An Aromatic Life

#98: In this episode, Frauke sits down with University of Edinburgh Senior Lecturer and author Xuelei Huang to discuss her new bookScents of China: A Modern History of Smell.In the conversation she reveals a unique perspective on the smellscapes that permeated Chinese life from the eighteen through mid-twentieth century. Xuelei explains the concept of "smell as the stranger" and shares some of the rich olfactory imagery of 18th century China through references in the novelDream of the Red Chamber. She then tells how nineteenth century Shanghai shows an exemplary depiction of deodorization, which started to happen at that time. And how a subsequent (re)perfuming changed the olfactory smellscape of China once again. Xuelei furthermore showcases the unique way Mao Zedong used olfactory tactics to transform politics in the early twentieth century. Whether you know a lot about Chinese history or not, this conversation will give you new perspectives and leave you longing to explore more.Learn more about Xuelei Huang here:https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/xuelei-huangUse this link to buy Xuelei's book:www.cambridge.org/9781009207041and enter the code SOC2023 at checkout to get the 20% discount (valid until 31 May 2024).Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#97: Tapping into our positive scent memories can be a great addition to your wellness routine. In thiswhiff of wisdom, psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Herz shares how you can harness your positive scent memories to help improve your wellbeing both physically and mentally. Dr. Herz also shares how you can create new scent memories for your children, as well as establish generational scent memories through food.  To listen to the original full episode go to episode #11.Whiff of Wisdom is a new format that's being added biweekly, which spotlights an inspirational insight from a guest on the pod. The goal is to offer you a whiff of wisdom for your aromatic life, as well as give you some inspiration to try new things that use your sense of smell more. Sign up for Frauke's aromatic newsletter at https://anaromaticlife.substack.com/Explore your sense of smell @www.anaromaticlife.comCheck out Frauke's Scent*Tattoo project: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.scenttattoo.com⁠⁠

#96 On this third anniversary of An Aromatic Life, just like every year, Frauke shares what her recent guests revealed when asked “What does the sense of smell mean to you?” This New Year's episode is a chance to reflect on this beautiful, complicated, and under-appreciated sense and ask what it can do for you. It's also an invitation to incorporate more smelling into your life in 2024. Be curious. Be open. And stay connected.Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#95: In this year end episode, Frauke revisits some of her favorite guest insights from 2023.  Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#94: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Rahel Ali of Oudbase to talk about the aromatic resinous material oud. Rahel explains the religious and cultural significance of oud for many around the world, and shares the many ways the wood is used. He talks about how the fragrant material is formed in the aquilaria tree, what parts of the wood are used, and reveals how you can determine the quality. Rahel and Frauke also discuss the issues of sustainability and adulteration, which are big topics for the oud industry. Most importantly, they share their experiences with the scent, specifically its complexity and diversity across various countries. This conversation is a richly educational deep-dive into a highly prized material the world over.Visit Rahel's website: ⁠https://oudbase.com/Visit the Oudbase YouTube channel:@oudbaselondonFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#93: In this episode, Frauke sits down with artisan perfumer Anjali Vandemark to talk about her fragrant journey from her homeland India to her current residence in Bainbridge Island, Washington in the U.S. Anjali shares some of her favorite scent memories as a child growing up in Nagpur and later working in Mumbai. She explains what makes India such an olfactory-rich culture, including what role scent plays in everyday life. She then shares what the scent experience was like arriving in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and how she's come to blend these two seemingly different cultures with joy. Anjali shares how she started her journey as an indie perfumer and what her approach is when creating perfumes. She also gives advice on how to get started as an artisan perfumer and reveals who's been her greatest inspiration along the way. This episode is bursting with fragrant experiences and will leave you thinking more about how your own life journey has shaped your scent preferences over the years.Visit Anjali's website:https://anjaliperfumes.com/Follow Anjali on Instagram @anjali_perfumesFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#92: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Podcaster and Smell and Taste Association of North America President Katie Boateng to discuss how to connect with smells more to enrich daily life experiences when you've lost your sense of smell. Katie shares how she lost her sense of smell and why that's changed her understanding and memory of everyday smells. Frauke explains cross-modal sensory associations and then she and Katie begin a dialogue about everyday activities that Katie wants to experience more fully. These include:Taking a shower (14:45)Rose bushes (28:12)Eating strawberries (34:43)Cutting an orange (38:48)Brewing a cup of coffee (43:45)Being sweaty on a hot day (48:34)Baking cookies and cakes (55:42)Frying bacon (1:02:42)Being at the ocean/seaside (1:06:35)Frauke also helps Katie figure out the best way to pick a perfume and scented deodorant. Whether you can smell or not, we hope this conversation will give you tools and inspiration to enrich your everyday experiences using the senses you have.Learn aboutThe Smell and Taste Association of North AmericaExplore thefragrantica.comwebsiteFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#91: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Attractions & Heritage Scenting Consultant Liam Findlay to discuss how to tell stories through scent. Liam shares why he believes smells are such a powerful medium to convey a story and what elements of a story scent particularly helps to elevate. He gives several examples of theme park rides that use scent to enhance experiences and tells how people react. Liam then shares some of the museum projects he's worked on and how scent helps to build empathy and improve learning. He also reveals an exciting new project he's just launched; a children's book which encourages children to explore and think about the smells in their own lives. This episode will leave you thinking about how you can use scents to tell stories in new and interesting ways.Learn about and buy Liam's new children's bookThe Doom Town Dummies here.BuyThe Doom Town Dummies' Aroma Cube Packthat goes with the book.Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#90: In this episode, Frauke sits down with 9-year-old Xavier the Jr. Fragrance Reviewer and his aunt, indie perfumer Emily Shaber to discuss the value and joy of smelling with children. Xavier shares how his love of fragrance began and Emily adds what she observed. They discuss what smelling activities they do to engage their sense of smell, what strategies Xavier uses to help him describe smells, and how he feels when he smells. Xavier and Emily share how to do a "sniffari" and explain how they stay connected despite living in different cities by doing smelling activities virtually. Emily gives her tips for adults who want to help children engage with their sense of smell more and then Xavier shares his advice for kids, too. At the end, Frauke recaps the various smelling activities you can do with the children in your life. This episode will animate you to encourage children to be led by their nose.Check out Xavier's Instagram account@xavierjrfragrancereviewerLearn more about Emily's fragrance lineShelter in Perfumeand follow her on Instagram@shelterinperfumeFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#89: In this episode, Frauke sits down with art historian, author and educator Dr. Christina Bradstreet to discuss her new bookScented Visions: Smell in Art, 1850-1914, where she examines the iconography and symbolism of scent in nineteenth-century art and visual culture. Christina shares why she chose this specific time period; what was happening culturally and politically, and more specifically how the sense of smell was perceived. She explains the role smell/scent played in communicating what artists of that time were trying to convey, including the portrayal of women & female beauty, racialized constructions of femininity in “Orientalist” scenes, and stereotypical portrayals of race, class, and sexuality. This is a beautiful conversation that will have you looking at paintings in new ways.Buy Christina's book ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and use the code NR23 to get a 30% discount.Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠