Jezebel
something stinks
How Do You Describe Something You Can't See, Feel, or Hear?
So there's a story by Jim Lewis on Slate about perfume. Not just about perfume, though — about writing about perfume. The story is linked to a book called Perfumes: The Guide, by husband and wife team Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. I used to write about music, which I always thought was really tough; somehow the vocabulary ("upbeat, sing-along, power-pop" or "the songs meandered, looped, tinkled out or built to a dramatic orchestral crescendo") always seemed forced and limited. But describing a scent seems even more challenging. Lewis points out that the words perfumers use: amber, citrus, floral — are pretty vague. But! Luca Turin describes Fracas thusly: "A friend once explained to me how Ferrari achieves that gorgeous red: first paint the car silver, then six coats of red, then a coat of transparent pink varnish..." Can you smell it? Glossy, bright and sharp.More »
You don't even have to read all the copy in this vintage ad. Key words and phrases jump out at you: "smell nice," "warmth and moisture," "miracle-worker" "dry and fresh and confident." Yeah, in case you didn't figure out already that it's deodorant for your stinky vadge (because wimmins smell "down there") one look at the pink spray can surrounded by pearls ought to clue you in. (Click image to enlarge) [
