Sense of smell is unique because it goes directly to your brain without passing through the thalamus. This is why the sense of smell is powerful for triggering emotion and memory.
So, what smells do you really enjoy?
I personally love the smell of peppermint, pine trees, and pumpkin pie. (Though not all at once!)
Barbequing chicken. I don't even eat meat, but the smell of it grilling is wonderful.
Jim Gaffigan has a joke I always loved: I'm a vegetarian, but not a strict vegetarian. I eat beef and pork. And chicken. But not fish, because fish is disgusting. How can you tell whether fish has gone bad? It smells like fish either way. Well, this smells like a dumpster; let's eat it!"
Patchouli on a beautiful woman gives me some amazing visions.
That is one people either seem to love or hate. I love patchouli.
It's often vague but powerful, a trigger to some lost event, a deep primitive reaction. The evocative fragrance is often accompanied by the sunlight at a particular time of day and a particular season off the year. I'm almost always left with not knowing what the connection is.
New leather
fresh cut grass.
There used to be a GAP candle that smelled just like a newly mowed lawn and Oh how I wish I'd gotten a caseload of those suckers before they got discontinued.
You ask the greatest questions Silvereyes
@silvereyes They used to. Idk if they still do but found myself missing that "grass" candle and got a bad knockoff on ebay a few years ago & gave up trying to find it after that.
@silvereyes I'll have to check that out thanks.
My personal favourite smell is the scent from frangipani, or plumeria flowers.
cucumber and fresh cut grass
Cucumbers are such an optimistic scent. Love that too.
Gardenias, Magnolias, and newborn babies smell sweet.
Top 3
Freshly Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Recently washed hair with coconut shampoo.
Cucumber melon body wash after showering.
Unfortunately, I don't have a strong sense of smell and it is not consistent. But there are some that do trigger memories. I remember being in an antique shop and the smell reminded me of times at my grandmothers house.
Years ago I remember going on a tour of a famous perfume factory. We were told that all the 'super smellers' were men. A woman asked why men, she thought it was a form of discrimination. The answer was that it was discovered there was a non-lethal brain tumor that affected one's sense of smell and the tumor was only found in men. The woman was satisfied with this answer.
The smell of boiling wort. (...I make my own beer from scratch.)
@VictoriaNotes list sounds sumptuous. I think I can smell her from here...