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April 6, 2013

Ten of my all-time favorite scents


Though one could very easily think so based on its title, this post is not about the perfumes and colognes that I adore most - though such a post may appear here one day. No, instead today on this soft and beautiful April morning, my mind is filled with thoughts of the smells of the budding season, and by extension of pleasing odours that have long - if not forever - been held dear to my heart.

With spring's return comes an almost overwhelming array of resplendent, diverse, emotion provoking scents. Verdant grass, damp with rain and early morning dew once more; the earliest new crop produce – crisp asparagus, tender lettuce leaves, the teeniest of strawberries and many more are beginning to line the grocer's shelves again; flowers long hidden under a blanket of ice and snow burst forth with equal measures of caution and enthusiasm, this is their time to shine and to fill the air with the nature's founding perfume.

It is often said that scent is the strongest of the senses we posses, and I am not one to argue with that point. Each sense can be remarkably power, but there is something tremendous amount scent that lends it the ability to transport us instantly through time and space, to reconnect with moments long gone and to make memories ever bit as powerful in the moment. Scent can offend or delight, please, entice, sooth, stir, and uplift the soul.

Not all smells are pleasant, and that perhaps is why we adore those that are all the more, why it takes but one whiff a certain small to reminds of things as diverse as our grandmother's dressing table, our first kiss, the last time we saw a cherished friend, a beach thousands of miles away, Christmastime, a new baby, and a universe's worth of other priceless memories and experiences.

I have been stopped dead in my tracks by a familiar scent, moved to tear by the beauty of certain smell, reminded of times long gone and future events I dream of bringing to life. Smells have danced through my mind with the fervor of a tango and the tranquility of waves lapsing at the sand. They have haunted and comforted me, left impressions that no amount of time could erase, and I could scarcely fathom an existence without the insight, experience and joy that scents have granted me throughout the course of my life.

As spring ushers in its symphony of smells - speaking of earth and rain, newborn animals and a renewal of the perpetual order of life as seen through the eyes of the seasons - I thought this first Saturday in April would be a wonderful time to share with you a list of ten of my absolute favourite scents, each accompanied by a beautiful vintage or modern, timeless image depicting said smells.

Not all of these scents tie directly to spring, but again, as this powerful human sense is rekindled with springs's return, it seems a most fitting and lovely time of the year to delve into this subject.




{Line-dried linens}

Vintage 1950s Tite-rope clothesline ad, vintage laundry


{The Pacific rain forest}

West coast of Vancouver Island Pacific Rainforest (image by eerror on Flickr)


 
{Meat grilling on the barbeque}

Vintage 1950s couple grilling meat on a barbeque


 

{Freshly cut grass}

Vintage Reo lawnmower ad from 1950, mowing the lawn


 
{Kitten and puppy dog fur}

Vintage Farm Babies 1940s children's book, puppies, kitties, bunnies


{Old books}

Edwardian toasts books, antique vintage books



{Lilacs}

Beautiful photo of purple lilacs from Flickr user Miss M Schneiderhead


 
{Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies}

Vintage 1950s Hershey's chocolate chip ad


{Smoke from a campfire}

Vintage 1930s community campfire






{Classic Coppertone suntan lotion}

1962 Coppertone Suntan Lotion ad, vintage summer


{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


There are hundreds, if not thousands of scents that I enjoy, cherish, love being surprised by, and will forever delight in experiencing, just as I'm sure there are for most of you as well.

This list is not a "top ten", nor is it of my absolute ten most favourite. I really don't know if I could create such a list, there are simply too many magnificent smells on this vast and wondrous earth of ours to call out such a small number and tag them as my most favourite. No, what these ten odours hold in common is that I have loved them throughout my whole life (or very nearly thereabout), and thus they are all-time favourites.

What is pleasing to the nose of one person is not always so to another, but I'd venture to guess that amongst this list, you'll find one or more smells that you delight in as well. Which of these do your adore as well, and what others would make it on to your own such roundup of cherished scents?

I hope that as we glide ever further though spring, you take the time to indulge in your most beloved scents. Stop not only to smell the roses, but also the just-mowed grass, the new season produce, the cherry blossoms, and everything else you can lay your nose on in the garden.



54 comments:

  1. I too love the smell of old books! :)

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  2. Lilacs are one of my most favourite scents. When I was little there were lilac trees in the garden & I'd get excited when I saw them starting to blossom as I knew that they'd soon fill the house with their beautiful scent.
    Roses are another that remind me of childhood. My great grandmother had a beautiful rose garden that I adored.
    They also remind me of the first holiday we'd had together since having the kids. It's almost 2 yrs ago & was so special. We sat in a rose garden in the sunshine just enjoying each others company.
    Thank you for making me think of these happy things x

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  3. I'm with you on campfire smoke and old books! I love the scent of real lilacs too, but really I'm more in love with bird cherry blossoms. In Finland and Sweden, where I live, there is a period of time in spring and early summer that is called "between bird cherry and lilac". This is a period of about four weeks that starts with the blooming of the bird cherry tree and ends with the blooming of the lilacs... it is generally considered to be the loveliest time of the year!

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  4. I adore the smell of old books too!I think the only one I'd have to disagree with is fresh cut grass.Sends me sneezing.I enjoy the smell of a bonfire but I dislike my clothes smelling like it after I've left.I look forward to line dried linens again soon.

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  5. Jessica, you outdid yourself! what a beautiful scent filled post :) I could smell every scent that showed us here. Indeed scent is a wondurous thing and you have so eloquently reminded me of how wonderful this human experience is! Babies and lilac's are probably the dearest ones to me.
    If I don't get another chance, I want to wish you the best on your upcoming surgery and recovery, fare thee well my dear and God bless you.

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    1. Thank you dearly, my caring friend. You are so very sweet and I want you to know how much I appreciate your thoughtful well wishes.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. These scents are some of my favourites! They remind me of summer... feeling the scent of our freshly mowed lawn & the smoke while dad's doing BBQ... aaah!

    I had no idea what the English name of Lilac was such a cute name! We have Lilac bushes in our garden, they smell like a dream!

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  7. A lovely list!

    I agree with you about scents. There have often been times where I have a memory because of a certain scent that was present when what ever it was happened that I am remembering. One of my favorite scents is Violets. They have such a light, fresh essence that's hard to capture, so it's rare that I see Violet scented things. Luckily, my yard is always full of them, so I always pick my own little violet bouquets in the springtime.

    Have a lovely day!
    Oh, and P.S., I adore your writing, I really think you have a gift :)

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  8. Dear Jessica, it's a great idea to share your favourite scents. And I think they're really worth to write about them. I do love all the scents that you named. Unfortunately I don't know hoe the Pacific rain forest smells. Instead I would add the scent of freshly baked Bavarian pretzels which are almost my favourite food. Especially when served with butter and a cappucino which is another favourite scent of me.

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  9. I love a campfire smell, and many of the other scents you listed. I also love the first spring rain.

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  10. I love the smell of Lilacs and there is a coconuty smelling sun lotion that brings back great memories. When it comes to the garden I love the smell of mock orange blossom and rosemary, two plants that are always the first to go into my garden as soon as possible whenever I move house.

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  11. Such a lovely post!! :D I love the smell of freshly cut grass, BBQs, sun tan lotion, lilacs and freshly cleaned linens, books (old and new) as well!! :D I have always been enamoured by scents, and as a kid I would pick up items in the grocery store just to smell them. :D

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  12. Such a lovely post, I think smells can be so powerful to us. Bring back memories, remind you of people. Garlic and onions being fried, fresh cut grass, jasmine and earth are my favs! x

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  13. OMGosh, I am so driven by the scents in my life! You really brought back some great memories with this post... old books, Coppertone suntan lotion, freshly mown grass and er, I lost track there were so many of my favorite smells :D
    You rock my friend!
    Hugs,
    Beth P

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  14. This top ten list I can sign in any case .....
    ok, the sun lotion is of course a different brand - and the old books .... with a house dust allergy I avoid it sniff it :-)
    beautiful images you've got found again my dear!

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  15. Campfires and wood smoke are definitely on my list. Old books too, especially those with leather covers. Lavender. And tomato plants! Every time I pass by in the garden I cannot help but reach out and press a few leaves between my fingers. It's cold and windy here today but thinking of some of these brings warm thoughts to my mind. Happy spring! :)

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    1. Ooohh, I just love that you added tomato plants to this list. They're another of my very favourite scents as well, that always whisk me back to memories of both of my grandparents' gardens glowing with heat under the warms summer sun when I was a little girl.

      Happiest springtime wishes to you as well, my dear friend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Lovely thought provoking post. It never ceases to amaze me how a scent gives me the ability to 'time travel'. I follow several recipe type blogs and I recently found a recipe for old fashioned rock cakes. I made my first batch about 6 weeks ago and no sooner were they out of the oven than my mind went back. I was 10 years old again and I was in the kitchen with my Mum and my sister doing our weekly cooking session so we had cakes or biscuits to take in our packed lunches for school.

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  17. Freshly cut grass is a favourite for sure. Lying in bed early morning having woken to this smell, knowing by the bird calls and sound of the breeze that its going to be one of the first really warm days - this is something I just love about spring (before my intolerance for hot weather kicks in!).

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  18. Hehehe love all of these smells, especially the baby animal fur - I think this is my most favourite of all! Also I really do love lilacs, it breaks my heart that they don't grow in Australia!
    Oh and another great smell I just thought of that I LOVE is Lilly of the Valley. You do have those in Canada, right? When I was growing up in Russia I looked forward all year to spring when the Lilly of the Valley would be in flower :)

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    1. Hi sweet dear, thank you very much for your lovely comment. Oh no, I had absolutely no idea that lilacs aren't to be found in Australia as well. We have such an abundance of them here locally come mid-spring, that if such were possible, I would very happily mail boxes of them your way.

      We do have lily of the valley here in Canada, but I wouldn't say it's particularly common everywhere (I honestly can't recall the last time I saw any here in my little corner of British Columbia). I've heard that the wild variety grows quite well out east in the maritime province of Nova Scotia, though.

      If only you could send me some LOTV in exchange for some lilacs! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  19. This is a lovely round-up I am drawn to anything "laundry" or line-dried and old books I have been know to smell my old cookbooks, ooh and I used to smell my cat glad I am not completely weird!

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  20. I identify with every single one of these scents Jessica! Especially the line dried linens, the lilacs and the books! I'm always transported to a faraway, wonderful time and place. Thank you so much for writing this post. It's one of my (many) favorites of yours. I hope you're having a beautiful weekend!

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  21. I like a lot of the scents you mentioned. Old books is definitely one of my most favorites, to the extent that I've been known to buy old books based partially on that and I've ended up some wonderful reads with because of it!

    A somewhat odd one that would make it on my personal list would have to be crayons. There's just something about that light pleasant smell and its association with childhood. :)

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    1. Ooohhh, what great same-scent-loving-noses we share, my dear. Hand on my heart, crayons were in the running here, too (I started with a list of about 25 things that instantly sprang to mind when focusing on this topic and crayons were definitely one of them). I suspect that should I ever write a second edition of this post, crayons will be there then.

      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Amazing how we live at opposite ends of the globe and yet love the same smells. I live in a temperate rainforest (there are some pictures on this old post http://bobisdysautonomia.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/purple-misty-mountain-haze.html) and I love the smell of the earth here. Particularly at the moment with the change to Autumn. My two happiest places are my yard and old libraries. (I actually researched smell and memory for my doctoral thesis so it's always been an interest for me). i hope all is well on your end and thinking of you for this week xx

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  23. Great idea for a post. We associate smells with experiences and, decades later, can trigger a childhood memory with a sniff.

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  24. Lilac! That is one that is near and dear to me too. Wonderful post!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Naomi. I cannot wait until the lilacs return (hopefully) later this month, and very nearly every street is laced with their resplendent scent for a brief window of time.

      ♥ Jessica

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  25. I one I thought you in the smell of old books ... they are charming! Also love the smell of freshly washed hair ... the smell of wet earth after the rain ... the salty smell of the sea ... Smells have ability to transport us to another time ... thanks for this post!

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  26. I think I might be unusual but I don't have strong memories attached to scents. I tend to be overwhelmed by the smell of flowers or grass which I attributed to hay fever but I tested negative for it. Maybe I just have an overly sensitive nose. I do love anything vanilla or violet scented though and I bet puppies smell lovely!

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  27. People say I'm crazy when I tell them I love the way cats and dogs smell! Cats and dogs that are well cared for and live in a good home always have the most comforting "warm" smell. It's the slight smell of laundered bed linens, maybe the light scent of a hand lotion rubs off on their heads from being pet all the time, they smell like a warm spot in the sun on a pile of newspapers, or rolling around in the grass on a summer day... It's the best smell ever :)

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  28. Wow! Your list made me smile! i couldn't have picked a better list. :)

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Alice. I'm delighted to know you enjoyed it.

      ♥ Jessica

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  29. Hi Jessica, I really enjoy all of the vintage pictures you share with us.
    I also always enjoy your writing; your reminders of things I sometimes take for granted and don't give much thought to. Thank you for your lovely blog, I always enjoy it so much :)

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  30. I love this post and I also love the smell of old books among other old things! Scent is such a powerful connector--Grandmother's face powder, spicy cookies in the oven and yes, especially lilacs! You are so right that the springtime brings this sense to life in so many ways. Crisp,white, sun-bleached sheets dried outside on a sunny day are the absolute best! Thank you!

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  31. Mmm, lilacs in the late Spring are one of my all-time favorite scents too!! (It's been so cold here, I can hardly believe they'll be back in just a month or so!)

    Some of my other favorite scents are hay and rain. (Wish I could get a custom perfume of hay, rain, and lilac, ha!)

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  32. A lovely post about little things that make us happy and trigger fond memories. I love the scent of old books and campfires. For spring I would add the smell of hyacinths, watching little pots of them bloom and smelling the scent filled air is a spring favourite.

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  33. Love this list, I really enjoy the scent of lilacs in the summertime. And we're fortuned to have some lilac trees growing on the yard to the house we're renovating.

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  34. We share the same taste in scents. I cannot wait for line-drying season to begin. It is like laundry is more clean when line-dried. Love the pictures. :)

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  35. Campfires and chocolate are two of my favorites, as well. I like a hot day in the forest - the smell of the warm pine needles. I also enjoy the smell of wet pavement, movie theater popcorn, unlit cigarettes, baking bread and the back of my husband's neck.

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    1. Fantastic list, Kathleen! Movie theater popcorn (or really, any freshly popped popcorn) was in the running for inclusion here, too. Had the list been of twenty, not ten things, it would have been here (if I ever do a second edition of this post, I'll likely include it there).

      ♥ Jessica

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  36. I love all of these scents! But especially fresh linens, fresh cut grass, and lilacs... they all remind me of the warm seasons of the year, and the pleasant, carefree lifestyle that goes with them. Loved the pictures you chose to accompany the different scents!

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  37. Wonderful smells! Have you ever checked out cbihateperfume? I wear his In the Library perfume, because I too love that book smell. And he also has one with the notes of tomato plants!

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    1. Hi Amanda, I've heard glowing things about that brand, but haven't had a chance to try them out myself yet. I really like custom and single note scents, and am sure I'll fall hard for the Library perfume, too. Thanks for the recommendation!

      ♥ Jessica

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  38. I have a few favourite scents - Chanel No 5, Lillies, new car smell, the sweet smell of babies and their soft skin, freshly cut grass, kitties when they have been outside :)

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  39. Lilacs, campfires, coppertone... mmmm... a million memories! Scent is so so powerful! Cookies baking, oh so yummy! I feel spring coming! ;)
    I've been wanting to do a scent post about perfume also! I just got the most delicious perfume this past weekend! Hand-blended, made in Fort Bragg; I took one whiff and it was as if I was in Hollywood in the 40's!
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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  40. What an evocative selection! It's a very personal thing, scent.

    You're so good at leaving comments, I have been super busy of late and have lots of blog reading to catch up on, many comments to make! Life outside of blogging is challenging!!

    P x

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    1. Good morning sweet dear, you're very welcome. I always enjoy popping over for a visit to your lovely site as often as possible. Believe, me I completely understand how how time consuming, busy, and challenging life can be outside of blogging. We got a darling new puppy three weeks ago and she's been taking about just about all of my free (and not-free!) time ever since, so just about the only thing I've been doing online since then is blogging and visiting/commenting on other blogs, as I so greatly enjoy both.

      ♥ Jessica

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  41. What a great idea for a post! I love line-dried linens, too. I actually like the smell of rooms that are slightly damp and musty. Maybe because my mum's bedroom at our old house smelt a bit that way? It's odd, but it's a comforting smell to me!
    x

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  42. Oh several of my favorites overlap here! A few of mine include campfire smoke, the smell of a pine tree forest (especially after rain or early in the morning), tulips, puppies, pipe tobacco (not that I'm a fan of smoking), old books (so long as they aren't moldy, lol), and a few bath/body products that I particularly love.

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  43. Old books, bonfires and line dried washing are all smells I like, Jessica. One of my favourite smells is a baby when it falls asleep on your shoulder. I love the smell of roses and lavender too. I had a bottle of the perfume Poison years ago, it was a present and not my favourite perfume, but I wore it during an exciting time in my life, and sometimes I sniff the old empty bottle and it takes me right back to getting ready to go out and all the fun of that time. xx

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    1. I know exactly what you mean about certain perfumes whisking you back in time to a particular chapter of your life. From my tween years onward (when I got my first ever bottle of a real scent - Vanilla Fields cologne - one Christmas), I've worn various perfumes and the tiniest whiff of any one of them brings a flood of memory tumbling back.

      Thank you very much for your comment, dear gal,
      ♥ Jessica

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  44. Jessica I absolutely love your writing - you have the magic of taking people places with your words.
    I love the smell of the earth after rain, a puppy's breath, fresh cement, cashew apple, honey ... scents take you on the most wonderful travels.

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