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Scent/Olfactory Memory
I associate every scent to a time, memory, or an event in my life. I never buy a full-sized perfume, because if I experience something sad or bad while wearing a particular scent, I will never wear it again. But then there are scents that I wear or keep around, because they remind me of some of the people I love.
Nivea hand cream reminds me of my grandmother.
Chanel No.5 reminds me of my mother.
Rose water reminds me of my other grandmother
Eternity for men reminds me of my father
etc...
What scents repel you because they remind you of a bad memory or an unfortunate time in your life?
What scents do you find yourself wearing or keeping around for the good memories they remind you?
xoxo
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Le Blanc on -
The smell of Calvin Klein Obsession upsets me because it reminds me of the first time I really got my heart broken, by a guy who used to wear it.
I love the smell of creosote because it reminds me of happy summers. And I keep a bottle of Chanel Allure beside my bed but never use it, because it's all my three closest female friends wear, and the smell of it cheers me up if I'm feeling sad but I can't talk to them.
And I hate the smell of cheese. I used to have this boyfriend who couldn't eat pork, because it was against his religion. For some reason we were talking about this one time, and I said something about how vegetarians stop being vegetarian for bacon. And he said that the smell of bacon made him feel sick; he presumed it was because he wasn't allowed to have it. And then he said, well isn't it he same for you and cheese? - I'm allergic to cheese. Well, the smell of cheese had never bothered me before, but since that conversation the smell of cheese has disgusted me.
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Permalink Reply by Nagehan on -
See?! This is exactly what I mean! I mean, when people say, I hate/love the smell of such and such, I feel like there is always a deeper reason why they feel the way they do. xo
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Permalink Reply by gem on -
Once upon a time I passed someone on the street and almost had to stop because my memory went "BAM!" and my emotions freaked out in every direction. Eventually I figured out that the scent reminded me of this friend who was hundreds of miles away. And I have no idea what cologne he wears, but at that moment I sure knew it. It didn't conjure a specific memory or even time, so much as it conjured all the emotions I've ever felt about him. (And boy were there many.)
Although I don't think I'd recognize it anymore. The one scent that has managed to follow me around a lot is lilac, which reminds me of my bedroom at home because there was a lilac plant right outside my window that would flood my room with scent in the late spring, which was my favorite time of year.
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Permalink Reply by Nagehan on
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Oh, I hate it when that happens. Sometimes, I run into people who I love wearing perfumes that I associate with bad memories or people. Such a downer.
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Permalink Reply by gem on
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Oh it wasn't a downer, haha. It was just a lot of emotions. Many of them are good, don't worry.
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Permalink Reply by Cherie on -
There's one perfume I own that just reminds me of 2009 because that's when I wore it most often. That was a big year for me because it's when I first started dating my first boyfriend, so now that perfume reminds me of him. We're not together now, but it doesn't bother me. It reminds me of a fun time, which is nice.
The smell of incense reminds me of high school and my "hippie" phase. That's fun.
Sometimes I'll smell something I haven't smelled in a long time (I can't think of specific examples right now though) that will remind me randomly of childhood. It's funny how the mind will still associate things with memories that I haven't even thought of for years.
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Permalink Reply by Krystal on -
1. I've always associated myself with the scent of wild honeysuckle. When Bath & Body Works discontinued the scent three years ago, I bought 12 bottles of lotion and had everyone in my family buy me some as well (for Christmas). I've just recently ran out and the scent was reintroduced this season. Talk about timing.
2. Stetson cologne reminds me of my stepdad. He practically bathes himself in it after his nightly shower, and I've come to associate the smell with bedtime.
3. If you don't know, old make-up gets this really strong perfume-y scent that I've always associated with my grandmother. She actually asked me for advice on a new face powder during Thanksgiving, and ended it with "Does it last? I had my other one for eight years." Lord, no.
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Permalink Reply by Rachel Emmilee on
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three things come to mind, and they are actually smells that i haven't smelled in years but would give anything to smell again.
the smell of the pages in an old diary, you'd open the book and get hit with this beautiful perfume.
the smell of love's baby soft perfume, my darling sister would wear it after every bath. she's not with us anymore, and i haven't been able to find the perfume... if i did, it would be a soothing smell that would connect me with her.
"ariel's sea spray"... bought from the disney store when i was a pre-teen, this perfume was by far, the best thing i ever smelled and i wore it everyday.
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Permalink Reply by Nagehan on
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This reminded me of Tommy Girl! Remember THAT?! Everyone in my middle school & high school used to douse themselves in that. Those were the days when we obviously didn't know the proper way to wear perfume.
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Permalink Reply by Stacey Disterhof on -
Tommy Girl! I think every girl in my junior high BATHED themselves in Tommy Girl. Definitely takes me back to Albion Jr. High!
The Estee perfume (just the regular Estee) reminds me of my grandmother. She's worn it as long as I can remember.
Crayons CLEARLY remind me of elementary school. The scent of a glue gun makes me think of Brownies (the girl scouts, not the desert treat!) and bonfires make me think of high school football games. I can smell a bonfire and be 15 again.
OH! And chlorine! Chlorine definitely takes me back to summers growing up! Suntan lotion - family vacations. And Ralph Lauren Ralph was the ONLY perfume I wore in college.
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Permalink Reply by Cassie on -
So weird, I remember a Jasmine "perfume" from the Disney store that I was obsessed with! What was crazy is it didn't actually have any liquid in the bottle. It was just... scented air or something? Totally brings me back.
There are other smells that I can't even identify, but every now and then, something will hit me and bring me waaay back, usually to my childhood. I remember having those little kiddie books where the pages were made out of plastic, and I loved that smell. (Though I probably killed a few brain cells sniffing them too many times.)
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