Fragrance Terms

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I have become interested in the terms used in defining and describing fragrances of colognes, eau de toilettes, and aftershaves, and I thought I would do a little research and post now and then what I find out about some of the terms. I am by no means an expert or even very knowledgeable about any of this.

Today, to start the process, I will briefly discuss sillage. Feel free to comment, including talking about your own personal experiences with various scents.

Sillage (pronounced as see-yawj) is a term for the scent trail left by a fragrance wearer, describing a scent's ability to emanate from the wearer and penetrate a surrounding area or room. In other words, it defines how close a fragrance stays to the skin. It is derived from the French word for "wake," as in the trail left on water by a moving boat. Sillage is most often used in discussing perfumes or colognes but can also be applied to aftershaves. It describes how much a scent diffuses around the wearer, and strong sillage means that a fragrance projects well. It has nothing to do with the complexity or richness of the fragrance composition, but rather with the diffusive character of its materials. And that character is influenced by factors such as weather, the temperature and humidity of the wearer's skin, the amount of alcohol in the fragrance, the weights of the various molecules (the lower the weight, the greater the diffusion), and the relative aroma perceptibility of the molecules (the minimum parts per million noticed by most human noses).

Minimal sillage fragrances are ones that stay close to the skin and create a more intimate scent aura, called a "skin scent." Generally, but definitely not always, scents with strong sillage tend to be complimented more highly by other people; but in some environments (offices, theaters, restaurants, etc.) it is wiser to keep the fragrance trail more understated and discreet. Strong sillage in a closed space can be overwhelming.

Sillage is often misunderstood. Many people associate strong sillage with hard-hitting, intrusive fragrances, but it actually is something entirely different. "Sillage is the projection or the bloom of a fragrance," says Sophie Labbe, an expert behind scents from Calvin Klein, Bulgari and Givenchy. "It is different from the intensity or power of a scent; sillage is more of an aura. You feel it, but you aren't overwhelmed by it." Sometimes referred to as "lift," sillage represents the lingering magical quality that is detected after someone has passed by. And while affected by some of the same factors, sillage is not the same thing as longevity or how long a scent persists after application.

While scent strength influences sillage, a higher total concentration of scent does not necessarily imply a more potent sillage. So a perfume, for example, will not always have a stronger sillage than a cologne or eau de toilette or even an aftershave.

The overall character of a scent with relatively strong or weak sillage can be light or dark, floral, fruity, woody, sweet, or spicy. It is possible for its projection to come primarily from the dry-down, which is where heavy base notes such as patchouli, vanilla, or amber are typically found, but it more often is due to the top or heart notes (especially the fruits, herbs, and florals), which tend to be smaller, lighter molecules that diffuse more easily. Sillage is the result of evaporation rate, influenced by the chemical natures and interactions of the ingredients, which in turn can be manipulated by scent experts. A commonly used ratio of top-heart-base notes is 60-25-15, but when greater projection and sillage is desired, it sometimes is changed to 70-20-10 to emphasize the top notes. And of course the amount of the fragrance that is applied is a big factor in sillage as well as other scent qualities.

Fragrance wearers sometimes arbitrarily and generally define low or weak sillage as less than arm's length projection, often representing "quieter" scents. Moderate sillage is that of a scent you are wearing that you and those near you can smell, and strong sillage is that of a fragrance that lingers appreciably behind you as you walk away. But a fragrance can also smell different depending upon where one stands in the sillage, with sometimes dramatic character changes with increasing distance.

A question sometimes asked is whether or not you can detect the sillage strength of a particular fragrance on yourself. One test that has been suggested is the following: spray the back of your hand once with the fragrance. Immediately leave the place where you sprayed (e.g. move to another room), trying to avoid smelling the scent as much as possible while you leave the area. Then stand with your hand down at your side; if you can smell the fragrance, the sillage is strong. If not, bring your hand just a few inches toward your face; if you can smell it, then the sillage is moderate. Keep moving your hand slowly closer to your nose until you can smell the fragrance. If you must have your hand close to your nose to detect the smell, then it is a weak or skin scent sillage. However, clearly the best approach is to consult with someone else, using a full strength application of the fragrance as you normally would wear it and waiting 15-30 minutes before the consultation.
 
Have you been to any Perfumeries? I spent some time in the South of France, and have been through the most in Grasse. I had no appreciation for perfume before those days but that all changed. It's fascinating to see the process but if like myself and you suffer from migraines or sinus issues, definitely limit yourself or you'll never know pain like it.
 
Dryness

Dry is the term for an odor effect that is the opposite of "sweet" or "warm." It is accomplished through the use of ingredients such as woods, mosses (oakmoss, treemoss), herbs, some grasses (such as vetiver), rhizome (orris/iris), and phenols (tar-like essences such as birch tar, guiacwood, and leathery compounds). Like the trunks and barks of trees, the woody scents (such as cedar, sandalwood, oak, rosewood, and birch) have a solid "presentation" to the nose. The factors that contribute to a dry tone can come from any family, but generally dry fragrances don't have dewy, watery, or acqueous elements that recall crisp vegetation. They can be mineral-like and are purported to keep the skin dry also. Dry notes are used mainly in masculine scents and are particularly useful as fresh, daytime fragrances.

The term "dry" in perfumery is said to have come from early 20th century couturier Jean Patou. He created a cocktail bar in his Paris salon where men could drink and talk while their women shopped for dresses. In 1930, Patou decided that the cocktail bar should be converted into a perfume bar, and his perfumer Henri Alméas was instructed to create "cocktail" fragrances, using the same terms as were used to described the major property of an alcoholic beverage (the relative presence or absence of a sweet taste). The results were the original Jean Patou Cocktail, Cocktail Dry, Cocktail Sweet, and Cocktail Bitter Sweet, some of which are still available from retailers.
 
... and the right attar can scream: "Run for your lives! Here come the Moors!".

In my book a fragrance is personal so if only noticable at cuddle distance it is perfect.

Actually, I wear my attars for me/Mrs, but they escape most days ... my EDTs send the local cats running scared! Where's the massive Tom with proper stinky bum glands? That's the YSL Kouros effect. Gawd help them on a Balenciaga Porthos day! :D

There's a load of waffle when it comes to scents. I don't mind an evocative description, but recall Gilly Goolden? Of wine, "Cat piss on a gooseberry bush" ... now that's how to do it right and that's how to make it memorable.
 
Balsamic

Balsamic is a fragrance description referring to a heavy, soft, sweet, warm scent, usually from the use of plant balsams or aromatic resin. The raw materials falling under the umbrella of resins and balsams have been used for many centuries in perfumes.

Balsamic ingredients characterize Oriental style perfumes in particular. These fragrances, compositions that rely on rich, opulent notes of vanilla, musk, and ambers, were inspired by the traditional elements of Middle Eastern and Indian perfumes. As the fascination with everything Eastern and exotic grew at the end of the 19th and early 20th century, these “odalisques and harems” fantasies found their way into the world of scents. The balsamic materials also lend their depth to other families, such as the Chypres, and more lightly to florals, fougères, and hesperidics.

In perfumery, there are several classes of balsamic notes, but balsams like tolu balsam, peru balsam, benzoin, and styrax are distinctive because they have a strong vanilla/cinnamic note, and they are often used to give a rich and pleasantly spicy quality to accords. Balsamic notes support a fragrance from within, offering additional richness. Base notes are sometimes composed of several balsamic materials. In excess, their rich, heavy fragrance can suppress the overall composition, with other notes hiding under the dense balsamic richness.

Resinous & Balsamic Fragrances

Resinous materials come in the form of solidified, gum-like "tears" seeping from the fluid that circulates into the bark of big trees. Balsams, on the other hand, usually are thinner liquids, coming frequently from flower pods or bushy twigs. There are exceptions to this rule, however. The real basis for differentiation is how the materials actually smell and how they're different or common in scent combinations, rather than their origin. For purposes of perfume discussion, resinous & balsamic materials are classified into three distinct profiles:

1. Soft balsamic-smelling ingredients, including:
•vanilla (from the pod of the vanilla orchid)
•benzoin gum (from Styrax Tonkiniensis, with a sweetish, caramel and vanillic tone, used frequently to complement citrus, woods, or florals)
•Peru balsam (from Myroxylon - "fragrant wood" in Greek - or Quina/Balsamo)
•Tolu balsam (close to Peru balsam, but a little sweeter and fresher)
•cistus labdanum (leathery, ambery, and deep, from the rockrose bush and traditionally harvested from the hairs of goats that grazed on the rockrose)

These materials have a gentle tone but have a pronounced character. They fix flowers into lasting longer and are used to produce the semi-Orientals or the florientals (in combination with floral essences).

2. Resinous balsamic smelling ingredients, including:
•opoponax/opopanax (also inaccurately called "sweet myrrh," scented between lavender & amber)
•frankincense/olibanum (the smoky-smelling exudate of the Boswellia carteri tree)
•myrrh gum (a waxy oleoresin with a bitter profile)
•birch tar (from "cooked" birch wood, pungent, dark, tar-smelling), often used in Cuir de Russie type perfumes
•elemi (a peppery, lemony, pine-like yellow oil coming from the resin of the Canarium Lizonicum), used in masculine blends
•styrax (resin from the Liquidambar Orientalis tree, with a leathery scent reminiscent of glue and cinnamon), providing a supporting note in Cuir de Russie compositions

Resins are among the materials used since ancient times in incense and perfumery. Traditionally used to make incense, in the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin frankincense and myrrh "tears" have still been highly regarded in modern times. These materials are deep, with a lingering trail which adds projection to a composition. They pair especially well with woody scents.

3. A sub-set of powdery balsamic-smelling ingredients which do not strictly come in resin or balsam form but share some of the common olfactory characteristics. This includes: orris root (the Iris Pallida rhizome and also the synthetic irones-rich reproductions), several musks of synthetic origin, and carrot seed oil. Amber mixes can also be powdery balsamic-smelling, due to the addition of benzoin (which gives a sweetish, baby powder talc note) and vanilla to the mix of ingredients. It is important to distinguish between a balsamic/ambery powdery ambience (which is typically sweeter) and one which is powdery/dry, completely different.
 
Chypre

Chypre is the collective term for a group or type of perfumes which get their character through the combination of a fresh Eau de Cologne-like top note and a foundation comprised mainly of oakmoss, labdanum, and patchouli. Pronounced 'sheepra,' French for 'Cyprus' the term is often credited with first use by François Coty, a Mediterranean merchant from Corsica, to describe the aromas he found on that Greek island. He created a woodsy, mossy, citrusy perfume named Chypre, which was launched by his Coty company in 1917. Classic chypre fragrances generally had sparkling citrus, fruit, and floral notes over a dark, earthy base. Modern chypre fragrances usually use less (or no) oakmoss because of regulatory restrictions; sometimes they use synthetic substitutes.

The classical chypre is defined as a combination of three key notes — citrus (often bergamot), floral (classically, rockrose, labdanum, or jasmine), and oakmoss (a tree lichen that grow on oaks, mainly in the Balkans), combined with animalic, woody (often patchouli) tones and amber or musk. Some experts claim that all five elements must be present. The past few years have seen the revival of the family in both men's and women's products. When the market is flooded with many new launches each year, the ability to stand out is important. But at the same time, fragrance companies are afraid that too strong of a character will be a deterrent. Chypre fragrances are often able to strike the middle ground in this respect, which may partially explain the renewed interest in them. While chypres have seen varying popularity in most countries, they have remained a steady favorite in southern Europe. In addition, with fashion trending towards retro, it is not surprising that fragrance families with long histories such as chypre are coming back.

The chypre family actually was not created by François Coty when he launched his Chypre in 1917. In fact, the oldest perfume factory in the world, dating to 4000 years ago, was discovered in Pyrgos Mavrorachi (Greek for 'fortress on the black slope') on Cyprus. And chypre was a common blend of mossy and animalic raw materials during the time of the Roman empire. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Cypriots experimented with 'Cipria,' a cosmetic face powder infused with their local aromatic blends. The vogue for powdered wigs in western Europe in the 17th century made Cipria one of the most widely used cosmetic products, and the name is still referenced in Italian to this day for cosmetic powder. Chypre as a name for an accord is often mentioned in 18th century perfume manuals. In the early 20th century, Guerlain had at least two chypres, Chypre de Paris and Chypre, both pre-1917. Still, Coty must be given credit for solidly establishing chypre as a fragrance family. He took the classical idea and gave it well-defined structure and distinct form. The classical chypre as we know it today is largely due to Coty Chypre establishing this convention. Ironically, its novelty was the reason for an initial brief resistance at the time of its launch – the rather startling, rough beauty of Chypre is mesmerizing, but it often remains too aggressive. However, chypre quickly became widely popular and created a trend for such 'heavy green' perfumes.

In addition to producing a chypre at least 8 years before Coty did, Jacques Guerlain — the great perfumer heading the house with his name – refined the chypre family shortly after Coty's launch of his product. In creating Mitsouko, Guerlain softened the animalic impact of Coty's Chypre, infused it with the sweetness of ripe peaches, and added a spicy touch against the backdrop of a mossy-woody accord.

The unique combination of accords in chypre creates a sensual and mysterious effect, due to the warm/cool contrast of the materials. While classical chypres are often dark and rich, modern chypres based on experiments with various moss aroma materials and the new family of ambers tend to have a transparency paired with complexity and depth.

Over the years, the family has evolved tremendously and become more varied and complex. Now, as long as the key elements of chypre are present in some form, a fragrance can be called a chypre. Because they smell like perfume, i.e. an 'external fragrance,' chypres project an image of luxury, sophistication, and status. They can be cerebral, cool and aloof or they can be intimate like scents wafting from the boudoir. Because of their variable tones, it is common to confuse the chypres with the heavily woody Orientals or with green woody florals.

Chypres can distributed generally into family subcategories based on their dominant tone:

- Green: grassy, herbal
- Fruity (citrus): singular or blends of bergamot, orange, lemon or neroli, other fruits less often
- Woody (primarily oakmoss): mossy and woody
- Patchouli: camphoraceous and woody
- Animalic or Musk: sweet, powdery, and animalic. (Usually synthetic in modern products.)
- Floral: flowery

On the basic scaffolding of key elements, the perfumer can add accent pieces that make the perfume lean this or that direction, placing it somewhat into one of the subcategories. Add more of the green notes of grasses, herbs, and green-smelling florals (such as hyacinth) and one has 'green chypres.' Emphasize the woodier notes of patchouli, vetiver, and pine needles and one has the 'woody chypres.' Increase the notes of ripe fruits - such as citrus or plum and peach - and one has the historically important 'fruity chypres' (such as Guerlain Mitsouko). Add lots of discernible flowers and the 'floral chypres' are produced. Additional aldehydes on top make for an 'aldehydic chypre.' With the inclusion of copious animal ingredients the 'animalic chypres' appear. Finally, although technically a separate family, according to La Société Française des Parfumeurs, called 'cuir/leather fragrances,' there are a few perfumes that mingle notes reminiscent of leather goods with the general elements of a chypre, such as Chanel Cuir de Russie.

In the commonly used Michael Edwards classification system, chypres fall mostly into the 'mossy woods' category, as Edwards doesn't include a chypre family per se, but rather places them between woods and orientals. 'Nouveau chypres,' introduced in the early 2000s, are not technically chypres in the classical sense, but rather 'woody floral musk' fragrances, with a 'clean' patchouli and vetiver base standing in for the reduced ratio of oakmoss allowed by modern industry regulations regarding allergens. (Oakmoss is considered a skin sensitizer.)

Since the mid-1980's, Karl Lagerfeld cologne, simply called 'Lagerfeld,' has been the quintessential modern chypre scent for both men and women, although there are many others. Men's chypre fragrances include Antonio Puig Sybaris; Atkinsons Duke; Avon Class Act and True Force; Basile Uomo; Borsalino for Men; Bronnley English Fern and James Bronnley; Caesars Man; Coty Stetson; Creed Erolfa and Vintage Tabarome; Domenico Caraceni 1913; Floris JF; G.F. Trumper Curzon Cologne; Halston Z; Kappa Nero Man; Lancome Sagamore and Trophee; Lanvin Monsieur; Lentheric Hallmark; Liz Claiborne for Men; Maxim's Pour Homme; Novaya Zarya Chypre and Only You; Penhaligon's Racquets, Quercus, and Douro; Perry Ellis Night; Ralph Lauren Polo Crest; Romeo Gigli for Man; Royal Copenhagen for Men; Shiseido Basala; and Yves Saint Laurent La Collection Pour Homme. And among the most popular have been Aramis 900 and Devin; Guerlain Habit Rouge, Mouchoir de Monsieur, and Shalimar; Knize Ten; Yatagan; Caron Pour Un Homme; Yves Saint Laurent M7; Guerlain Derby; Chanel Pour Monsieur; Gucci Pour Homme; Nicolai New York; Armani Eau Pour Homme; Versace L'Homme; Dior Eau Sauvage; Tom Ford Moss Breches; Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel; and Monsieur de Givenchy. Finally, marketed for both sexes, Guerlain Mitsouko remains the standard for the fragrance family.
 
Earthy

“The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies.”
~Neil Gaiman, American Gods

Earthy is the adjective used to describe the fragrance impression of earth, forest soil, mold, moss, or dust, "the odor of freshly turned earth, musty and rooty." Earthy accents in perfumes usually are subtle, not pronounced. In biochemical terms, earthy tones are often due to phenylacetaldehyde glyceryl acetal, which is also described sometimes as "green and herbal."

Essential oils contributing to an earthy fragrance:

Angelica
Angelica mentioned in a perfume description usually refers to the essential oil obtained from the dried root of Angelica Archangelica. It has a musky, green, woody scent with a touch of spice.

Patchouli
Patchouli oil is derived by steam distilling the leaves of a member of the mint family, a perennial bushy shrub originally from Malaysia and India. Often used as base note, especially in chypre, oriental, and powdery fragrances, it has a musty, sweet, spicy scent; in modern products, it is sometimes altered molecularly to remove the musty component. Its earthy tone is very similar to that of vetiver. It combines especially well with bergamot, lavender, rose, and sandalwood. The oil sometimes is aged, which adds a fruity note to its other qualities.

Valerian
Valerian oil comes mainly from Valerian Officinalis, a perennial flowering plant native to Europe, North American, and northern Asia. Very animalic and musky, it has been described as having an unpleasant smell like a mix of well-matured soft cheese and stinky feet, with its overall stinkiness increasing as it dries. However, in an appropriate concentration, it adds a desirable edge to a composition, and it blends well with woods. Paradoxically, the more conentrated it is, the more green - and less stinky - it is.

Vetiver
Vetiver oil is extracted by distillation from the roots of the plant, which is a grass native to India, but now grown in Haiti (the main producer), Indonesia, China, and Java. The oil has a distinctive damp, earthy scent, with woody, leathery, peppery, dusty, and smoky tones. Due to its excellent fixative properties, vetiver is used widely in perfume products; it is present in about 90% of all western perfumes. It is a more common ingredient in masculine fragrances, including Dior Eau Sauvage, Guerlain Vetiver, and Vetiver by L'Occitane.

Popular earthy aftershaves/perfumes:

Terre d'Hermes
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
Lalique Encre Noir
Montale Greyland and Patchouli Leaves
Frederic Malle French Lover
Chanel Sycomore
Ouds (various)
Hugo Boss Elements
M2 Black March
Neil Morris Dark Earth
Guerlain Vetiver
Etro Vetiver
Lorenzo Villoresi Sandalo, Vetiver, and Patchouli
Serge Lutens Borneo 1834
Czech & Speake No.88
L'Artisan Voleur de Roses
Givenchy Gentleman
Caron Yatagan
 
Green is the general term for the fragrance family whose odor is that of fresh-cut grass, leaves, stems, or vines, or a warm, moist forest. It is a lighter and more modern interpretation of the Chypre type. There are many different nuances of green fragrances, and they tend toward the unisex category. They add brightness, lift, and energy to a composition and are used to give accents to top notes. When too strong or concentrated, they become raspy and sharp, and they often are laced with other notes such as pepper, mint, moss, or citruses to tame them. Green fragrances are most suited for daytime use, especially for casual or outdoor gatherings.

The green family is very prominent in today's perfume market, with its high demand for products based on "natural themes." The green group's natural sources include cucumber, galbanum, melon rind, string beans, hyacinth, Styrax, tomato leaf, violet leaves, cress, and watercress. Galbanum is particular is a traditional ingredient that is frequently used to give a natural green effect to floral accords such as gardenia, narcissus, iris, and violet.

Green fragrances are a difficult group to accomplish with all natural essences, because they are either very hard to dose in a composition without overpowering the blend or else are so subtle that they vanish quickly. Modern synthetic materials such as cis-3-hexenol (reminiscent of cut grass) are sometimes used now by brands willing to move away from being all natural.

The chemistry of green notes: bromstyrol, gricerin acetal, cis-3-hexenol, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, cis-3-hexenyl benzoate, cis-3-hexenyl salicylate, hydratropic aldehyde, Ligustral, methyl heptin carbonate, methyl octin carbonate, 2,6-nonadienal, 2,6-nonadienol, phenyl acetaldehyde, phenylacetaldehydedimethylacetal, phenyl ethyl dimethyl carbinol, phenyl propyl alcohol, phenyl propyl aldehyde, Stemone, and styrallyl acetate.

Men's fragrances that have prominent green tones include Paco Rabanne Invictus, Davidoff Cool Water, Jimmy Choo MAN, Joop Go, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio, Calvin Klein CKIN2U for Him, Akabir for Men Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, Antonio Puig Boston Man, Jeanne Arthes Mixte Homme, Axe Essence, Gabdriela Sabatini Wild Wind for Men, Calvin Klein CK One, Adidas Adrenaline, Kenzo Homme Fresh Kenzo, Marbert Man No. 2, Cuba Cactus for Men, True Religion Men, Perry Ellis Portfolio Green, and Jacomo Paradox Green for Men.
 
Headspace Technology

Headspace technology is a method pioneered in the 1970s and 1980s of "capturing" scent molecules and reconstructing their smell for perfumes. A belljar-like apparatus is placed over the scented object and the aromatic compound molecules, such as fatty acid derivatives, benzenoids, and isoprenoids, are extracted and saved.

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Once they're analyzed, a synthetic version can be created. This is how fragrances that are hard to distill or do not lend themselves well to other extraction methods, like gardenia, rose, or lily of the valley, and notes like dirt, such as that in Demeter's Dirt perfume, are created. The various perfume manufacturers have their own fragrance capture systems based on this technology, examples being ScentTrek (Givaudan), Aromascope (Takasago), and NaturePrint (Firmenich). Similar techniques also have been used to analyze and recreate the interesting scents of particular locations and environments such as tea shops, classrooms, and sawmills. Headpace technology extends the perfumers' pallette, even providing them with new and unique scent "profiles" from nature, such as the mineral-filled smell of freshly rain-soaked cobblestones, pure air in the high mountains, washed laundry drying in the wind, the odor of hot dust from a lightbulb, or burned rubber (for the race car enthusiast).

The headspace equipment involves a hollow dome or sphere-like object, which forms an airtight seal over the target object. Inert gases are passed into the space, or a vacuum is created, so that the odor compounds are removed from the headspace. The compounds are then captured using a variety of techniques, including cold surfaces, solvent traps, and adsorbent materials. The sample is then analyzed with gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

One of the early pioneers of this technology is Roman Kaiser, a Swiss fragrance chemist. Since 1968, Kaiser has been working at Givaudan, in Dübendorf near Zürich, the world's largest flavor and fragrance company. His main research activity centers around analysis and reconstitution of natural scents for use in perfumery, and he been using headspace technology for this purpose since 1975. His recent work has been focused on the plants of the canopy and understory layers of tropical rainforests, allowing reconstitution of scents of endangered plant species there.

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There is a common misconception that natural perfumes are safer than and superior to synthetic aromas. But synthetic chemicals have been used in perfumery for almost acentury without consumers being able to detect the differences. In fact, synthetic chemicals are often less volatile, and more stable, than natural chemicals whose smell changes over time. And certain plants are so rare that it is prohibitively costly for companies to harvest them for their smell. In addition, a synthetic copy of a scent often can be less complex and thus easier to use in mixes than the naturally occurring compound. And finally, over-harvesting of perfume plant sources and environmental care are becoming increasing concerns and have an effect on consumer demand and manufacturing processes.

In the 1971 cult classic movie "Harold and Maude," the eccesntric octogenarian character (played by Ruth Gordon) takes the young, death-obsessed character Harold (Bud Cort) back to her house and shows him her "odorifics" machine, a kind of recorder of smells. Says Maude, "Then I became infatuated with these, my odoriics. Give the nose a treat, I thought, a kind of olfactory bandwidth. So I began first tiwh the easiest: roast beef, old books, mown grass. And Mexican farmyard. Here's one you'll like, Snowfall on 42nd Street." Maude gives Harold a face-mask attached to a tube that runs from the machine and provides him with the captured smells: subway, perfume, cigarettes, and snow. An precursor of headspace technology!

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