I’ve been all about scents lately. Proof here, here, and here. Beyond just wanting things to smell nice, I’m totally preoccupied with how tangled up with memories scents can be. As a kid, my mom wore Oscar de la Renta’s Oscar perfume. I remember the funny shape of the bottle and its little spot on a crocheted doily on her dresser, but I especially remember the associations I had with the smell. She wore it when she went out and one sniff conjured babysitters and watching Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang for the 100th time, and eating macaroni and cheese out of tupperware bowls.
A few years ago, I figured it was high time to develop a signature scent of my own, and I was delighted to find OLO Fragrance. Each of their perfumes is hand-blended in their Portland, Oregon studio and the result is pure magic. This fall, I’ve been wearing their newly released Cedar & Rose fragrance. It goes on strong, but mellows out quickly–leaving a fragrance that is sophisticated and woodsy and never a bit cloying. Just like me. (Ha)!
OLO, who helps sponsor this site, has been kind enough to offer readers a chance to win a bottle of Cedar & Rose perfume along with a bottle of Argan Oil Hair Tonic in the same scent. As a fine-haired girl I’ve always had a hard time with hair oil, but I’ve been using this just on my ends, and I couldn’t be happier. Silky smooth. For a chance to win, leave a comment here (complete with contact information) with a sweet scented memory of your own and hop over to take a peek at OLO’s website. The descriptions alone will lure you in.
The giveaway will close on Thursday evening and a randomly selected winner will be announced on Friday. G’luck!
161 Comments
Andy Warhol had a "perfume" museum. He only wore fragrances for certain periods of time, and then would leave the half-used bottles on display as a way of capturing memory of a certain place and time.
My "special" scent is a pomegranate perfume made by Florentine monks. They've been crafting the scent since the 14th century. It's spicy and adult, transforming me from a 20-something to a lady of age and stature in a second. I wear it with fur and only on special occasions.
sandy
[email protected]
http://www.edieandandy.com
but you were it with fur?
wear
Every time I smell Estee Lauder "White Linen" it reminds me of my mom getting ready to go out. I loved sitting on her bed and watching her get all fancy!
-alix
aroyenator (at) gmail.com
Every so often, I'll get a whiff of the one of the original Bath and Body Works Collection, and it instantly transforms me back to my middle school days, getting ready for school dances and having my heart broken by boys 🙂
my memory is, funnily enough, tied to coconut scented hair wax. My very first boyfriend in middle school loaded the stuff on daily. The scent will forever remind me of young love
I'm so sorry, I forgot my contact info!
cLuderer(at)gmail(dot)com
My oringal comment is below,
"Every so often, I'll get a whiff of the one of the original Bath and Body Works Collection, and it instantly transforms me back to my middle school days, getting ready for school dances and having my heart broken by boys :)"
I've been talking forever about wearing perfume but the whole world of it is so intimidating! This scent sounds perfect.
I've never been to Portland but cedar and rose sure sounds delicious…mmm. I love your site!
Thanks!
Laura
Lnconant (at) gmail.com
Oh lovely! The violet one sounds intriguing. Probably much better for you than all the synthetic fragrances too. I always get taken back to elementary school when I smell any of Calgon's body sprays. That and Body Shop's coconut butter. It's funny how certain scents can really take you back. Thanks for a great giveaway!
daniellaciotti(at)gmail.com
I've been between 'signature scents' since Victoria's Secret discontinued Body by Victoria II (grapefruity and a little spicy). I have about half an inch of it left that I've been hoarding for years now. The scent reminds me of getting ready for nights out in college with my best friends and of getting pretty for dates with my then-boyfriend, now-husband. I've been making room spray with cedar essential oil this year: maybe cedar and rose is just the ticket for a new autumn and winter scent.
Elizabeth
kerr.ej (at) gmail.com
My mom wore Cabotine by Gres for most of my childhood and even now a whiff of the scent takes me back to my ten-year old self 🙂
Maria
[email protected]
One of my favorite fragrances is The Smell of Weather Turning from LUSH Cosmetics. The description perfectly describes how it smells: sharp with mint at first as the first few rain drops moisten the ground, then musky with smells of sweet, damp hay and moss, and then deep and grounded with cypress and pine oil. The smell always makes me think of hiking along the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales through the fog, sun and light drizzle all in the span of one day. Typically Welsh. Thank you for this opportunity. I'd love to switch up my scent with one of these handmade fragrances.
The smell of lilacs will forever remind me of Mother's Day, and more specifically, my mother: The lilac trees in our yard bloomed at just about that time every year. Despite the fact that lilacs don't last well off the tree, I would always pick a bunch of the white and purple clusters and have them waiting on the kitchen table for my mom when she came home from church.
Kimberly
kimberlydawnlacroix {at} gmail {dot} com
cedar and rose!? yes please!
my special scent is a light blue.. ever since they came out with it i've been obsessed, but i think it's for middle-aged women, so i've never bought it. but when i smell it in a magazine i can never just sniff once 😛
[email protected]
I remember when I was on a trip to the UK in junior high with an ambassadors program, our tour guide passed around a satchel of lavender for us to smell as we passed the lavender fields. Whenever I smell it, I am transported back to the English countryside 🙂
Kristie
[email protected]
All of my scent memories are kind of silly. The most memorable right now is the scent of those horrible little bottles of perfume for tweens — cotton candy and gummy bear are among two of the varieties. Every time I smell those drugstore delights I'm transported back to the hallways of my junior high.
stefanie.jesney @ gmail.com (no space!)
I lived with the dearest of friends a number of years ago in Asheville, NC. She always kept a certain kind of hand soap on her bathroom sink. Last week (now six years later), I picked up the same soap for my own home, and was taken back to that lovely year and thoughts of my sweet friend and her home.
I remember being six old and waiting at the top of the stairs for my dad to come home from work. When he walked through the door, I jumped off the steps into his arms and buried my face in his oxford-shirted shoulder, and he had a dad smell of mostly worn-off cologne and a long day of work.
Aubrey
[email protected]
My mom would put peppermint behind my ears before I went to bed. It takes me right back.
[email protected]
This description of the Valens fragrance is just divine: Black Pepper * Carnation * Cinnamon * Geranium. Love.
*t
tanvi(at)uchicago(dot)edu
My scent memories are mostly tied to food. In the fall, it's roast chicken and apple pie heavily spiked with cinnamon. Cedar and rose sounds like an intriguing combination!
julieabush(at)gmail(dot)com
My mom would spray her perfume on tissues when she was going out of town and tuck one under each of our pillows when we were little.
[email protected]
I always think of working with PMC (precious metal clay) when I smell lavender oil We add lavender oil to slip because it makes the connection stronger when the piece of jewelry is fired. The added bonus is that the aroma makes the working environment relaxing in the process!
Thanks for the chance to win!
libellulajewelry at yahoo dot com or cicadasilver at yahoo dot com
Mine is more of a kitchen smell. As soon as I smell cinnamon or nutmeg or any of those things, I'm instantly transported to my mom's kitchen.
Meg S
mysecretagentloverman at gmail dot com
I've been a sucker for the Jo Malone line for years. The scents are always so different from other options. However, I recently switched a to a lavender oil that's both relaxing and delicious. I'll have to order some! bookwormmeetsbookworm at gmail dot com.
Thanks!
It is amazing how scents are so closely tied with memories. I was just pondering that last evening because I bought a fall scented candle and lit it. The smell was so fitting for the time of year. Would love to try the perfume…it has been ages since I wore any and I think it is time to start again. Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
Freshly cut grass always transports me to summer weekends in the South. I miss that scent!
[email protected]
You're right — those descriptions are enchanting. I've been looking for a 'signature scent' for myself for awhile now. Maybe this is it?
-Amy K
Smells can be tricky for someone prone to migraines but my earliest perfume was White Shoulders. And for years I have worn Tea Rose. I'd love to try this cedar & rose.
I live outside of Portland so I'm gonna try to locate her products at some of the shops she mentions. Thanks~
The descriptions are lovely–they draw you in like a classic novel and hot chocolate on a snowy day would.
[email protected]
I have been in the market for a new perfume! [email protected]
Oh gosh. I would love to win this fragrance. Either way though, the product looks divine. Her descriptions are my favorite. Thanks! [email protected]
My memory is triggered when I smell a particulat aftershave that me ex used to wear. I couldn't tell you what it is but whenever I smell it on someone else I'm 18 again, back at Uni and head over heels in love!!
[email protected]
my dad is a carpenter, so my most-cherished scent as always been the smell of sawdust. when I was a kid, he always came home from work smelling faintly of sawdust, which, combined with his natural warmth, always made me feel warm and safe. the scent of sawdust is both sweet and woodsy, but above all, i find it to be so warm and comforting. like a hug from your dad, or the man in your life. i would wrap myself up in it if i could. i live in an old forestry town with my husband, and whenever we drive by a mill where they have been cutting, i seriously sniff the air like a dog, practically hanging my head out the window and inhaling as deeply as i possibly can.
i love your description of OLO's Cedar & Rose fragrance. it sounds perfect. i have been wanting to try it ever since Heather announced its release on her blog, and i have always wanted to try her incredible sounding Hair Tonic, so this lovely giveaway is like a dream.
thank you so much,
xo
What a lovely giveaway! I've been wanting to switch up my summery fragrance to something with a little bit more gravity for winter.
My favorite scent-memory is the smell of woodsmoke. My family went camping a lot when I was little, and my mom took great pride in building us the perfect fire for cooking coals and then building it back up into a bonfire after dark. The smell of a campfire always makes me think of snuggly sleeping bags and hot cocoa and how you can catch a whiff of that smoky scent on everything you wore at the fire for the next few days… Heaven.
analisems(at)gmail(dot)com
Sometimes I pull out my old Buster Browns just to smell them and remember what being 5 years old felt like – I'm 40 now!
[email protected]
All during high school, I wore "Heaven Scent" in the colder months and in summer, I changed to "Loves Fresh Lemon" body mist. Definitely a seasonal thing – one heavy, warm, powdery smell; the other bright, crisp, citrusy smell. Oh those days. Would love to try the cedar and rose for Fall. Thanks for the giveaway!
Whenever I smell almond extract I am instantly taken to christmas time with my mom and sisters and I decorating dozens and dozens of cut out cookies. I can't wait for the holidays!
this is a lovely giveaway! toss my name in the hat.
[email protected]
This might sound bizarre, but there's a very poignant smell in European supermarkets which takes me back to Portella, the tiny village in Southern Italy where my grandparents grew up and where I spent holidays as a child. The village has one bar, one church, one pizzeria, and one shop. Somehow in British supermarkets the smell is absent, but occasionally I get a whiff of it – it's a mix of cleaning products, freshly baked bread, cured ham, and sweet treats, all rolled into one mysteriously pleasant concoction. And it brings me straight back to Portella.
rebecca.dimambro(at)gmail(dot)com
One of my favorite scents was also my mother's perfume. She has always worn the same scent, but only rarely. When it was a special occasion, or when we all got dressed up and went some place fancy for dinner. Whenever my mom would pass me and I got a whiff of her perfume, I knew it was going to be a good day. 🙂
-Julia ([email protected])
p.s. this is a lovely giveaway!
I still remember how my first boyfriend smelled. @Sara Kristen I have the same memories of my grandfather, but add a hint of automobile! I currently wear amber oil from Egypt since I am allergic to most perfume. Cedar Rose sounds absolutely divine and a perfect complement of floral and woodsy.
Kandy ([email protected])
:: i live in Seattle and am always looking for excuses to head down to Portland – i think that new perfume is the perfect excuse 🙂 i'd love to try cedar rose.
kelsey ([email protected])
I have been thinking about getting my own custom scent. I'd love to try the Cedar Rose. I have never tried hair oil, but I do have the frizzy thick hair to use it on I guess.
My Geddee (my grandfather on my mom's side) had a distinct aftershave scent. He passed away five years ago but even now when I'm in his home I get a whiff and can feel him hugging me as that's when you got the biggest dose 🙂
rkrose55(at)gmail(dot)com
There is this wonderful smell in the early morning in the small communities in Kenya…. It's a smell that's difficult to recreate. It's the smell of the cool red earth after it's baked the day before…it's the smell of mangos ripening on the trees.. it's the smell of people making their breakfasts and the dampness of night leaving… when I think about my time there it's one of the first things I remember. Smell is such a powerful memory trigger!
mexicansapo(at)gmx(dot)de
Whenever I smell honeysuckle it always take me back to my aunt and uncle's house that I used to visit as a kid. My cousins and I used to pluck the flowers and suck out the nectar. The memory always makes me smile with fondness and nostalgia.
Ah chitty chitty bang bang- good memories! I love the idea of cedar and rose and this is a great giveaway! I'm a big fan of Argan oil too. My parents used to throw big Christmas parties and my sister and I would cuddle up in their king sized bed and watch movies. Before the party started Mom would put a pot of water on to boil with cinnamon sticks and that aroma always takes me back.
social (at) ladomestique (dot) com
The scent of pine brings me back to my grandparents' back yard.
Love your blog.
coppersnowflake(at)yahoo(dot)com
This may sound funny, but when I first started dating my now husband, he had a very distinctive smell that I loved. He always helped out with evening chores on his family's dairy farm so when he would come to pick me up for a date, he would smell faintly of farm and dove soap – a combination I loved. 10 years later we've moved back home and he's started working on the farm again and the smells I fell in love with are back 🙂
[email protected]
When I was little I lived in Haida Gwaii for a few years. Haida Gwaii is a series of Islands off the Coast of British Columbia (known back then as the Queen Charlotte Islands) which are blanketed in old growth forests. When I returned to the BC coast as a teenager the first thing I noticed was the smell of cedar in the air. It instantly brought back memories long forgotten of walks in towering green woods thick with fog, wild grey beaches and cozy cedar buildings. It was my first experience with the powerful connection between scent and memory. I have never been back to BC but love to take a few whiffs of cedar wood when I'm at the hardware store. Perhaps the cedar and rose perfume would be a good alternative to this habit until I can get myself back over there.
Laura (laura.guevremont(at)gmail.com)
Cheap cigar smoke. I realize this might sound strange or gross to some people, but no scent is more nostalgic to me. During my childhood, my dad's side of the family had weekly Tuesday night dinners at my grandparents' house on Long Island (they've since made the trek down to FL). Since my parents were divorced and my dad lived in Brooklyn, this was the one day a week my younger sister and I could see him other than the occasional weekend we spent with him. Every week, my grandpa would drive over to my mom's house in his old, stale cigar smoke-smelling jeep and pick us up after school. That weekly five minute drive was always one of my happiest moments, because it precluded these dinners that were always filled with love, laughter, and the more pleasant scents of my grandma's old-style German cooking. To this day I love the warm, musty scent of cigar smoke and the wonderful memories it brings with it.
Got so wrapped up in my own story that I forgot the contact info!
drewfrohn (at) gmail (dot) com
My grandmother is from South America and always wore this nameless, strong scent. To this day I have no idea what it is. But her furniture smells like it, her clothing, her hair, the whole house. Every time I walk in to their beautiful little house I feel like a little girl again, eating her delicious homemade pasta.
sabrielparker(at)gmail.com
Jasmine Tea reminds me of my Opi (Grandpa)– every day he would make tea with his sugar at 2pm. I remember visiting him in Indiana for two weeks. Everyday, we would sit at the table watching the birds outside. Every time he would add a teaspoon of sugar to his tea his smile would keep growing. I only wish I remember how many teaspoons he actually added to the Jasmine.
Sam
[email protected]
All of the fragrances sound amazing…the forest ones make me think of the woods behind the house I grew up in.
I just posted about my favorite seasonal perfume on the blog the other day. When it gets colder and the leaves chance, the air becomes really crisp I start wearing Tiare Mimosa by Guerlain – it feels like honey and a sunny day in a meadow. Love it!
Katie
[email protected]
http://chestnutmocha.blogspot.com
Jasmine. Every time I smell it, I think of Damascus in better times. These days, it breaks my heart a little.
Fresh rain. It has a scent I swear! I love it. I have always been one to love rain, maybe its because I enjoy hot tea, and a good book, but I LOVE a nice stroll after a rain shower, or even a storm. The calm, and the beauty just sooths me like nothing else.
http://leginge28.blogspot.com/
Scent memory – for me, it's always the smell of travel, especially to Southeast Asian countries. Sometimes it's the smell of a tea or a specific spice, but it always triggers my fondest memories of being overseas, walking through crowded markets, and eating at street stalls.
Hooray for giveaways!
[email protected]
oh shoot, I forgot to leave my email address.
original comment:
This is so exciting! I've been trying to find a new scent for a while – maybe this is it?? My scent memories are from my mother wearing Clinique Happy for all of my childhood, the lilacs along the border of the house I was born in, and the dark spicy rose scent my best friend wore for years.
shivanimb (at) gmail (dot) com
When my best friend and I were younger we both loved the perfume Clinique Happy. But I didn't learn until years later that the perfume was actually called Clinque Happy. I thought it was a perfume called Clinny Cappy-I never put two and two together that Clinique Happy and Clinny Cappy were the same scent. It still makes me laugh and that smell still reminds me of my best friend and our years growing up in Portland.
[email protected]
Jasmine! It makes me think if summer nights with salty skin. OLO's lightning paw takes a nice strike at it.
I've never smelled the Cedar Rose perfume or hair tonic, but if they are half as magical as Dark Wave and Lightning Paw I would love to be enveloped by them!
Laura
laura.g.wing (at) gmail (dot) com
My mom's home has a few gardenia bushes. Whenever they're in bloom and there's a light breeze, the entire garden is coated with the most delicate and romantic scent. You'll suddenly want to pen a sappy love song. My ideal wedding will be filled with gardenia blooms. And if it's an indoor ceremony or there's simply no breeze to carry that beautiful aroma, I'll improvise with electric fans.
Jackelyn
[email protected]
When I was a child and would go to visit my grandmother, Jambee, as we all call her, she would always show me all of her flowers. Roses and hydrangeas and bleeding hearts. The scent of rose bushes always always takes me back to being a little girl at Jambee's house.
Alissa
[email protected]
alissadoyle.blogspot.com
That sounds like a magical smell. I've recently gotten into essential oils and am trying to find a good scent. I'd love to try that one!
xo
missy- thelenssociety – com
Oh wow! Thank you for introducing me to OLO. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and cedar just smells like home to me. I put some in my wedding bouquet! I think I will have to try Dark Wave and Foret as well.
Keri
kkorteling(at)telus(dot)net
Neutrogena shampoo and Fels Naptha will always remind me of my granparent's house. It is my favorite place always.
Kelly
tinywildthings[at]gmail[dot]com
My grandmother is an amazing baker. Her specialty is banana bread. Now, in her late 80's, it's a rare occurrence to see her in the kitchen furiously mashing bananas. I'm actually baking banana bread as we speak, not that mine will ever reach her caliber. As my own banana bread bakes, the familiar smell of cinnamon, brown sugar, and bananas instantly transports me to her old kitchen, covered in flour, watching her mix with a wooden spoon, in an old ceramic bowl that had belonged to her mother. As hard as I try, it will never be as good as hers, but the memory from the smells wafting through my home is worth the try.
Rachel
[email protected]
One my very many favorite perfume's is Ralph Lauren's RALPH. I used to wear it all the time in the early 2000's.
When I recently popped into Macy's to do a little shopping, I managed to come upon a tester bottle in their perfume department. I couldn't resist spritzing some on me and when I finally took a breath I sighed as the memories of friends, family, *NSYNC (heh) and loads of good times assailed me.
joleystar {at} gmail {dot} com
Mom mom always wore rose scents, it reminds me of home…. I also am in love with the smell of pine…. growing up in the pine barrens of NJ, it's another "coming home scent".
Lately I have been more into finding scents for my husband, and recently gave him one that takes my breath away every time I smell it, I'll even hang out in the room he was in when he out it on. and just thinking of it makes me smile. That said Cedar and Rose sound like a wonderful combination.
I forgot to mention how beautiful their packaging looks!
Would love this! I had a funny moment. One time when I was in another country I breathed in and smelled Virginia, the old single woman my family used to visit. I realized I was smelling someone's particular cigarette, and it was then I realized Virginia must have been a smoker!
My Grandmother has worn Calvin Klein "Eternity" for as long as I can remember….it is one of my very favorite scents, because wherever I am in the world, if that perfume drifts by, I stop and think of her.
[email protected]
The Erastus description reminded me of the Thanksgivings my husband and I spent in a small cottage on Nantucket island. We would stoke the fire but the smoke didn't ventilate well so it would fill the house. My husband and our friend used every excuse to slip outside a share a packet of holiday cigarettes. Wet air from the harbor would blow in through a cracked door and the scent of constantly-baking pumpkin pies vied for the strongest smell.
Rachael
[email protected]
I've always had a soft spot for rosemary. Not only was it a cooking staple in my parents' house while I was growing up, but now I use it all the time in my own apartment. And when I studied abroad in the south of France while I was in college, rosemary was everywhere in the countryside. You could just pick some along the side of the road and crush it in your fingers to smell like it for the rest of the afternoon. It's sharp and woodsy and takes over everything else around it (like me! not really). I think cedar is the same way.
[email protected]
Cedar reminds me of opening up the chest my parents used to have at the foot of their bed. It was full of wool sweaters and blankets for winter. I would love to smell this perfume.
The smell of clean, crisp air when it snows or is particularly cold always reminds me of being little and playing in waist-deep snow.
amanda.whitver(@)edelman.com
The smell of my Nana and Poppa's house is one that I will always remember. We used to go every single summer growing up and the upstairs where we slept has a distinct smell to it. Whenever I smell something similar I always think of them. Another scent is the salty air of the ocean, since we used to go there a ton as well. I've always loved it.
nrichardson15 (at) gmail.com
I'm from New England, but I live in Portland, Oregon for now. The way the air smells right as fall sets in is something I've missed terribly the past two falls spent in the PNW.
email: [email protected]
ahh what a great giveaway! scent memories are my favorite. my grandmother wore YSL Opium and every once in a while the breeze will blow in new york and i'll remember her.
moyer.alexa[at]gmail.com
my number one favorite scent is lavender. one of my neighbors has a huge lavender plant in front of their house and in the summers i run my hand through it as i walk by every morning with my dog. i love it.
juliaedavidson[at]gmail.com
This past summer I was an intern for Maak Soap Lab, assisting a glorious and kind lady named Nori. She had bottles of essential oils and bags of things like ground dried berries. Everyday I left smelling wonderful, toting home any leftover soaps. I especially loved the smell of lavender and tea tree oil.
my email: sugoidesuyo(at)gmail(dot)com
thank you 🙂
Oh wow! This give away looks amazing. One of my favorite things to do sometimes is grab my old leather jacket out of the back of the closet and smell it! That might sound strange but I wore that jacket the fall my husband and I got married, and went on our honeymoon. It has that "leathery" smell but beyond that, the scent of the clove cigarettes that I used to smoke (pre baby, and always after dinner hah) and carry in that pocket. It just brings back great memories of my husband and I spending our honeymoon in a tiny cabin in the woods of north carolina, snuggled on a porch swing drinking wine and having a clove after having made a great dinner!
[email protected]
I love a good dusty pine smell that takes me back to my family's summer cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Poppyandsparrow (at) gmail (dot) com
Aha, I was just looking at their website a couple of weeks ago to look at some samples. I love super strong perfume that last forever, and ever since I was 13, I always had strong perfumes. Never the same ones, always on the lookout for new ones to try. I like associating certain perfumes with certain phases of my teenage life 🙂 – [email protected]
For my three-month trip to New Zealand in 2008, I bought a bottle of Jil Sander Sun that I only ever wore there. Now when I smell it somewhere (or take a sniff from the bottle), I'm instantly transported in my mind to that beautiful country.
[email protected]
The scent sounds delicious! I love anything and everything Rose scented.
[email protected]
The smell of listerine always reminds me of my grandfather. There wasn't a morning that he didn't use it and then come barreling downstairs to tickle the grandkids. As we'd giggle and laugh I could always smell it. Precious memories that I will always treasure.
[email protected]
when I turned 10 I was given a (probably 15 bucks) giftcard to Dillard's and with it I purchased a Vitabath lotion/bath gel/loofah set. Looking back it seems like such a strange purchase but I remember there being a lack of Minnie Mouse wristwatches for sale, which is what I really wanted. However, to this day if I ever get a whiff of something that even comes close to the Vitabath original spring green scent I'm immediately taken back. haha, it makes me laugh even thinking about it! its such a strange scent memory!
drhaun at gmail dot com
My husband bought me a perfume for Christmas the first year we were together. It was Neroli, and it's since been discontinued. I have a bottle stashed in my jewelry box that I whiff every once in a while. Not enough to wear, but just enough to keep the scent. It transports me back to that winter automatically. I love it. I've been searching for a new scent for 3 years!! Cedar and rose sounds perfect. My man loves woodsy smells, and with the rose, it will definitely be a perfect feminine accompaniment.
molly(dot)scarborough(at)gmail.com
First off, I am a little embarrassed because I feel like I have had a peek into your life and I don't know you personally. Creepy? Maybe, but I'm Jillian and I have been reading your blog for about a year now. My husband and I live in our own tiny apartment (less than 700 sq/ft) in Philly with our dog Noam Chompsky. There. Now its not so weird.
Speaking of my dog, he is my scent memory. My dog is a city dog, but he loves the out doors. Chompsky runs and rolls in the grass. He collects all those great out door smells that take me back to summer time at the family cabin. Its like I have my own memories to snuggle with! Happy smelling!
-Jillian
jillianalicerobinson (at) gmail (dot) com
balljar.blogspot.com
Fun giveaway! Thanks for hosting this.
the house we moved to when i was in fourth grade had cedar everything: cedars around the house and cedar panelling and beams. we are now selling that house! this bittersweet scent sounds like the perfect reminder!
amy
[email protected]
My Grandmother wore "L'Air Du Temps" by Nina Ricci almost her whole life and I love it.
One day after she had passed away I was having a bad day and driving aimlessly around in her scooby-do (subaru station wagon)and I smelled her prefume so strongly that I had to pull over and turn to see if someone was sitting in the back seat or the back comparment area. After I got over the scare I felt very secure and comforted knowing that maybe she was "there" looking out for me!
Few years before she died my Grandfather passed away just before Christmas. He always gave her a gift set of the perfume so that year she got 3 of them..we thought we would keep on his tradition. While cleaning out his studio she found a wrapped present with her name on it…of course, it was the perfume.
She gave the bottle to me! Although, empty now, I still keep the bottle near a picture of them both! Comforts me to open the top and get a whiff of the lovely smell!
thanks for the chance at a great new smell!
[email protected]
There were a couple of scent memories that came to mind. My Grandmere and Grandpere lived in a cedar house when I was younger and we'd spend a couple of weeks every summer camping in the regional park nearby. During the day we'd spend time at their house and as the sun got really hot in the afternoon, it would heat up the cedar and everything would smell so good.
Contact: [email protected]
My strongest scent memory is from childhood mornings when I had spent the night at my grandparents' house. I'd wake up and walk into their kitchen wrapped in the smell of my grandfather's after shave, regular Chap Stick (who knew it had a smell??), and the coffee percolator brewing coffee for him and my grandmother. I can still smell it now!
ali[dot]hagan[at]gmail[dot]com
My dad bought me my first perfume when I was a senior in high school. He bought Chanel Chance for special occasions and DKNY Apple perfume for everyday use! I still have a few drops left of the Chance! 🙂
anfrensley at gmail dot com
One of my most favorite scents ever is driving up to my house with the windows rolled down and smelling freshly cut grass and knowing that my dad has been busy mowing the lawn!
Best smell ever.
hannahgthweatt[at]yahoo[dot]com
It's hard for me to choose one scent as a favorite or particularly striking one or an encapsulation of any life experience. I agree that rainstorms have acrid earthy smells that mist up hot summer days into your nostrils. Along those same lines, I spent a year and some change in Costa Rica in the jungle, close to rain and MOSQUITOS and, consequentially, deet. Still, bug spray is less of a specific as ubiquitous kind of nostalgia; it sets off a reel of memories.
In terms of smells, there is a new baby in my life right now that I take care of when the mother is doing sane things (brushing her teeth). I've always heard about "that new baby smell" and thought "that's gross and canabalistic." But, I've revoked my prior disdain. While I'm cooking for the mother and her family, sometimes I'm holding little Maxwell in one arm, his tiny head resting heavily right below my chin and nose. It's hard to describe the pungent scent of a baby. It's oddly enjoyable and comforting, the odor of a brand new person.
Forgot: [email protected]
Since I was a child I love the scent of roses. The scent is sweet, but not too sweet. It is there but not too there. I love the greeny scent of the flower. The flower itself we use in all of lives occasions. We use it for weddings, births and funerals. The scent makes me feel special and really feminine. And that is what life represents for me. To feel special every single day. To feel feminine every single day.
The scent I love most of home is the smell of something baking in the oven, especially an apple pie. To smell the cinnamon and sweetness of the apples. I love that smell, it reminds me of home and autumn.
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What a great giveaway! My favorite scent memory is my dad's keilbasa soup … it smells like home to me.
sarah.schewe[at]gmail.com
I LOVE the smell of baked apples. Fall is the best time of year! [email protected]
In high school I would sometimes dab vanilla extract on the inside of my wrists. Sounds strange, but who can resist the smell of freshly baked cookies all day?
Hmmm…scents are tough, and perhaps I'm a bit basic but lavender is my go to. As a child I had problems falling asleep and would put some on my pillow to help sooth me.
adornvintage at gmail dot com
My mom's chapstick and woodsmoke in the fall!
elisabethmncaron (at) gmail (dot) com
I've been a fan of OLO for a while– I would love to try the Cedar & Rose! 🙂 If I don't have luck with this giveaway I might have to check them out in person when I visit Portland next month.
alipps33 at gmail dot com
I love lavender, but also cedar and nutmeg. Hanna at paulieandfrankie at hotmail dot com
Incense and beeswax. I'm Greek Orthodox and in the church the priest always burned incense during the liturgy. I recently moved to a new state and found another Orthodox church, and as soon as I step in the door I'm at ease because it smells like the church I grew up in!
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P.S. Your wedding photos are so beautiful. I'm happy for you and James!
The Valens scent sounds amazing!!
My grandmother has always worn Alfred Sung. She had really been my second mother and we get along like best friends – she taught me how to make a pie, iron a shirt, and strike up a conversation with anyone! She is such a beautiful example of love and femininity for me and now every time I smell Alfred Sung, it reminds me to be like her, graceful and welcoming 🙂
pmholy(at)gmail(dot)com
My mother is a horticulturist thus perpetually smells of turned earth and fresh cut flowers. Never do I pass a gardenia without wanting to hold her.
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i will always remember the smell of the oil of olay that my mother used to wear when i was younger. she wore it for years.
Every time I smell dill at the farmer's market, I am reminded of the never-failing comforting powers of my mother's chicken noodle soup. Mmmm
And, although it must be strange having strangers comment on your wedding photos, have to say, looks like you and your husband orchestrated just the MOST beautiful and magical of days. Supremely loverly. My hat goes off to you.
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I'd be intrigued to experiment with hair oil! The scent sounds lovely too.
rachelquednau (at) gmail (dot) com
Ooo pick me! I saw the OLO link on here a few weeks ago, was intrigued and ordered a sample set. LOVE it! Such unique scents. The cedar and rose sounds like a very pretty and calming scent.
astanoch (at) yahoo (dot) com
Yummy! [email protected]
what a lovely shop! lyndagp at gmail dot com
Oh my, what perfection! My most recent experience with scent memories is a bit odd. The trigger is the smell of strawberry yogurt. Long story short, when I was in middle school, I had just gotten my braces before my family vacationed in Italy for two weeks. It hurt so badly, strawberry yogurt became a part of my daily food pyramid. So whenever I get a whiff of it…it brings me right back to the clean summer air, villas, and family.
My mother is the kind of woman who leaves a bouquet scents in a room after she leaves.
As a child I remember opening her closet while she was at work and a plume of fragrance would escape. The armoire in hall– filled with scarves and coats laced with Tresor.
2 months ago when she stopped by Los Angeles en route home to Texas, she left her scent du jour all over my 6 week old baby boy. That evening I could still smell her perfume on his thin little kimono. And I waited to change his clothes so that the scent could linger just a little longer.
My mum wore Youth Dew. I still have her last bottle, which has a little left in it, on my dresser. It smells of powdery florals, and a little sniff of it brings me so many memories – reading with her, baking, dancing in the kitchen, being put to bed. It's lovely because when you lose a parent, memories fragment and you forget voices and how a hug felt, and just that little whiff of perfume brings some of it back.
My mum wore Youth Dew. I still have her last bottle, which has a little left in it, on my dresser. It smells of powdery florals, and a little sniff of it brings me so many memories – reading with her, baking, dancing in the kitchen, being put to bed. It's lovely because when you lose a parent, memories fragment and you forget voices and how a hug felt, and just that little whiff of perfume brings some of it back.
The best scented memories are my mom's essential oils in the winter, when it was dark and cold outside she'd find the right scents to warm us up!
Can smell the OLO fragances through my computer screen 🙂
Vivi x
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i would love the chance to try this out. especially hair oil, that would be a whole new ballgame for me!
mylettchronicals
i'm fascinated with natural perfumes and scents! Thanks for sharing this brand. love the simple packaging too!
I have a discontinued scent that is chamomile and neroli that I absolutely love. But I'd love to find a new one, and cedar and rose sounds good!
This sounds divine, I currently wear a Sandlewood and Rose blend that I love. I have a the best memories of the smell of my Mum's moisturiser when I was younger and when I moved to NYC from Australia I bought a bottle of it with me for occasional sniffs.
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The smell of my boyfriend's cologne… of which I can't remember the name… always reminds me of our first date! Always.
Whoops! My email is: [email protected]
There's a certain smell that some ziploc bags have and it always reminds me of pre-school. I don't seem to encounter it much anymore but when I do…instant nostalgia!
sarahe.texas[at]gmail
Cedar and rose sound so lovely; I am all about the scents right now too. A scenty memory I cherish is woodsmoke on a chilly morning; takes me back to some of my favorite friends' farm in Kentucky.
melaniefee(at)gmail(dot)com
I just love the fact that scent has such a strong tie to memories. I have a Lavanilla scent that always reminds me of my family in Maryland. Just spraying it makes me smile.
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The smell of sawdust and trident gum will always remind me of my father 🙂
cedar and rose sound like heaven! I have a small square of rose and lavender soap tucked in my drawer at home. A friend sent it to me from Scotland several years ago and, now, every time I get a whiff of the heady scent, I think of her and smile.
I live in Boston now, but was born & raised in North Carolina. Especially this time of year, I smell certain fried foods from vendor carts around the city that take me right back to the State Fair. 🙂
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I love the smell of old books. My great aunt had a book store, and every time I smell old books it remind me of her.
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The first guy I ever dated used this vanilla room freshener and vanilla cologne. Even now, I can't smell vanilla without thinking about him.
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am looking for a new scent.
Very cool link. Now I am tempted to buy their sample package.
ooh la la! So many sense memories… I just picked all of the remaining green tomatoes off of our backyard-brownstone-container garden to get them in before it frosts and now my hands smell like the tomato bush, that fresh sweet-prickly, woody and green smell that reminds me of gardening with my mother when we were both much younger. sbhornsby(at)gmail(dot)com
I love the smell of Cabbage Patch Dolls. I never had one growing up, but every year, Santa would bring my sister and I a new doll and so many of them had that vanilla-powder smell. Yum! thanks for the great giveaway.
mollyt80(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love the smell of Cabbage Patch Dolls. I never had one growing up, but every year, Santa would bring my sister and I a new doll and so many of them had that vanilla-powder smell. Yum! thanks for the great giveaway.
mollyt80(at)yahoo(dot)com
I guess I win just to smell those perfum…
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Sometimes when I hug my little pug and sniff her forehead, she still has traces of my mom's scented face cream from when she was holding her and it's a really comforting smell! The scent of mom and cute doggies…
yannnnnie at gmail dot com
I know this brand! Sadly it's a bit pricey for me so I stick to L'occitane solid perfumes until I'm ready to splurge a bit :/ Their packaging and webpage layout are so beautiful, simple yet refined. I would love to win 🙂
Best regards!
My mail: [email protected]
I never leave the house without a spritz (or two) of my favorite, very light green tea scent. If I'm having a bad day, I'll spray my sheets and even the air around my ceiling fan- it is very comforting and feels like "me". My mother never wore (and still doesn't wear) perfume, but I always wanted to be one of those people who had a signature scent.
erinsparker (at) gmail (dot) com
My grandmother's house had such a distinct smell. When she passed away, my grandpa gave me some of her sewing things in a tin, she had always been an amazing seamstress. Whenever I open that tin, the smell is still there. It's incredibly comforting.
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ooh they sound lovely. I haven't worn perfume since I got pregnant over 2 years ago, but I think I'm ready for a bit of scented loveliness again! I have such strong associations with smells… I remember the scent of the first guy I kissed, and my grandmother's smell when she hugged me. thanks for the lovely giveaway!
I love the scent of my boyfriend's laundry detergent – it makes all of his clothes smell amazing, and the scent always reminds me of him. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!
The promise of rain in the southwestern desert, that is my favorite scent. It's crisp with anticipation, fresh with potential, and one can't help but go outside to feel the breeze blowing in the first drop.
Also, I'm really tempted to order a sample package of some of these OLO fragrances. Thanks for introducing us to this company!
ladaealee (at) gmail (dot) com
Garden Bonfire smoke remind me of my childhood.
i think about scent a lot and many have distinct associations and memories. i just bought a loaf of rye bread and all week have been thinking of my grandma alice. it's a beautiful thing.
my contact info is [email protected].
thanks erin!
when my boyfriend moved back to idaho, he left me his red, flannel jacket. every time i put the jacket on, i can smell his scent and it reminds me of all our wonderful memories. the olo fragrances look divine, and the dafne one sounds like a perfect little reminder of spring for when the fall days get a little too cold. great giveaway, erin!
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San Diego is a lovely city to live in, but smells pretty bad most days (problem of never having rain to wash the city down). I think I need to create my own little fragrance sanctuary. And darnit, I want to smell like a coastal range.
handmadegreen [at] gmail.com
Being from Clovis, which is a stone's throw from Tulare, and having grown up on an orange orchard, I can totally relate to Tulare's citrus smell. We also had a fence full of star Jasmine and often the two smells were one. Cedar and Rose sounds lovely as well.
The aromatic smell of coconut, always transports me back to my childhood days, which were filled with visits to the beach … and having coconut scented sunscreen liberally applied by my Mother.
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