Sometimes, it’s easy to remember your first experience with certain scents—like the fresh aromas I recall from my grandmother’s house on Easter day as she lined up rows of potted hyacinths and white lilies that she’d been gifted, while hints of rosemary and thyme crept out from simmering festive dishes in the kitchen. Now, whenever I catch wind of early springtime flowers laced with the essences of an herb garden, my mind returns to a living room filled with sunshine, chatting family members, and beautifully hand-glazed ceramic eggs displayed in a basket.
Then, there are the whiffs you get of something so 
vaguely familiar it causes confusion as you stop in your tracks, struggling to remember the origin of that smell. It took me almost two years to identify the mysterious “scents of Spain” that I continued to pick up on even after I had returned to the United States. It turned out the fragrance I associated with my trip was actually just Gucci Rush 2, with which my travel buddy had consistently spritzed through our temporary abode.
Chances are you have had similar occurrences involving aromas, and if so, you’ve experienced the emotional connection of fragrance. That’s not to say you will recall Easter morning from the intertwined scents of florals and herbs, or your first time abroad from a popular perfume combining gardenia and jasmine with vanilla and patchouli. Those are my memories, and almost certainly, mine alone.
The beauty of memories evoked by fragrance is that each person’s experience is different, and therefore allows each of us to remember and feel something completely unique as the brain responds to specific odors. This is one of the primary reasons why fragrance is so personal.
In fact, studies show that memories remembered through sense of smell are more emotional than those called to mind by sight, sound, or touch. With the power to bring us back to a breathtaking moment and awaken memories that have long been forgotten, the importance of fragrance quickly emerges.
Daydreaming about what memories will come back to you with the assistance of scent? Find your fragrance personality with the help of our new quiz!
Kerri Souilliard
PR & Marketing Specialist
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