Jezebel: aroma therapy

Confidence In A Bottle. No, Literally.

Sadie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EDT

And not just Rachel-Zoe-literally, either! This new perfume is designed to boost your sense of self:

It's the brain-child of Michelle Roark, the 2009 U.S. freestyle skiing champion (who, yes, also studies chemical engineering) who credits some of her success to a custom scent, yes, Confidence. ("Ego" was apparently already taken by the hundreds of celeb unguents flooding the agora.) She's also concocted Focus, Balance, Adventure, and Imagination. And while this may all seem more "snake" than "essential" oily, she's a true believer, telling the Wall Street Journal, "It's not just mumbo-jumbo...There is a science behind it."

You don't need to have studied Stanislavsky to know about scent memory, and scents like Roark's work on the same principle. As the WSJ explains,"scientific studies have shown that smell and emotion exist in the same network of neural structures known as the limbic system-an ancient core of the brain that dates to the beginning of human evolution." Otherwise known, yes, as "aromatherapy." And the problem, as killjoy scientists are quick to point out, is that everyone's associations are different: if a horrible relative always had grapefruit breath, that's not going to spell "energizing" as much as "nausea." I like the smell of Lysol disinfectant because it reminds me of my grandma, but I'm guessing this isn't a winning formula for "Comfort."

So, yeah, chances are Confidence's success is down to placebo effect. But so what? That's real, too. And it's always unwise, it seems, to overestimate the skepticism of the buying public. We want to believe! And a vial of perfume is a lot safer - and cheaper - than a vial of Beta-blockers. And clearly the manufacturer has faith in her product, which is a lot more than you can say for most snake-oil salesmen. The danger, of course, is in attempting freestyle skiing under the influence.

Can Perfume Make You a Winner? [Wall Street Journal]

Aroma Therapy

Tracie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Remember rapper Riskay's heartfelt song about her cheating boyfriend "Smell Yo Dick"? Well, she finally got around to making an official video for it. The role of the boyfriend is played by a Big Pun impersonator, and the role of the "stripper ho named Diamond" is played by a Paris Hilton type. (Click image to view video.) [YouTube]

We Love The Smell Of Celebrity Baby In The Morning

Dodai — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:30:47 EDT

The Washington Post reports that a jewelry, fashion, and fragrance designer with a background in human-rights law named Symine Salimpour has a new scent called Shiloh. She began developing the fragrance more than a year before Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bestowed that name upon their daughter. Last year, Jolie filed a legal challenge to block the use of the name, but dropped the charge about a month ago. So, what does Shiloh smell like? "It is a complex fragrance," a writer explains. "The forward notes, the ones that hit your nose first, are cedar wood and patchouli. Rising above that earthy base are delicious whiffs of citrus (thanks to a dab of bergamot oil) and rose petals."

Shoppers should note that 5% of the profits will go to an Israeli-based nonprofit organization benefiting disabled children. Salimpour does not hold a grudge against Jolie, noting she and Jolie both "believe in human rights and love Brad Pitt!" Meanwhile, over here in the Jezebel lab, we're developing 'Maddox', a playful fragrance that smells precocious and experimental with coy, exotic Asian notes, a hint of temper tantrum and a soupçon of sibling rivalry.
'Shiloh'" A Baby And A Perfume [Washington Post]