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Comedian Stephen Colbert joked on his late night show in December that beauty brands with pandemic editions of scented candles and perfumes like “Empty Subway Car” or “Comic-Con Hotel” should hit the market.
It was not just since Marcel Proust's madeleine biscuits that evoke memories in “In Search of Lost Time” that it has been known how successfully fragrances can evoke earlier emotions in the brain.
A mechanism that seems to be essential for the psyche, especially in the dreary time of lockdown.
The pandemic gives fragrances a new status - but not always only a positive one.
The social psychologist Kate Petrova has asked herself why the reviews of scented candles on Amazon have been getting worse and worse in recent months, according to angry customers, they “smell like nothing”.
Her surprising result was that the scented candles "became an unexpected victim of the Covid 19 pandemic", as she told the newspaper "The Independent".
A disorder of the sense of smell can be one of the symptoms of the disease.
How perfidious of this virus that, in addition to health, it also deprives its host of wellbeing, which is rediscovered through good memories thanks to a scented candle or a favorite perfume.
In 2020, the luxury goods industry recorded a 23 percent drop in sales compared to the previous year, according to the study by the international consulting firm Bain & Company.
But beauty products, which include perfumes and scented candles, were not as badly affected as the watches, bags or jewelry categories.
Online trading even increased in this area.
Especially when it comes to niche fragrances, such as the following recommendations, these are more easily available online than ever before, which even increases sales for some products.
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Reason enough to try out the fragrances that could actually bring back the lost everyday feeling with a little olfactory magic.
Vintage furniture stores
In fact, one of the base notes of this perfume is real leather, not a synthetic substitute that is often found in masculine scents that advertise leather scents.
Together with carnations and violets, it is said to be reminiscent of the elegance of smooth leather, while rustic wood notes are reminiscent of the softness of a well-worn vintage find.
So if you miss rummaging in antique markets and vintage shops, you can relive this feeling with the fragrance.
"Leather" from Malin & Goetz (buy here) *
Source: Malin + Goetz
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day at the sea
Salty skin, creamy heat with sunscreen and a touch of tropical flowers: according to the perfumers, the scent “salt” is said to have a relaxing effect.
With notes of vegan amber, floral notes of Tahitian tiare and the warmth of sandalwood and musk, it actually smells as real as the skin after sunbathing on the beach.
The young label is also fully committed to sustainable production.
Each fragrance is carefully handcrafted in New York in small batches from start to finish and sold in environmentally friendly glass bottles from an Ecocert supplier.
"Salt" by Fellis Brooklyn (buy here) *
Source: Niche Beauty
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Earth on the farm
The fragrance was inspired by a childhood memory of Demeter's founder, perfumer Christopher Brosius, more precisely the memory of the scent of dirt on his family's farm in Pennsylvania.
But you don't have to have grown up on a farm to like the fantasy of a trip there.
For anyone who likes the smell of damp earth, minerals, mushrooms, leaves and roots, “Dirt” is a recommendation.
"Dirt" from Demeter Flagrante Library (buy here)
Source: Demeter Fragrance Library
Bed linen in a luxury hotel
Starched cotton, lots of fabric softener and a delicate floral scent that enters through the open balcony door of the hotel room - that's the best way to describe “Lazy Sunday Morning”.
Perfumer Louis Turner has given a certain situation, time and place as inspiration for each perfume from the "Replica" series.
The bottle of this fragrance reads: "Soft skin and sheets" as well as "Florence 2003", which currently makes it the best possible substitute for a short trip to Italy.
"Lazy Sunday Morning Replica" by Maison Margiela (buy here) *
Source: Maison Margiela
space
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This is probably a place of longing for very few people - and if so, they can hardly know what it smells like - but the collaboration between singer Travis Scott's label Cactus Jack and Byredo, the Swedish luxury perfume and fashion brand, is supposed to smell of space.
"Stardust and antimatter with a touch of supernova and dark nebula," says the official description.
Indeed, the fragrance notes of “Space Rage”, both as a perfume and as a scented candle, are very sweet with aromas of sweet fruits and grasses.
What have they lost in space?
"Space Rage" by Byredo x Travis Scott (buy here)
Source: Byredo
Big city asphalt
Those who live in the countryside may miss visiting the big city.
Those who live in the big city will not benefit from the pandemic either, as the lively hustle and bustle in the streets has been absent for months.
The “Beton Brut” fragrance from the Atelier Oblique label by creative director Mario Lombardo aims to combine freedom and poetry with the smell of concrete and lush green.
That sounds a lot like a day in the big city that you haven't had in a long time.
"Beton Brut" by Atelier Oblique (buy here) *
Source: Atelier Oblique
Dental office
It's less like missing the actual dentist procedure.
Rather, the fresh, hygienically clean smell of a dental practice is probably what is most associated with a regular everyday life, in which you have your life under control again.
The fragrance did not originally aim to remind you of it, of course, but the minty notes, interspersed with basil and floral aromas, make it a perfume with a very special freshness.
"La Thémis" by Maison Louis Marie No. 11 (buy here)
Source: Maison Louis Marie
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Shopping day in New York
Sandalwood manages to convey something warm and woody, but it also has a creamy fullness, which makes it the perfect base note for a variety of fragrances - not just for the sweet, spicy or musky types that one might initially suspect.
That is why the wood is also the basis of the fragrance concepts for many shops that spray a perfume in their shop that is often only unconsciously perceived.
According to fragrance psychologists, sandalwood is said to be the essence that increases well-being when shopping.
This trend began - as so often - in New York.
This unisex fragrance from Le Labo sums up the feeling of wellbeing when shopping in a perfume bottle for at home.
"Santal 33" by Le Labo (buy here) *
Source: Le Labo
Valentine's Day in Paris
The main accord of this perfume is - how can it be otherwise for the day of love?
- a lush bouquet of roses.
The fragrance pays homage to Paris;
with fresh bergamot, chypre and even a bit of spiciness thanks to the pink pepper.
But not only the fragrance itself should be reminiscent of Paris, but also the extraordinary packaging of the limited candle edition “Paris en fleur”, which the illustrator and ornamentalist Pierre Marie designed.
Beautifully decorated with elements of Art Nouveau and the symbolic buildings of the city.
"Eau Capitale" by Diptyque (buy here) *
Source: Diptyque
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Massage in the spa
If you miss the calming atmosphere in the spa, you can buy one of the most famous fragrances from the wellness world for your home.
The cosmetics brand Susanne Kaufmann, which is otherwise known for its herbal, highly effective anti-aging products and is therefore also used in many spas, has also launched its signature scent as a candle - with lots of fresh lemon and a bitter fig note.
Natural wax candle "Fig & Lemon" by Susanne Kaufmann (buy here)
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Source: Susanne Kaufmann
Hot nights of love
If you are single, it is particularly difficult to find a new partner in lockdown.
This fragrance promises at least something of the animal note of such an encounter.
Anyone who likes a light musky scent should definitely try this perfume oil from the New York pharmacy label Kiehl's.
It was originally sold as "Love Oil" in the brand's early beginnings.
Incidentally, its soapy, gentle top note is the reason why this oil does not smell as heavy as other musk combinations.
"Original Musk" from Kiehl's (buy here) *
Source: Kiehl's
walk in the woods
The brand itself describes the perfume as an "anti-stress fragrance".
Because according to their tests at the launch, 96 percent of the people surveyed felt less stressed after use, so that the special olfactory chemistry, which is supposed to calm the body in a natural way, has been registered for a patent.
Thanks to the notes of wood and resin as well as the bitter citrus content, the fragrance can be compared with the effect of a long walk in the forest.
"Forest Lungs" by The Nue Co. (buy here) *
Source: Niche Beauty
Yoga retreat
Palo Santo has been valued by shamans since the Inca era for its medicinal and spiritual benefits.
It is supposed to promote well-being by getting rid of "Mala Energía", which translated means bad energy.
Palo Santo, the “holy wood” of the Amazon, is therefore very often recommended today in connection with yoga and mindfulness.
By adding aromas of citrus fruits and gardenia blossoms, the intense smell of the wood is softened for the fragrance.
It is also packaged in a rollerball bottle, which is practical for on the go.
"Palo Santo" by Rahua (buy here)
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Source: Rahua
When you don't care
The London label Iiuvo is a fan of clear words and has called its current perfume "Bullshit".
The fragrance was originally designed for a scented candle with the Mexican artist Stefan Brüggemann in 2016, now it is also available as a perfume.
"Bullshit" contains a delicate variety of notes, from Sichuan pepper, grapefruit and mandarin in the top note to lavender, rose and lily of the valley to musk, tonka bean, vanilla and guaiac wood.
A multitude of excellent grades, so why this pessimistic name?
The founder Leo Gibbon renounces the typical scent marketing and thus criticizes the cosmetics industry, which in his opinion makes empty promises to the consumers.
His advertisement for the fragrance is exclusively called "F * ck You, Pay Me".
Ironically, Gibbon pretty much hits the prevailing pandemic lifestyle.
"Bullshit" from Iiuvo (buy here) *
Source: Farfetch
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