We all can get a nostalgic flashback when we smell the scents of autumn (leaves, campfire smoke, damp earth, mushrooms, cooked marshmallows, apple cider, pumpkin, cinnamon, etc.). Words like cozy, crackling, crisp and crunchy describe the season. It turns out there's a scientific reason that people have a smell inextricably linked to the season in their head: it's a confluence of chemistry, biology and psychology that can trigger different emotions like anxiety, sadness or excitement depending on your personal collection of memories associated with the time of year.
"In summer, we have just more of a mixture of scent and sort of a wide blend of scent ... we smell a lot more of everything around us," said Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist and author of The Scent of Desire. "When it gets cooler and drier, specific scents tend to stand out more — we're able to kind of pull out the scent of leaves, the scent of bark, the scent of grass in more distinct ways."
Beyond the man-made and commercial scents of pumpkin spice and apple pie, autumn has its own, much more natural smell. It’s the musty, earthy smell of dying and decomposing leaves blended with wet earth and maybe a bit of smoke from burning leaves. The dominant earthy smells are largely the product of plants hunkering down for the winter. Fallen leaves begin to decay and the sugars and organic compounds in the leaf break down, creating the classic musky-sweet smell of a leaf pile. Maple leaves, for example, have high contents of sugars and when decaying they release a pleasantly sweet, almost syrup-like scent.
You will receive a 1/2ml sample (1ml sample vial filled half full) of each of the fragrances in this sampler.
- Frankly Try This Scare of the Crows – With notes of spicy apple cider, apples laying in the field, fall spice, hay stuffing, pine, cedar, ginger, fresh fall leaves blown in and earthy wafts from the field.
- Madam Moth's Parlour Streets of Salem Perfume Oil - Beware the warm sweet breeze that feeds the flames of judgment. Reminiscent of a fall evening with rich patchouli, spices, and sweet vanilla, it is easy to fall prey to a feeling of quaintness and comfort.
- Nui Cobalt Balefire Perfume Oil - An ode to the perfumer’s favorite Autumn pastime: poking the embers of a gentle backyard campfire. With top notes of ginger root, turmeric, cardamom, and white peppercorn give way to a heart of golden hay, copal, and oud over a base of peru balsam, loamy soil and woodsmoke.
- Redwood Alchemy Harvest Spice Perfume - A spicy gourmand with notes of pumpkin spice, apricot, apple, milk, honey and musk. Celebrate the warmth and coziness of fall with Harvest Spice, a rich, inviting fragrance that evokes the nostalgic scents of autumn gatherings and crisp evening air. With a blend of creamy pumpkin spice - highlighted by notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove - this scent is a true homage to the season. Fruity top notes of juicy apricot and apples add a touch of sweetness, while a heart of milk and honey wraps you in comforting decadence. Finally, a base of tonka bean, soft musk, and fallen leaves brings a grounding, earthy finish that lingers like the last golden rays of a setting sun. Perfect for those who crave a quintessential autumn experience, Harvest Spice is as enchanting as a stroll through a pumpkin patch and as comforting as a mug of spiced cider on a cool night.
- Sixteen92 Revenant Perfume Oil - With notes of Autumnal apples, saffron crocus, crisp golden leaves, unripe pumpkin, dusty hay bales and honey bourbon.
