The Scent of a Woman

I don't wear perfume.

Never really have. I don't even like heavily scented soaps or shampoo. In fact, I usually go out of my way to buy "unscented' products of all kinds - from laundry detergent to cleaning products to personal toiletries.

This is mostly because I'm very sensitive to smells of all kinds - some scents can actually trigger a migraine headache for me. (Red onion, for example. Gets me every time. It's weird, I know, but, there it is.)

Plus, when it comes to toiletries, I think the natural smell of a clean, healthy person is preferable to just about anything else.

But I have two exceptions to this rule:

1) The ZenHusband has recently started using Axe soap and deodorant.

Mmmm. You know those commercials where the women are falling all over themselves to get at the guy who's wearing the Axe product? Yeah, I laughed at those, too. I'm not laughing now. That stuff smells awesome. Like, OMG-let's-get-a-sitter-tonight awesome. So, yeah, he'll be getting some more of that in his Christmas stocking this year. :)

2) I do, occasionally, like to indulge in a lightly scented lotion or soap or bubble bath for myself. But I'm picky. I like light, clean smells - I usually stick with a citrus or vanilla base - nothing floral or overly sweet. And it has to be a very mild scent - just a little hint of something extra, not an overwhelming cover up.

Enter the temptation that is Bath and Body Works.

I used to go there all the time, but I hadn't been in ages. Then, this weekend, they sucked me in with their buy-two-get-one-free promotion and $5 specials.

So, I went in thinking I'd get some lotion or bubble bath and left with:

• Coconut Lime Verbena Anti-Bacterial Hand Cream
• Black Rasberry Vanilla Body Lotion
• White Citrus Shower Gel, and
• Sensual Amber Body Lotion

Not sure if I'm going to like that last one. Might be too strong for me. We'll see.

So, I'm looking forward to trying these out. But, sampling the different scents in the shop got me thinking about the amazing power of the sense of smell.

Smell is one of the strongest triggers of memory and emotion. And it seems like everyone has "good" and "bad" triggers. So, I'm always curious about the different types of scents that mean and do different things for different people.

Campfire smoke, chlorine, gunpowder, ocean, coffee, cloves, horses ... these scents all have strong associations for me, meanings and memories beyond simple smells.

Smells can change moods, trigger physical responses, transport us through time. It's an incredibly powerful sense. And we take it so much for granted.

I know someone who actually lost his sense of smell after a head injury. I know. Of all of the senses to lose, that would be the preferred one, right? He jokes that it makes being a father of two boys easier.

But, still. Think about it. No smell of fresh cut grass or impending rain, no barbecue or baby powder, no baking pies or pine trees ... how dull would your life be without the smells - good and bad - we take for granted every day?

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How about you? Do you have specific scents you prefer for yourself or your significant other? Scents you find appealing? Scents you avoid? Scents that bring back memories or change your mood?