If I was told I could only keep one sense, seeing dawn break with a pink-streaked sky would beat sense of smell every time. Or so I thought.
I was recently at a perfume seminar in Paris where blotters were waved underneath our noses, each spritzed with the oil from a different part of the neroli tree. Next to me, a group of beauty editors were sucking in deep lungfuls and dissecting the nose-twitching sharpness of the fruit's peel from the mild soapiness of the flowers. All I managed to blurt out was, “They smell fresh”.
I couldn't understand it. Normally I can pick out even the most unlikely scents lolling at the base of a perfume, like the smokiness of black tea or the wet concrete smell of cashmeran. Had a recent sinus infection altered my sense of smell forever? Or had spritzing a succession of larger-than-life flower bombs every day made me go ‘nose blind’ (a.k.a TikTok's way of saying you've smelt an odour so often that you've lost the ability to smell it)?
Why smell isn't a bonus sense
As a beauty editor who tests perfume for a living, it's almost an unwritten requirement in the job description that I have a sharp sense of smell. For weeks afterwards I tore fresh basil leaves off the stem to greedily hoover up their aniseed-like scent. I even wore a silk eye mask to see if I could correctly sniff out the cheese and onion, prawn cocktail and roast chicken flavours in a multi-pack of Walkers' crisps.
But there are other reasons to ensure your sense of smell doesn't stink.
The most basic of these is that your food will taste better. Your nose plays a big part in what you taste – so much so that Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist at Brown University who studies the psychological science of smell, once famously declared "if you didn’t have a sense of smell and you bit into a piece of chocolate cake, all you would taste is sweet. Or if you cut into a juicy steak, all you would taste is salt.”
But that's not all. 75% of human emotions are also triggered by smell – and that's where things get a little more complicated. Your nose can smell at least a trillion different scents. But it also cosies up to the part of the brain that processes emotion – and files this information away – which is why we remember smells through memory.
In addition, there is also scientific proof that a smell triggering positive personal memories can have profound health benefits by promoting slower, deeper breathing as well as reducing inflammation in our bodies.
“We now know the way we use our sense of smell governs our mood, our physical wellbeing, and our connections to those around us,” explains Suzy Nightingale, fragrance expert and co-host of On the Scent Podcast.
The star of my perfume collection – literally.
8 things that can affect your sense of smell
Unsurprisingly, smoking and vaping – alongside a cold, flu, allergies and even exposure to harsh chemical household cleaners – can dull your sense of smell.
But our noses can also become lazy, says Michelle Feeney, founder of Floral Street, as "we naturally become less sensitive to certain smells after we've been exposed to them for a while. It's actually a natural survival mechanism: it's your brain's way of tuning out old smells so you can be aware of any potentially dangerous new smells, like fire.”
OK, so nose blindness is a thing. But Geza Schön, founder of Escentric Molecules, also points out that our modern, visually-driven lives are causing us to (almost) abandon our sense of smell. “In the past, particular odours in nature, like rotten fruit or a wild animal carried strong messages. But with technology and safer environments, our sense of smell has become neglected.”
Indeed, many of the perfumers I've spoken to over the years, including Chanel's house perfumer Olivier Polge, and Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud – the nose behind perfumes by Louis Vuitton – play down the idea that they are genetically blessed by smelling things that nobody else can.
I'm paraphrasing here, but, like a flexed muscle, they say they constantly stimulate their sense of smell through exposure to different scents and their links to memory – and that's what explains their incredibly honed noses.
It's an interesting point, backed by science. In one study, twine was dipped in chocolate essence and zigzagged across a grassy field, while human volunteers tracked the scent as if they were bloodhounds. It proved that humans can follow a scent trail (although not as well as our furry friends) and they actually got better at it with practice.
How to improve your sense of smell:
While I'm definitely not suggesting that anyone gets on on all fours in a muddy field, while blind-folded and ear-muffed, there are simple exercises you can do to develop your sense of smell so that every layer of your favourite perfume ignites the same spark of joy as the end score of a film.
1.Be inspired by synaesthesia
The biggest roadblock for most of us is finding the language to describe a scent. I've attended a lot of fragrance launches recently where the perfumer has spoken about the ingredients and smell by leaning into synaesthesia – a phenomenon where scents can take the form of shapes, colours, musical notes, or be spiky and cotton ball-soft in texture.
“When perfumers are training, they learn by linking smells to whatever memory is triggered,” says Suzy. "Associating a scent with the colours, textures, temperature and even sounds that come to mind, can really ‘fix’ that aroma forever. So when you smell a scent, try to imagine: if this were a piece of material, would it feel smooth like velvet, rougher like linen or crisp as cotton? What colour would it be? ”.
Some perfumers, including Jo Malone, have synaesthesia so their juices may be a good starting point as they are instinctively designed to evoke a multi-sensory experience.
Jo Loves Pomelo is so crisp it conjures up a sweating glass of ice cold, sparkling water with a slice of citrus. For Eilish No.3, Billie Eilish translated the colour red into a scent where creamy woods are entwined with spicy saffron and warm, velvety amber.
Recedere by Arpa Studios goes one step further. Its earthy cloud of apricot, liquorice, cedar and moss conjures up a Belgian blue forest but it also comes with its own musical score that you can listen to on the brand's website – so the perfume notes sound like a melody.
2. Get outdoors
“Reset your senses and go where it’s wild,” advise Hanover Booth and Jessie Willner, founders of Discothèque perfumes and candles. “Smell fresh air! Go to the forest, the ocean, the mountains, the snow – just any place vast and overwhelmingly filled with nature.”
Michelle echoes this advice, adding that if you mainly stay indoors, you're not exposing your sense of smell to different challenges. “Seasonal smelling is also wonderful," she says. "If you're out walking the dog in the park close your eyes and see if you can smell the season – autumn's damp leaves or the spring blossoms.”
Scents plucked from nature are the beating heart of most perfumes – whether it's thorny brambles, velvety petals, sun-dappled orange groves or the crust of salt on your skin from azure blue seas.
Somerset-based perfume brand, Ffern, launches a small batch of new fragrances each season. Autumn 24 centres around the soft, pear-like scent of quince as it lands on a warm, spicy bed of jasmine, myrrh and caraway seed.
New from Denmark, Flora Danica draws inspiration from the smells of nature in the fresh Nordic air. In Flower Muse, white poppy, jasmine and sweet pea are wrapped up in sweet, herbal lavender and creamy sandalwood for a bright, comforting scent that is just as wearable in spring as it is on dark winter days.
3. Rotate your perfumes
“Lots of us love the idea of having a 'signature scent' but in reality, your brain can start to tune that smell out so you don't even enjoy wearing it," says Michelle. "Simply having a rotation of three different scents can stop your nose from adjusting too much to one scent. This is why I keep a ‘Fragrance Wardrobe’ – so I can switch up my scent to match my mood and keep my sense of smell on its toes.”
The type of perfume you opt for makes a difference, too. Michelle recommends choosing an eau de parfum as it has a high percentage of fragrance oil – meaning it will last longer and “you'll keep picking up slightly different ingredients and notes in wafts as you wear it.”
When organising scents into a wardrobe that matches your personal style, you can either rotate perfumes within the same fragrance family (warm, woody, fresh, floral etc) or cross pollinate.
One of the most intriguing new scents for winter 2024 is Escentric Molecules M+ Black Tea where Iso E Super – a molecule designed to intensify your unique natural skin scent (think ‘eau de slept-in sheets’) – is brewed with black tea and florals for a sweet, musky, earthy blend, guaranteed to ground you.
For something fresher, try Discothèque All Night Until First Light. Inspired by a sunrise in Ibiza, this vibrant scent opens with a splash of grapefruit, before saffron and vetiver buff away the sharp edges to create a warm, hazy effect.
If you're undecided about what family of fragrances you're most drawn to, Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid is the perfume equivalent of a pick ‘n mix station at the cinema. There is an orchid for floral lovers but it also plays with sweet and salty sensations thanks to warm vanilla and a breezy marine note.
4. Journal what a scent smells like
Articulating your experiences with different scents sharpens your sense of them, say Hanover and Jessie. When you start your scent journal, choose a perfume you haven't worn in a while.
“Spray some on a piece of paper and write down what comes into your mind: how it makes you feel; what it reminds you of; ingredients you think might be in there; textures and temperature," says Alice du Parcq, a fragrance expert and presenter. "Try to imagine the scent as an outfit or person.”
The most important part of the process is to trust your subconscious, adds Suzy. “It seems bizarre at first, but again, this is how perfumers train. Whatever you think is correct, it’s your nose, your memories, your imagery. Thinking about an aroma in this way actually builds new neural pathways between your nose and your brain, sharpening your sense of smell over time.”
5. Take the time to smell everything
Our busy lives means we rarely actually stop and smell the roses – or anything else that surrounds us for that matter. And yet this is probably the easiest way to improve your sense of smell, as Geza explains. “It’s been proven that actively smelling 10 things in your fridge every day produces new brain cells."
You can also broaden the remit to include “the cedarwood in your floorboards, rain on the pavement, wood burning in a fireplace, sun-warmed skin… all the simple notes that make up your own life,” say Hanover and Jessie. “Think how different scents make you feel to solidify your memories associated with them.”
For Michelle, these notes in her every day life include opening a pot of coffee first thing in the morning and making her nose work harder when cooking, sniffing “peppers and spices, in particular.”
Foodie fragrances have had a moment in the spotlight this year – in particular, cherry perfumes that read sweet like candy, syrupy like teenage lipgloss and even boozy.
Tom Ford's Lost Cherry is the OG dark, sexy blast of black cherry, cherry liqueur, sweet cherry, jasmine and the nibbly nuttiness of almond. Floral Street Black Lotus is also deliciously good with sweet cherry and a hefty dose of warm spices.
As the name implies, Molton Brown's Re-Charge Black Pepper is nose-twitchingly peppy with its rush of bitter black and pink pepper and a flush of fresh lavender.
For something more nuzzly and creamy, lean into Glossier You Rêve, which marries the same musky base as the first Glossier You with sugar-spiked buttercream, toasted almonds and a note that recalls a sweet, sticky plum tart. It's like the ultimate comfort food after you've danced on tables until 2am.
6. Deep dive into just one scent
There's something to be said for smelling less – but better. One approach is to smell single notes only, “like a crushed bay leaf or a piece of orange peel," say Hanover and Jessie, as "single notes are what make up all of your favourite fragrances. Being able to break them down in your head changes the way you think about scent.”
Or reach for a beauty product with a mild fragrance in your bathroom cabinet – a bottle of baby powder or conditioner, says Alice, or even a low-projecting skin scent.
"Each morning smell that one item. Gradually as the weeks progress you'll begin to notice new elements and you'll smell it in a deeper and richer way. Just avoid anything really strong or aggressive, as it will block your sensory receptors and overwhelm your nose.”
Like a slick of blush-coloured lip gloss, skin scents are so subtle, they can only be smelt by the wearer – and the person they're hugging.
Take Chanel Comète. It billows in with iris, heliotrope flowers and musk for a bright, powdery, almond-like scent. Narciso Rodriguez's All Of Me smells like rose and geranium petals floating in a milk bath and Byredo's Mojave Ghost has a humid, woody muskiness to it.
For those who prefer to take the single-note route, Balm Balm offer a range of fragrances made up of just one organic essential oil – such as mandarin or bergamot – and grain alcohol.
7. Reset your nose
And if you need to 'reset' your nose in between perfumes? "Smell something that is totally neutral to you – I usually smell my own inner elbow to bring my nose back to life,” Michelle notes.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
