venerdì 31 gennaio 2014

Smelling more, smelling better.



Luigi Russolo, "Profumo", year 1910



We are used to smelling paper strips for convenience, reliability, and practical purposes.
Unfortunately, paper is NOT the best material to smell. There is something better. It's the heavy, complex, "winter-season" fabric. Your heavy coat, for example. Or a "furry" synthetic coat.
Why? for a simple reason: complexity in structure. It's not "flat", but almost three-dimensional.
Fabric is not flat as paper is, but it's thick and with complicate structure. When you spray perfumes all over fabric, a bigger amount of perfume will be trapped. Perfume molecules will adhere on every point of the fabric 3D surface.



Paper has a 2D surface
"Heavy" fabric has a 3D surface, and will "trap" more perfume.


Physically said, fabric is better than paper because the same squared (2D) surface has a bigger 3D surface available. This means there is more space available for molecules to adhere on.
Roughly said, fabric will contain more perfume molecules trapped.
And you will seem to smell more intensely.
Actually, you are smelling almost the double of perfume, on the same smelling surface.

Perfume will last a lot more on fabric, at least two or three days; and if you put your nose "inside" perfumed fabric, you will "catch" even the subtle notes you find difficult to smell on paper, because, being in a bigger amount, they will appear more strong and intense.


Traditional large smelling paper strip: the "flattest" surface.

Cotton shirt : not so good, it's too "flat" for ideal use.

Cotton Sweatshirt. barely usable.

 Flannel: not bad for smelling purpose.

Fleece / pile: this is very good


Here are some examples of "heavy" fabrics: 
all of these are perfect for accurate, analytical smelling

"Furry" synthetic coats


"Furry" synthetic coats



The most practical way to use fabric for smelling purpose is to cut some old clothes you don't wear anymore. With a pair of scissors you could cut small squares of heavy fabric (an old coat, not used anymore) and use it for your experiments. Remember to wash periodically, and not to spray different perfumes in the same zone, because you will obtain a "perfumed mess". 



I strongly suggest you to use fabric instead of paper for "analytical" purposes, i.e.when you want to explore all notes contained in a perfume.
Spray at least two times on the same zone, and wait a few seconds to let alcohol evaporate.
Put your face inside the fabric and smell, smell intensely for many seconds. Deep smells.
You will be surprised on how better you will smell your perfume. Enjoy!

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