Fragrance speaks...but is anybody listening?

“IT'S NOT what you said. It was how you said it.”

Photo courtesy of Covergirl

That is an oft-heard line heralding the start of another lovers’ tiff, give or take a few words. Believe it or not, when it comes to verbal communications, what is not verbalised is more important than what is. Research studies have estimated that as much as 55% of face-to-face communication is conveyed through body language, while eye contact, facial expression and tone of voice account for a whopping 38%. To be convincing, words alone are inadequate. That’s why 'selling' is probably one of the toughest jobs in the world. Even a 10-second Covergirl commercial makes for a tricky shoot. 

        Anthropologists claim the Neanderthal Man never communicated as verbally or linguistically as we do now, conveying meaning mainly through bodily movements and facial expressions. Clearly, centuries of evolution have not altered our 'default settings' for communication; we are still hardwired to non-verbal modes of communicating though I prefer to describe it as ‘multi-sensory communication’.

       Visual cues continue to reign supreme in face-to-face communication. That’s a given. In a fast-paced society, making the desired first impression has even become a multi-million dollar industry. The right gestures, the right clothes, the right accessories etc. are all important pieces of the image jigsaw puzzle people are trying to create for themselves. But what about the right scent? What does your fragrance say about you? 

       Imagine a well-groomed gentleman dressed in an immaculate 3-piece suit. His shoes are as well-polished as his manners. But he reeks rather obnoxiously of smoke, grease and gasoline.  What might be the impression he’s giving you?

        If I were in a forgiving mood, I’d probably think he’d just doused himself with some vintage Dior Fahrenheit. As a prospective employer however, I might be inclined to view it as an alarming inattention to details. There is of course the equal probability that he is simply a rich guy who does not care if his fragrance rubs people the wrong way.

       As unwise as it is for a person to make assumptions about another, often all we have is a meagre few seconds to convey a positive first impression. Is our ‘scent du jour’ therefore up to the task? Will it be an asset or a liability? Or should fragrance remain an afterthought? 

Would you still find her as attractive if she smells of unwashed armpits?

Scent of a Woman

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

AHH...Who can forget this delightful 1992 movie? Especially if you're a fragrance aficionado. I might not have realized it then but this was probably the movie that sparked my interest in fragrances, though it might have taken almost two decades to finally turn that spark into a flame. Blame it on the ravishing beauty Gabrielle Anwar who played Donna in that movie. I mean which guy in his right mind wouldn't want to play a blind tango dancer and 'cop a feel', all in the name of retakes? Lucky bastard.

      For a brief moment I even forgot what fragrance Donna had on that afternoon, with sillage potent enough to turn a blind guy loopy from a good twelve feet away. 

       "Ogilvie Sisters soap..." Or so the retired colonel guessed, much to the astonishment of the giggly beauty who, come to think of it, could just as well entertain a passing thought: "Just what IS the deal with this old man? Was he a bloodhound in a past life? A Basenotes veteran perhaps?" (Sorry, lol, can't resist.)

As Donna continued to ponder, Colonel Slade's nifty footwork probably dazzled the perfumistas well enough for them to forget the chronological limitations and wonder aloud:
  
 "Hey. Are you certain he didn't say 'old JB's sister's dope' "?


Yes, I'm quite certain the old man knows his soap from his dope. Otherwise, to his young companion Charlie Simms he would have barked:


"HOO-AH! Someone here smells like a WHORE!!"
    

"You smell like a WHORE...!"

SERIOUSLY. How does one respond to such a remark? Not that I was ever the recipient. Even if I was, I wouldn't have the first clue as to what a working girl might smell like. I suppose one could consider a measured response after examining a number of scenarios. Are we talking about scents that pervade the air before or after the 'whoring business' is concluded? Or is there a proven olfactory man-magnet issued to these girls by some red-light district licensing authorities?


       Well, it's a pointless exercise to begin with. I'm not even sure if the remark was meant to be derogatory or simply a heavily veiled compliment. Might it not offer a clue to the person's favorite clandestine activity instead? Whatever the intentions, frankly, I don't give a damn. I'm not about to accost a streetwalker at random and rummage through her handbag in search of her scent of the evening, though I might be tempted if she smells of Chanel No.5 or looks like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman which, by the way is a witty satire about human desires: that women dream of landing rich & handsome boyfriends while masculine fantasies typically involve fancy cars and fat bank accounts to woo leggy beauties with the bedroom skills to match. Ain't life grand?

Photo- courtesy of Touchstone Pictures

      But I digressed. And was probably seconds away from having mace burned into my eyes by the unsuspecting hooker. I suppose a nice set of wheels would help avoid my being mistaken for a desperately broke mugger. Unfortunately, cruising down Geylang 'lorongs' in a Lotus Esprit is not an option available to me (currently). Don't get me wrong. I do like my cars fast and my women beautiful though I'd just as sooner settle for beautiful cars and fast women.


     Until I get to sniff a whore from a safe distance, I'm contented to simply explore the myriad wonders of this little blue planet, share my random musings with fellow epicureans and ponder the mystery of the fairer and arguably more fragrant sex. Hoo-ah! Now where is grumpy ol' Colonel Frank Slade?