When you step outside one cold winter day, a familiar scent fills your nose. You can’t explain why, but you know that it can only mean one thing: snow. No, it’s not just your imagination; the air really does smell different right before it snows. According to olfactory scientist Pamela Dalton, that unmistakable snow “scent” can be boiled down to three things: cold weather, humidity, and a stimulated nerve in your brain. As temperatures drop to freezing, the molecules in the air slow down, making certain smells less pungent. Like rain and sleet, an impending snowstorm increases the humidity in the air. And while that humidity is what causes the flakes to fall, it also boosts your olfactory system, making your nose feel warm and moist. Lastly, the scent of snow is also linked to the stimulation of your trigeminal nerve. Although it is separate from your olfactory system—and typically only interprets sensations like mint and spices—this nerve gets turned on when you breathe in cold air, too. That’s also why our brains link snow with a distinctive “scent.” The scent and appearance of snow is highly associative in Europe and Northern America: it resembles the smoky wafts from stoves and fireplaces, where coal and birch or pine wood is burning, and childhood years with the innocent, milky smells of ones body, of wet wool and winter games and sports. It most certainly smells like Christmas eve and festive delights.
You will receive a 1/2ml sample (1ml sample vial filled half full) of each of the fragrances in this sampler.
