What I love about Margaret Atwood is her ability to set the mood for her story settings as well as her sensibility in conveying characters’ internal thoughts in her novels. I like her exceptional ability to draw readers in and to capture moments in time; of these moments, her description of the characters’ sensory experiences is especially riveting.
In her novel Alias Grace, the aroma of freshly laundered clothes and sheets is for Grace a moment of rest from her duties as a house maid and solace from ghastly situations. The clean scent is described and depicted along with clear, vibrant images that, in Grace’s mind, evoke pure, godly, and heavenly symbols.
“I did love the smell of laundry dried outside, it was a good fresh smell; and the shirts and the nightgowns flapping in the breeze on a sunny day were like white birds, or angels rejoicing, although without any heads.”
“I stood for a moment admiring my handiwork; for there is a great deal of pleasure to be had in a wash all clean, and blowing in the wind like pennants at a race, or the sails of a ship; and the sound of it is like the hands of the Heavenly Hosts applauding, though heard from far away. And they do say that cleanliness is in next to Godliness; and, sometimes, when I have seen the pure white clouds billowing the in the sky after the rain, I used to think that it was the angels themselves were hanging out their washing; for I reasoned that someone must do it, as everything in Heaven must be very clean and fresh”.
These vividly described passages allowed me to take a fragrance journey to conjure the scents evoked in these scenes. Two fragrances best capture what I imagine Grace’s laundry would smell like:
Philosophy Pure Grace. Aside from carrying the same name as the novel’s protagonist, this fragrance is how I envision Grace’s crisp, freshly laundered sheets and shirts to smell as they dry in the breeze. Notes of musk, water lily, and leafy greens are delicately blended to convey a sensation of purity that recalls French milled soap. A graceful, subtle, and innocent composition.
Byredo Blanche. Dedicated to the color white, this scent evokes to me the pure cloud wisps imagined by Grace as she admires her laundered garments flapping in the wind. Effervescent aldehydes, biting white musks, and light notes of violets and peonies come together to convey an airy, angelic, natural-soap aura.
As I continue my clean scent journey, I am led to the smells of laundry detergents and body bar soaps:
Clean Warm Cotton. Less reminiscent of white clothes washed with natural soaps and more of freshly laundered cotton shirts straight from the drier, this fragrance gives off a comforting, yet slightly sharp aroma from the citrus and lemon verbena, while fruity notes and orange blossom add a slight sweetness. To me, this smells like laundry detergent and fabric softener.
JLo Glow. Inspired by the scent of freshly showered skin, this is the quintessential bar soap fragrance. A neroli, orange blossom, and grapefruit opening is soon followed by a delicate floral heart and assertive musk, orris, and amber base. This is effervescent, clean, noticeable, and long lasting.
The next step on this journey takes me to a more general idea of clean smells that are comforting and familiar, or bright and clean like air on a crisp cool morning:
Dyptique Fleur De Peau. With notes of iris, ambrette, and musk, this is a fragrance I immediately associate with the scent of young, squeaky clean skin. Comforting, cozy, slightly powdery, but not overly soapy, this is reminiscent of the scent of a baby’s neck.
Penhaligon Artemisia. As I sniff this sunny and sophisticated fragrance, I think of many fresh and clean scents in the outdoors: tart crunchy green apples and sweet juicy nectarines; green nuances, subtle florals, and tea notes; finally, clean musks, airy oak moss, and a touch of sweet vanilla.
Finally, my journey comes full circle with the creation that revolutionized perfumery by popularizing the trend of fresh and clean scents:
CK One. This scent symbolizes freedom, tolerance, and equality. With its bright, sharp, and spicy notes (citrus, green tea, cardamom, nutmeg, rose, amber, musk among others), this is the first fragrance that made me think of laundry detergent cleanliness.
What I love about perfumery is how it enhances other passions and aspects of my life, like imagining scenes from books. My library of fragrances helps me envision a fictional mood and make it real.
I reviewed each fragrance from my personal bottles or samples.
Photos by Sarah.
Source: “Alias Grace” by Margaret Atwood, 1996.
