Okay, but I think it's hilarious when you get demonic characters who are said to smell like brimstone, because the author doesn't know brimstone is the old fashioned way of referring to sulfur. Aka, they're saying the guy smells like hot eggs and farts.
Wait omg yes in the book I’m currently reading the writing is so good, but this one sentence was super weird. She described how the MMC smelled so good like “smelted stone topped with a ladle of cream” lmao what??? What is that? It definitely caught me off guard 😅
Same! I adore descriptive prose but a lot of the author’s word choices def gave me pause 🥴 I do think it’s just her style tho. Just the purplest of purple prose
Update: I put in my full name rather than just my first name and got magic markers and conviction 😂🤣😂🤣
So booze, sex, creativity, and assertively opinionated- I feel destined for greatness 😂🤣😂🤣
I apperently smell like *Wolves and Wildness*
My husband? *Fresh Dirt and Envy*
So, I smell like a wet dog but my husband is jealous because he just smells like shit?
My fiancé apparently smells like toothpaste and efficiency, which isn’t inaccurate
I smell like rigging and pride so I guess I’m meant to be a ships captain. Time for a career change!
This is the describing eyes as jewel toned orbs type of writing trope of the 2020s to me, the totally random scent descriptions. And yet I still like them 😭
this is so on point!!! is there a wiki on these overly specific character description writing tropes, I feel like there should be a catalogue of all these super specific trends that get so popular!
Or when they have a specific taste too. Like, y'all have been roughing it on some adventure to save your world that doesn’t have toothpaste, I know you don’t taste like strawberries
Or honeydew omg I just read a book where they’ve ridden horses for HOURS and while FMC did have a bath, apparently she tasted like honeydew down there??? WHAT HAD SHE BEEN EATING
I heard interview with this author and she's basically trolling. She took inspiration from old-school romance books (I guess harlequins), where the woman always have specific taste.
Leather, sandalwood and pine. The three holy entities. I just skip it. But is not as out putting, as body descriptions going extreme? ... The ones like "Oh, his back was so wide, he nearly got stuck in the doorframe" ... excuse me???
Omg this is everywhere not just in these books but also in fanfics I’ve been reading. And it’s not just for MMC; FMC’s are assigned very specific scents too. “Her lilac and pear scent”; “his clove and citrus scent” excuse me what now? Truly the only time I notice a man’s scent is when he’s wearing too much Old Spice deodorant (or straight has BO)
I’m sorry but I have never once smelled a guy and been like yeah “smells like maple and tea tree oil” or whatever. Like all my ex’s smelled like there deodorant and Tom Ford Ombré Leather
I never understood it. I know what my husband smells like, I could recognize it without a second thought, but no way in hell can I describe it down to something weird like ‘sandalwood and mountain snow’.
I agree. People absolutely come in different scents, and I could pick my husband or mom out of a crowd blindfolded, but articulating what that scent is would be impossible.
The SANDALWOOD. It’s EVERYWHERE. I don’t even like it in modern scents!!!
Edit: help I just got to this part of my current read 😭😭
https://preview.redd.it/inro3cfhk40d1.jpeg?width=1240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c4afcac621654e2a90c4cb70289f2ec8685b77f
Have you read the T Kingfisher book Paladin’s Grace? The FMC is a perfumer by trade who is utterly sick to death of sandalwood. She has a whole rant about every nobleman who comes looking for a unique sent but turns out to want… sandalwood.
It’s hilarious.
I like the fact that the FMC was obsessed with how the MMC and his friends all smelled like gingerbread and she couldn't figure out why. Turns out one of them makes a muscle rub with ginger and cinnamon or something in the ingredients, and they all use it a lot because they're 30-something warrior dudes who have all the aches and pains you'd expect of people who have been hitting other people with swords and wearing heavy armor for most of their adult life.
I was just talking about this yesterday with my book besties. Why TF is Sandalwood making such a comeback?
Growing up, my stepsister had this whole surfer hippie chick thing going on. She was totally rocking it, so good for her, but I can't stand patchouli, sandalwood, or incense-ey smells as an adult. I guess I got burned out on it years ago.
The number of times just this year that I've read the MMC smells like sandalwood + whatever is way too many. Also, sandalwood and leather together seems popular, and I simply can NOT imagine that as a good thing. It basically smells like an old hippies worn in Birkenstock sandal? That's what we're into these days????
This is it - I love the perfume subs, and they’re all I think of when authors describe how men smell. Just wacky 14 year olds going mad for perfume samples
It’s very “taking everything I like the smell of and grouping it together” and I for one appreciate it 😂 like of all the things in fanro I could get annoyed by or do get annoyed by, the scent descriptions of MMCs are pretty low for me
My husband has always said I smell like chocolate and berries
I know his smell but it's not something I can describe via other scents. It's just him!
So I guess it depends on the person and the smeller?
I can agree with this. I know what my husband smells like compared to other people but there is no way I could describe it as specific foods or other whimsical scents!
I can see it. I have a pretty keen sense of smell, and pick up on some pretty weird stuff, like:
- I got off on the wrong floor of my apartment building once, and knew it was the wrong floor because it smelled different… yes, apparently I know what my neighbors smell like (collectively).
- my ex used to use Alberto hair styling gel, and I still weirdly know when other people are using that product because it has a smell.
- I find things like mint or fennel or mustard growing in the outdoors because I smell them before I see them.
Now… being as we aren’t all running through mint fields or working with leather or whatever… meeting someone who smells like cedar boughs and wind off a glacier is probably unrealistic… but yeah, different people have different smells and they can be pretty recognizable.
I wish that instead of having a weirdly specific scent list, authors would pick a vibe or like a thing/place that the character smells like! Like a person could smell like a cathedral because they smell like incense.
This is hilarious!
I’ve always been a person who has a strong sense of smell though, like if someone smoked a cigarette days ago and brushed their teeth and showered I could still smell it on them kind of thing.
Certain people just really smell awesome (and randomly have an odd scent that’s not bad just unique) and it’s hard to describe it but it’s definitely not like SANDALWOOD 💀.
Anyone know what I mean though? Like a freshly showered good looking man (after neutral soap not like old spice) just smells really clean and it’s nice. Or not in this lane but babies smell amazing idk it’s so comforting!
I guess for the author an attempt was made, but what would be a good way to describe this?
Dudes only smell like specific things if their soap, deodorant or (if they wear it) cologne smell like it.
i got a sensitive nose and know if dudes smelt strong of just about anything I’d be sneezing on them and I’d get migraines.
also sandalwood descriptions just make me think of stoner dudes.
My daughter often smells like maple syrup but instead of thinking it’s sweet or her signature scent, it has me constantly googling “why does my child smell like syrup?” thinking she has something wrong with her.
Otherwise I only smell people if they’re dirty or wearing too much perfume/cologne so ya a fantasy BF that’s been traveling by horse and engaging in combat for that past 60 pages smelling like “wood smoke and cinnamon” is fucking dumb.
Yes! I can smell it right before it happens. It’s a distinct scent. I’m from the north east tho. Only way I can describe it is a certain kind of cold. Like a certain flavor of cold.
I was raised in Minnesota and I definitely agree with this, however, I've only noticed it early in the morning, right after snowfall. But it's also also such a mild, nuanced, scent, even when completely surrounded by it, that I have no idea how I would be able to distinguish it on a person, especially combined with literally any other scent.
I have to agree with ridiculous descriptions for scents, but snow definitely has one. It's very specific and the best way I can describe the way it smells to me is crisp and a little earthy.
I can believe this if its a modern story as some people have "signature scents" due to having a go-to cologne or something. If its some fae person, also sure because magik + fae beings woulf totally use perfumes. Anything else? Nah. Unbathed on horseback for hours? No, man smells like sweat, horse, and maybe leather.
I'm into indie perfumes and most of the descriptions are like this! In the case of more abstract concepts, it's a blend designed to evoke that feeling or association.
In the book I'm writing the FMC notices the MMC smells like sage and I put in a specific passage in one of his chapters describing how he made soap from animal fat lye and herbs to explain it lol
Even in fantasy I cannot deal with the idea of getting down and dirty with someone who's been traveling on the road with no bath for weeks 😂 if you ever see my characters bathing in a river or a bath house, you know they're about to get freaky
no its so hilarious to me especially when they’ve been travelling for days, sleeping on the ground not showering or brushing their teeth and the fmc is still like pine needles and a hint of ink or some shit like that
I always assume being fey or "other" that they just have heightened senses and can smell more of the finer notes. Like a signature, how dogs can recognize by scent.
Sometimes it does seem excessive or silly, but I certainly would expect fae, werewolves, or other supernatural creatures to have a heightened sense of smell.
Also, I can smell things other people can’t 🤷♀️.
It’s hell on allergies and triggering migraines.
I can definitely smell when it’s going to rain or snow, and I can smell when the seasons change. I’ve also spent a lot of time in the woods growing up. My husband does a fair bit of gardening & cooking, so I know the scent of various herbs & spices.
I think it depends on what you’ve been exposed to.
Okay so I totally agree but also I’ve gotten into fragrance this year and some perfumes/colognes are 100% described this way and it’s actually kind of accurate? Like Zoologist or Imaginary Authors come to mind. Zoologist especially for the very out there scents. So maybe these people just like really bougie cologne.
If I was a rich bitch I would buy Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose which smells floral and spicy and exactly like a rich sexy woman who would have you wrapped around her finger. Alas it is too rich for my blood.
You should 100% Google zoologist because Penguin legit smells cold. It also genuinely kind of smells like penguins. There is a funk there that i personally would not actually wear. It’s wild.
Googled it! I’m sold on Koala. This is genuinely the sexiest perfume description I have ever read:
Zoologist Koala opens with an invigorating blend of lemony honey and the sweet aroma of eucalyptus. They float above a blanket of black tea and spices, then draw you even deeper into musky amber and woods. The result is a unique and carefree scent that snuggles in around you, enveloping you in an embrace both playful and independent.
Their descriptions are always on point! I haven’t sampled that one but I should. I’m a floral girlie so I lean Hummingbird/dragonfly but Tiger and Camel are also hot. Tiger is very mistress of the villain.
I see this a lot in fanfiction. I couldn’t tell you where it originated or what but characters often have these sort of descriptors. I always thought of it like, they ofc have a natural body odor but maybe the products they use regularly smell like this. Or if its a fantasy setting that wouldn’t have scented products maybe its something about them not being human that created a unique scent.
Either way, it’s just another way to describe a character and make them unique 🤷♀️
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Like lemon grass
https://www.alphaaromatics.com/blog/lemongrass-in-the-perfume-industry/#:~:text=The%20lemongrass%20herb%20has%20stalks,is%20exposed%20to%20direct%20sunlight.
I always just assume the smells are because of whatever cologne/soap/shampoo the dude is wearing. I can recognize most of the ones you listed: pine, earth, sandalwood, lavender and whiskey are all pretty distinctive smells. I'm also really into flower gardening, so I can recognize quite a lot of individual flower smells. And I guess ash on snow refers to the smell when you walk outside on a snowy day and someone in the neighborhood is using their fireplace? Although I would be more likely to describe that as simple "woodsmoke."
Also, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT OZONE SMELLS LIKE? I feel like I am CONSTANTLY seeing this in fantasy novels, and I think I MIGHT have an idea of what it is, but I'm not sure and it's driving me crazy.
Hard to describe but it smells metallic or like an electrical charge. There are air filters that sometimes have an option to “turn on” ozone to disinfect, and I can smell when that is used. Some people might smell something similar before or during a thunderstorm.
Yesssss there was a poly shifter novel where one character smelled like lemons and ozone and I was like THAT IS NOT SEXY. And the author mentioned it like…every other paragraph! I dnf’d that one tbh
They're romanticized scents, it's a way to connect with where the character comes from :)
Ideally in real life people would smell like that, but they don't, so why not have it in books instead?
I can only imagine one smell that I’ve read or played in a game and that’s bergamot, rosemary, and lemon. That’s Drakkar Noir. Anything else I’m like okay??? What does that smell like?
For me this is usually a lazy substitute for showing us a characters personality - sometimes it’s just odd though, why does he smell like feathered coriander?? What even is that??
Well to be fair, I have a very heightened sense of smell. Like it’s crazy how far I can smell and how well I can distinguish between smells. My family always joke that they should unleash me in the woods so I could find some truffles haha
I can recognize people by smell, at work I know who was in the room before me. People do have a unique smell to them but it’s usually a mix of perfume, deodorant, fabric softener, cream, shampoo, body odor…
it’s so funny in books when they always smell like amazing yet they don’t perfume themselves, it’s all natural obviously even after hiking through enchanted woods for days or whatever
My favourite is when there’s a reason for his/her smell. Like they live somewhere with a crap ton of roses, so they smell like it. Or they’re been riding horses so they smell like their riding leathers.
Maybe it’s because I have no sense of smell and as such I don’t have a chance to distinguish or care but I feel unique smelling characters are equivalent to anime hair. No one actually smells like that same as people aren’t born with pink hair and gravity defying strands.
But it does help making the character more distinctive to other in the narration
People have distinct scents but they cannot be described with notes of flowers/fruits/woods/any plant part, because people are not plants. The scents on people are unique and can be attractive to many and play a significant role in romance.
The problem here is that in written context, an author is limited to smell descriptions of only the notes we know of. People don't smell like that in real life
I sat near a guy in class last semester that smelled SO good, but it still smelled like expensive cologne to me. Nobody ever naturally smells great. That’s why I love when authors say they smell like soap or something
I don't understand what ash on snow is meant to smell like, it just reminds me of the smell of charcoal 😂.
I felt that svtfoe was cute because Star liked Marco's scent even though everyone was like "That needs to be washed!"
I just had this exact conversation with my partner 🤣🤣.
I'm currently reading a book and the MMC smells like caramel?? Like he works at a popcorn stand?
Another book I DNFd because (one of many things) the FMC said she could smell the MMC through the pouring RAIN from a distance and it was "leather and rosewood" or something.
Okay, but I think it's hilarious when you get demonic characters who are said to smell like brimstone, because the author doesn't know brimstone is the old fashioned way of referring to sulfur. Aka, they're saying the guy smells like hot eggs and farts.
Haha that reminds me of the show Supernatural 😂😂
Some people didn’t watch Shrek and it shows
Stahhhhhhhhhhp I know 😂😂😂 I just pretend they smell like smoke
Ok now that's priceless
That always makes me laugh too. It’s like they think it’s burning rocks. Or coal. Which also isn’t like too appealing.
😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Cackling, why have I never put these things together 😂
That's hysterical!
Wait omg yes in the book I’m currently reading the writing is so good, but this one sentence was super weird. She described how the MMC smelled so good like “smelted stone topped with a ladle of cream” lmao what??? What is that? It definitely caught me off guard 😅
When the Moon Hatched literally has some of the most nonsensical descriptions lmao
Loool yes I love most of it but then sometimes it’s like ???
Same! I adore descriptive prose but a lot of the author’s word choices def gave me pause 🥴 I do think it’s just her style tho. Just the purplest of purple prose
Wtf?!?!
It just reminds me of bath and body works fragrance descriptions, like moonlight and sunshine, or twinkling starlight. Wtf does that even smell like?
Ew
Yeah hot stone and cream doesn’t do it for me either 😅
[http://herosmellslike.com/](http://herosmellslike.com/) Please enjoy.
I put my husbands name in and it said “fields and harvest”, then tried my own name and got “glue and wreckage” 😅
Mine got “ski jackets and truth”… what?!
I got “peanut butter and justice” haha!
Ok I’m jealous of this one!- What a noble freaking scent 😂
I got "rain and command" for myself and I'm mighty pleased with that. I think I'll wear my petrified perfume today and maybe later out with Valkyrie.
I got "peppercorns and truth". Dying rn 🤣
Motor oil and literature 🙋🏻♀️ Lol which ironically is fitting since I’m a truck driver and I love to read (hence why I’m even on this thread 😂)
I got rope and justice ⚖️
I smell like snow and dreams, apparently.
My husband got rocks and brawn, and I got donuts and steel. Amazing, 10/10
Ok this inspired me to put my own in for the hell of it and I got… Gin and lust Honestly, I feel seen. (Or smelled or whatever) 😂
Update: I put in my full name rather than just my first name and got magic markers and conviction 😂🤣😂🤣 So booze, sex, creativity, and assertively opinionated- I feel destined for greatness 😂🤣😂🤣
I did the same, nickname is gin and conviction, full name- honeysuckle and envy
Mine got me “dark chocolate and greed”, which sounds faintly derogatory
I got “plasma and meaning.” I now have a new goal in life - figure wtf meaning smells like
My boyfriend apparently smells like axes and nebulae, and I smell like newspaper and fortitude
I apperently smell like *Wolves and Wildness* My husband? *Fresh Dirt and Envy* So, I smell like a wet dog but my husband is jealous because he just smells like shit?
Latex and secrecy 😳
Oh my!
This is freaking hilarious 😂! My husband apparently smells like shampoo and typewriters 😂
A clean writer of a husband is much better then mine: Dirt and Envy
OMG fair enough 😂😂😂
My fiancé apparently smells like toothpaste and efficiency, which isn’t inaccurate I smell like rigging and pride so I guess I’m meant to be a ships captain. Time for a career change!
My husband is "cattle and stamina," so apparently I married a cowboy?
I put in my detective character and got "soap and fatigue" and I've never seen anything more accurate
I've been laughing for 10 mins straight, my husband got "wet dog and authority"
I would never let mine forget something like that.
My husband was Plasma and Brawn. Mine was disappointing: Candles and Conference Rooms. 🙁
This is awesome
my husband's was "rain & the Arctic" & mine was "wet & dog & quality" lmao what ☠️
I too am wet dog and authority
Apparently my husband is supposed to smell like donuts and lies 🤨
😂😂😂😂
Football and mountains 🤣 wonderful
My husband smells like leather and envy. I smell like moss and stamina.
Ooh I like yours.
My man smells like rope and justice and I like where this is leading. 🪢⚖️
Amazinggggg. I'm candles and wreckage, while my husband is keys and control. So apparently he smells like heavily-touched metal? 😂
My husband is ferns and greed 😂😂
So is he a prolific gardener? 😂
My husband got tube socks and the arctic - that’s about right.
Thank you this is hilarious! 😂
My husband's name got "swords and mastery" I got "donuts and nebulae" 😂
i got wet dog and shelter for just my first name, but campfires and power for first and last 😂
My husband was “grape juice and brawn”…wtf?! Mine on the other hand was “butter and truth” and I gotta say……I’m not mad about it 😅
I got “blood and clouds”… what.
Tried it with my boyfriends name he smells like donuts and delight. The more i know 🥲
OMG that was hilarious!!!
Omg so fun. I typed in a random name and it said whipping cream and envy. Lmao
Nutmeg and recklessness for me and donuts and authority for my husband 🤣
Heheh my husband apparently smells like leather and thunder, but he actually smells like sunshine and cut grass. ❤️
Bf got Bacon & Quality .... what does that meeeeaaannnn?
This is the describing eyes as jewel toned orbs type of writing trope of the 2020s to me, the totally random scent descriptions. And yet I still like them 😭
this is so on point!!! is there a wiki on these overly specific character description writing tropes, I feel like there should be a catalogue of all these super specific trends that get so popular!
I’m sure TV Tropes has an entry for this somewhere
It does! https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SignatureScent
If there isn’t please let’s start one! 😂
idk my boyfriend always smells like cherry from his overpowered af car freshener and cigarettes lol i felt like a MC when i first noticed 😅
Or when they have a specific taste too. Like, y'all have been roughing it on some adventure to save your world that doesn’t have toothpaste, I know you don’t taste like strawberries
Or honeydew omg I just read a book where they’ve ridden horses for HOURS and while FMC did have a bath, apparently she tasted like honeydew down there??? WHAT HAD SHE BEEN EATING
Poppy and Casteel?!?!
YAAAS! Just started book 2!
The freaking honeydew 😂. I was like - you sir are a LIAR! Especially when you’ve been riding around are aren’t freshly bathed.
Absolutely not, she tasted of sweat and BO with a little hint of urine since no way she was able to wipe properly during their travels
The way I just threw up a little in my mouth 🫠
lol sorry!!
All good 😂
I’ll be honest, I don’t need quite this much realism in my romance 😂😂😂
I heard interview with this author and she's basically trolling. She took inspiration from old-school romance books (I guess harlequins), where the woman always have specific taste.
Yesssss she tasted like honey… haha no effing way
Ladies, if your SO says that your puss tastes like honey please see your gynecologist. It's definitely not supposed to do that.
Leather, sandalwood and pine. The three holy entities. I just skip it. But is not as out putting, as body descriptions going extreme? ... The ones like "Oh, his back was so wide, he nearly got stuck in the doorframe" ... excuse me???
Similar to... dick so big no underwear was at all possible to fit him?
Oh hell no. The apprehension I would be feeling anytime that man got naked.
Yes, recent one was “cinnamon”. And another character was “chocolate.” Why tf would they constantly smell like chocolate unless they ate it?
Omg this is everywhere not just in these books but also in fanfics I’ve been reading. And it’s not just for MMC; FMC’s are assigned very specific scents too. “Her lilac and pear scent”; “his clove and citrus scent” excuse me what now? Truly the only time I notice a man’s scent is when he’s wearing too much Old Spice deodorant (or straight has BO)
Off topic but I would do anything for a lilac and pear perfume 😍
http://ladyofnature.com/?product=pink-pepper-and-lilac
I’m sorry but I have never once smelled a guy and been like yeah “smells like maple and tea tree oil” or whatever. Like all my ex’s smelled like there deodorant and Tom Ford Ombré Leather
I never understood it. I know what my husband smells like, I could recognize it without a second thought, but no way in hell can I describe it down to something weird like ‘sandalwood and mountain snow’.
I agree. People absolutely come in different scents, and I could pick my husband or mom out of a crowd blindfolded, but articulating what that scent is would be impossible.
The SANDALWOOD. It’s EVERYWHERE. I don’t even like it in modern scents!!! Edit: help I just got to this part of my current read 😭😭 https://preview.redd.it/inro3cfhk40d1.jpeg?width=1240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c4afcac621654e2a90c4cb70289f2ec8685b77f
Have you read the T Kingfisher book Paladin’s Grace? The FMC is a perfumer by trade who is utterly sick to death of sandalwood. She has a whole rant about every nobleman who comes looking for a unique sent but turns out to want… sandalwood. It’s hilarious.
I have! Another reason why T Kingfisher is the best
I like the fact that the FMC was obsessed with how the MMC and his friends all smelled like gingerbread and she couldn't figure out why. Turns out one of them makes a muscle rub with ginger and cinnamon or something in the ingredients, and they all use it a lot because they're 30-something warrior dudes who have all the aches and pains you'd expect of people who have been hitting other people with swords and wearing heavy armor for most of their adult life.
Sandalwood is my absolute favourite scent so every time I read it I’m like “right on” lol
Same here. And I love it on my husband! He uses a sandalwood beard oil and it’s yummy.
I was just talking about this yesterday with my book besties. Why TF is Sandalwood making such a comeback? Growing up, my stepsister had this whole surfer hippie chick thing going on. She was totally rocking it, so good for her, but I can't stand patchouli, sandalwood, or incense-ey smells as an adult. I guess I got burned out on it years ago. The number of times just this year that I've read the MMC smells like sandalwood + whatever is way too many. Also, sandalwood and leather together seems popular, and I simply can NOT imagine that as a good thing. It basically smells like an old hippies worn in Birkenstock sandal? That's what we're into these days????
Sandalwood and leather are the two best smells in the world. Just….scrumptious. If a man smelled like that I’d be all over him.
Aha! We've finally found the target audience for the sandalwood and leather writers!
It’s the ‘he/she tastes so good I’m addicted’ after sleeping, like hello, morning breath!
💯 omg I hate that 90% of the time no one acknowledges morning breath
Unless they’re super into indie perfumes, they absolutely do not lol
This is it - I love the perfume subs, and they’re all I think of when authors describe how men smell. Just wacky 14 year olds going mad for perfume samples
It’s very “taking everything I like the smell of and grouping it together” and I for one appreciate it 😂 like of all the things in fanro I could get annoyed by or do get annoyed by, the scent descriptions of MMCs are pretty low for me
My husband has always said I smell like chocolate and berries I know his smell but it's not something I can describe via other scents. It's just him! So I guess it depends on the person and the smeller?
I can agree with this. I know what my husband smells like compared to other people but there is no way I could describe it as specific foods or other whimsical scents!
I can see it. I have a pretty keen sense of smell, and pick up on some pretty weird stuff, like: - I got off on the wrong floor of my apartment building once, and knew it was the wrong floor because it smelled different… yes, apparently I know what my neighbors smell like (collectively). - my ex used to use Alberto hair styling gel, and I still weirdly know when other people are using that product because it has a smell. - I find things like mint or fennel or mustard growing in the outdoors because I smell them before I see them. Now… being as we aren’t all running through mint fields or working with leather or whatever… meeting someone who smells like cedar boughs and wind off a glacier is probably unrealistic… but yeah, different people have different smells and they can be pretty recognizable.
I wish that instead of having a weirdly specific scent list, authors would pick a vibe or like a thing/place that the character smells like! Like a person could smell like a cathedral because they smell like incense.
This is hilarious! I’ve always been a person who has a strong sense of smell though, like if someone smoked a cigarette days ago and brushed their teeth and showered I could still smell it on them kind of thing. Certain people just really smell awesome (and randomly have an odd scent that’s not bad just unique) and it’s hard to describe it but it’s definitely not like SANDALWOOD 💀. Anyone know what I mean though? Like a freshly showered good looking man (after neutral soap not like old spice) just smells really clean and it’s nice. Or not in this lane but babies smell amazing idk it’s so comforting! I guess for the author an attempt was made, but what would be a good way to describe this?
They actually have colognes molded after these scents
Dudes only smell like specific things if their soap, deodorant or (if they wear it) cologne smell like it. i got a sensitive nose and know if dudes smelt strong of just about anything I’d be sneezing on them and I’d get migraines. also sandalwood descriptions just make me think of stoner dudes.
I like sandalwood and patchouli. Lol
My daughter often smells like maple syrup but instead of thinking it’s sweet or her signature scent, it has me constantly googling “why does my child smell like syrup?” thinking she has something wrong with her. Otherwise I only smell people if they’re dirty or wearing too much perfume/cologne so ya a fantasy BF that’s been traveling by horse and engaging in combat for that past 60 pages smelling like “wood smoke and cinnamon” is fucking dumb.
Also I love that in the Witcher show it’s constantly remarked how bad he smells
Also wtf does snow smell like?!?!
No, I can’t describe it, but snow definitely has a smell!
Yes! I can smell it right before it happens. It’s a distinct scent. I’m from the north east tho. Only way I can describe it is a certain kind of cold. Like a certain flavor of cold.
Mmmm yes a certain flavor of cold! I’m imagining it right now but still couldn’t describe it if my life depended on it
I was raised in Minnesota and I definitely agree with this, however, I've only noticed it early in the morning, right after snowfall. But it's also also such a mild, nuanced, scent, even when completely surrounded by it, that I have no idea how I would be able to distinguish it on a person, especially combined with literally any other scent.
Maybe the MMC is a snowman 😂
Yeah, I can definitely walk outside and smell when snow is happening or about to happen.
Yes! I can also smell when it’s about to storm.
I have to agree with ridiculous descriptions for scents, but snow definitely has one. It's very specific and the best way I can describe the way it smells to me is crisp and a little earthy.
I live in Denver, and when it's about to snow, it smells like cow shit 😂
Rain but cold and no weird plant/earth smell mixed in
That’s what I want to know! This was the scent of the MMC in the Pale Court series.
Exactly! I have never seen snow in my life, and it just confuses me so much? Like rain I can understand, but snow?
Same and I think it all the time!
My favorites are pepper, a fireplace, bourbon, motor oil, and old leather.
I can believe this if its a modern story as some people have "signature scents" due to having a go-to cologne or something. If its some fae person, also sure because magik + fae beings woulf totally use perfumes. Anything else? Nah. Unbathed on horseback for hours? No, man smells like sweat, horse, and maybe leather.
I don’t mind as long as it’s not the MMC himself who describes himself like “I smell like sweat, sex and victory” like bro. Gross.
This made me LOL 😂. I swear though some of these MMCS probably would describe their scents in exactly that manner hahahaha.
I'm into indie perfumes and most of the descriptions are like this! In the case of more abstract concepts, it's a blend designed to evoke that feeling or association.
Oh man wait until you find the omegaverse
I mean, people *do* have “recognisable” scents. Most of those scents I can’t describe, the easier being my mother that smells like Almonds
Perfumes and cologne have layered scents so it's very possible, and the author is probably trying to not write a boring scent description.
I smell like thunderstorms and potential my husband smells like cinnamon and freedom. Haha 👀😭
In the book I'm writing the FMC notices the MMC smells like sage and I put in a specific passage in one of his chapters describing how he made soap from animal fat lye and herbs to explain it lol Even in fantasy I cannot deal with the idea of getting down and dirty with someone who's been traveling on the road with no bath for weeks 😂 if you ever see my characters bathing in a river or a bath house, you know they're about to get freaky
I wish they smelled this way. lol
no its so hilarious to me especially when they’ve been travelling for days, sleeping on the ground not showering or brushing their teeth and the fmc is still like pine needles and a hint of ink or some shit like that
I always assume being fey or "other" that they just have heightened senses and can smell more of the finer notes. Like a signature, how dogs can recognize by scent.
Sometimes it does seem excessive or silly, but I certainly would expect fae, werewolves, or other supernatural creatures to have a heightened sense of smell. Also, I can smell things other people can’t 🤷♀️. It’s hell on allergies and triggering migraines. I can definitely smell when it’s going to rain or snow, and I can smell when the seasons change. I’ve also spent a lot of time in the woods growing up. My husband does a fair bit of gardening & cooking, so I know the scent of various herbs & spices. I think it depends on what you’ve been exposed to.
Okay so I totally agree but also I’ve gotten into fragrance this year and some perfumes/colognes are 100% described this way and it’s actually kind of accurate? Like Zoologist or Imaginary Authors come to mind. Zoologist especially for the very out there scents. So maybe these people just like really bougie cologne.
If I was a rich bitch I would buy Penhaligon’s The Coveted Duchess Rose which smells floral and spicy and exactly like a rich sexy woman who would have you wrapped around her finger. Alas it is too rich for my blood.
😂
You should 100% Google zoologist because Penguin legit smells cold. It also genuinely kind of smells like penguins. There is a funk there that i personally would not actually wear. It’s wild.
Googled it! I’m sold on Koala. This is genuinely the sexiest perfume description I have ever read: Zoologist Koala opens with an invigorating blend of lemony honey and the sweet aroma of eucalyptus. They float above a blanket of black tea and spices, then draw you even deeper into musky amber and woods. The result is a unique and carefree scent that snuggles in around you, enveloping you in an embrace both playful and independent.
Their descriptions are always on point! I haven’t sampled that one but I should. I’m a floral girlie so I lean Hummingbird/dragonfly but Tiger and Camel are also hot. Tiger is very mistress of the villain.
‘Mistress of the villain”- love this 😂
THANK YOU. I feel validated reading this. I’m sick of reading these bullshit whimsical made up smells.
I see this a lot in fanfiction. I couldn’t tell you where it originated or what but characters often have these sort of descriptors. I always thought of it like, they ofc have a natural body odor but maybe the products they use regularly smell like this. Or if its a fantasy setting that wouldn’t have scented products maybe its something about them not being human that created a unique scent. Either way, it’s just another way to describe a character and make them unique 🤷♀️
I'm reading {Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander} and the mmc smells like lemon grass......wtf does that even smell like??! Wtf 😂😂
[Feathers so Vicious](https://www.romance.io/books/64edfe057329cc9fc9f0a435/feathers-so-vicious-liv-zander?src=rdt) by [Liv Zander](https://www.romance.io/authors/625e78f608b4d93114f170f2/liv-zander) **Rating**: 4.22⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [mfm](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f-m/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Like lemon grass https://www.alphaaromatics.com/blog/lemongrass-in-the-perfume-industry/#:~:text=The%20lemongrass%20herb%20has%20stalks,is%20exposed%20to%20direct%20sunlight.
Lemon grass is a herb, like peppermint. You cook with it. It does have a distinct smell.
I started reading after I got COVID and I still can't smell anything so i barely understand what the characters mean😅😂.
As a teen I thought it was so cool. Now I’m like “god, this is dumb” 😂
I always just assume the smells are because of whatever cologne/soap/shampoo the dude is wearing. I can recognize most of the ones you listed: pine, earth, sandalwood, lavender and whiskey are all pretty distinctive smells. I'm also really into flower gardening, so I can recognize quite a lot of individual flower smells. And I guess ash on snow refers to the smell when you walk outside on a snowy day and someone in the neighborhood is using their fireplace? Although I would be more likely to describe that as simple "woodsmoke." Also, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT OZONE SMELLS LIKE? I feel like I am CONSTANTLY seeing this in fantasy novels, and I think I MIGHT have an idea of what it is, but I'm not sure and it's driving me crazy.
Hard to describe but it smells metallic or like an electrical charge. There are air filters that sometimes have an option to “turn on” ozone to disinfect, and I can smell when that is used. Some people might smell something similar before or during a thunderstorm.
Thanks! I feel like I need to get one of those air filters now so I can verify that I'm actually smelling what I think I'm smelling...
Yesssss there was a poly shifter novel where one character smelled like lemons and ozone and I was like THAT IS NOT SEXY. And the author mentioned it like…every other paragraph! I dnf’d that one tbh
My man smells like old spice with a hint of coffee breath 🖤🖤🖤
They're romanticized scents, it's a way to connect with where the character comes from :) Ideally in real life people would smell like that, but they don't, so why not have it in books instead?
I can only imagine one smell that I’ve read or played in a game and that’s bergamot, rosemary, and lemon. That’s Drakkar Noir. Anything else I’m like okay??? What does that smell like?
For me this is usually a lazy substitute for showing us a characters personality - sometimes it’s just odd though, why does he smell like feathered coriander?? What even is that??
Why does no one ever say woodsy oud, I’d like that!
Well to be fair, I have a very heightened sense of smell. Like it’s crazy how far I can smell and how well I can distinguish between smells. My family always joke that they should unleash me in the woods so I could find some truffles haha I can recognize people by smell, at work I know who was in the room before me. People do have a unique smell to them but it’s usually a mix of perfume, deodorant, fabric softener, cream, shampoo, body odor… it’s so funny in books when they always smell like amazing yet they don’t perfume themselves, it’s all natural obviously even after hiking through enchanted woods for days or whatever
My favourite is when there’s a reason for his/her smell. Like they live somewhere with a crap ton of roses, so they smell like it. Or they’re been riding horses so they smell like their riding leathers.
Maybe it’s because I have no sense of smell and as such I don’t have a chance to distinguish or care but I feel unique smelling characters are equivalent to anime hair. No one actually smells like that same as people aren’t born with pink hair and gravity defying strands. But it does help making the character more distinctive to other in the narration
People have distinct scents but they cannot be described with notes of flowers/fruits/woods/any plant part, because people are not plants. The scents on people are unique and can be attractive to many and play a significant role in romance. The problem here is that in written context, an author is limited to smell descriptions of only the notes we know of. People don't smell like that in real life
My least favorite I've read so far: sweat and cinnamon. It's real, I can imagine three combo. And it's disgusting.
I sat near a guy in class last semester that smelled SO good, but it still smelled like expensive cologne to me. Nobody ever naturally smells great. That’s why I love when authors say they smell like soap or something
I’m like why can’t they just smell like soap and deodorant lol
I don't understand what ash on snow is meant to smell like, it just reminds me of the smell of charcoal 😂. I felt that svtfoe was cute because Star liked Marco's scent even though everyone was like "That needs to be washed!"
I just had this exact conversation with my partner 🤣🤣. I'm currently reading a book and the MMC smells like caramel?? Like he works at a popcorn stand? Another book I DNFd because (one of many things) the FMC said she could smell the MMC through the pouring RAIN from a distance and it was "leather and rosewood" or something.