Perception and Good Smell, Bad Smell

This post may be a little too “psychologically minded” but I have been thinking about how smells trigger strong associations and memories (good or bad). So here goes…

Recently, I read a post from a guy who greatly disliked a shaving soap (Master) because, among other reasons, its smell. He had worked as a janitor and the smell reminded him of the fragrance in those urinal deodorizer pucks. No wonder he hated putting that odor on his face! Conversely, I think that the same soap smells nice. In my mind it has an old fashion soapy smell. Clearly, I’m making an association too; I just can’t remember what it is.

The first few times that I used Tom’s Mint Shaving Cream I felt that it was a great product but I thought the smell was very industrial. I finally put two and two together and realized that the interior paint that I sometimes use (Benjamin Moore) has a very similar “minty” smell. I thought that the paint smelled fresh but I was associating latex paint with Tom’s (I have since gotten over it, since I think the product is so good).

I now like the way that traditional Clubman smells but unfortunately, the frangrance is similar to Canoe. Canoe was often used by fellow gym mates in high school when there wasn’t enough time to take a shower. When I occasionally use Clubman I consciously think to myself “barbershop” not “gym socks.” Other folks have a very pleasant association with this fragrance while still others think it is too old fashioned (“like grandpa&#8221.

On a side note, I asked my wife to offer her opinion on the same cologne twice (Pinaud’s Special Reserve). To me it has a pleasant vanilla smell. It doesn’t wow you but it doesn’t offend. The first time she smelled it (with no comment from me) she said it smelled fine. The next time (several weeks later) I said to her: “Tell me what you think about this cologne, it was pretty cheap.” She gave me a sniff and said: “I don’t like it.”

Anyway, beyond the positive associations that you get from a scent, do you ever reject a product because it has a more negative association? Also, does price effect how you think about a product?

You are bringing up excellent and very valid points. Scent association plays a very large part in determining what fragrances one would like and wouldn't like.

Case in point is the classic Old Spice. For many of us, our fathers and/or grandfathers used it and it brings back fond memories. I for one loved the smell of the bathroom after my father was finished shaving, so me liking Old Spice is almost a no-brainer. I've gotten many a compliment on Old Spice, and most are surprised to find out what it is.

On the contrary, if you have negative associations with a certain smell (whether at a job, a bad past experience, etc) for whatever reason then most likely you're not going to enjoy putting it on your face or wearing it.

It's also funny how people react when they know the cost of what you're wearing. I've gotten bombarded with compliments for very inexpensive stuff (Pino Silvestre, Arden Sandalwood, Tabac and Aqua Velva Musk come to mind), but when they found out what it was it was strange that they almost immediately rejected it.

I've learned not to judge a fragrance by it's cost, and I have fairly expensive stuff all the way down to 15-20$/bottle stuff. It's amusing how the compliments stop coming when they know you're wearing "cheap" stuff.

Great post, btw.

MAK said:

Anyway, beyond the positive associations that you get from a scent, do you ever reject a product because it has a more negative association? Also, does price effect how you think about a product?

Click to expand...

I rejected Tabac soap because it smells like a fragrance the cleaners used to fragrance the rooms in apartment blocks i painted for a living. Ok in small doses, i just think i OD'd on it, for lack of a better term. Now, i have no desire to smell that on my face in the morning. A lot of my friends think they dislike Old Spice, because they think it smells old fashioned, but my gf loves it and she'd never even smelled it before!
Price does have an impact. I'm way more likely to be harder on a product if it costs a lot. If i really like it, i don't mind spending the money, but if it's pricey and average, i'll burn it. That said, i do like a lot of cheaper shaving stuff and think it works very well - Palmolive, Arko, etc. I'm yet to try any truly cheap colognes, although that's not from being put off. I'll give anything a go once or twice.

Black Beans...

Not an EDT, of course. But I really dislike black beans and chicken soup. the first got me sick and the seconds is what I was given when I was sick.

So the more things change, the more they remain the same. So aside from likes, associations, etc., there is also the age factor. At my age I've lost about 1/2 of my taste buds. Throw that into the the age old bruhaha over scent. Axe? It's for chopping wood.

I've heard that scent is the strongest sense connected to memory. Smelling different aftershaves and fragrances takes me back in my mind to the time when I first experienced them. Fortunately for me, I don't have any bad scent associations.

Like Dennard, most of the scent memories I have with fragrances are not bad, and most are good. There is a fragrance or two I associate with people I don't want to think of, but those are very rare. But smell/scent is a very powerful sense.