olfactory bulb

I love how smells trigger memories. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Certain perfumes remind me of people or moments in time. Chanel Chance will always remind me of my first summer in Manhattan. The smell of coffee always triggers a smile, reminding me of my mom and mom-mom. (I was always allowed to sip along even as a child.) There are even smells that while they trigger bad memories, I am grateful for the conditioned response regardless.

I read up some and learned that your olfactory bulb, part of the brain's limbic system is responsible for this experience. Whenever you smell a new scent, your brain automatically links it to a place, person, event, or experience, forever forging the two together. The article is below. Above are my 6 fall picks. I hope to slowly gather them all for my collection and to forge new great memories this fall.

Clockwise, starting at the top left: Chloe, Flowerbomb Viktor & Rolf, Bvlgari Omnia Green Jade, Vera Wang, Chanel Mademoiselle and Balenciaga Paris.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nose-throat/smell3.htm