Re: TOTD 121508: m or f--why?

[Guest guest]

>

> Subject: TOTD 121508: m or f--why?

>

> Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 11:30 AM

> We've talked a little about which scents we think of as

> masculine and

> which feminine. Now I'd like to know why.

>

> What scents strike you as feminine _and why_? For example,

> If you

> want to say floral, what is it about floral scents that

> make you

> think feminine exactly? Do they remind you of a particular

> woman, a

> particular memory? Are floral things to you inherently

> feminine? Why?

>

> What scents strike you as masculine _and why_? If you want

> to say

> citrus, what is it about citrus that makes you think

> masculine

> exactly? Do citrus scents remind you of a particular man, a

>

> particular memory? Are citrus scents to you inherently

> masculine? Why?

>

>

I'm often surprised at which things people like. I made what I thought was a

unisex fragrance that I've only ever sold to women but I have a masculine and

feminine version of a green citrusy perfume that seems to hold consistent. In

my experience, the floral that universally appeals to men is jasmine. And I

don't really think of citrus as either masculine or feminine.

Keep up the good work, Adam. Great questions!

Elise

tambela.com

[Guest guest]

>

> We've talked a little about which scents we think of as masculine

and

> which feminine. Now I'd like to know why.

>

Hi all

in my early days as an aromatherapy student we had a teacher who was

determined we should get to know the olfactory nature of each classmate.

This meant that at the start of each class, we would arrive freshly

showered, but unfragranced, and un-deodorised, wearing clothes washed

in minimally stinky products.

We then set about sniffing behind everybody's ears, and deeply into

each others' armpits.

Yup, we kept notes.

We discovered that an ovulating woman, or one approaching ovulation,

smells sweetly fruity and lightly floral behind her ears; Asian girls

who still eat a traditional diet smell like fresh melon or cucumber

behind their ears, pretty much all of the time.

The only guy in our class - a Korean martial artist of many dans and

black belts - had the most alluring armpits; very fresh cut grassy and

ever-so-sligtly redolent of a gingered, radishy beefy stirfry.

Feminine? florals and fruits - no question in my limbic and olfactory

systems by now.

Masculine - herbaceous, woody, spicy, meaty

Am sometimes entertained by the thought of smelling clients' armpits

and behind their ears before making their bespoke perfumes... afterall,

I'd like their special perfume to really 'marry' with their natural

body fragrances. Just haven't had the audacity to suggest it yet!

Blessings, fun, peace, and a little mischief for the season,

Margi

[Guest guest]

> In my experience, the floral that universally appeals to men is

> jasmine.

I find it has a musty animalic quality.

[Guest guest]

> in my early days as an aromatherapy student we had a teacher who was

> determined we should get to know the olfactory nature of each

> classmate.

> This meant that at the start of each class, we would arrive freshly

> showered, but unfragranced, and un-deodorised, wearing clothes washed

> in minimally stinky products.

> We then set about sniffing behind everybody's ears, and deeply into

> each others' armpits.

> Yup, we kept notes.

> We discovered that an ovulating woman, or one approaching ovulation,

> smells sweetly fruity and lightly floral behind her ears; Asian girls

> who still eat a traditional diet smell like fresh melon or cucumber

> behind their ears, pretty much all of the time.

> The only guy in our class - a Korean martial artist of many dans and

> black belts - had the most alluring armpits; very fresh cut grassy and

> ever-so-sligtly redolent of a gingered, radishy beefy stirfry

Fascinating.

> Am sometimes entertained by the thought of smelling clients' armpits

> and behind their ears before making their bespoke perfumes...

> afterall,

> I'd like their special perfume to really 'marry' with their natural

> body fragrances. Just haven't had the audacity to suggest it yet!

>

You've inspired me to do just that. I would ask permission to smell

behind the ears, and then ask them to give me a t-shirt that they've

worn and not washed.

[Guest guest]

> In my experience, the floral that universally appeals to men is

> jasmine.

I find it has a musty animalic quality.

 

I must have some sort of disability to sense that nuance in jasmine.  I keep

hearing that it has something animalic, or even " fecal " in it, but I just have

never smelt that in jasmine.  Never have.   I would say that I sense a slight

spicy quality to it but I never feel that it has a hint o' funk.

[Guest guest]

Subject: TOTD 121508: m or f--why?

Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 10:30 AM

We've talked a little about which scents we think of as masculine and

which feminine. Now I'd like to know why.

What scents strike you as feminine _and why_? For example, If you

want to say floral, what is it about floral scents that make you

think feminine exactly? Do they remind you of a particular woman, a

particular memory? Are floral things to you inherently feminine? Why?

What scents strike you as masculine _and why_? If you want to say

citrus, what is it about citrus that makes you think masculine

exactly? Do citrus scents remind you of a particular man, a

particular memory? Are citrus scents to you inherently masculine? Why?

[Guest guest]

Hi Margi,

I enjoyed reading your wonderful experience on olfactory studies on

people smell. I bet it must have been a great experience.

Angi

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

> What scents strike you as feminine _and why_?

Rose, gardenia, orris - have this sensual and sensitive feeling of a

woman.

> What scents strike you as masculine _and why_? >

Spicy-citrus, amber, labdanum - very manly

I think that all people have their own (i called them human base notes).

So with a good blend together with their own human base note, the

perfume expels their own personality and sensuality!

Adam, I loved this question and have been thinking of how to respond.

Thanks for giving me a question to reflect and do some serious thinking.

Angi

[Guest guest]

>

> We've talked a little about which scents we think of as masculine

and

> which feminine. Now I'd like to know why.

Hi Adam,

I don't think certain scents are inherently masculine or feminine;

it's the consumers of my blends who make that determination. The idea

of masculine/feminine is in the mind of the beholder.

>

> What scents strike you as feminine _and why_? For example, If you

> want to say floral, what is it about floral scents that make you

> think feminine exactly? Do they remind you of a particular woman, a

> particular memory? Are floral things to you inherently feminine? Why?

>

I associate rose and cocoa with my great-aunt, who was widely regarded

as a rose expert. She mulched her roses with cocoa hulls, and for me

the idea of feminity is inextricably linked with both rose and cocoa.

Beyond my personal association, I don't think florals are particularly

feminine, with the possible exception of ylang-ylang, which has a

creamy, powdery scent that, because of its connection (to me) with

lotions and body creams, seems feminine to me.

In blends that my male consumers like, I use jasmine, tuberose, rose,

orange flower absolute, cassie, lotus, water lily, and/or ginger

lily. Many of the blends are heavily floral, but don't seem to my

customers to be particularly feminine.

> What scents strike you as masculine _and why_? If you want to say

> citrus, what is it about citrus that makes you think masculine

> exactly? Do citrus scents remind you of a particular man, a

> particular memory? Are citrus scents to you inherently masculine?

Why?

>

I associate woody and foresty scents with memories of tramping around

the northwoods of Minnesota with my dad, so these scents are

associated with masculinity in my mind.

In practice, some of my female customers love the woody/foresty scents

as much as the males do, and consider them to be feminine.

I think certain blends can be made to seem more masculine than

feminine to most people, or vice versa, by adding or subtracting

sweetness. For example, I think " green " scents (like hay, petitgrain,

clary sage, etc.), when combined with citrusy scents (like lemon

verbena, grapefruit, etc.) seem more masculine because they have

freshness and sharpness, and lack sweetness.

I think that the sweetness of the florals and fruits make scents seem

more feminine. For example, a blend of orange flower absolute, lemon

verbena, bergamot, bitter orange, clary sage absolute, , jasmine

absolute, cassie, sandalwood and black spruce absolute would be

considered to be feminine, despite the citrusy, foresty, green nature

of the ingredients, because of the sweetness lent by the orange

flower, bergamot, cassie, and sandalwood.

All this is just my own experience of the essences we all work with.

No doubt others will have entirely different impressions and

associations. I will be interested to read others' responses.

Take care!

~Becky

[Guest guest]

> So with a good blend together with their own human base note, the

> perfume expels their own personality and sensuality!

I love this idea.

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Margi,

>

> I enjoyed reading your wonderful experience on olfactory studies on

> people smell. I bet it must have been a great experience.

>

> Angi

>

Hi Angi

lovely to hear from you... we did have a variety of experiences, as

ill health [ physical and/ or emotional ] also had particular

odours... am completely off topic here... this is such a primal sense,

and there are good and basic reasons why we make fragrances to enhance

our masculinity and femininity

M

[Guest guest]

>

>

> You've inspired me to do just that. I would ask permission to smell

> behind the ears, and then ask them to give me a t-shirt that they've

> worn and not washed.

>

Hi Adam

the t-shirt thing is a great idea -

has anyone ever tinctured a bit of sweaty fabric?

A bit off-topic I know

Margi

[Guest guest]

> the t-shirt thing is a great idea -

> has anyone ever tinctured a bit of sweaty fabric?

I think the answer is no. Last time I discussed the idea of capturing

human scents/human base notes on this list, I was told the idea is

" objectionable. " That's not to say that we mad chemists can't be

trying, if only in secret.

[Guest guest]

ah, my dad's shirt still has his smell as do my babies stuff....but I can tell

you that my  spouse and daughter did a 'swab the toe and put it in a jar' mr.

wizard experiment......OMG.....two weeks incubation, they took off the lid and

the stench HUNG IN THE AIR for what seemed like an hour....wasn't but it hung

there.......might wanna keep that human essence thing a bit more controlled LOL.

 

evie