An Aromatic Life

#102: In this episode, Frauke sits down with writer and journalist Divrina Dhingra to talk about her new book, The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian Fragrance, and discuss some of the indigenous aromatic materials that have defined Indian perfumery for centuries. Divrina shares her experience going to Kannauj, known as the "Center of Indian Perfumery," seeing the rose fields, and witnessing the traditional distillation methods that have been passed down from generations. She talks about the role itr plays in India today, and shares her experience discovering the unique ingredient choya nakh. Divrina also discusses the difficulties the Indian sandalwood industry has had, with both poaching and adulteration continuing to dominate. Lastly, she also shares her perspective on what the future holds for Indian perfumery, and what she found most inspiring after writing the book.Connect with Divrina on X (Twitter)@divrina⁠Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (in India)Buy The Perfume Project: Journeys through Indian fragrance (outside of India)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

#101: In this week'swhiff of wisdom, musician and fragrance enthusiast Justin Copeland gives his sensory perspective on how to evaluate a fragrance just like music. He explains how to lean into the feeling you have with the experience and encourages you to use your instinct. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #12.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. 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

#100: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Brock University Associate Professor Jessica P. Clark to give an olfactory perspective on constructions of gender, race, and national identity during the Great War (WWI) in Britain. Jess begins by giving context to the period, explaining who made up the British forces (class & race), the volunteers supporting from home, as well as the perfumers and perfume industry. She explains what role "smellies" played in supporting the troops on the battlefield, showcasing the exclusionary symbolism they revealed. She then shares how the "British" scents lavender, violet, and eau de cologne shaped notions of nationalism. Jess also talks about how "Otherness" and "Martial Masculinity" revealed themselves through scent on the battlefield. She concludes by sharing how scent associations changed after the war and offers her perspective on what "British" scents might represent today.Read Jess's article“Lavender for Lads”: Smell and Nationalism in the Great WarRead Jess'sOdeuropa encyclopedia entry on lavenderFollow 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

#99: In this week'swhiff of wisdom, cognitive scientist and empirical philosopher Ann-Sophie Barwich advocates for why your sense of smell is so amazing. She explains what people get wrong about our sense of smell, including the belief that dogs are better smellers than humans. She also emphasizes the fact that, through smelling, we can expand the quality of our consciousness. To listen to the original full episode go to episode #36.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 at⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com/⁠⁠Explore your sense of smell @⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠Check out Frauke's Scent*Tattoo project: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.scenttattoo.com⁠⁠

#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