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The scent of rain

post #1 of 37
1/31/09 at 5:34pm
Thread Starter 
The unmistakable scent of rain comes from bacteria, not clouds.

As raindrops fall, they agitate the soil and bring out a chemical called geosmin, which is made by microbes in the dirt. It has an earthy aroma, and sometimes ruins the flavor of food particularly water, wine, beets and fish by making it taste dirty.

It took three decades of tinkering before chemists learned how to prepare it with ease. Geosmin's future is uncertain perhaps dirt-scented cologne?
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post #2 of 37
1/31/09 at 5:55pm
I've always wanted to smell like rain!
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post #3 of 37
1/31/09 at 6:04pm
Acqua di Biella's Ca Luna smells like rain.
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post #4 of 37
1/31/09 at 6:42pm
Science and art! Thanks for this interesting post, aeromatic!
I still like that smell, it is very relaxing and yet also energizing. Must be all those little bacteria (living things) giving off energy!
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post #5 of 37
2/1/09 at 1:58am
Profumum Thundra smells some like that..

honorable mention, Demeter Dirt
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post #6 of 37
2/1/09 at 3:44am
Wow, now I can add "bacteria" to my favorite note. :P

Well, seriously thank you, aeromatic for the info. I have no idea.
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post #7 of 37
2/1/09 at 4:01am
I'm not sure how all-encompassing this study is. I enjoy the smell of rain hitting an asphalt / concreted surface.

Assuming the surface is clean and there's no dirt for said microbes to exist, I can only imagine the molecules I am smelling are created by something else (?).
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post #8 of 37
2/1/09 at 4:19am
Thanks for the post.
Pre rain and Rain are my favorite smells
I so wish it will be captured in a bottle one day.
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post #9 of 37
2/1/09 at 4:20am
Interesting concept. I, too, love the smell of fresh rain on tarmac. Not sure if I will like it on its own as a fragrance though.

Speaking of fresh rain, one fragrance comes to mind; Voleur de Rose.
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post #10 of 37
2/1/09 at 4:34am
DKNY Men is nominated. Its print ads does show some rain.
http://www.parfumeriazet.sk/files/pr...eklama%201.jpg
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post #11 of 37
2/1/09 at 5:03am
There's actually a word for that smell..

Petrichor: The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.

http://www.wordsmith.org/words/petrichor.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor
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post #12 of 37
2/1/09 at 6:00am
Demeter actually has this one:

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post #13 of 37
2/1/09 at 6:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri View Post

I'm not sure how all-encompassing this study is. I enjoy the smell of rain hitting an asphalt / concreted surface.

Assuming the surface is clean and there's no dirt for said microbes to exist, I can only imagine the molecules I am smelling are created by something else (?).

Great thread. Interesting to think about the sorts of very elemental smell sensations that condition the whole sense of smell, and I think that rain is certainly one--along with wind, the smell of blood after intense exercise, the smell of the body, etc. Isn't ozone part of what you smell after rain? The smell/sensation of free oxygen radicals frantically searching for a mate?
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post #14 of 37
2/1/09 at 6:24am
Learning on Basenotes, who knew? :-)
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post #15 of 37
2/1/09 at 10:05am
  • cpk
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http://science.howstuffworks.com/question479.htm

found this link. Pretty concise
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post #16 of 37
2/1/09 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpk View Post

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question479.htm

found this link. Pretty concise

Good link! Thank you.
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post #17 of 37
5/20/11 at 4:43pm
Bumping this. Still seeking a perfect rain scent. Does musk smell like rain?
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post #18 of 37
5/20/11 at 4:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleurine View Post

Bumping this. Still seeking a perfect rain scent. Does musk smell like rain?

Not to me.
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post #19 of 37
5/20/11 at 5:03pm
Some scents have an "ozone" note. Sartorial has an "ozonic" note.
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post #20 of 37
5/20/11 at 5:21pm
Maybe it's just me but the drydown of Terre d'Hermes reminds me of the scent of rain. It smells like wet wood and dirt. I love it.
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post #21 of 37
5/20/11 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleurine View Post

Bumping this. Still seeking a perfect rain scent. Does musk smell like rain?

No.
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post #22 of 37
5/20/11 at 5:52pm
Cartier's Roadster reminds me of rain. To me it resembles wet concrete or a damp basement (the kind of smell you get when it first begins to rain).
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post #23 of 37
5/20/11 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noalick View Post

Demeter actually has this one:


What about this? These fragrances are in pharmacies all over Manhattan but they usually smell like alcohol to me. I love the little cheerful bottles, though.

I think I will head over to the men's fragrance section to check those last ones out. I think I actually like the ozone note (and most other non-florals) because I'm an allergic/migraine person. And the thick florals are the usual suspects....

TIA!
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post #24 of 37
5/20/11 at 6:03pm
  • KMF
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To my nose, Mario Valentino's Ocean Rain reminds me of a really humid evening right after a rainfall.
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post #25 of 37
5/20/11 at 6:14pm
If you see Demeter's Firefly somewhere give it a test. It has a summer rain feel with a little damp earth, IMO.
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post #26 of 37
5/20/11 at 6:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fleurine View Post

Bumping this. Still seeking a perfect rain scent. Does musk smell like rain?

Ineke Derring Do
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post #27 of 37
5/20/11 at 7:07pm
^^^that one looks promising actually. Will locate it, and report back. Thank you!
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post #28 of 37
5/20/11 at 7:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMF View Post

To my nose, Mario Valentino's Ocean Rain reminds me of a really humid evening right after a rainfall.

Yes it does!
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post #29 of 37
5/21/11 at 12:39am
In many ways, Horizon by Guy Laroche reminds me of moist ground, moss and fern, humid air, dewy fields after then rain
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post #30 of 37
5/21/11 at 1:15am
Ocean Rain reminds me too of after the rain, with lush vegetation and flowers

Maybe try mitti attar for the petrichor smell. I have one in vetiver oil and it is very wet earthy and nutty.
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post #31 of 37
5/21/11 at 3:43am
Undo by Annayake
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post #32 of 37
5/21/11 at 5:46am
There's a rain note in Tommy.
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post #33 of 37
5/21/11 at 2:50pm
to me, when i smell angelica...that to me is rain. I am waiting on my malle's angelica fragrance in the mail, but i feel like it will smell like rain on wet rocks to me.
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post #34 of 37
5/21/11 at 3:59pm
I suppose you're talking about Angeliques Sous La Pluie? In that case you're correct in assuming that it smells like rain on wet rocks rather then rain on soil. It's great, just don't be disappointed by the very weak sillage after the first few minutes.
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post #35 of 37
5/21/11 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by QWERTYOP View Post

There's a rain note in Tommy.

Agreed. Not too fond of the fragrance overall, but it does have an interesting rain note in there.
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post #36 of 37
5/21/11 at 4:58pm
When I first smelled Malle's Bois d'Orage, the opening notes reminded me of that rain-on-sidewalk smell which I adore so much. I haven't smelled it lately so I can't say if I still get that impression.
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post #37 of 37
5/21/11 at 5:17pm
I actually just got my little bottle of mitti attar in the mail today and I'm wearing it right now. It's sandalwood oil infused with "hydrodistilled baked earth" which gives it the petrichor scent. Wonderful.
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