This Week in Fragrance: Kinky Boots, Smell Dating, Nootkatone and More!

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

Moodiereport.com has news of new scented jewelry: "Noting the “huge success” of its Perfume Necklace, Scento has released its first Perfume Bracelet, said to diffuse perfume for up to seven days. The unisex bracelet, designed for everyday wear, is available in 18 ct gold plated and silver and a choice of lengths is offered. Scento is said to combine perfume, jewellery and style through slow release technology which sprays perfume on jewellery." (Scento.com)

Jennifer Oulette at Gizmodo.com has an interesting article about smell dating! That's right, smelling someone first as a way of deciding if you'd like to date them! "You’re young and single and looking for love in New York City, and the usual online dating services haven’t panned out. A new matchmaking service has a crazy idea: It wants to let you choose a lover by letting you smell a bunch of t-shirt samples." Check out the accompanying video below!

Will Longman of Whatsonstage.com is excited about the forthcoming fragrance line inspired by popular West End musicals such as Kinky Boots, Matilda and the forthcoming Dreamgirls, "The company at the centre of the campaign will also be giving patrons everywhere the opportunity to be a Dreamgirl for 'One Night Only', with another new scent influenced by upcoming show Dreamgirls. An insider told us the plans "have been in the works for a while", and that they are "very excited to open a whole new market"."

In even more theater-related news, Caryn Robbins of BroadwayWorld.com reports that the new musical Waitress, with music by pop artist Sara Bareilles, will capitalize on aroma.  "Audience members who attend the new Broadway musical Waitress will not only get a feast for the eyes, but a feast for the nose as well! BWW has learned that there will be an actual pie being warmed in a convection oven in the entryway of the Brooks Atkinson Theatre to create an authentic diner atmosphere!" Luis from Fragrantica.es recently developed a 3-part series on the use of fragrance in theater arts HERE.

The New York Times (NYTimes.com) just ran a great, short article by C. Claiborne Ray explaining odor fatigue: "Ceasing to smell one’s perfume after continuous exposure while casual passers-by can still smell it is just one example of a phenomenon called olfactory adaptation or odor fatigue. After some time without exposure, sensitivity is usually restored."

Melody Bomgardner of Chemical & Engineering News discusses the use of Nootkatone from grapefruit and cedar as a natural mosquito repellent in science's quest to use fragrance in the fight to stop Zika virus: "Nootkatone, a grapefruit-scented terpene, may become a new addition to the small arsenal of mosquito-control tools that could help stop the spread of the Zika virus, according to Evolva, a Swiss biotechnology firm. A common flavor and fragrance molecule, nootkatone can be extracted from grapefruit skins or the bark of the Alaska yellow cedar. But it is a popular target molecule of synthetic biology firms working to scale-up less-expensive fermentation production routes."

Have interesting fragrance news for us to share?
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