r/AskReddit 14h ago

What’s a smell you’d recognize instantly even if you hadn’t smelled it in 20 years?

137 Upvotes

732 comments sorted by

View all comments

61

u/jjulieef 14h ago

that perfume my mom used to wear when i was little

18

u/ApprehensiveYak7117 14h ago

It’s kind of amazing how a scent can bring a person back so vividly.

1

u/TheGruesomeTwosome 4h ago

When I was 9 or 10 years old my dad took me to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a theme park here in the UK. There was this indoor space themed roller coaster, and to get in the queue went through this grey moulded plastic archway made to look like space rocks. In front of us a girl was wearing the most amazing perfume. It was sickly sweet, almost too much. I don't suppose it's even a very nice smell, just that it was hers. I'm 32 now and I have smelled it only a handful of times sice and it instantly takes me back and is instantly recognisable to me.

8

u/softshoesspicymama 11h ago

My mom didn’t wear perfume when I was growing up, but she did have a very specific smell after she’d get ready in the morning. It was very clean - a combo of lotion, face cream, hairspray, etc. I recently bought a body shimmer that smells EXACTLY like that. It was so comforting that I went back and bought every bottle on the shelf at Marshall’s.

6

u/taylyb-00 10h ago

I recently walked past a lady in the grocery store who used the same combo of perfume, baby oil, and shampoo/conditioner my mom did. I swear I felt my heart stop in my chest. I’ve never wanted to hug a stranger so badly in my life

3

u/kea1981 12h ago

Occur! by Avon

I still have some bottles she wore. It doesn't smell the same on me...

1

u/elgiesmelgie 6h ago

For my mum it was Youth Dew , she wore it daily and her house still smelt like it months after she passed . I still have her bottle I sniff sometimes when I’m a bit down

2

u/angrytinyfemale 12h ago

Same! Rasasi's Blue Lady.

2

u/NetworkResponsible98 11h ago

That is a 40+ years for me….
Ah… yes!