We are frequently being asked: “How do you smell perfume?”
Today on day two of National Fragrance week, organised by the Fragrance Foundation, we are taking a look at (and not for the first time) how do you evaluate or test perfume?
It may seem that the obvious answer is “with your nose” – and in a sense (no pun intended) that is correct.
However, there is so much more to smelling a perfume, than simply taking a sniff …
In an earlier post we discussed how as individuals we have an olfactory blueprint that is totally unique to us.
So, … how we smell perfume or interpret a fragrance or note, will be as individual and unique as you are..
We know that memory formation is linked to our sense of smell.
So if you think how different your life’s experiences or your life’s road map has been when compared to those around you, it explains why some of us love certain notes while others may loathe them…
With National Fragrance Week now underway, what better time to try new Fragrances or Notes and evaluate them as only You can.
From everyone here at PAIRFUM London we just want to say “Try it, Enjoy it” and “Be Your Authentic Self”.
International Women’s Day was first organised by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. In 1910 it was proposed to celebrate it annually every year on the 8th of March.
In some countries International Women’s Day is a public holiday, in others it is a day of protest, however for the most part it is largely ignored.
The fact that we need to have or celebrate an International Women’s Day in 2019, points to the fact that Women over the World do not yet have equal rights. The World Bank has just released a study that found ‘Only Six Countries’ have equal rights for men and women,
YES! you read that correctly only Six countries – just in case you are wondering ‘Who’ these six countries are? then I would hazard a guess that the answer will surprise you as much it did us….
They are – Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden. The surprise was not that these countries have equal rights, the surprise was how many names missing from the list… are from the countries so many of us are proud to call Home.
In this quote, Warren Buffett highlights his view on the potential equal rights for women offer our society: “It’s one of the things that makes me optimistic about America because when I look at what we have accomplished using half our talent for a couple of centuries, and now I think of doubling the talent that is effectively employed — or at least has the chance to be — it makes me very optimistic about this country,”
So from everyone here at PAIRFUM London we want to wish every Woman, who ever you are, what ever you do and where ever you are in the World – “A Happy International Women’s Day”, because without YOU this World would not exist xx
One of our favourite ‘health tips’ is that you can boost your health, mood and memory through the use of perfume.
Did you know that your sense of smell is the strongest of all the five senses as well as being the oldest ?
Or, that 75% of all emotions generated every day are due to smell? Just think about that for a moment… 75% of how you have felt or the emotions you had during a single day were due to scent !!
The reason for this, is that it is the one sense most connected to memory and emotion, and research has proven that we are 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over something we see, hear or touch.
Again, if you think about this for a moment – we are 100 times more lightly to remember something we smell over something we read, see or hear…. and yet we spend years in an education system that teaches us to remember important information, without ever using the strongest sense we have ‘Smell’ to help embed this information into memory…
Mother Nature designed our sense of smell to be the one sense to go directly to the fore brain without going to the thalamus, and one of the most obvious reasons for this is that the information our sense of smell provides us with is so important to our survival, that it needs to reach our brain in as fast a time as possible.
To give you an idea of just how fast the information is relayed – if you are impressed that Formula One race cars can go from 0-60 in as fast as 1.6 seconds,…then Formula One needs to get in the back seat as the entire procedure of olfactory processing takes a mere 200 milliseconds!
Odours and scents affect us all in different ways, by becoming aware of how a particular scent affects you personally, you will be able to enhance your health, mood and indeed memory. A particular scent or odour has no personal significance until it is connected to a space, a moment in time or something that has meaning to us.
Theresa Molnar, executive director of the Sense of Smell Institute, the research and educational arm of the perfume industry’s Fragrance Foundation. Has said that “Scents can have positive effects on mood, stress reduction, sleep enhancement, self-confidence, and physical and cognitive performance,”.
So if we associate a particular scent or perfume with an action or a particular time of day, for example getting ready to fall asleep, relaxing, studying, or waking-up in the morning. Then the brain will form memories or associations to coincide with the inhalation of that specific note.
So if you do wish to improve your health, mood or memory a very simple way to do this is to include one of your favourite perfume notes when preparing for bed, sitting down to relax and unwind or preparing for an exam. It is such an easy thing to do, light one of your favourite perfumed candles, or spray the area you are using with a natural room spray, or place one of your reed diffusers in the room.
From the initial and subsequent encounters with the aroma, you begin forming nerve connections that intertwine the smell with emotions, so by choosing a scent or aroma that you love you can immediately alter your feelings in a positive, healthy and mood enhancing way.
Final Question: Did you enjoy this tip? Would you like us to write more about health tips linked to scent? Alternatively, what are your favourite health tips linked to fragrance or perfume?
When admiring the winning or commended photographs, we noticed how some of them created ‘fragrant images’ for us here at Pairfum and we wanted to share some of these ‘olfactive photos’ with you.
Protea Banks, KwaZulu
The image above was taken in Protea Banks, KwaZulu – Natal, South Africa by Pier Many (photographer) and he said this about his image: “Protea Banks is an underwater reef on the east coast of South Africa that is under consideration for protected area status. Amazing creatures such as this cephea (or crown) jellyfish live there. It was the biggest jellyfish I’ve ever seen, over one metre in diameter. Its purple head and yellow fuselage were simply amazing. With no background objects present to provide perspective, and wishing to exalt this crown jellyfish with its stunning colours, majestic size and dancing elegance, I opted to purposefully crop the jellyfish to fill the frame.”
For us this image created the vivid fragrance of the sea, with its aquatic & salty nuances, its marine minearals, the notes of sea weed and algae. We regularly incorporate these elements in our notes and we particularly liked about this image that marine notes are frequently only displayed a ‘blue’ images whereas this image is displays the most vivid colours.
Namib Desert, Namibia
Here are the comments of Tom Putt (the photographer) about his marvellous photo: “Flying low over the endless sand dunes of the Namib Desert, I noticed the cloud cover provided this interesting play of light on the landscape. When the sun heats up the dunes, it draws the black minerals to the surface. When I came to process the image, the stunning colours revealed themselves.”
We believe this image perfectly captures the essence of ‘oriental notes’, their warmth & richness, the depth of their accord and sensuous nature.
Storvatnet, Flakstadøya, Lofoten, Norway
This is what Daniel Laan, the photographer says about his image: “Stjerntinden is a sheer-walled 930m peak rising from the often frozen and snow-covered Storvatnet lake. Along its shoreline the ice is punctured by unyielding rocks, which create tiny ice caves. I decided to put my camera inside this particular one because its curvy roof and virgin snow complemented the inhospitable background so well. However, therein lay the main challenge. I put the camera in from the front, facing out, but had no idea of the composition. I carefully turned the focus ring each shot with a view to making a final focus stacked image. I then lifted the camera for the final frame to reveal more of the mountain and fill the entirety of the cave mouth.”
It conjures up the salty but beautiful fresh, clean ozonic note of ice and outdoor ions.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
The comments of Alex Palmer (photographer) “Two climbers approach El Cap Tower on the The Nose route on El Capitan. I was taking a day off from the route that my partner and I were attempting on the West Face of El Capitan. We headed down to the meadow opposite the peak to watch the climbers on the wall and get some images. The hardest thing I’ve found about photographing this rock face is to get any idea of how vast it really is. I spotted two climbers* approaching the El Cap Tower feature and just started to snap photos. When I zoomed in to preview the images, I was really pleased with the scale and atmosphere they showed.”
Do stones have a scent? Have you ever taken the time to smell one?
Try it and you will be surprised by the variety of fragrances that you pick up. The sheer cliff face certainly triggered a memory of an earthy, sun-bleached rock face for us.
Grand Union Canal, Olton, Solihull, England
Chris Fletcher said this about his photo:”This shot was taken handheld using the diffused sunrise light to soften the subject and surrounding woodland. This helped to bring out the colour of the autumn leaves and of the boat. I regularly explore the canal network in the West Midlands and in autumn the atmosphere and colour of the waterways offer fantastic scenes to capture. The composition was made easy by the diagonal positioning of the canal and towpath, which gave me a natural rule of thirds image.”
Here in Europe and London in particular, this image conjures up the memories of moist woody notes from walks in the forest in Autumn. Add to this watery, green notes of the canal and you can see how this images creates a beautifully complex note.
Wyming Brook, Peak District, England
Jay Birmingham about his shot: “I had gone to Wyming Brook in the Peak District to try to capture some landscape shots. Struggling to find any unique angles, I cast my eyes over the smaller features around me and spotted, in the middle of the water, a small mossy island with a solitary bonnet mushroom growing on it. Even better, there was a small waterfall just behind. I crouched as low down in the water as I could to position the mushroom in front of the waterfall, and then used a neutral density filter to capture the path of the water swirling through this beautiful micro landscape.”
“Oakmoss” is also known as ‘Mousse de Chene’ or ‘Treemoss’. For many people this terms does not trigger an olfactive memory and yet it is a very prominent ingredient in perfumery, such as “Mitsouko” by Guerlain, its role within the ‘Chypre Accord’ or its presence within the ‘Fougère’ Olfactive Group,
For us the image below captures the note of Oakmoss wonderfully: earthy rich, inky bitter, evocative of a sensually damp but woody oak forest, with hints of musky and amber.
Do you find that photos have the power to create ‘olfactive images’ for you? Which images are the most potent for you?
Anosmia – what does it mean and why should we care?
Well for those that have not heard of it before and would like to know!
Anosmia is a complete loss of the ability to smell…..
Women Anosmia Day Nose Perfume
When taken in context in regards to your other senses, the loss of your sense of smell should be nothing more than an inconvenience at most ? If you did loose it would you even miss it?
We would also love to know, would you ever ‘Voluntarily Give Up’ one of your senses?
In a survey carried out of 7,000 young people from around the world, approximately half of those between the age of 16 and 30 said that they would rather ‘Lose their Sense of Smell’ than give up access to technology like laptops or cell phones.
Anosmia Day Woman Nose Fragrance Scent
Well there is a saying that “Fair exchange is no robbery”, so it begs the question how much did these people know about the importance of their sense of smell to their health and well-being?
The second question would have to be, that if they did know and still choose to lose a sense rather than access to an electronic device! then how much sense do they have to lose in the first place? – ‘common’ or otherwise? and why is it called ‘Common Sense’ when it is such a rare commodity?
Research by Leslie Vosshall from The Rockefeller University estimated that the average person can detect at least one trillion different smells, and that the one trillion is probably an underestimation of the true number of smells we can detect, but for now I am sure it is enough for us to be getting on with… In fact, new research suggests that our noses can outperform our eyes and ears, which can discriminate between several million colours and approximately half a million tones.
The 27th of February is ‘Anosmia Awareness Day’ – it is a day to spread awareness about Anosmia and about how it effects the lives of those who suffer from it. As there are few outward signs of the disorder, the practical difficulties associated with it and how the nature of olfactory dysfunction and its consequences for an individual’s safety and quality of life are not widely appreciated or understood.
PAIRFUM London fully agrees with Dr. Vosshall who says that – “It’s time to give our sense of smell the recognition it deserves,”. We would go even further and say that current ongoing and future research will show just how important and underrated our sense of smell is to our health and lives.
Sadly today the World lost one of its ‘Great Masterpieces’, the Original, the Unique, the ever Changing Karl Lagerfeld.
A fashion designer, a creative director, an artist, photographer, Cat lover and caricaturist. He has left behind a legacy and body of work, few will ever be able to emulate.
We here at PAIRFUM London would like to honour the great man by remembering some of the wonderful quotes that shine a light on his unrepeatable personality.
Here are 10 of his most memorable quotes:
Style in his words: “Chic is a kind of mayonnaise, either it tastes, or it doesn’t.”
About himself: “Everything I say is a joke. I am a joke myself.”
His tongue in cheek quote about beauty: “Life is not a beauty contest, some [ugly people] are great.”
His view on furniture: “The most important piece in the house is the garbage can.”
His take on the worldwide web : “I don’t do internet, I don’t do Facebook. I have to sketch, I have to play with Choupette [his cat], I have to sleep. The day is too short for that.”
On Work: “Work is making a living out of being bored.”
On being asked about Tattoos: “I think tattoos are horrible.”
On Dress or should we say Business Sense: “I remember a designer who said that intelligent women don’t wear her dresses. Obviously, she went bankrupt.”
On Style: “Don’t dress to kill, dress to survive.”
On Coco Chanel: “What I’ve done, Coco Chanel would never have done. She would have hated it”
Some Special Quotes, that we could not leave out:
On his ego: “I’m very much down to Earth. I’m just not from this Earth.”
On his bedroom: “If you see it you will think about everything except sex, because it is the unsexiest room ever. I love unsexy bedrooms.”
Our Thoughts
Here at Pairfum London, our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends.
The worlds of fashion and fragrance is a poorer place without you, Mr. Karl Lagerfeld. It will take a giant to fill your exquisitely crafted designer shoes.
He is one of the Legends of this industry.
Famous Fragrance Quotes Series
If you are looking for more inspirational perfume quotes, then we invite you to visit these pages on our website:
Are you having a problem falling asleep or trying to get a good night’s sleep? Yes, … then using a Deep Sleep Spray can help you solve this problem.
One of our most popular products, that customers come back for repeatedly, is our Natural Sleep Spray, that can be used on your pillows, bed sheets, duvet covers, night clothes, or sprayed into the air.
We all know that there are a number of contributing factors for why we can’t jump into bed and sleep, ranging from the age and condition of your mattress and pillow to the temperature in your room. Not to mention noise levels and how dark and electronic free your resting place is.
Some of the causes for a disturbed nights sleep may seem very obvious, but it is surprising how many people, do not consider them a factor when trying to eliminate or alleviate the cause of a sleepless or restless night.
One of the most obvious things is that you do not go to sleep in a brightly lit room, bright light especially blue-ish light that is emitted from T.V.’s, Computer Screens, Mobile phones, all send a signal to our brains that it’s still daytime and prevents the body’s natural release of chemicals critical for restful & deep sleep.
Our bodies release chemicals in a 24-hour cycle, telling us to do certain things at certain times.
Each of these cycles is called a circadian rhythm, one of the most important chemicals involved in this process is melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel sleepy.
The amount of melatonin in our bodies starts increasing in the evening, as natural light decreases, and peaks in the middle of the night, letting us know it is time to sleep.
It then decreases by morning, allowing us to wake up refreshed.
Why is it so important that we get a good nights sleep?
Studies show that four in every ten Americans don’t even get the minimum of seven hours of sleep doctors recommend, and the important word in the previous sentence is ‘MINIMUM’.
This is now considered a public health emergency, as lack of sleep and fatigue leads to both short and long term mental and physical health problems.
Recent studies have shown that Americans currently average only 6.8 hours of sleep per night, down an hour from 1942, which means that they have lost ‘One Full’ hour’s sleep per night since then.
Think of it as having to set your alarm clock an hour earlier every morning … !
This is not something that effects only people living in the USA, but they have recognised the problem and are studying the causes and effects.
As I have mentioned above, study after study has shown that watching a screen before bedtime or while you are lying in bed is an absolute ‘No-no’ – if you wish to drift off to the land of nod and stay there until morning.
So, … whether it’s a TV screen, your laptop, tablet or phone, if you want to fall asleep ditch the pixels until morning.
Expert Tips
The following are some simple tips that will help improve your nights sleep:
Lavender has been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, potentially putting you in a more relaxed state.
In one study, researchers monitored the brain waves of subjects at night and found that those who sniffed lavender before bed had a deeper nights sleep and felt more invigorated in the morning
If Lavender helps us get a better nights sleep – then “Why is that”?
Well, … you will be delighted to know that there is scientific proof to backup the claim:
Lavender oil is mainly composed of linalyl acetate (which is a naturally occurring phytochemical found in many flowers and spice plants, and is one of the principal components of the essential oils of Lavender and Bergamot) and linalool.
Both are natural chemicals that are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Studies on mice have shown that these compounds inhibit several neurotransmitters and have a sedative and pain-relieving effect.
In humans, lavender has been proven to lower the heart rate and reduces anxiety, leading to a more relaxed and peaceful sleep.
Dr. Chris Winter, MD, is a renowned sleep specialist and author of the book: ‘The Sleep Solution – Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It” – He has also been called “The Sleep Whisperer”.
I love this nick name, as it is better to whisper, so you do not wake anyone up.
He stated that scent plays a role in helping people drift off to sleep, with the proviso that the formula contains lavender.
“There are a number of studies that indicate it might have sleep-promoting effects,” he says.
Other notes that are known to help promote relaxation and sleep are Chamomile, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose, Sandalwood and Valerian.
Recommendations from the Harvard Medical School suggest using dim red lights in the evenings and to expose yourself to bright lights during the day time help to reset your sleep schedule (your internal clock).
In a recent Bedroom Poll by the National Sleep Foundation in the US, 53% of their respondents rated sleeping on sheets with a fresh scent an important contributor to their sleep experience.
If Lavender is not one of your favourite notes, other fragrances that you associate with happy events in your life are also perfect to use.
For example notes or smells that evoke or awaken happy, calming memories, such as walks on the beach or in the woods, a wonderful relaxing holiday, times spent with loved ones, or memories of childhood when sleep came easily at the end of a day well spent.
Dr. Winter, the ‘Sleep Whisperer’, also said that “Sprays can be helpful if we pair a certain smell in our minds with the act of sleep. This is particularly true with travel. If you associate a certain smell with your bedroom, spraying that in your hotel room can trick your brain into thinking you’re at home.”
This is the reason why here at PAIRFUM London, we developed the ‘Voyage’ Spray, it is the perfect travelling partner to take with you on Holiday.
We are a London based Natural Niche Perfumery House and we have been working on Sleep Aid Perfume Sprays for a number of years.
Today across the World we celebrate St Valentine’s Day which has become the day associated with LOVE and Lovers, so from everyone here at PAIRFUM London “Happy Valentine’s Day”
History tell us that St Valentine was a Priest or Bishop who helped young people to get married against the strict instructions of the Roman Emperor Aurelian in 273. Although not much of St. Valentine’s life is reliably known, and whether or not the stories involve two different saints by the same name has also not been officially decided, it is widely accepted that he was the Saint of Courtly Love.
In other circles it is believed to have first become associated with romantic love thanks to a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400?), titled ‘Parchement of Foules’ or the ‘The Parliament of Birds’ which contains one of the earliest references to the idea that St. Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers.
It was not until the 18th Century that it rose to prominence, when people began to send cards or letters and give gifts to their loved ones – or to those they wished were their Amour.
Whichever version of the wonderful story of how St Valentine became associated with the 14th of February tugs at your Heart strings, we wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day that we hope you can share with the ones you LOVE xx
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Special Offer: Get a Full Refund when you later buy a full-sized bottle.
We value and respect your personal data and privacy. By submitting this form, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
