Empowerment. Engagement. Authenticity.
Smell the Roses - For the Love of Men
Shopping for men is a hassle in my opinion and the month of June just about drives me nuts. Both my brother and my boyfriend are born in June and there’s Father’s Day that lands on or pretty close to that.
I usually hit the stores about three weeks before, with absolutely no ideas in my head as to what to buy. I don’t browse in the men’s department often and the shoe-polish smell of leather belts and wallets gets my adrenaline pumping. It’s so refreshing to be away from the apples and papayas of the Body Shop, the rose and lavender of the makeup counters, the pumpkin-pie and cherry-blossom fragrance oils in home décor. One appreciative sniff of rainforest and sandalwood makes me realize how annoyingly sweet the rest of the mall smells.
I spritz a sample of Yves St. Laurent’s Body Kouros on my wrist. Ah, the harmony of raw wood, almond oil and rainwater…so natural. I waft Calvin Klein towards my nose: not as sophisticated, reminds me of the smell of new denim jeans. Moving on to the wallets, I finger Bill Bass and Samsonite, the scent evoking images of boardrooms and tower buildings. Among the clothes racks, there is just the clean scent of cotton.
Two hours pass by and my feet get tired. I notice how pungent shoe polish is and wonder why men complain about the scent of nail lacquer. I look towards the glass swinging doors where I can see the midday summer sun and wonder why the air is so peppermint and spice. It occurs to me that I need greeting cards and gift wrap. With a sigh of relief, I emerge into the main mall, warm with the smell of coffee, jellybeans and potted daffodils. I still have weeks left to shop.
(c) Kristy Kassie, 2006
The Five Senses
Effective writing requires more than vivid visuals descriptions. To draw readers into your writing, introduce smells, sounds and tastes. Eating a croissant in Paris is different to sipping espresso in the same setting. Entice readers by engaging all the senses.
Reference: Judy Reeves - Writing from the Senses
