I had a moment this morning of craving the scent of sun cream. Sat up in bed, on a freezing January morning, the sun barely making an appearance though it’s near 8am and the scent of sun cream wafts into my brain.
That creamy scent is unlike no other isn’t it? Some smell more coconut’y than others, some have a hint of citrus or a floral like jasmine but all of them are unified in that creamy, very manufactured nose.
Perhaps it’s the way the scent plays into nostalgia? As soon as I imagine the smell I can feel the grains of sand as I rub my sun cream in, hurrying, desperate to race to the sea.
Or maybe its just how inherently connected to sunshine, the ultimate feel-good drug, it is.
Once again I’m moved by the power of scent to captivate us, change how we feel and transport us in a mere moment.
I’m no longer 33, sitting in bed, thinking about my to-do list.
One memory of a scent and I’m 5, sprinting into the sea in Pembrokeshire, covered in suncream and sand, without a care in the world.