Fragrances and Memories

It has been said that our sense of smell triggers memories more than any of our other senses. I remember using Penhaligon's English Fern cologne while shaving on Christmas morning in a pension in Zermatt, Switzerland. The sink was by a window that looked directly at the Matterhorn. And this picture of an old stone house in Vallée du Tarn, France (from the Cabin Porn web site, which I have mentioned before) makes me think of Houbigant Yama, which reminds me of the smells of old rural buildings in Europe from my travels many years ago - not bad smells, just traces of habitation and use over centuries, reminders of other lives.


Do shaving smells bring back distant memories for you?

I think I've mentioned this before, but Mike's Vetiver shaving soap reminds me of my Grandpap. I'm guessing it may have been an aftershave that he wore that this scent reminds me, because I don't believe he was a man who wore cologne. He did shave every morning and sometimes again in the early evening if going out for dinner. He's been gone for almost 40 years, but the scent of Mike's Vetiver brings back a flood of memories!

B&M Baudelaire reminds me of something...

On the rare occasion that I reach for Aramis, I am reminded strongly of my father. That was one of his favorite scents.

I used to walk to the barbershop with my grandfather on the last Saturday of the month as a kid in the 70s. I sat on a stool next to him in the chair watching the barber use a straight razor, brush and soap eating the lollipop the barber gave me (Probably to keep me quiet). The entire barbershop reeked of pinaud clubman.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...d-emotions

I'm in my late 30's but for some reason Guerlain Vetiver brings back really good memories. Also, anything Sandalwood reminds me of my childhood. The eucalyptus like sandalwood.

There are a few scents in shaving that seem to transport me back in time to certain places. For me, the scent doesn’t even have to be an “exact match”. Apparently, it’s enough that it carries a certain “vibe,” and that’ll then connect the dots for me. The connections are immediate, and sometimes a little strange, I’ll admit. But all you really have to do is ask yourself: “What’s the first thing that comes to mind?”

Here are some that come to my mind:
Barrister and Mann Seville: Turkish bath (public swimming pool in Kirkkonummi, Finland).
Chatillon Lux Vide Poche: Transatlantic passenger aircraft (in the seventies).
Cold River Soap Works Puro Fresco: Decor section (the old Stockmann department store in Espoo, Finland).
Mystic Water Soap Egyptian Dragon: Sauna and shower area (Olympic swimming facility in Helsinki, Finland).

B&M Baudelaire reminds me of something...

Me, too. That is such a complex and wonderful scent! My first notion with that one: A library filled with leatherbound books, and with a house plant or two in some corner.