Comforting Scents for Uncomfortable Times

by Karin on December 6, 2010 · 7 comments

in Blessing, Emotions, Gratitude, Hope, Inspiration and creativity, Opportunity, Perfumes, Spirituality and God

Remember the old adage: when life gets tough, the tough get going?

Well, even better than that is to have a plan in your arsenal to get you through the tough times. And if you've lived long enough, you've likely gone through tough times more than once, and you have some idea of what works for you.

Some things have to be out-waited -- and maybe out-witted -- just to get you through, and I don't want to discount those times. Try to make it easier on yourself.

When the storms of life blow, whether actual or figurative, is there something that warms you up?

Once again, Ayala has included a group of us in listing what works for us.

What brings you comfort?
It's likely different for everyone, but try to add to your life those things that bring you comfort, when life is especially rough. Take time for yourself, not only to process, but to be good to yourself.

A cup of tea, alone or with a friend ... Starbucks! ... a new book -- or finish one you haven't taken the time to get around to ... fresh flowers ... prayer and meditation ... quietness ... a spritz of your favorite comfort scent ... write in a journal ... add to your list of gratitude ... do something to take your thought off it ... do something nice for someone else ... see a movie ... listen to music ... contact a friend ... send an email ... do some beading ... take a walk ... jog ... ride your bike ... do some yoga ... a warm bath (and light some candles) ... hot chocolate ... your comfort food ... window shop ... spritz a fragrance in memory of a loved one ...

Whatever works for you! It doesn't really matter what works for someone else, if it doesn't work for you.

I always feel close to my folks, who are gone now, if I window shop. My mother and I used to window shop each Christmas season, and our family business was in retail. I like to wander around by myself, just window shopping. I like seeing what is new, and it feels comforting to me.

But it might not be comforting to you.

Finding comfort in comforting scents
I have two ways of dealing with difficult moments: either I don't wear perfume at all (I know, you can hardly believe it!) or I choose whatever scent is calling me at the moment and that I think would make me happy/happier. If I were going through an extended hard time, I would definitely rotate fragrances so I didn't associate one fragrance with the difficulty.

I find that scents can wake me up enough that I think of the scent and not the problem, if that makes sense. So I might choose something I don't normally wear, just to break through my thought process and give me a break.

I'd likely not wear a fragrance, or wear it lightly, if I were going to the dentist, for example, but I would spritz myself when I got out. Somehow that seems kinder to the hygienist too.

Here are some scents I am enjoying right now. They make me happy, and seem right for this in-between season when it is still cold here (for us) but I am ready for spring (but not the heat of summer):

Guerlain Moscou -- this has just enough of a gourmand that it smells of chocolate on me, though it's not listed as a note, but isn't cloyingly sweet.

Notes: Musk, fruit, wood...vanilla, bergamot, red currants, absinthe, lemon, plum

Guerlain 68 -- this one has a little more punch, must be all that citrus, than Moscou -- I sometimes layer the two after one has dissipated.

Notes: green tangerine, lemon petit-grain, limette, star anise, coriandre, cardamom, pepper, immortelle, opoponax, and cedar.

or: bergamot, green mandarin, lemon, clementine, orange peel, blood orange, sweet lime, grapefruit, basil, fennel, star anise, lavender, bay leaf, cypress, elemi, thyme, myrthe, bigarade, mandarin, petit grain, lemon petit grain, pear, violet greens, lierre, gentiane, seve, blackcurrant, freesia, lily of the valley, hazel leaf, cyclamen, cardamom, coriander, black pepper, pink berry, nutmeg, ginger, jasmine, frangipane, magnolia blossom, orange blossom, peony, rose, carnation, ylang-ylang, lychee, fig, blackberry, immortelle, lentisque (mastic), opoponax, amber, benzoin, vanilla, cistus, heliotrope, iris, tonka bean, sage, musk, patchouli, agarwood, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, vegetable musk, praline, myrrhe and lichen.

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale -- this is a little headier, a little warmer, and leans me towards Kilian Back to Black, but less so.

notes of tonka bean, amber, vanilla, rose, orange blossom and rosemary.

Kilian Back to Black -- this adds tobacco to the mix. It reminds me of a favorite uncle's pipe.

Notes: bergamot, nutmeg, saffron, cardamom, coriander, raspberry, blue chamomile, honey, olibanum, cedar, oak, tobacco accord, patchouli, vanilla, almond and labdanum.

Yves Rocher Ispahan (1982) -- it reminds me of a dear friend who brought it back from Germany for me, because I loved it on her, when YR wasn't sold in the States. Sadly, sadly, no longer available. It always reminded me immediately, without having to wait for it to go through stages, of what YSL's Opium smelled like after it had dried down on me, but it had more pizazz on me than Opium ever did. I'm wearing it and loving it today. And it was so inexpensive for how great it was. Some of the notes are no longer as good as they once were, but as soon as that burns off, it is just as great as it ever was.

Notes: Citrus, jasmine, patchouli and rose
Top: Lime, clove, sandalwood
Body: Rose, Amber
Base: Patchouli, jasmine

Soon I will break out my more floral and springtime fragrances -- some lily of the valley; some green chypres; my Guerlain Chant d'Aromes and Chamade; my E. Coudray Nohiba; my citrus and sweet oranges ... and celebrate the once-again newness of Spring!

How about you?
I want to hear what you find comforting. Please leave a message below.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

This article's title is an homage to Michelyn Camen's original article of this same name on Sniffapalooza Magazine in 2008, in which interviewed several perfumers to comment on what botanical elements make their perfumes comforting.

Michelyn Camen is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of www.cafleurebon.com and the Editor-at- Large for www.Fashiontribes.com. She is a formerly an Editor for Fragrantica, the Fragrance Editor for Uptown Social, a Senior Contributor for Sniffapalooza Magazine, the New in Niche Columnist forBasenotes, the Managing Director for BeautynewsNYC and the former publicist for www.luckyscent.com and Scent Bar, Los Angeles. She has been awarded Brandweek Magazine Marketer of the Year, Ad Age Magazine 100 and is a two time recipient of License Magazine’s 40 under 40 and recipient. She slipped off her corporate power suit to pursue her passion for fragrance.

Check out what the other participants have to say:
All I Am A Redhead
BitterGrace Notes
I Smell Therefore I Am
The Non Blonde
Notes from the Ledge
Olfactarama
Perfume in Progress
Perfume Shrine
Katie Puckrick Smells
A Rose Beyond the Thames
Roxana's Illuminated Journal
Scent Hive
SmellyBlog

Originally posted 2010-03-19 07:41:57.

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Lynn March 19, 2010 at 9:37 am

Wow, Karin,

Again … so like ME. I associate fragrance with so many events in life that I am extremely careful what I wear during times of grief versus times of elation. When my mother was very ill and then passed away, I didn’t wear ANY fragrance for a while because I knew I would associate those terrible moments in my life. Then I started wearing Chanel #5 and other favorites of my mother to be close to her again. Now I wear perfumes that transport me to happy times in my past. I could go on and on but have to go to work .

Good topic!!!

ScentScelf March 19, 2010 at 9:47 am

Well, you can count me in on someone who might opt OUT of fragrance in times of stress. Sometimes wafting, or even having something right on the skin, is too much input…especially if there is a chance of it going wrong…plus, if you don’t KNOW which will be the right thing…just not worth it.

On the other hand, when you do have a feeling for just what would be right–as you mention–then it’s a go. I didn’t mention that “wake you up” kind of perfume in my thoughts, but I know just what you mean. I think Vent Vert might be something like that for me…a snap-to awakeness, a sharpening of the senses, and eventually, just a nice feeling. Which describes both the progress of the perfume and its effect on me. :)

You’ve inspired me to dig out the mini of Ispahan I have squirreled away. Because it is discontinued, I tend to hoard it. But I want to check it against your feelings.

Enjoyed your list of comfort activities etc., btw. I’m noticing how many of us put “a cup of tea” in there. Happy thing, that. :)

Karin March 19, 2010 at 1:45 pm

Lynn, you and I are twins separated at birth! We have so many common likes and feelings. Maybe our moms had something to do with getting us together, think? I remember meeting a lifelong friend at college. We both felt our mothers had done a good job (we were right across the hall from each other) (and both of our moms were living at the time.)

Scent, it sounds like we have a lot in common too! Let me know how Ispahan hits you. I have several of the minis. Somehow spritzing gives more life to it. I don’t know that my minis have changed (need to check it out) and my spray is a sealed spray, so I didn’t expect change in a dark bottle, but they are quite old. I probably still have some of the body powder spray left and a bunch of other Ispahan related products. I need to find where I stashed them. The body spray was great for your feet too. I wish they’d bring it back. I think I might have one newer bottle that a friend got me in London when they brought it out LE one year. I need to find that bottle and see if it differs or if it has turned a bit too. It is still great once that leaves. I just spritz my legs.

perfumeshrine March 20, 2010 at 11:37 am

Guerlain-o-maniac, you! LOL

I agree that their house aesthetic has something very plush, very wearable about them. Good choices there.
And Back to Black makes it to yet another list. A little indulgence makes tough times pass easiest, eh? :-)

Happy weekend and happy equinox!

Karin March 20, 2010 at 10:03 pm

I do like Guerlain. Most of them are very wearable to me, compared to other houses.

I think when times are tough, that is when to be kind to yourself, and a little indulgence helps — kind of like that ‘spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.’

Katie Puckrik March 21, 2010 at 6:54 pm

Karin, you mentioned meditation in your list of calming activities, which is so apt for this comfort scent project, because fragrance helps still my mind for meditation. Really enjoyed reading your list – count me in as another B2B luvva!

Karin March 21, 2010 at 6:56 pm

I do think fragrance can be soothing — or conversely, it can be a wake-me-up. The important thing to me is to be kind to ourselves when times are tough. We need to cut ourselves some slack and be as good to ourselves as we are to others who might be going thru tough times.

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