Hermès Original

Our sense of smell transports us quicker and more directly than any other of our senses. It can make you feel within the embrace of a grandparent, in the kitchen of our mothers, back in the alley of Morroccan medina or in our youth as the wind lifts the cut grass through the air and across our faces. On the daily, smell may be less used than our other senses, and with pregnancy, or at least mine, it became completely fucked. But it’s another moment for expression. 

Smell on your personhood is an interesting thing, it’s a purely outward action. It’s a moment for judgement, however fortunate ot not that is. When someone smells like essential oils, you know they drink herbal tea. Like ciggarets, you know they own leather jackets. Body odour - bad bed sheets, Baccarat Rouge perfume - too many hair tools, washing detergent - a complicated relationship with their mother. Associations. Always. When someones house wofts of incense, I want to stay longer, their car of sunscreen, I feel warmer, their hands of soft creams and decades of hard work  – I want their advice.

Is $50 for a body soap too much? It’s luxury to be sure, Hermes has only to be sure of that, but it does give a couple of months of hopefully positive association post shower, does that compare to a 2 hour dinner out, costing about the same amount?

I like soap like I like butter, not on the same pleasure receiving level but I like the markings that can be made into them and out of them. I like the unwrapping process. I like the small amount one has to use for daily application. I like the expensive kind because that’s been drilled into me for years and years of advertising. Associations. Always. Make me smell exotic and interesting I whisper into the soap.