindrops fall. I also remember the fragrance of rajnigandha flower (tuberose in English) Doesn’t it validate my love for Mother Nature? Now lavender is my favorite scent, that’s my body wash, also the candles in my foyer give out that scent. 😊
lisa
September 13, 2021 at 1:13 pmOh, I love that smell. Yes, you love of mother nature is very prominent in your writing 🙂 Lavender is such a calming scent. I have the essential oil on my nightstand. If you put a dab or two on your wrists it helps you relax before falling asleep.
DGKaye
September 12, 2021 at 11:07 amBeautiful post Lis. Yes, fact, scent brings on one of the strongest memories for everyone. Funny enough, when spirits visit me, I know they are here by scent. I am clairscentient so no doubts I enjoyed your post. Although we didn’t share the same love of scents lol. I was a Trussardi, Pablo Picasso girl. 🙂 <3
lisa
September 12, 2021 at 1:26 pmThanks, Deb 🙂 I imagine that to be true. Oh, that’s cool, Deb. You’re clairscentient…love that word. I have had smell come to me in dreams. Oh, I remember that one! <3
Chrys Fey
September 12, 2021 at 10:55 amWhenever I smell this specific artificial grape scent, I remember a grape-scented Play-Doh I had played with when (I believe) I was being registered for Kindergarten. The scent of orange blossoms and Easter lilies remind me of my childhood home in the spring/summer. And certain Avon perfumes/scents remind me of my mom. 🙂
lisa
September 12, 2021 at 1:24 pmWow, that’s an early scent-memory, Chrys. I used to love grape anything as a child. I probably would have tried to eat grape smelling playdoh. Ha. I recall smelly markers and grape was my favorite. Aw, those are nice associations with childhood. I forgot about the Avon perfumes, they were very popular.
Jeff
September 12, 2021 at 10:53 amGood memories. I remember the smell of bacon and coffee and immediately think of my grandmother’s house and getting ready for church on Sunday. Interestingly, both have sounds related to them… And I hear Heart, and am taken back to a concert I saw of them my senior year of high school (which was a decade before the release of “These Dreams”
I have never been a perfume scent person, I suppose. But I remember the smell of fresh grass and ballfields, of live Christmas trees, of a wisp of smoke and of fire (If I sense smoke smell while dreaming, I wake immediately and will have to check the house, before I can return to sleep. But I remember few scents of perfume of girls I dated, only of my mom who wore Chanel.
lisa
September 12, 2021 at 1:22 pmLovely memories, Jeff. You got to see Heart during their peak! Fresh Christmas tree is one of my favorite smells. At first sniff it always takes me back to childhood Christmases. I love the smell of a wood burning fire, though not to be associated with a the smoke of a burning house. Not the same smell at all. That’s good that you awaken at the smell of smoke. You’re on alert even in sleep.
Aw, I think many recall their mother’s perfume. Especially if she was one to wear the same scent for a long time.