Perfume isn’t just about smelling good, it can also tell a story. Have you ever wondered what Isabelle from Animal Crossing smells like? Or the scent of a Babylonian goddess? The memoirs of a trespasser? These perfume brands have turned their creative concept into a fragrance.
We all know perfumes that make us smell a certain way – floral, musky or soapy and clean. Perfume has been used this way for decades, and still is. But for those who wear perfume often, scents are also linked to memories. A particular perfume can take you back to a particular time, place or even person.
But what if, instead of a perfume becoming a memory, you could wear a perfume that already smells like a memory of a place, an object or even a character, fictional or real? A memory that is not yours, or perhaps it is?
One such brand is Area of Effect, they capture the scents of video game characters. Or at least they try – after all, who knows what they really smell like? It takes a bit of imagination, but that’s what makes it fun. Take Isabelle from Animal Crossing, for example: peach, black pepper, fresh-cut grass, soft vanilla fur, dry wood and cedar. Sounds appropriate, right? Or maybe you’re more into Assassin’s Creed and want to smell like a game from that series. Syndicate is bottled as a blend of oil, petrichor, stone, leather, gasoline, benzoin, dark amber, frankincense, ginger, bergamot, and black tea.
On a darker but no less exciting note, Fantôme is a brand inspired by the paranormal and the often overlooked, sometimes feared threads of magic that run through human history. As their website explains: “We draw from mythology, fantasy, and the scent-memories of places we have been.” To accompany their fragrances, they have designed beautiful packaging and bottles that perfectly match the story of their scents.
One of their fragrances from the current collection is Astaroth: “Astaroth began her incarnation as the Phoenician goddess Astarte, the most powerful goddess of the Phoenician pantheon and incarnation of feminine divinity. Inspiring Assyrian and Babylonian cults, she was considered to be the same as the goddesses Ishtar and Inanna, and it is believed she later inspired a new iteration as Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Ashtaroth was her plural name that encompassed all of her multiple facets.”
A very cool and well written story. And that’s only one part of it. There is much more to discover about their beautiful, mysterious fragrance collections.
Finally, let’s take a look at Imaginary Authors, a brand that creates perfumes inspired by places, memories and even animals. Their main mission is to evoke and create new experiences through fragrance. In their collection you’ll find scents like Memoirs of a Trespasser and Fox in the Flowerbed. Each fragrance comes with a back story and a suggestion of what kind of memories it might unlock or help create.
Take Memoirs of a Trespasser, for example. It is said to remind you of sitting by the fireplace with someone you once fancied or to create a memory of a quiet night at home, sipping a tipple with a brand-new book. Of course, the memories you create will depend on where and when you wear it. They give a suggestion based on the notes of the perfume and the story they had in mind with which it was created.
“Your brain’s piriform cortex stores long-term olfactory memories, which can only be accessed by fragrance.”
The brand embraces the power of scent on the brain and mood. They explain:
“Fragrance stimulates your imagination by instilling curiosity, unblocking old habits of thinking, and inspiring the creative parts of your mind. Fragrance can uncover hidden talents and spark innovative ideation.”
With this in mind, why not explore the power of scent and see where it takes you next time you choose a fragrance.