Discover Joyful Fragrances to Brighten Your Day

by Ilona Erwin | Joy of Life

Fabulous Fragrances For Feelings Of Joy

Stuff That Smells Good

Proust wasn’t kidding!

Marcel Proust caught onto the idea that something in our sensory memory holds on to certain aromas, and ignites vivid and wonderful memories of people, places, and circumstances. Nothing seems to go deeper into the inner reaches of our consciousness.

Proust was a French writer of the beginning of the last century. Popularly known for his evocative prose, he wrote a famous passage detailing the sensory experiences of his childhood.

Summing up his story, he said,

“When nothing else subsists from the past,” he wrote, “after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered…the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls…bearing resiliently, on tiny and almost impalpable drops of their essence, the immense edifice of memory.”

Science corroborates Proust: The olfactory center interacts directly with the hippocampus, a brain area involved in the formation of new memories.

“For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little.”

– Rachel Carson said that.

In the present as well, to be able to breathe deeply of a pleasant aromatic smell is to enter most deeply into an experience of that moment, of that thing.

There are times that a fragrance is the most relaxing, uplifting thing we can experience. Something not unlike the use of incense in a ritual, a delightful smell that will raise the spirit and pull the soul into a comfortable pause. Just to breathe a bit more deeply -as if to catch and hold the inhalation of the good aroma.

“Sweet tastes reduce pain by activating opioid systems in the brain, and the odor comes to activate the same systems”

-says Australian psychologist John Prescott.

So there is more to feeling good when smelling sweet scents than we might first have thought!

There are all sorts of fragrance and cosmetic lines, but Lush products have a …lushness that is delightful, but not cloying the way some bath and body products are. Let me tell you the story of how I discovered LUSH products ( and yes, their company is spelled with all capital letters), and other delightful smelling things that make life more pleasurable. LUSH! Discover something deliciously fragrant, and you can thank me later.

Top Summer Fragrances for Women

As reported by Byrdie , Cosmopolitan, and others…

Wonder what evening perfumes last the longest?

1. Jo Malone Queen of Pop Amber & Lavender Cologne
2. Gucci Bloom Acqua di Fiori Eau de Toilette
3. Love the Way You Feel By Kilian
4. Aerin Amber Musk
5. Tiffany & Co Eau de Parfum
6. Cartier La Panthère eau de toilette
7. Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon
8. Marc Jacobs Rain
9. Victoria’s Secret Love Eau de Parfum
10.  CK One Summer

How might fragrance affect you?

Known responses to scents

Certain essential oils can trigger physical or emotional effects, here are some examples of how aromas affect moods or responses in alertness or calm.

Ylang-ylang promotes calmness and reduces stress.

Rosemary has demonstrated the ability to reduce cortisol levels. It promotes feelings of contentment.

Lavender also reduces cortisol levels and increases feeling of contentment and heightens cognitive performance. Said to promote positive mother-infant interactions and deep sleep for all of us.

Peppermint scent has been found to increase memory and alertness.

Lemon oil may possess anti-depressant-type effects.

Health Benefits Of Scent

Lemony Fresh

Lemony fresh

Lemon and sweet sugar are a recipe for a delightful summer scent. That makes this refreshing and warm aroma just right for your shower gel.

Try layering fragrance from bath to lotion and on to a few drops of cologne in the same scent.

We associate the smell of lemon with the freshness and sparkle we expect from a clean environment. You can find many products with a lemon fragrance added. Many plants also have a lemon smell, lemon verbena is a famous one, and lemon thyme or certain scented pelargoniums, for instance.

Early studies from the 1920’s looked into the idea that the effects of scent on mood. They indicated that when inhaled, citrus scents relax, calm blood pressure and breathing, and regulate circulation.

“Essential oils from plants are very powerful chemicals that influence brain chemistry, hormone production, and stress levels… A study of depressed men showed that citrus fragrance in their room reduced their intake of antidepressants.” – The Human Brain

• Your Brain | The Franklin Institute

LUSH bath bomb

Amazingly Good Scent: Bath Bombs Make Great Smelling Gifts

Lush bath bombs are intensely perfumed with wonderful formulations with fun names. Pop one in the bath for a really indulgent experience.

Come out smelling like a rose… or any number of beautiful aromas.

Received For Christmas, Enjoyed Long After

Aromatherapy, the very word means to breathe in… as a Christmas present one of my sons gave me a gift of handmade “bath bombs” from a company called LUSH.

Almost “too good to use”, have you felt that way about something? So good that it almost seems as though it should be saved, set aside for some special future, undefined except that it is special.

The fresh lovely smells of these loosely wrapped and intensely fragrant balls wafted up from the gift box, so that I kept it by my chair just so I could inhale the perfume.

Finally, it found its way into my lingerie drawer… I really will need to buy more so I can bring myself to use this gift in a luxurious bath session!

I have something of an allergy to modern artificial scents, so I am entranced and adore scents that are fresh and real. LUSH products are of that caliber. I think I have a crush on these bath and cosmetic products.

When some say,”That smells divine”, it denotes something that brought them a little closer to that blissful heavenly feeling that sweet aromas seem to inspire.

More Lushness

• “Lord of Misrule”
• “Cheer Up Buttercup”
• “The Big Sleep”
• “Green Coconut”

You have to admit the names that LUSH calls their products are cute. They give you a smile even before you open a lid or unwrap a bath bomb.

If you are thinking about Tropical fruit when you look at this pretty yellow bath bomb you are right on target. Waft the smell of fresh cut mangoes, coconut and pineapple and you get the idea of how this will juice up the bath waters.

Delightful Aromas Surround Us Every Day

Lavender in the sun

Think about:

• the aroma of fresh-baked bread
• smelling the roses
• clean wash
• sun dried linens
• the crush of mint
• lavender sprigs
• ocean breezes
• fresh fruit smells

Roses – Everyone loves a rose…

Rose in my garden.

The Nuance Of Rose Fragrance

Sweet, rich, sumptuous. That is the way I would describe the smells of rose petals, whether they are of true rose, tea, myrrh, or any of the numerous notes detected within rose fragrance.

It is an odor that has been loved since ancient times, giving itself to not only perfumes, but foods and cosmetic products. Mixing well with other scents, often found in perfume blends, the rose is an all sensory treat.

Perfumes With Rose Notes

Do you have a favorite rose perfume?

Some with rose notes: Anne Klein, Arpege Lanvin, Beautiful (Estée Lauder), Bellodgia Caron, Chanel No.5, Delicious (Gale Hayman),Dolce & Gabbana… and the vast number of women’s fragrances has some rose in there somewhere in the recipe.

Rose Blooms With Scent

Surprisingly, many modern rose hybrids do not have much, if any, fragrance. That feature was bred out in the pursuit of larger blooms, longer bloom times, and other features thought desirable for gardens. Perhaps just as surprising is that when a rose has a perfume, it can come in variations, not all of which are “classic rose”. some are citrus, or myrrh, licorice, or spice.

Some of the Most Powerfully Perfumed Roses (as listed by The American Rose Society):

1. Captain Harry Stebbings
2. Dublin
3. Folklore
4. Fragrant Cloud
5. Limelight
6. Miss All-American Beauty
7. Mr. Lincoln
8. Royal Highness
9. Tiffany

I can attest to their choices, and of them all, ‘Fragrant Cloud’ is my own personal favorite on the list.

Fresh Mint Brings Senses Alive

Inhale Peppermint To Get Going.

Peppermint is generally invigorating. “Peppermint scent increases activity in the brain area that wakes us up in the morning”

Mint Mojito Soap – Punch Aches and Pains

A perfect gift to give to the athlete, the runner, or anyone who needs an “ultra minty” wake up call to soothe tired, achy muscles.

Which scent ingredient transports you?

These are some of the very popular ones.

• Lemon and citrus-
• Rose-
• Lavender –
• Jasmine and Ylang Ylang –
• Berry –
• Vanilla-
• Patchouli-

Incense for Your Senses

Ancient way to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Sometimes a stick of good quality incense made from natural ingredients is just the ticket to ride away from stresses.

Japanese incense is one of the finest with subtle scent. Shoyeido is my favorite brand, with such high quality ingredients that it is never cloying.

Shoyeido’s Kyoto Autumn Leaves Incense, 35 sticks – Kyo-nishiki

There are many ways to surround yourself with pleasant scents. Incense is one very ancient way. Most women also know about the ways to use perfumes, “layering” a scent with various mediums like using lotion, perfume, and powder all in the same scent. Home fragrance oils, adding aromatherapy scents to home fountains, fragranced candles… it seems we have unlimited ingenuity when it comes to introducing a good smell into our environment.