Finding your signature scent: ETHER WOODS or SUR ARIZE
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Time to read 4 min
The whisper of a perfume left behind when someone walks by, alters your brain chemistry in way no other sense do.
THE CHEMISTRY OF BEING NOTICED
(and never forgotten)
Unlike sight or sound, scent doesn’t take the scenic route. No detours, no layovers. When you smell something, a lover’s cologne, your grandmother’s powder puff, the rain on summer concrete, it bypasses the brain’s usual border and heads straight to the olfactory bulb, which just so happens to be linked to the amygdala and hippocampus. Translation? Scent goes straight to the places in your brain where emotion and memory are at their highest.
So when someone smells like jasmine and heartbreak, or bergamot and becoming, it’s because scent lives not in the air, but in the echoes of memory. One inhale and you’re 17 again, sitting in your mother’s car, or standing too close to someone you shouldn’t be falling for.
Scent doesn’t just trigger memory. It builds identity. That’s when confidence becomes chemistry.
YOUR SIGNATURE SCENT ALREADY EXISTS
(It's just waiting to be named)
We all have that moment. You turn your head, subtle, instinctive, and you’re hit with that scent. It’s not familiar, but it feels like something you’ve known forever.
The truth is: we’re all born knowing what we like. But modern life, with its marketing gloss and perfume counters that smell like chaos, has a way of confusing us.
Image from Mmoire
A MINIMALIST MAP FOR MAXIMALIST FEELING
Your signature scent isn’t something you have to find. It’s something you come back to. Meet the fragrance wheel. It isn’t about boxing you in. It’s a reference, a compass, a guide. Imagine a delicate line drawing, no colors, just possibilities. On one end: floral, citrus, aromatic. On the other: woods, amber, musk. Somewhere in the middle? You.
Image from Mmoire
HOW MMOIRE DOES FRAGRANCE
(Spoiler: It’s not by the rules)
At mmoire, we believe perfume is a paragraph in the story of becoming. We don’t do clichés bottled in glass. We do character. Curiosity. Chemistry.
Our fragrances are genderless, layered, and built with both natural and synthetic notes, because longevity matters, and so does the planet. These aren’t scents that perform. They evolve. Like a plot twist you didn’t see coming, but suddenly makes perfect sense.
What It reveals: You lead with grace, but never softness. Sur Arize is for the kind of person whose silence says more than most people’s speeches. She’s not waiting to be noticed. She’s letting you catch up.
Sur Arize
Fragrance wheel placement: Think Soft Floral kissed by Fruity Green, a terrace at golden hour- Notes: Bergamot, cedar wood, lavender, oakmoss.
- Mood: A summer afternoon in Provence, barefoot on cool tiles, glass of something pale and perfect in hand.
- For whom: The romantic realist. She dreams in detail. She doesn’t need the room to know she’s arrived, she is the room. Image from Mmoire
WHO ARE YOU IN THE WORLD OF SCENT?
Maybe you’re a Sur Arize today and Ether Woods tomorrow. Maybe you are a blend of both. Maybe you change with the seasons, your moods, perhaps you layer them both on your skin. And if you do layer them? There’s an art to that too, one we’ll explore soon. Because when done right, layering doesn’t confuse the story; it deepens it.
And maybe, just maybe, your signature isn’t one scent, it’s the freedom to wear what suits your story.
So spritz generously. Walk slowly. Let them remember you for the right reasons.
Because in the end, a signature scent isn’t about permanence. It’s about presence.
mmoire. Scent like a secret, shared.
What It reveals:
Ether Woods is worn by those who move through the world like a well-kept secret. Unrushed. Unbothered. Understood only by a few. It’s for the ones who find beauty in the in-between, between silence and speech, presence and absence, nature and abstraction.
This scent doesn’t decorate you. It reflects you, layer by layer. A green, spiced opening gives way to smoky woods and soft resins, like memory catching in the throat. Molecular notes lift the structure, giving it breath, space, emotion. It smells like intelligence, like restraint, like someone who’s rewritten their own rules.
Ether Woods
Fragrance wheel placement: Dry Woods meets Mossy Woods: it’s the library at midnight of scent.- Notes: pink pepper, coriander, clove, patchouli, cerdarwood.
- Mood: A walk in a forest where you lose track of time: and yourself.
- For whom: The observer. The wearer of black cashmere and well-kept secrets.
Imag/products/sur-arize-50-mle from mmoire
Further Reading:
For more detailed information on the relationship of scents and emotions, check out Maison 21G or The Harvard Gazette.
Practical Applications of Perfume Psychology
Understanding the psychological impact of scents can have practical applications in various fields:
1. Marketing and Retail: Businesses often use scent marketing to enhance customer experience and influence purchasing behavior. For instance, the scent of freshly baked cookies in a store can create a welcoming atmosphere and encourage shoppers to linger longer, potentially increasing sales.
2. Personal Well-being: Individuals can use scent to enhance their daily lives. Incorporating calming scents into evening routines can improve sleep, while energizing scents in the morning can help kickstart the day with a positive mood.
3. Therapy and Healthcare: Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that uses essential oils to promote physical and emotional well-being. It's often used to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders.
Conclusion
The relationship between perfume and psychology highlights the profound impact that scents can have on our emotions and behavior. By understanding the science behind this connection, we can harness the power of fragrance to enhance our well-being, improve our environment, and influence our actions in subtle yet significant ways.
Incorporating the right scents into your life can be a transformative experience, turning everyday moments into opportunities for emotional enrichment and personal growth. Whether you're seeking relaxation, energy, or a mood boost, there's a fragrance out there that can help you achieve your desired state of mind.
Can’t get enough of the perfume industry? We recently wrote a blog about ‘Pheromone Perfumes’ and how you can discover your Signature scent: ‘A guide to finding your perfect perfume’
