Understanding Scents

Scents are powerful.

Your sense of smell is tied directly to your brain - do not pass go, do not collect 200 gold. It's connected to the part of your brain that stores memories - scents can transport us back in time, conjuring memories and feelings associated with particular places, people, or experiences. This ability to trigger nostalgia or a sense of familiarity is why certain scents can be so emotionally impactful.

Scents can actually influence our mood and behavior. Certain fragrances, like lavender or citrus, are known for their calming and uplifting effects. Others can help us imagine far off places like the sea, the fey wilds, or a zombie fulled tomb. Scents are powerful!


The Scent Wheel

It's tricky to define scents sometimes, so a scent wheel has been developed. It's a helpful tool to identify & categorize scents.

The scent wheel. It breaks scents into 4 major notes - woody, amber, floral, and fresh, then further down within those categories.
Scents are initially divided into 4 major notes - Amber, Woody, Fresh, and Floral. Within each of those notes it can be divided again.

Amber  Notes:
Spicy & Resinous scents - ginger, frankincense
Musky scents - patchoulil sandalwood
 Woody Scents:
leather, cedar - woody scents go here
mossy/herbal - lavender, etc
Fresh Scents:
Citrus/Grassy - Orange, lemon
Ozone/Water - beachy vibe
Floral Notes:
Berry/Juicy - Currant, cranberry
Powdery/Sweet -