On Fragrances
May 3, 2026
I initially grew interested in fragrances through my brother. His closet and or cabinet would be filled with different scents, often growing increasingly niche in the newer additions to his collection. While the collection itself was interesting, it was more about the absent science behind it captured my attention more. Before, I never fully understood the science of smell and its relationship with the brain, I only knew that it would ring up memories when facing a familiar smell. Now more educated, I understand that scents first go through your amygdala, the memory center of your brain, therefore explaining the correlation. Walks through the park during springtime or summer and smelling a certain flower, would remind me of another time I was surrounded by the aroma, on a date, or running through a certain part of time. This would also apply to the foul smells like in that of heavy metal industry, reminding me of certain parts of industrial China during the summer. A double edged sword. This of course, applies to the special scents of fragrances.
As I grew older, my own personal collection grew alongside it. Sometimes taking a few from my brother’s collection. I found a particular fondness around something on the more citrusy or floral side instead of a strong musky remain. Perhaps it lies in my oriental background. I would never buy many at once, but slowly grew the collection. The most interesting aspect, however, was that for every new perfume, I feel as though a new block of chapter of life would begin with it. During my trip to Tokyo in 2024 August, I bought a Le Labo, Jasmin 17, and for every time I spray it now, I am reminded of the trip. By the time freshman year got rolling, I found myself spraying a new Acqua Di Parma, Magnolia Infinita, with my fall and winter quarter therefore characterized by the floral scent.
I find that there is a certain beauty to the reminder of a smell. It is as if you’ve unlocked a physical portion of your brain, held in your hands, able to act as an external memory source for you. Lest we forget, this works both ways. For every scent you’ve sported and chaptered in your life, another person will likely have remembered you by that specific scent, leaving a memory for them. Whether you see that person again and wear the same scent, or they smell it on a stranger walking by on the street, your memory is tied to a unique chemical. I find that beautiful. It is also a primary reason I choose to continue to wear unique fragrances for different people, often leaving more touch points of memory for the other person.
In different occasions, I do think that it plays a bigger role than others. A walk during your honeymoon on a rural beach on a Thai island, surrounded by the nature of the salty Pacific, will likely lend itself more prudent and memorable compared to having Korean barbecue with your boys on a Tuesday night after months of failed attempts of reunion. That said, I often think it an underestimated aspect of our memory of people, events, and things, probably because we either can’t smell it, or just can’t imagine a scent from our mind like we can an image of a face or description with words. For the scent of a rose would mean nothing on text if not for the actual scent to accompany it. I partially blame the nature of a photograph for this as well, we obviously cannot smell whatever is in an picture. I lend myself to remember through scent whenever possible, yet often to of no avail. I find it amusing how the most prudent tool of memory, can often be the hardest to come by. In a world of AI and technology, I truly think scent is one of the last things to yet to be replaced and or substituted to an option accessible to the masses for commercial consumption.
While I do have some preferences for fragrances, I ultimately believe that people should just wear what they like.
Moral of the story, try not to stink. You might just be remembered more poorly if you do.
