I was never into perfumes; I associated them with frivolous extravagance. A few months ago, my brother asked for a perfume as a present.
So, off I went to various stores to just find something universally pleasing. I had searched throughout the mall and was taking my tired legs to the last few stores.
I stopped at a niche store, and the shopping assistant handed me that small white strip of paper. What happened next was not a perfume but an experience.
I was standing on an Irish beach where waves went up to the dark cliffs and barely kissed them before disappearing in the deep expanse of the ocean. The salt from the waves still lingered in the air as it taunted the deep green leaves of the dense trees surrounding the cliffs.
Scents have a peculiar habit of transporting you to a place in time. I discovered the world of niche perfumery that tries to encapsulate memories or characters in a bottle.
One of my favourite scent memories is that of raindrops on wet earth. It has a clean, crisp scent that smells like soil after the rain has washed away everything from it. In India, we have a peculiar affinity for it. It is said that rain has the ability to purify things and is thus a source of joy.
From childhood memories of making paper boats, dancing, and jumping under rain showers to mom making pakodas and samosas when the drizzling started.
I later learned that this particular scent is called petrichor. I went in search of a perfume that reminded me of this memory.
There was one that had notes of English oak and hazelwood; one whiff of it was divine.
"You're standing in the middle of a forest in the Himalayas, surrounded by tall conifers as far as the eye can see. There is a crunch of dry leaves and needles on the wet forest floor."
It was close, but it was not petrichor.
I came across a video on social media about a village in India that captured this scent in an attar. An attar is a concentrated form of a perfume, like an oil, that can be dabbed on your skin.
The village is present in Kannauj, a place that has a thriving flower business. The perfumers use the traditional method of digging a pit and macerating the ingredients in it. It is called mitti attar. Mitti means soil or earth in Hindi.
This scent is not long-lasting, which, to many, would defeat the purpose of a perfume. But for about half an hour, it smells like a part of my childhood.
"As the rain touches the ground, it starts to wipe away the grime from the earth, revealing its pristine beauty. It washes the dirt and soot of modern life away to create a fresh, pure moment where nature's beauty shines through. A scent of happiness and new beginnings settles in the air."
I have learned that sometimes we don't buy a perfume; we buy an experience.
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Exquisitely lyrical and vividly evocative writing 🤗💕
Thanks!
Your words sing such a melodious tune that our feet have wings and we feel that we can fly off to an exquisite place filled with evocative scents, sights and emotions. There is not a single static word on this page; words flow and carry us on a stream of buoyant imaginings. It’s poetry in motion.
Thank you so much, it means a lot coming from you guys.
Yay! 🤗
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Poetry carry your words adorning the exquisiteness of the olfactory narrative. Petricolor is really an essence that bewitches in the rainy season and produces a mental pleasure to delight in this aroma.
I loved reading such a fragrant post.
Thanks for sharing.
Good day.
Thanks for reading.
Congratulations, @diebitch! Your story has been chosen as one of the best stories of the week and is part of the 104th highlighted authors Magazine!
https://peakd.com/hive-170798/@theinkwell/the-ink-well-highlights-magazine-104
Thanks @@@gracielaacevedo
The text describes a personal experience related to the purchase of a perfume and the emotional connection that is established through the scents. The description of the emotion in the text uses a visually rich metaphor, transporting the reader to an Irish beach with cliffs and waves kissing the shore before disappearing into the ocean. The salt in the air and the natural surroundings are used to evoke a specific sensation. The conclusion that when you buy a perfume you are buying an experience is interesting. How the scents of the perfume evoke that experience is explored, and a direct connection is made between the description of the above emotion and the purchase of the perfume. Overall, the text has potential, as it addresses the issue of emotional connection through scent in the purchase of a perfume.
I was taken on journey. I traveled to your village, I could scent whatever it was with you. The imagery is so vivid.
No doubt, this is a masterpiece.