I’ve sniffed countless “summery vibe” scents and spritzed many fragrant “sunny” perfumes. One of my favorite memories is inspired by summer’s smells. Capitola 1986. The Car’s “Magic” playing on the Boombox while us “Summer, Summer, Summer” gals took to the beach to work on our tans. With “Sun-In” in our hair, our neon bikinis on display for the towel line-up, we lathered on Bain de Soleil like artisan craftswomen and basked in the perfect scents of summer. Memories are still triggered when I get a mixed whiff of sunscreen and pina colada!
As the saying goes, “If we could just bottle it”. Well, it seems that someone has, and it’s aptly called “Vacation”. According to brilliant designers of Vacation Inc., “The signature scent of the “World-Famous” Vacation® brand sunscreen developed in conjunction with ARQUISTE Parfumeur and Rodrigo Flores-Roux. Smell like sunscreen and summer, sprayable on demand.”
This scintillating potion blends “classic sunscreen notes” with hints of coconut, banana, pineapple, and orange blossom. Adding “classic poolside notes,” including pool water, pool toy, and swimsuit lycra, the brand has captured the scent of the ultimate vacation experience. One of the reasons its popularity is that perfumes are like time machines bringing about nostalgic memories. With each sniff of the bottle, “Vacation” teases a person’s memory to transport their senses to a vacation place of reference…preferably a pleasant one.
The www.discovery.com’s article “Why Smells Trigger Such Vivid Memories”, asserts, “When you see, hear, touch, or taste something, that sensory information first heads to the thalamus, which acts as your brain’s relay station. The thalamus then sends that information to the relevant brain areas, including the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, and the amygdala, which does the emotional processing. But with smells, it’s different. Scents bypass the thalamus and go straight to the brain’s smell center, the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, which might explain why the smell of something can so immediately trigger a detailed memory or even intense emotion.”
Believe it or not, SensoryCo scent designers constantly search for unique aromas and toe-curling odors to create the most realistic smells for our scent machines. We meet with olfactory experts and dynamic perfumers to refine our scent profiles with the goal of evoking a response. One of the most powerful tools for grabbing attention is to court a memory response. As scent developers and artists, SensoryCo scent palettes are designed to touch upon our sensory system to complement different interactive environments. Colors, smells, sound, taste, and touch all work together in curated exhibits and themed spaces to give guests a totally immersive, feel real, experience.
SensoryCo believes in the power of scent to enhance interactive experiences and inspire a reaction. Our scent machines bring themed environments and staged scenes to life, often capturing the essence of a specific time or place buried within our memories. Whether your nose takes you poolside in Palm Springs with pink flamingo floaties or to the sandy beaches of Hawaii, we challenge you to ask… can “Vacation” be caught in a bottle?