THE NEW SMELLS OF OXFORD STREET

I am not referring to random outdoor smells like food, pollution or people, but to (more or less) carefully designed, indoor scents. A whole new world of store smells is taking shape as more brands are using the creative and powerful language of scents to communicate with their customers. 

Any examples? I've recently taken a walk down Oxford Street in London, one of the major shopping streets in the world and, on a nose-shopping, I noticed that that...

High street fashion giant H&M are designing the air of their ground floor womenswear department with a soft, fresh, floral blend. The scent magically fades away as you take the escalator up or down. The scent is quite subtle and pleasant I'd say and can get unnoticed. 

On a quite more enveloping approach, underwear brand Intimissimi, is using a talc powder-like scent, which you can smell from outside the front door. Does this reflect their idea of a woman? Store and window pictures show soft, reassuring curves being pushed up by bras... 

Further down the road, on Regent's Street, a woody accord welcomes you in the new state-of-the-art Burberry store. The accord is, again, quite subtle and matches well with the store materials. It plays a contrast with the soapy musky Body fragrance which is everywhere in the store.

This is just the beginning of a scent revolution... How can you find out more about how scents can enhance design, marketing and retail or simply our homes? 

Come to our one and only, Vogue-featured, Design With Scents course in London: with other creatives, you'll experiment how to design a place through the sense of smell. Also, don't miss the Scent World conference in New York, where I will be guiding a "Scent Awakening" session!

NP/SP

image london-gifts.co.uk

VOGUE

Last summer at Kingston University London we received Vogue's visit.

Francesca Segal, a novelist who was writing a perfume feature for British Vogue, spent a day with us at the "Design With Scents" course to find out more about her story...

Talking about "rewriting her olfactive signature" after the fragrance she loved was discontinued, you will find her piece in the December issue.

Thank you Francesca for your visit and for talking about our course...

NP / SP

PERFUME NETWORKING

"You really have changed my perception of perfume!", 

said a gentleman to me at a very much enjoyed Perfume Networking Event I ran last Wednesday. Considering that my mission statement is "aiming to change people's attitude towards perfume" I couldn't have been any happier!

Held at the Weiss Gallery in central London, home to one of Europe's finest collections of Tudor art, the networking event was organised by the Westminster Business Council.

The superb location offered the perfect room for networking and learning. After a tour of the gallery's highlights, I took our attendees through a scent journey, where they got to know each other through the experience of perfume and explored how scents can enhance their projects.

Thanks to the attendees for coming and for the very favourable feedback:

Thanks for the very inspiring presentation/workshop. I was inspired and never see scents in same light again. Even smelled the grapefruit in the morning before eating it and it did have an effect to wake me up! 

Thank you for a very enjoyable and interesting evening.

Thank you for a fascinating and well-delivered talk last night at the Weiss Gallery. 

I enjoyed it immensely and found what I learned very useful. 

I enjoyed your talk very much. 

Many thanks to the WBC and the Weiss Gallery for impeccable organisation.

Till the next scent journey
NP / SP

HEART-WARMING SCENTS

Yesterday brought another fantastic scent journey. As part of S Sense's mission to enhance people's lives through the experience of perfume, I guided a "Meditation and Fragrance" session. It was aimed at healing ourselves and increasing our wellbeing through a unique combination of meditation and the use of essential oils.

We started to bring clarity and energy to our system through our breath. C., for whom I ran this session, said she wanted to work on her heart. We then smelled a selection of essential oils: woods, resins and flowers this time, and explored which ones would resonate with her heart. She chose two: a comforting wood and a warm floral.

Just like me, over time she has been practicing meditation and using essential oils to enhance her life.

This approach is the result of years of yoga and meditation practice and the study of scents. I am very thankful to my teachers and the perfumers who helped me to gain a holistic understanding of fragrance. There is also a nice book, "Subtle Aromatherapy" by Patricia Davis, a good input to explore the use of scents for mental and emotional states.

This year, I felt like it was time for me share all this with others.

NP / SP