A little quick word-association for you… I’ll name a scent.
What images come to your mind?
- Vanilla
- fresh, sweet, warm, cheesecake, breeze-dried cotton pillowcases, candles, summer evenings?
- Lavender
- flowery, herbal, guest soaps you’re not allowed to use, antique shops, gardens, grandmother’s linen closet?
- Comfort
- huh?
Exactly!
And that’s why I’ve got a little bone to pick with the marketing whiz who named the new line of fabric refresher sprays from Febreze. C’mon, now — “Vanilla Lavender & Comfort” scent? Puh-leeze!
Since when is comfort a fragrance?
Now, don’t get me wrong here — I’m not dissing Febreze, not by a long shot. I live with at least one dog at any given time, and put in a lot of quality mop-and-scooper time down at our local kennels. I love to cook with garlic, and it’s an article of faith around here that you can’t have too many onions…. So I know about odours, and I’m telling you now, Febreze is a total genius product at whisking bad smells away before your company comes.
But what’s with this Comfort foolishness?
Okay, I know what comfort smells like to me — if comfort is going to have a fragrance. For me, it’s a lot to do with citrus peels and fresh-baked bread and rich old leather and cinnamon, with just a hint of sea air… none of which appear to have been considered in the creation of “Vanilla Lavender & Comfort” Febreze.
I’m still trying to figure out what the spray does smell like, exactly.
It’s pleasant enough — which is great because, dear knows, the fabric refresher and air freshener industry has put out some real doozies in their time! — and vanilla and lavender are indeed discernible in it. But there’s something else there…
Hmm, reminds me of a hint of baby spit-up and warm milk, mixed in there with the florals. It reminds HWHTPT of “old lady’s parlour” (And wouldn’t you have loved to sit in on the focus group that gave this product a big thumbs-up?)
Now, while the nice people at Febreze kick themselves for sending me a sample to review, poor dears, let’s have a cosy talk about scent memories… What does comfort smell like to you?
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