Lounge outside an ancient villa.
$59.50
One of the delightful aspects of the world of fragrance —that financiers of the industry will lament—is that there is no universally pleasing scent.
Scent is fundamentally subjective, and because it's so driven by our unconscious, harder to predict. If you and I share a social circle, we likely have similar tastes in visual aesthetics and perhaps music—but there's no telling whether we'll enjoy the same scents.
That's what I keep observing anecdotally at pop-ups where excited visitors will smell a candle and excitedly rush to their life partner. "YOU'VE GOT TO SMELL THIS!" they'll shout, only to get back a completely expressionless stare, accompanied by a baffling response, such as "It smells like ants."
There is some science to back up this idea, as we now know that scent bypasses our rational brain and pulls directly on our emotional triggers, making our reactions deeply personal and often impossible to anticipate.
I was reminded of this by the first responses to Terraces coming through from our mighty Keaper Lab (our top secret group of volunteer Keapers testing upcoming scents). We weren't totally surprised that while the average ratings were good, reactions were highly polarized.
I emphasized in my last email the centrality of our Calabrian bergamot essential oil. Its olfactive co-star is coriander, aka cilantro, an ingredient that puts into hyperfocus just how differently we each perceive scent (and taste).
For some, the smell of cilantro is green, fresh, and pleasantly earthy. For others, it registers as chemical, soapy, or even buglike. Neuroscientists believe this stark division in our perceptions may stem from both evolutionary responses to potential threats and cultural familiarity with the ingredient.
Is this heaven or hell for you? (Photo: Unsplash)
My advice is straightforward: if you detest cilantro, you'll probably dislike our new scent. But if you love it (or feel neutral), Terraces might become your new favorite.
Now, you may be thinking: Why develop a scent knowing that some people will hate it?
You can get a sample of Terraces and see where you fall in our Scent-to-Home sample set ($19 before current discounts - see below). Additionally, you're getting a preview sample in your April subscription shipments.
On which side of the cilantro debate do you stand? Send me a quick reply!
Have a great weekend everyone,
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner