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Peaches and …. sewers

Updated: Aug 16, 2022

I do a lot of fayres and so I get to see people’s unfiltered expressions when they smell my candles. Most of the time I’m glad to say the look is an appreciative one…but not always. This makes me wonder, why it is we sometimes have an aversion to a scent which 99% of people find pleasurable.



For me it’s peach, I can’t bear it. The sickly sweetness brings tears to my eyes. I’ve not always hated peach, in fact, as a child I loved it. I can trace the exact time I went off peach to Gran Canaria, 1997 - my first girls holiday. Too much sun, sea and….schnapps, Peach Schnapps to be precise. Fast forward 24 years and the negative association is still as strong as ever.


What about the opposite? Have you ever loved a smell which most people find repulsive? Petrol? Sharpies? For me it’s sewers. I know, I know. I don’t love it as in “I would buy a candle that smells of sewers” (Gwyneth don’t be getting any ideas) but I certainly don’t hate it. I’ve thought about this a lot and tried to figure out where I would have made this association. It was only on my fifth trip to Thailand that it became clear. Bangkok smells overwhelmingly of durian fruit. If you have never had the delight of smelling this fruit all you need to know is that it is banned on public transport as it smells so bad. Smells just like sewers, in fact……



I’ve had so many lovely times in Thailand, great holidays with friends and family and at many points those positive experiences occurred in the presence of the potent aroma of durian fruit. So now, when I smell sewers, those warm feelings resurface. Classical conditioning at it’s best.


So I’m sorry to say, I have no intention of releasing a peach candle any time soon, but durian fruit…..who nose?


I hope you enjoyed my first blog entry. Let me know in the comments what weird likes and dislikes you have.

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6 comentarios


lawspurs
13 sept 2021

I love the smell of freshly mowed grass. Do you think you could make that Fragrance 🤣

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Caroline
Caroline
13 sept 2021
Contestando a

I could try. It’s a classic feel good scent so you could be on to something!

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Hayley Sumner
Hayley Sumner
13 sept 2021

Oh I love the smell of cows and petrol and really can’t stand lilies! 🤣 As a florist that’s not helpful!

but being a country girl with a motorbike loving Grandad, what’s not to love about petrol and cows!

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Caroline
Caroline
13 sept 2021
Contestando a

I’m with you on the petrol…..but lilies I adore. I wonder how that happened. Definitely not ideal in your line of work!

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deirdre.more
deirdre.more
10 sept 2021

Peach Schnapps eh? Thankfully your tastes have matured.


For me the best smells are diesel and horse manure. One reminds me of many happy hours sitting on my own at the bus stop just waiting for the next big bus to come along. The other - years of mucking out stables and loving every minute of it. You think you could manage those MaMa Bougie?

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Caroline
Caroline
13 sept 2021
Contestando a

I see a theme here. If enough people say this I’ll definitely have to seriously consider these!

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