Hullo everyone,

It's spring! Between the flowers and the rain, the outdoors is smelling great all the time. Here's a Fem Fri about women using their sense of smell for a very wide range of purposes, starting with amazing scientific breakthroughs.

You might have seen our first story before, but let's sit with it a bit longer – a normal woman found out that she could smell the onset of Parkinson's, and her collaboration with researchers opens the possibility of early diagnosis and the better treatment that comes with that. I really like how everyday this story starts and how that led to something bigger:

while attending Parkinson’s support groups, Mrs Milne noted something extraordinary. Everyone with the disease had the same distinctive odour that her husband had developed in 1974. It was shortly after that realisation that she started collaborating with researchers.

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/03/28/scientists-discover-the-chemicals-behind-the-unique-parkinsons-smell

Secondly, here's a woman who uses her sense of smell for fun – enjoy this interview with Heather Greene, whisky sommelier! Here she is talking about Brenne, her favourite whisky:

What surprises me is the real expression of strong, forward amyl acetate – the molecular compound that comes out of it – it’s fruity, elegant, something that sits somewhere between Cognac and Scotch that is really unique. […] I like it for its difference, its boldness. She’s brave to bring something like that to market.

https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-styles/bourbon/whiskey-distilled-interview-heather-greene/

Finally, perfume! It's something that I think I should know about, and I don't, so a friend and subscriber recommended The Dry Down. I didn't engage with it until they did a newsletter on how to smell like an imperious duchess and/or 80s power business lady; the answer is aldehydes and I ordered several samples. Have a pullquote on the origins of Chanel No 5:

The original perfumer, Ernest Beaux, said that he wanted to make the scent smell like winter, the way snow isolates and amplifies other outdoor smells but also seems to clean them, as if their rawness is embarrassing. What he really meant was: I want this to smell like money. Like always feeling warm. Aware of the cold, and impervious. Beyond crisp, to the place where crisp turns erotic. So, if that’s your thing, here it is.

https://thedrydown.substack.com/p/the-dry-down-six-aldehydes

Happy Easter!

Alex xx.