YMMV a cop out, or do noses really vary that much?

[Mr. Styptic]

Can the sense of smell really be that different from one person to another? Which frags convince you that's true? What frags don't smell at all the way you expect them to after reading the reviews?

Two examples:

• Many reviews describe Yatagan as a wild beast to be dealt with carefully. Some talk of pine. All I get is straight-up celery from the top, heart and base. Nothing else. How can that be?
• Live Jazz is supposed to be an oriental. I get dairy farm field. I might as well jump into a fresh cow pie with both feet for the same effect. (Some guys like that "animalic/civet" stuff, but that's another conversation.)

Is my nose a weird one, or do some of you have similar experiences?

 

[Mr5x5]

Can the sense of smell really be that different from one person to another? Which frags convince you that's true? What frags don't smell at all the way you expect them to after reading the reviews?

Two examples:

• Many reviews describe Yatagan as a wild beast to be dealt with carefully. Some talk of pine. All I get is straight-up celery from the top, heart and base. Nothing else. How can that be?
• Live Jazz is supposed to be an oriental. I get dairy farm field. I might as well jump into a fresh cow pie with both feet for the same effect. (Some guys like that "animalic/civet" stuff, but that's another conversation.)

Is my nose a weird one, or do some of you have similar experiences?

I can't comment on that specific fragrance but just read up on Lilac Vegetal and you find that YMMV is true. I am part of a small minority that neither loves nor despises it. I got no lilac smell nor urine smell from it, strictly powder and more powder.

 

[Niles]

It is definitely true in my experience that the extent to which noses pick up certain notes varies, as well as how fragrances react on different people's skin. I have experienced this time after time across many years of interest in fragrance.

 

[jwilock]

Do you like chocolate ice cream or vanilla? Hot salsa or mild? Citrus scents or spicy scents? When it comes to tastes or scents that please, or displease, there's simply no accounting for taste.

 

[August West]

It is definitely true in my experience that the extent to which noses pick up certain notes varies, as well as how fragrances react on different people's skin. I have experienced this time after time across many years of interest in fragrance.

+1

 

[Redzone]

Not only does it seem to be very individual it can vary from day to day and season to season. My own example at present it TOBS Vic limes
loved it for a few months had a break now cracked it out for spring and not liking it at all.

 

[Warpiper]

Great question and the short neurological answer is yes, sense of smell really can be that different from one person to another.

The long answer, the olfactory nerve is the only nerve that comes directly from the brain to the outside word. All other nerves get routed through the brain stem or spinal cord. That should give you an idea of how important smell is to humans. Things that can cause us to describe things differently from others include blocked or restricted nasal passage ways (think colds, allergies, and obesity), genetics, receptor or nerve damage, and brain damage/issues. If the nasal passages are blocked or reduced it is harder for scents to make it to the receptor sites. Genetics also play a part. If certain genes are missing or not turned on in the receptor cells, folks will not be able to smell that scent. If you can't detect a certain note then the whole fragrance will give you a different over all smell compared to some one who has the gene that is turned on (think color blindness). If the receptor cells or the olfactory nerves are damaged and not working correctly then the signals will not making it to the brain for proper interpretation. Brain damage or disease can also effect sense of smell. All our senses are interpreted in the brain. Pain included. If various parts of the brain are damaged (think trauma) or dying (think brain degeneration/disease) your brain can not persive or interpret the smell so they don't exist. Because of its connections in the brain a decrease of smell or total loss of smell is a red flag for the medical community to check for brain issues.

I hope that helps.

 

[Warpiper]

Oh, and +1 on different scents with peoples different skin biochemistry.

 

[August West]

The olfactory nerve is also intimately linked to powerful psychological memory triggers.

 

[Warpiper]

The olfactory nerve is also intimately linked to powerful psychological memory triggers.

It sure is. It can bring back joyful memories from many, many years ago or bring back horrors long forgotten. And lack of smell is also highly correlated with psychiatric disorders. Not to be confused with trauma or degeneration.

 

[oakeshott]

The olfactory nerve is also intimately linked to powerful psychological memory triggers.

The part of the brain processing scent is physically proximate to the part that processes memory. So I've been told.

 

[Warpiper]

The part of the brain processing scent is physically proximate to the part that processes memory. So I've been told.

+1 Same with emotion.

 

[Jasman]

It is definitely true in my experience that the extent to which noses pick up certain notes varies, as well as how fragrances react on different people's skin. I have experienced this time after time across many years of interest in fragrance.

Different people definitely have different levels of sensitivity to certain scents, and the nose is a 'trained muscle' to a certain extent, where the more exposure to different scents you get, the more you may pick up different nuances within them that you like or dislike.

We also associate different scents with different experiences; scent is often cited as the strongest trigger for memories. Did you enjoy camping when you were a kid? You might find 'woodsy' scents to your liking because they remind you of that experience. If, on the other hand, you didn't go camping, or got poison ivy, or had some other misadventure in the woods as a youth, 'woodsy' smells could well have negative connotations for you.

 

[Redzone]

Excellent answers Gents

 

[dieselfuel79]

Can the sense of smell really be that different from one person to another? Which frags convince you that's true?

It has to be. A lot of the boys rave about Bay Rum....I think it smells terrible.

 

[The Knize]

Good thread. My impression is that, aside from all of the psychological/associational stuff and the fact that sense of smell is so "primal," which are very, very important, too, the sense of literal physical sense of smell varies so much among folks that if we as humans were as dependent on it as we are, say, on sight, we would not even be able to drive automobiles on a highway. Just my speculating, of course.

To respond to the OP, to me there is a lot going on in Yatagan other than celery, but it is a good nose that picks out that strong celery note, too. I do not think I could have, unprompted, picked that note out as celery, but I would say it surely is. (Not from actual celery or celery seeds, I presume, or even from anything originally intended to smell like celery, but celery none the less.)

If I recall, Live Jazz is related to Kouros (sp?). I like barnyard aromas in scents myself, and in many scents those notes support and prolong other scents. I certainly trust you that they are there and are strong. I cannot think of a scent that is pure barnyard or animalic though. Nothing unusual or untoward about barnyard notes in an oriental, of course.

I am not as convinced as some that variations in skin chemistry play a big part is how a scent smells on an individual. I am convinced it plays some part.

Anyway, excellent thread. [I sprayed some Yatagan on my hand to test this. I forget how much I like that scent. There is uniqueness to it. I cannot decide whether it seems dated. I mostly think not.]

 

[Mick]

Sometimes I wonder if I have the nose of a different animal, not a human. the things I can and do smell on the wind is truly unbelievable. Most people don't believe me when I ask them "can you sell that? Smells like chicken over a wood fire" All I get back is... smells like someone just cut their lawn to me (uh yea, that was me, your standing in the clippings... watch out for that dog... oh never mind...)

 

[john parker]

Point drive home to me very recently. Had a sample of LAShaving Topanga shave soap and a tub of Pre de Provence side-by-side. I say they smell alike; my wife says they are totally different.

 

[August West]

Good thread. My impression is that, aside from all of the psychological/associational stuff and the fact that sense of smell is so "primal," which are very, very important, too, the sense of literal physical sense of smell varies so much among folks that if we as humans were as dependent on it as we are, say, on sight, we would not even be able to drive automobiles on a highway. Just my speculating, of course.

To respond to the OP, to me there is a lot going on in Yatagan other than celery, but it is a good nose that picks out that strong celery note, too. I do not think I could have, unprompted, picked that note out as celery, but I would say it surely is. (Not from actual celery or celery seeds, I presume, or even from anything originally intended to smell like celery, but celery none the less.)

If I recall, Live Jazz is related to Kouros (sp?). I like barnyard aromas in scents myself, and in many scents those notes support and prolong other scents. I certainly trust you that they are there and are strong. I cannot think of a scent that is pure barnyard or animalic though. Nothing unusual or untoward about barnyard notes in an oriental, of course.

I am not as convinced as some that variations in skin chemistry play a big part is how a scent smells on an individual. I am convinced it plays some part.

Anyway, excellent thread. [I sprayed some Yatagan on my hand to test this. I forget how much I like that scent. There is uniqueness to it. I cannot decide whether it seems dated. I mostly think not.]

Well said Sir. That is why dogs can't drive.

 

[Mr. Styptic]

It seems that YMMV is more true with frags than any other product I can think of. Thanks, guys.