A season defined by decomposition

Posted by Robin on 13 October 2015 6 Comments

Starbucks had us wrapped around its pumpkin spice-dipped little finger as early as August. Febreze’s seductive fall slogan, “Mmm…smells like sweater weather,” is responsible for the millions of homes smelling of “Apple Delish” and “Jolly Pine.” Yankee Candle’s approach to nasal season is only slightly more subtle: “Autumn in the Park” and “Crisp Morning Air” are on offer for $5.49. That’s a lot of marketing muscle being put toward making a season defined by decomposition into an olfactory event.

— Read more at Why Fall Smells Make Us Happy at Inverse.

5 Perfumes: A Skank Sampler

Posted by Angela on 12 October 2015 317 Comments

skank sampler

Ready to wade into skanky waters but want a little hand holding? You’ve come to the right place. “Skank”¹ usually refers to a hint — and sometimes more — of body odor in a fragrance, occasionally with overtones of halitosis and rotting flesh. (I hope you aren’t eating lunch right now.) Artfully administered, skank can throw a perfume’s beauty into relief. It can feel intimate and sexy. But when you’re not in the mood for it, skank could be just plain disgusting. Skank tolerance is personal. Some perfumistas wear their skank as a badge of honor, like chile lovers brag about downing Scotch Bonnets, but others won’t tolerate a noticeable drop of civet or funky musk.

Here is a skank sampler. Please comment if other skanky perfumes come to mind. I’ve rated them on a Skank Scale of one to ten. One approximates “post-tennis glow,” and ten is “zombie apocalypse…”

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