Re-gaining one’s smell is a marvellous experience and Losing it, is too !

It is like being re-born with a 100% enthusiastic and positive approach. I now like all the smells. Yes I do.

Contrary to what we all think, losing one’s smell comes with many advantages. It is like being re-born or having the chance to go back to one’s lover, to one’s passion, to embrace life again. Granted that in the end we know that our smell will come back for sure.

Here is my story: I woke up one morning and realised I could not smell anything. Spraying perfume onto my skin, felt like splashing water, my wrists were wet and that was it. I could hardly believe it. It happened without warning. I went on a frenzy of testing smells. Smell the coffee? Nope. Smell the toasted bread? Not that either. Smell that perfume powerbomb? Not - at - all. However, I realised not smelling brings many unexpected advantages:

·      Awful smells are gone, those who used to provoke nausea no longer bother me, sweat, cigars, dog poo, petrol, tartufo … I simply do not care anymore. Apparently, I still need to shower every day

·      Mouth is king, as I need to compensate for my loss of smell, I put everything to my mouth like a baby. Some people think I have simply gone mad or possibly taken a class for wine tasting or gourmet food. They believe I have a new obsession so that I take forever to sip through my glass or eat my dish. I also tend to eat more to keep on training my brain ‘sensors’ as taste and smell are connected, what a splendid excuse

·      Overuse excused, I overdo spices, there is no ‘lack of taste’ here, there is too much taste in everything I cook. Too hot it is. I also put too much perfume on, well, that is what they say, surely, they do exaggerate

·      Memory lane, I use my brain to give me back memories of smells and what emotions they had triggered. This nostalgic exercise encapsulates powerful and useful information about perfumes

·      Learning patience, time is in no rush. One month may be, more. When I started smelling again, I realised I only had pale, unfocused, and ephemeral smells. Like an old black and white picture which had faded. There was no power and no diversity. I could catch a glimpse of a perfume composition. I sensed short-lived top notes and they disappeared ever so quickly

·      Playing games,  trying to guess a smell is fun. It induces higher concentration, focus and once again dotting down words, colours, emotions that spring to mind. Learning by playing is not only for children, believe me, it works

·      Eagerness to smell again, one is looking forward to getting that experience again. It feels so precious. What was for granted is now special. One also wonders how and when it will come back. As if one is waiting for one’s lover to come back home from a trip, anticipation is there, desire to meet again

All-right then, the wait suffices, I have been patient enough. I want my smell back. Guess what gave me the most utterly delightful pleasure? The smell of the rain, the wind, the wet grass, the fallen leaves. In a nutshell, nature elements. Beauty. Put simply. Who knows if my being re-born has granted me with a more powerful nose? Have I possibly enriched my smell palette and its power? Delicate, Powerful, Diverse, Irresistible perfumes, they are all mine…

No need to worry though I have not turned into Grenouille, the famous character from the book ‘le Parfum’ by Patrick Süskind. I have not become dangerous. I have simply become permanently amazed at all the smells that surround us. I simply stop and smell the beauty all around. Apparently, it is totally unbearable to go for a walk with me. It takes forever as I constantly stop to marvel at a flower, or a smell I sensed. To my great disarray, I have noticed that I am undergoing a perfume plundering phase. I was already addicted. Now, I am hopelessly hooked. I am trying out new perfumes every day. The sticky point is that I like them all. In the past, I used to be quite picky. Being re-born has the consequence of being candid, like in Candide of Voltaire. Fair enough. All for the best!