by Odette Toilette, founder of the renowned series of Scratch+Sniff fragrance events that celebrate the art of niche, haute perfumery

Think back to your childhood, and try to remember the smells that have stuck with you through your life…..Christmas trees, Birthday cake icing, Daz, summer grass, bonfires? Or maybe something particular to you, like the perfume your mum wore and that you secretly tried when she wasn’t looking, or the greasy twinge of your school canteen, or the suncream you put on at the beach. Or even your doll’s hair (fact: different dolls each have their own smell). Just take a moment to file through your mind and dig out some scents…..

If this is all bringing back an explosion of memories, then you might need to head down to Scratch+Sniff, a regular evening event I started last year in London, which is all about having adventures with fragrance. Think wine-tasting with perfume, without the coinnoseur expectations. Rather than simply focussing on what notes are in the fragrance, we look at creative and fun ways to experience, enjoy, and talk about perfume.

We’ve done events about textures where everyone dipped into a bag of myriad materials – from bubble wrap to velvet- in conjunction with perfume-sampling. We’ve done similar experiments in music. We’ve taken a trip down memory lane looking at our teenage years through the perfumes we wore back then (whether Pachouli Oil or CK1 was your thing). With guest speakers, lots of sampling, meeting new people and a glass or two of wine, it’s the perfect occasion for a date or alternative night out.

On Tuesday 21st June, head to East London’s The Book Club and fasten your seatbelt as we dive into the connections between fragrance and growing up, when many of our likes and dislikes around smell are formed.

Excitingly, the team at Escentual.com will be providing lots of incredibly evocative fragrance samples aimed at triggering those long lost memories, including scents from niche perfumer CB I Hate Perfume. Take a look at At The Beach 1966 for example, a personal recreation from nose Chris Brosius about surfing down at the coast, right at that moment in time.

Whether you’re a fragrance aficionado, or dipping your toes into the world of scent, book your ticket, ready your nostrils, and join us for the olfactory adventure.

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Scratch+Sniff’s Scent and Childhood event takes place on Tuesday 21st June at 7.30pm

At The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4SX

Advance tickets £12 from Scratch+Sniff