Sense of Smell
I am a big big fan of Serge Lutens perfume (created by master perfumer Christopher Sheldrake who also created some Chanel fragrances)
I am very much looking forward to making my pilgrimage toLes Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido in Paris so I can finally get my nose on La Myrrhe and the pure notes of Fleur D'Oranger that are only available in Europe.
In anticipation of this sensory excursion, I ran across a number of websites dedicated to perfumes and perfume culture.
Top note, middle note and Basenote.. the language of perfume.
As you can imagine, a written description does not do justice to a sensation such as smell or taste.
You cannot describe the smell of something without the assistance of other referential smells to compare them to. This requires a mutual understanding of the described items and an implied agreement that the description is the opinion of someone else. Imagination is required to get an idea of what the smell is based on a written description.
I wonder if the same principles to describing smell to someone who hasn't smelled something before come into play when we consider social interactions with people we haven't met yet. There is that initial impression, the interactions and the lingering opinion after wards. All completely unique to the person experiencing the other person.
I am very much looking forward to making my pilgrimage toLes Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido in Paris so I can finally get my nose on La Myrrhe and the pure notes of Fleur D'Oranger that are only available in Europe.
In anticipation of this sensory excursion, I ran across a number of websites dedicated to perfumes and perfume culture.
Top note, middle note and Basenote.. the language of perfume.
As you can imagine, a written description does not do justice to a sensation such as smell or taste.
You cannot describe the smell of something without the assistance of other referential smells to compare them to. This requires a mutual understanding of the described items and an implied agreement that the description is the opinion of someone else. Imagination is required to get an idea of what the smell is based on a written description.
I wonder if the same principles to describing smell to someone who hasn't smelled something before come into play when we consider social interactions with people we haven't met yet. There is that initial impression, the interactions and the lingering opinion after wards. All completely unique to the person experiencing the other person.