Ever smell something that transports you back in time?
For me, it’s our Spirituelle scent by Mad et Len (we have in multiple iterations that equally smell incredible) that reminds me of eating basil and mint herbs while waiting for my parents to stop talking to my grandparents outside of their house when saying goodbye as a child.
Having a sense of smell is important. As anyone suffering from anosmia, the loss of the sense of smell, can testify – food and intimacy become bland when the scent component is gone. Most people take their nose’s capabilities for granted, they often don’t pay attention to smells and don’t use their nose fully.
Age-related anosmia can eventually set in with age and oftentimes people don’t notice until it’s too late. Life gets dull without our sense of smell—food loses its flavor, libido takes a hit, the world fades, and memories are less colorful. Smell is the spice that adds zest to our experiences! Luckily your nose is like a muscle in the body that can be strengthened by giving it a daily workout with sniffs. When you are walking down the street, consciously indicate what you are smelling, the more you use your nose, the stronger it gets!
Enjoy scents, smell consciously and realize aromas are important to your wellbeing while you have the chance. Fragrance offers an opportunity to indulge in something special for ourselves. It sparks dreams, wanderlust, elevates our spirits, and enriches our day. When something brings us such joy, it becomes essential.
Scented Memories
Olfaction is our most primitive sense and is located in the same part of our brain that affects emotions, memory, and creativity. Our noses work 24 hours a day and smell is the one human sense that cannot be “switched off.” 
Our noses tend to boss around the brain. The olfactory bulb up front tells other body headquarters what's up. Scents skip the line to the emotion and memory VIP areas—amygdala and hippocampus. Smell is the secret agent of feelings and memories!
Our brain's emotion headquarters, the limbic system, is the maestro of feelings, memories, and moods. When the nose sniffs out a scent, it cues the limbic system to hit emotional notes, tapping into our past experiences and associations. This aromatic symphony lets fragrances pull the strings to influence our mood in various ways.
Neurotransmitters, which are brain messengers steering mood, memory, and appetite, get a boost from certain scents. Think serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins—happiness, relaxation, arousal. Understanding this scent-brain chemistry lets us use fragrances strategically for an emotional lift.
Pheromones
Speaking of arousal – meet pheromones. These magical chemicals are like romantic smoke signals, luring potential mates with their alluring scents.
The Perfume of the Wilderness:
Animals have their own signature scents. From territorial declarations to announcing it’s time for sex, it’s a fragrance fête out there.
The Great Debate - Human Pheromones:
Humans are not immune to the pheromone party. Some swear by it, others call it hogwash. It's the eternal debate: do we or don't we innately have these elusive love potions? There is some evidence suggesting that certain chemicals in human sweat may play a role in social and sexual interactions.
Vomeronasal Organ - Nature's Sniffer:
Humans have a secret weapon called the vomeronasal organ (VNO), tucked away in our noses. Some say it's our hidden superpower for detecting pheromones. Imagine it as a tiny detective constantly on the lookout for love clues.
Pheromones in a Bottle - Snake Oil or Love Elixir?
Enter the world of pheromone-infused products – the love potions of the modern age. Can a spray make you irresistible? The jury's still out, but it's the kind of mystery that keeps us reaching for the cologne cabinet. For instance, Bellini’s carries Initio, a French perfume line that is infused with the pheromone power of animal Musk.
In the grand symphony of life, pheromones are the unsung heroes, orchestrating the dance of attraction and communication. So, whether you're a cheetah in the grasslands or a human in a bar, remember – pheromones are out there doing their thing, making the world a little more scentsational!
Mood Musings
Boosting your mood with delightful scents is easy. Dive into aromatherapy – scented candles, essential oils and perfumes—there are endless ways to infuse daily life with mood-lifting fragrances!
You can even use scent with intention & goal-setting. Crafting an intention involves a purposeful shift in thinking, quieting the mental chatter to let a clear goal emerge.
Choose a fragrance aligned with your intention, take a focused inhale, and repeat your goal silently or aloud. Hold onto that thought, letting the fragrance deepen your connection to it. After a few minutes, open your eyes, and step back into your day. Stick to your routine, use the same fragrance—it becomes your motivation ally, keeping you on the path to your goal. You can do this with many scented items, below are some of our favorites that uplift us in-store all the time!
Scented Candles
Reed Diffusers
Reed diffusers are a popular and stylish way to add a continuous and subtle fragrance to indoor spaces. These diffusers typically consist of a glass or ceramic container filled with scented liquid and a bundle of reeds. The reeds absorb the scented liquid and disperse the fragrance into the air.
Perfumes
By selecting fragrances that complement your mood and preferences, you can create a unique scent profile that helps you feel your best throughout the day. You can even play “dress up” with perfume as a costume, inspiring a different facet of yourself.
Potpourri
Crystals and other minerals are hand-selected then housed in individually hammered iron containers to deposit their beautiful blend of essential oils into (such as Spirituelle).
Essential Oils
Little vials of botanical goodness captivating our senses and promising relaxation, healing, and even a touch of magic. These concentrated plant extracts are like nature's own mood enhancers.
Van Dang Crystals
Take a moment for yourself. Charge your crystal with a few drops of Van Dang oil, breathe deeply, then set your intentions and manifest your dreams.
Facial Mists
Crafted for even the most sensitive skin, these exist with aromatherapy in mind. (Personally, they remind us of spring or summer whenever sprayed, and they’re sprayed often in-store by us for a pick-me-up.)
The Nose Knows
Understanding the effects of fragrance on emotions, moods, and physiology can inspire you to harness the power of scents to enhance your emotional well-being. By incorporating mood-enhancing scents into your daily routine, you can create a more balanced scent life.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start smelling to the best of your ability!
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This blog post was written by Moss Hatheway
