Why does this generation want to smell like over-ripe fruit? It seems that pleasant perfume aromas in our parent's generation were things like Tuberose, Lilly of the Valley or White Shoulders. My sister's generation felt that these smells are dated. They liked things that were very strong and that preferably covered the smell of marijuana: patchouli, vanilla, incense, Musk. Those kinds of things have always made me feel nausated.

So my generation has wanted scents that are bit more understated and faintly floral: Jojoba, or Fresh Linen--maybe light lavender/mint or something very mild.

Fast forward to today's generation. Walk into any Bath and Body or Victoria's Secret store and pflam! Right in the face: burnt vanilla-almond, peach, mango-pineapple. It's loud and obvious without any way to be unobtrusive. You can typically smell today's youth before you see them. Apricot-honey-mustard or melon duet. Hug a young person and you will get a nose full of citrus-loquat or something called Ocean that can lift you right off your feet. Why do they want to smell like rancid fruit? Why such strong smells?

What I can't help noticing is that today's kids also cannot tolerate any "normal" or average scents: a house needs to have a scented (strong, nauseating) apricot smell on a whirring plug-in. The bathroom has not only sprays, but a couple scented candles. Of course the shower is loaded with a variety of very strong scented shampoos, soaps, facial scrubs, and conditioner. The bedroom needs to have a candle in it. Even the car has to have some scented dangly thing on the mirror, or a little can of stinky "goodsmell" hidden somewhere. It is torture to those of us who have very sensitive sniffers.

What will the next generation want to smell like? Imagine your grandchild or great-grandchild breezing through your livingroom smelling like tomato-tripe or pumpkin-shallot, or durian-cream-pulp? Make way for the rosemary-lavender-garlic immersed young person, smiling with satisfaction at their almost visible olfactory aura.



Don't misunderstand me: I like a faint scent that is very understated. But it makes me almost ill with nausea and headache to (for example) be sitting in church and have a string of young adult women come in late, sit in front of me, and with their every move, a thick cloud of vaporous air wafts back toward me--and my insides begin to church.

I'm pleased the girls are in church and ultimately that idea holds off any critical comment I may be formulating in my head. But on the inside, I am not reverent or quiet. I am saying things like, "Oh please....what scent are you trying to cover up with that?!" "I think the deacon at the back can smell you. No, probably the guy on the motorcycle flying past the church on the street." It's not good. But I feel so ill that I can hardly hold down my breakfast at times like that.

So I wonder what the future of Sweet Scent America will be. We'll be sniffing.