Do you have good olfactory memory? What smells or scents remind you of periods in the past?

For example I remember the 'Impulse' deodorants were very big here in the 1990s like 1992-1995. Many women wore it so for me it's the most 90s thing.

A typical 60s-70s smell is that of vinyl car seats or vinyl car roofs. You can't mistake it. I first experienced it in the 90s of course so for me that old car smell reminds me of the 1996/1997 school year. The sweet smell of fallen yellow poplar leaves defined my childhood autumns. Most poplars were removed, so I no longer experience it.

The long-forgotten old school building and chalk smells defined my school years from 1995 to 2001 (when I moved to a more modern school) or circa 2005 when chalkboards were replaced with white boards.

As for 2013/2014, that's more personal but my office back then smelled like lily-of-the-valley due to a dispenser spray. Our toilet paper smelled like peaches lol.  ;D

I also remember a thuja smell as my office had thujas in front. Also, forest smells in general (office was next to a forest). Green apple scented incense sticks (by the HEM corp.) were all the rage here in spring 2014. For some reason their smell reminds me of... fresh rain that meets an apple scent lol:
https://www.incenseontheway.com/images/products/greenapple_120stick_hem.jpg

So what smells and scents define specific decades or years for you?

Axe body spray with my middle/high school gym locker room days in 2004-2008  8-P

In general, I remember wearing cologne used to be borderline mandatory at my school in the 2000s. Towards the end of the decade people opted for scent-free deodourant, which was a relief ;D

Axe body spray with my middle/high school gym locker room days in 2004-2008  8-P

I remember Axe from the 90s but it didn't smell nice I reckon.

1990s: Exclamation

2000s: Unruly(my favorite scent ever!)
            The Healing Garden

2010s: Body Fantasies Hearts & Daisies, and Sweet Pea.

Not so much about specific eras as it is specific places.

Last year, I found a bottle of Zany perfume for sale on line. Zany has been discontinued for quite a while. I never wore the perfume so why would I buy a bottle? When I was 17, I did summer stock. One of my jobs during the play Chapter Two, was to man the prop table on Stage Right and one of those props was a bottle of Zany. There was a scene in the play where the actress would spray the perfume all over. Maybe about two minutes or so after she sprayed it, the smell came drifting back to me. So, for two weeks (twice on Wednesdays) except Mondays, I smelled that perfume. So, when I bought the bottle, I wanted to be taken back to my days at the theatre which was one of the best summers of my life.


Cat

In the early 70s, there was a brand of "essential oil" called Spiritual Sky, generally sold in headshops. I remember the strawberry and the patchouli specifically. If I were to smell one of those now it would bring me right back. A quick glance online shows me that the Spiritual Sky oils still exist but I have no idea if they smell the same or even if it's the same company. The design on the label looks different. Back then you could get these for $2 or less.

Back in the mid-eighties I wore a red Impulse spray - not sure of the name of it. More recently my husband had some toiletries that came in red packaging and they smelt exactly the same. It took me straight back to my teens.


The smell of popcorn cooking reminds us all of the smell of the local Target in Manchester CT.


The scent of a new car reminds me of my grandad as he replaced his car every year or so and could afford a new car - not like the old bangers my dad drove!

Early 90s for me was Nexxus hair conditioner.  We couldn't afford it all the time, but the haircut lady would put it in my hair.  There were also several girls at school dances who used it, or something that smelled just like it.

Early 90s for me was Nexxus hair conditioner.  We couldn't afford it all the time, but the haircut lady would put it in my hair.  There were also several girls at school dances who used it, or something that smelled just like it.


I'm a dude but I bought a bottle of their conditioner because it was recommended to me for my frizzy hair. Needless to say I smelt like wonderful flowers, and my hair was silky and luscious for those two months

;D This topic sounds hilarious! I feel like everyone is born with a natural scent that might change as they age. Your natural scent as a baby is different from your natural scent as a kid, young adult, middle aged adult, and elderly adult. Your natural scent combined with brands or scents of deodorant or cologne can give you a variety of smells. Natural scents of Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, etc are specific. Man I haven’t lived long enough but I wouldn’t be surprised if scents have evolved throughout the decades.