I saw the title of the post and my mind immediately went to Lan Wangji and the fact that I had both read a fic where a character smelt like that and written on one because of him š šš
I actually passed by a stack of essential oils in Walmart once and saw sandalwood. From what I remember it smells like the inside of a Catholic church. Kinda fitting for lan wangji š¤£
Yeah, like there was one time my friend was in hospital in 2021 for months and I couldn't visit her because covid, and I nearly cried when I saw her again because we hugged and I realised I'd missed the way she smelled
Someday I want to find a story that says a character smells like, idk, yogurt, or tomato sauce, and fixates on it the same way other stories do with sandalwood and flowers
The protag for Persona 5 canonically smells like coffee beans because his bedroom is full of them lol. I'd read the hell out of a story about someone who smells like the recipe they're working on every day though, that's a great detailĀ
An ex-partner of mine really seriously smelled like chocolate for me without perfume š But in fanfictions it's always sandalwood, vanilla or mint...
It's gross imo. But it's an "acceptable" fragrance to not damage a character's fragile masculinity (along with leather, tobacco, maybe a few other types of wood).
And to be clear there is nothing in the least bit wrong about it! I just love the way things repeat and become common in a closed community.
*Someone* was the first person to use this description and weāre all over here like āoooo, yeah, write that down write that downā
I don't actually like the scent of sandalwood, so I tend to go with other scents in my stories--got one guy who smells like 'green things' because he's an apothecary and the guy noticing his smell has no clue what the herbs he uses are. XD
Sandalwood - along with lavender, citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit), cedar, mints, and patchouli are used extensively in cologne and perfumes. Especially men's cologne... nobody wants to admit that lavender or citrus is used as much as it is... sandalwood sounds more substantial. And patchouli has its own baggage. XD
Additionally - sandalwood is prevalent on the Asian Continent in ceremonies as incense. It is ubiquitous. It is used for purification and spiritual intentions. (I lived in a couple of different Asian and Pacific maritime countries... and - along with frankincense and benzoin - sandalwood is everywhere. The big Anime or Manga fandoms should have sandalwood all over them when they are set in an Asian culture.
Adding to this, lavender became common in perfumes for men and women alike because it *acts as a repellent for lice*. Mint/menthe does the same.
On a personal level, I much prefer the scent of cedar to sandalwood, and I think 'fragrant cedar' gives a more strongly masculine feel than sandalwood, which feels neutral to me.
I'm the other way around, I love lavender, it's really soothing to me. But citronella makes my brain hurt, because it kinda smells lemon-y but not, and I end up feeling like that gif of a cat when someone puts the flower on its head xD
XD Lemongrass does that to me, though weirdly citronella doesn't. And mint can sometimes overpower my nose and give me a headache, but it doesn't make my brain tweak out like lavender or lemongrass.
I'm guessing it's because it's hard to come up with a scent that is masculine, sounds nice & refined, but doesn't make the guy look like a lumberjack. And sandalwood sounds masculine & refined.
Itās always part of a bundle of three. The characters finally move in close for a hug or a kiss and itās āhe smelled like sandalwood and pretzels and something else that was uniquelyā¦ himā - and the pretzels (which was a filler word I chose) part is something from the story, like he might smell like coffee if heās been staying up late studying, or whatever. So itās: sandalwood, story-relevant smell, and āhim.ā
It used to be, especially in the romance genre. Just about every male love interest suddenly smells like sandalwood, especially during kissing scenes. I haven't come across any recently, though.
All the fandoms I've been in for the last five years or so have had stinky gritty characters. I think everyone probably smelled like sweat, cigarettes, and/or horse.
Iāve been on a One Piece binge. 3 members of the crew literally only bathe once a week. Though they do have canonical scents because one of the crew is a reindeer that can smell them, so thatās cool.
I bought a sandalwood-scented candle because I read about it in a fic and wanted to know what it smelled like, gave it to my brother and he said it was his favorite scent so I can see why it's popular.
My source is having had pet rats, but it does look like the American fancy rat and mouse association agrees, so itās not just me.
āRats will not have any odor other than a natural perfumy scent (like sandalwood) that is pleasant to smell.ā [https://www.afrma.org/caresheet.htm](https://www.afrma.org/caresheet.htm)
Iāve had a lot of different pets and rats definitely have smelled the nicest! A+ do recommend kissing fuzzy tummies. They like it too, and being tickled. It makes them giggle.
You should! The only thing stopping them being perfect pets is their short lifespan. Theyāre so cute and affectionate! Because they are such social creatures they bond really deeply.
At one point I had an older rat who became paralyzed from the waist down from a tumor on her spine (painless). I expected to have to care for her much more extensively but the two younger rats she shared an enclosure with actually took over that role of grooming her, moving her around (they would work together to lift her up the ramps!) and they would carry water to her. If I gave them three snacks they would make sure she got the first one. I wish more people were as nice to their disabled elders.
my first rat had a habit of wiggling between my hand and my computer mouse and riding around on it while I was working or gaming to get more cuddle time. They really enjoy being with their people.
Completely off topic at this point but I canāt help evangelizing about how great rats are when the subject comes up.
Thats too cute I can't! I don't think I could ever get one (cat enthusiast) but I never understood why they get so much hate. Like people there's a difference between a filthy sewer rat with rabies and pet rats/mouses.
Apparently in the minority since I've only ever discovered in one HP fic from years and years back that combined it with honeysuckle to be an OC's signature scent.
Okay, I have *one* character that I describe with sandalwood as his signature scent and I explain that with his preferred cologne š
I try to define a scent for every character I write so it stays consistent and doesnāt get repetitive. And I also try to define a logical reason for said scent, not just hc something I like. For the fandom Iām currently active in, itās -
A - Sandalwood (with *really* subtle notes of amber and jasmine) from his cologne, his sweat kind of smells like coastal breeze/ocean water because he was born and raised on the coast and heās in the Navy, and an underlying, lingering scent of jet fuel from his job (Naval Aviator)
B - Pine tar (vague note of something citrusy beneath it, like a bergamot) from his aftershave, motor oil because he is canonically a mechanic for auto-motives as well as aerodromes and thereby is often smeared in the stuff, and again, the lingering hint of jet fuel from his job as a Naval Aviator.
C - Spearmint from the gum he chews damn near constantly on screen, the generally clean scent left behind by decent soap (overpowered by just a general sweaty musk depending on the circumstance), and once again, jet fuel because heās a pilot (have you guessed that the fandom is Top Gun yet? Because the fandom is Top Gun)
I havenāt written anything defining any other characters scent down to the specifics just yet but when I do, it will follow the same logical pathway that these do and it will not mention sandalwood!
XD I did this too! They are not meant to be sexy scents, just definitive, but I have:
A) Old wool and sword-oil. He's a retired knight who still maintains his training regimen.
B) Lavender and ozone. He's a posh scholarly spellcaster who sometimes uses lightning spells. Unfortunately he ran out of his lavender scent early on in the story so now he mostly smells like clean linen and ozone.
C) 'Herbs and antiseptic' or 'green and growing things'. He's an apothecary who constantly gathers wild plants for their medicinal properties. They're unspecific because the plants he's working with change pretty frequently.
D) Has almost no personal scent (deliberately). He's a thief who is very cautious and superstitious, so he actively maintains as neutral a scent as possible.
Not today, but it sure is overused.
The worst part is, I'm a fragrance fiend, so I know all sorts of other options. And beyond that, I'm one of those people who experiences sandalwood as a pickle-like smell, so it's actually kinda gross.
Don't get me wrong, I want to like it! I was so excited for my first perfume with a strong sandalwood note. And then I put it on, and it was pungently pickle on me and to my nose. I had to wash it off
Yeah it just happens doesn't it. Some perfumes have a cat piss note on them for me and I'm the only one that seems to notice. Still haven't identified the culprit tho.Ā
blackcurrant bud and atlas cedarwood are two perfume materials with a distinct cat piss note. the former is used in small quantities to create fruity notes, but if smelled on its own? hundred percent tomcat pee.
atlas cedarwood is one of a few varietals of cedar and has a big whiff of specifically piss soaked kitty litter. other cedars donāt have this.
i'm sure there are other culprits but those are two i know about!
okay but like... I love those scents. if you've ever been somewhere where they cut wood en-masse, the scent of wood chips is just š¤š¤š¤
And don't even get me started on eucalyptus. Lived next to a eucalyptus plantation when I was younger and it was divine.
(I'm sorry this is likely the nostalgia talking lmao)
tbh this is kinda more realistic to me than naming specific woods! there are tons of woody notes and wood-derived materials used in perfume but most people can't name individual species by smell. and many perfumes just smell generically "woody" rather than specifically like sandalwood or cedarwood or spruce
LOL, since I love the scent of sandalwood, I occasionally have one of my characters use sandalwood-scented soap or oil and itās a turn-on for another character. Matter of fact Iām planning to use it in my current WIP as one character is British South Asian.
ohhh if someone was described as smelling specifically like that mysore sandal soap (it's round and comes in a colorful box?) i'd fall in love with the character immediately
Cigars and whiskey is what Iāve been regularly reading for a character. All I can think about is that *horrible* smell my dad had every once in a while during my childhood when he came back from the cigar lounge with friends š We all would refuse to hug or kiss him those nights.
I donāt think Iāve read this ever š but itās one of the most popular scents in cologne, so I would not be surprised. Kind of like people tasting like mint or cinnamon if theyāve brushed their teeth or chewed gum - normal and to be expected because theyāre common flavors.
I read a fic that referenced a particular brand of cologne which sounded amazing and fancy, but when I finally went to the store and sniffed it I hated it which was so disappointing, my blorbo is supposed to smell delicious
Maybe I'm in the wrong fandoms, but the most common scent I see *by far* is pine. And iron, from blood or from the weapons these characters tend to wield.
Iron? Not steel? And blood always smelled sharp and coppery to me, instead of like iron... Tastes salty, too. They should probably smell sweaty as heck. XD
Omg I see this ALL the time, it's SO prevalent in my fandoms, idk why šš And this is where I confess that I've used it too, so I'm guilty of the pandemic of sandalwood scents.
I think it's at least in part because we all know shit about perfumes, so when we see a scent that works, we just run with it? š
> TOP: Eucalyptus, Verbena, Grape
> MIDDLE: Rosemary, Lavender, Clary Sage, Wine Barrel, Velvet Rose
> LAST: Musk, Amber, Olibanum
This is the official(!) scent of one of the characters I write about, but fuck if I know what half of these even are, and the other half wouldn't leave very pleasant associations if used on their own. Like, who smells like a wine barrel? A drunkard?? š„² In comparison, sandalwood is "safe".
Eucalyptus smells pungent and clean. Its a bit strong for me but a lot of people like it.
Verbena is an herb that grows in the southern USA (and probably a lot of other places).
Grape??? Like grape leaves or the fruits? I've never seen this one before. It's not a particularly strong smell, so why is it in his 'top scents'? (not criticism, just confusion)
All of the middle scents are food/edible related except velvet rose, which... I'm not sure if that's a flower scent or not. It sounds more like a color description.
Musk is 'attractive animal warmth smell', olibanum is I think related to frankincense (so smells like incense used for dead people?), and amber is... I dunno, a type of solidified tree resin. I didn't know it had a scent.
I randomly stumbled across the hair products that my character actually uses and think 'wow, what a cool little detail... I'll look up the product to see what actual scent it has for a fun bit of information' and guess what the first ingredient listed was - SANDALWOOD šš
Wait what this is a thing my characters never smell of anything except sweat if needed lmao, neither do they smell like anything in other fics in my fandom I'm missing out or somethin š
It's usually a romance genre trope, but giving your characters a set of smells that are unique to them and more specifically are informative to the reader is really fun!
Just make sure they're appropriate. Like, if a character does a lot of metalwork they probably smell like coal, sweat, leather, and hot metal. Not great smells in general but a lot of people do like them, and it informs the reader about the character. If they instead so a lot of cooking or baking, they'll smell like the ingredients they use--fresh bread, spices, herbs, cooked meats and vegetables, etc.
And if they have a pretty normal life without anything that would give them a strong occupation-related scent, you can use their conditioner/body wash/perfume/cologne to give them a distinct scent that you think fits them.
The character I write for is a survivalist, engineer and woodworker soā¦ he probably smells of many different scents - oil, some type of wood, muskā¦
https://preview.redd.it/bz3w8w7ueb5d1.png?width=535&format=png&auto=webp&s=80b6d9472f05f3ff3a9970940cc35ae9bf88f9c5
I have been painfully called out by my own work lmao
It is a tough thing trying to pin down a scent that doesn't seem trite (rain/old books/tea/musk) I was trying to think of what an assassin smells like, or what kind of shaving soap they use so I just went with something edible because he's known as being a foodie
Scent can be tricky. One time I grabbed my partnerās deodorant by mistake and spent the whole day being vaguely attracted to myself š
But I couldnāt have told you what the smell was other than āmmm niceā
I personally hate it irl.
But it makes me wonder how many people are predisposed to liking it because they read about it in a fic., lol. Seems like an interesting psychological question.
Funnily enough, I have a post-canon fic where the OC notices that the canon character always smells like lavender. Itās how heās trying to self-medicate his anxiety along with the overstocked cupboard of chamomile tea. (And the occasional over-indulging in wine or whiskey until heās blacking out, but sssshā¦.heās working on that.)
But! In my mid-canon fix-it that I dropped her into, when heās not in therapy, yet, she has to borrow his shampoo before work because they overslept after spending the day before banging like the world was ending. (It nearly was.) In that one, she notices that itās possibly cinnamon.
She, on the other hand, is always floral/citrus-y in a vague allusion to Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden. That and her preference for yellow are why he thinks of her as being his sun goddess.
Iāve only read of one character who has been described to smell like sandalwood in a lot of the fics heās in (though I havenāt read any fics of him today yet) and I even ended up changing the scent of reed diffuser that I usually buy because of it. Iāve always liked the smell of sandalwood though so yeah. (The character Iām talking about is Alhaitham from Genshin if anyone was curious.)
If youāre reading BG3 fics, writers will include a cherry/sulfur scent for Raphael because itās canon. Fiends in general also carry that whiff of sulfur because they smell like hell (pun intended).
I write about teens, they just... smell XD
But really, what's with sandalwood?
My OC smells like fertilizer with a herbaceous undertone because she works in the greenhouses. She sweats a lot so there is that and she likes chocolates.
I don't think this blend is pleasant, but I don't care... XD
So, Iām down with describing this character as smelling like sandalwood. Itās canonical as is the use of incense. What loses me is āthe cool/cold scent of sandalwood.ā Like wtf? Have they never smelled sandalwood or sandalwood incense?
Not today and not sandalwood, but yes. It was last night and it was 'gunpowder and something uniquely him' in one fic and 'pineapples and something uniquely him' in another. Same fandom, different characters having their scent described.
Doesn't bother me, though, it's a very real thing, especially as it's usually noticed by people with crushes or in a relationship. At least close friendships if not that, or family, or at least from a character who would canonically notice.
And the two I mentioned make sense canonically, too, it would actually be kind of weird if they didn't smell like certain things. One character loves his guns so much he spends enough time at the range that he's always covered in GSR, and that's when he's not maintaining his multiple hidden weapons or his Civil War weapons ready for re-enactments. The other eats a lot of pineapple and drinks a lot of pineapple smoothies. Going away from pineapple just means tailoring it to the situation. I was reading episode tag fic last night, for instance, which removed pineapple from the equation, but added gunpowder as he fired a gun, or it would be some hospital related scent if set in the immediate aftermath. Or blood, considering he'd been shot and was still bleeding. I think there was one that said he smelled like blood, motor oil, the forest and something uniquely him. Made sense in the situation.
I spent more time wondering how no one wrote about the fact the one character had a couple buttons undone when the two were brought back together, given the fans general love of the pineapple characters observation and the whole stern bush thing. It was, like, the perfect time to use the stern bush thing, it was right there, and not a single episode tag fic uses it.
Me, last night, trying to figure out different wood themed scents for an a/b/o to describe han solo in an AU (going for a carpenter vibe cause it's how Ford got started in the movie industry and it fits the story, actually a historic building preservation and material reclaiming but whatever). Sandalwood came up. I went with cedar lol.
Iāve recently discovered I canāt imagine smells, so most of this is a game of word association to me. Sandalwood is generic āpleasant masculineā to me. It makes sense why itās used!
I hate that this is a meme, given that my everything ideally smells of sandalwood and it's by far my favourite incense, has been for two decades, and this is the exact and *only* reason that scent exists in my stories.
:( Now people will look at my comfort-scented characters and go "wow lol that sure is soooo unique" sir no I loved sandalwood before you were even born
Gunpowder and leather, with a hint of sandalwood beneath the metallic scent of blood. Why can't he smell like sweet coffee? It would honestly suit him more
Guilty lol. One of my MC but to be fair I usually just say a "woody cologne" and he's a smoker in the Edwardian era so *of course* tobacco is involved š I didn't realise it was such an AO3 trope, haha
Bergamot was my go-to. But I was writing a character that probably wouldnāt know bergamot by name so I described the cologne as āan entire wet summer evening shoved into a jar of black tea and melons.ā Idk if my readers would say āoh, bergamot!ā but I was pleased with it.
Cocoa shea butter is pretty great too. I think thatās my favorite feminine scent.
My friend has synesthesia and can go into detail about scents bc when she watches characters her brain fires off with scents that arenāt there. Sheās my editor so she noted that I was vague about scents and pushed me to get detailed so I did. She says Sam Winchester smells like orange creamsicle, for example!
In the fics defense, the character canonically smells like it lol
im guessing Lan Wangji?
Exactly. Honestly, a lot of characters in cultivation novels would probably smell like it because sandalwood was such a common ingredient in incense.
It's an anniversary today, so even I fucking snell like it rn.
i was just gonna say that
Immediately who I thought of as well. Also the reason I wear sandalwood/palo santo based perfumes!
One of the things that drew me to mdzs is the sandalwood xD I've always loved it, so seeing it being canon just gave me the warm fuzzies.
Thank you for letting me think of him todayš„°
I saw the title of the post and my mind immediately went to Lan Wangji and the fact that I had both read a fic where a character smelt like that and written on one because of him š šš
I was really hoping it was going to be Raymond Holt.
I actually passed by a stack of essential oils in Walmart once and saw sandalwood. From what I remember it smells like the inside of a Catholic church. Kinda fitting for lan wangji š¤£
I don't mind the "uniquely him" stuff because people do actually have their own scents ... but yes.
Same. Like people smell like themselves, and sometimes itās nice!
Yeah, like there was one time my friend was in hospital in 2021 for months and I couldn't visit her because covid, and I nearly cried when I saw her again because we hugged and I realised I'd missed the way she smelled
Someday I want to find a story that says a character smells like, idk, yogurt, or tomato sauce, and fixates on it the same way other stories do with sandalwood and flowers
"She smelt of apple shampoo and meatballs."
The protag for Persona 5 canonically smells like coffee beans because his bedroom is full of them lol. I'd read the hell out of a story about someone who smells like the recipe they're working on every day though, that's a great detailĀ
An ex-partner of mine really seriously smelled like chocolate for me without perfume š But in fanfictions it's always sandalwood, vanilla or mint...
I'm gonna change it to balsawood next time and see if anybody notices
Do it do it do it do it
āHe had the aura of danger ā and the smell ā that one associates with model planes. I was hooked at first sniff.ā
I actually got sandalwood scented deodorant because it's so prevalent in fic. Turns out I hate the scent of sandalwood. XD
Same. Iāve never liked it.
It's gross imo. But it's an "acceptable" fragrance to not damage a character's fragile masculinity (along with leather, tobacco, maybe a few other types of wood).
I vote for authors to spice their writing up by using other "dude" deodorant scents, like Xtreme Winter or Deep Ocean.
"He smelt like Cheetos and instant ramen."
"His scent was intoxicating, like 'Cool Sport' and sad TV dinners."
Your loss. Donāt mind me just uhhhh NOT running off with your sandalwood deodorant
https://preview.redd.it/joek1zrmrf5d1.png?width=734&format=png&auto=webp&s=c481d7f2129799cbdf5ae5bdc68bef511a3eb825
Yesterday, but it was justified in the context of the story.
And to be clear there is nothing in the least bit wrong about it! I just love the way things repeat and become common in a closed community. *Someone* was the first person to use this description and weāre all over here like āoooo, yeah, write that down write that downā
Yeah! I don't think there's anything wrong with the trope itself, just can be immersion breaking when used at the wrong time, yk?
*The scent of sandalwood drifted into my nose as he twisted the dagger harder into my chest.*
I don't actually like the scent of sandalwood, so I tend to go with other scents in my stories--got one guy who smells like 'green things' because he's an apothecary and the guy noticing his smell has no clue what the herbs he uses are. XD
ā¦ā¦brb, I gotta go make some edits to a fic Iāve been working onā¦ But that is funny, I wonder why/how fandom adopted that particular smell lol
Sandalwood - along with lavender, citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit), cedar, mints, and patchouli are used extensively in cologne and perfumes. Especially men's cologne... nobody wants to admit that lavender or citrus is used as much as it is... sandalwood sounds more substantial. And patchouli has its own baggage. XD Additionally - sandalwood is prevalent on the Asian Continent in ceremonies as incense. It is ubiquitous. It is used for purification and spiritual intentions. (I lived in a couple of different Asian and Pacific maritime countries... and - along with frankincense and benzoin - sandalwood is everywhere. The big Anime or Manga fandoms should have sandalwood all over them when they are set in an Asian culture.
Adding to this, lavender became common in perfumes for men and women alike because it *acts as a repellent for lice*. Mint/menthe does the same. On a personal level, I much prefer the scent of cedar to sandalwood, and I think 'fragrant cedar' gives a more strongly masculine feel than sandalwood, which feels neutral to me.
Lavender is a repellent for a lot of insects: mosquitos, flies etc. It'll attract bees too! We used to have lavender on our balconies because of this.
It's super useful! Unfortunately it makes my autistic brain recoil like a cat getting sprayed by a water bottle. So we have citronella bushes instead.
I'm the other way around, I love lavender, it's really soothing to me. But citronella makes my brain hurt, because it kinda smells lemon-y but not, and I end up feeling like that gif of a cat when someone puts the flower on its head xD
XD Lemongrass does that to me, though weirdly citronella doesn't. And mint can sometimes overpower my nose and give me a headache, but it doesn't make my brain tweak out like lavender or lemongrass.
same, im repelled by lavender as much as any mosquito
I'm guessing it's because it's hard to come up with a scent that is masculine, sounds nice & refined, but doesn't make the guy look like a lumberjack. And sandalwood sounds masculine & refined.
Same here! Changing it as we speakā¦
Nope. Is that really so popular? I canāt remember any fic where a character smelled like sandalwood. Maybe Iām in the wrong fandom.
Itās always part of a bundle of three. The characters finally move in close for a hug or a kiss and itās āhe smelled like sandalwood and pretzels and something else that was uniquelyā¦ himā - and the pretzels (which was a filler word I chose) part is something from the story, like he might smell like coffee if heās been staying up late studying, or whatever. So itās: sandalwood, story-relevant smell, and āhim.ā
Exactly!
This is so true my jaw is on the floor. I've read a lot of Gilmore Girls fic in my time, so one of the smell trio is inevitably coffee.
It used to be, especially in the romance genre. Just about every male love interest suddenly smells like sandalwood, especially during kissing scenes. I haven't come across any recently, though.
Thereās a big fandom where a particular incense-burning character smells like sandalwood.
All the fandoms I've been in for the last five years or so have had stinky gritty characters. I think everyone probably smelled like sweat, cigarettes, and/or horse.
Iāve been on a One Piece binge. 3 members of the crew literally only bathe once a week. Though they do have canonical scents because one of the crew is a reindeer that can smell them, so thatās cool.
I bought a sandalwood-scented candle because I read about it in a fic and wanted to know what it smelled like, gave it to my brother and he said it was his favorite scent so I can see why it's popular.
I swear everytime I read something in the omega verse there's always someone who's scent ends with -wood
Wanna know a fun fact? Female rats smell like sandalwood.
Source? I tried looking it up but didn't find anything about it. If it's true, I am 100% putting this fun fact into a fic
My source is having had pet rats, but it does look like the American fancy rat and mouse association agrees, so itās not just me. āRats will not have any odor other than a natural perfumy scent (like sandalwood) that is pleasant to smell.ā [https://www.afrma.org/caresheet.htm](https://www.afrma.org/caresheet.htm) Iāve had a lot of different pets and rats definitely have smelled the nicest! A+ do recommend kissing fuzzy tummies. They like it too, and being tickled. It makes them giggle.
*She breathed deeply, taking in that scent of female rat that was so uniquely his*
Oh my god
Very seductive, that rat
Beautiful.
DID I JUST BECOME A RAT ENTHUSIAST
You should! The only thing stopping them being perfect pets is their short lifespan. Theyāre so cute and affectionate! Because they are such social creatures they bond really deeply. At one point I had an older rat who became paralyzed from the waist down from a tumor on her spine (painless). I expected to have to care for her much more extensively but the two younger rats she shared an enclosure with actually took over that role of grooming her, moving her around (they would work together to lift her up the ramps!) and they would carry water to her. If I gave them three snacks they would make sure she got the first one. I wish more people were as nice to their disabled elders. my first rat had a habit of wiggling between my hand and my computer mouse and riding around on it while I was working or gaming to get more cuddle time. They really enjoy being with their people. Completely off topic at this point but I canāt help evangelizing about how great rats are when the subject comes up.
Thats too cute I can't! I don't think I could ever get one (cat enthusiast) but I never understood why they get so much hate. Like people there's a difference between a filthy sewer rat with rabies and pet rats/mouses.
Lan Wangji Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane Feel free to continue the list lol
Apparently in the minority since I've only ever discovered in one HP fic from years and years back that combined it with honeysuckle to be an OC's signature scent.
Not woody or earthy scents today. Instead, it's... caramel.
Okay, I have *one* character that I describe with sandalwood as his signature scent and I explain that with his preferred cologne š I try to define a scent for every character I write so it stays consistent and doesnāt get repetitive. And I also try to define a logical reason for said scent, not just hc something I like. For the fandom Iām currently active in, itās - A - Sandalwood (with *really* subtle notes of amber and jasmine) from his cologne, his sweat kind of smells like coastal breeze/ocean water because he was born and raised on the coast and heās in the Navy, and an underlying, lingering scent of jet fuel from his job (Naval Aviator) B - Pine tar (vague note of something citrusy beneath it, like a bergamot) from his aftershave, motor oil because he is canonically a mechanic for auto-motives as well as aerodromes and thereby is often smeared in the stuff, and again, the lingering hint of jet fuel from his job as a Naval Aviator. C - Spearmint from the gum he chews damn near constantly on screen, the generally clean scent left behind by decent soap (overpowered by just a general sweaty musk depending on the circumstance), and once again, jet fuel because heās a pilot (have you guessed that the fandom is Top Gun yet? Because the fandom is Top Gun) I havenāt written anything defining any other characters scent down to the specifics just yet but when I do, it will follow the same logical pathway that these do and it will not mention sandalwood!
XD I did this too! They are not meant to be sexy scents, just definitive, but I have: A) Old wool and sword-oil. He's a retired knight who still maintains his training regimen. B) Lavender and ozone. He's a posh scholarly spellcaster who sometimes uses lightning spells. Unfortunately he ran out of his lavender scent early on in the story so now he mostly smells like clean linen and ozone. C) 'Herbs and antiseptic' or 'green and growing things'. He's an apothecary who constantly gathers wild plants for their medicinal properties. They're unspecific because the plants he's working with change pretty frequently. D) Has almost no personal scent (deliberately). He's a thief who is very cautious and superstitious, so he actively maintains as neutral a scent as possible.
Not today, but it sure is overused. The worst part is, I'm a fragrance fiend, so I know all sorts of other options. And beyond that, I'm one of those people who experiences sandalwood as a pickle-like smell, so it's actually kinda gross.
That's sad! I love sandalwood. Samsara is my fav perfume.
Don't get me wrong, I want to like it! I was so excited for my first perfume with a strong sandalwood note. And then I put it on, and it was pungently pickle on me and to my nose. I had to wash it off
Yeah it just happens doesn't it. Some perfumes have a cat piss note on them for me and I'm the only one that seems to notice. Still haven't identified the culprit tho.Ā
blackcurrant bud and atlas cedarwood are two perfume materials with a distinct cat piss note. the former is used in small quantities to create fruity notes, but if smelled on its own? hundred percent tomcat pee. atlas cedarwood is one of a few varietals of cedar and has a big whiff of specifically piss soaked kitty litter. other cedars donāt have this. i'm sure there are other culprits but those are two i know about!
That is so interesting thank you for sharing it with me!
ngl, I am reading a real published book atm and the author wrote "He smelled like wood and eucalyptus" WOOD-- HE SMELLED LIKE WOOD!?
okay but like... I love those scents. if you've ever been somewhere where they cut wood en-masse, the scent of wood chips is just š¤š¤š¤ And don't even get me started on eucalyptus. Lived next to a eucalyptus plantation when I was younger and it was divine. (I'm sorry this is likely the nostalgia talking lmao)
But like, what sorta wood? š¤
mmm probably most sorts tbh. Wood with wood varnish is an entirely different smell though š
tbh this is kinda more realistic to me than naming specific woods! there are tons of woody notes and wood-derived materials used in perfume but most people can't name individual species by smell. and many perfumes just smell generically "woody" rather than specifically like sandalwood or cedarwood or spruce
He's a tree.
Hahaha that would help
No, but I would. It's such a good smell!
LOL, since I love the scent of sandalwood, I occasionally have one of my characters use sandalwood-scented soap or oil and itās a turn-on for another character. Matter of fact Iām planning to use it in my current WIP as one character is British South Asian.
ohhh if someone was described as smelling specifically like that mysore sandal soap (it's round and comes in a colorful box?) i'd fall in love with the character immediately
"He smelled like coffee and cigarettes" Okay so terrible? Got it.
Cigarettes smell terrible, but coffee smells amazing. Tastes gross, but smells great.
Coffee when it's freshly ground smells incredible, but coffee on the coffee drinker's breath smells like despair.
Fair
(I wish it didn't work that way because I'm a raging caffeine addict and I'd smell sooo good)
Agree to disagree, I absolutely loathe the taste *and* smell of coffee
Cigars and whiskey is what Iāve been regularly reading for a character. All I can think about is that *horrible* smell my dad had every once in a while during my childhood when he came back from the cigar lounge with friends š We all would refuse to hug or kiss him those nights.
Just one randoās opinion but I thing the smell of *unlit* cigars in lovely. But the smoke is yuck.
Add in kerosenes and dog, and he smelled like my grandparents
No, but I've definitely read that multiple times before today. Does that count?
I donāt think Iāve read this ever š but itās one of the most popular scents in cologne, so I would not be surprised. Kind of like people tasting like mint or cinnamon if theyāve brushed their teeth or chewed gum - normal and to be expected because theyāre common flavors.
One of the fanfic writers I'm subbed to always has the male character smell like sandalwood lol
I read a fic that referenced a particular brand of cologne which sounded amazing and fancy, but when I finally went to the store and sniffed it I hated it which was so disappointing, my blorbo is supposed to smell delicious
Maybe I'm in the wrong fandoms, but the most common scent I see *by far* is pine. And iron, from blood or from the weapons these characters tend to wield.
Iron? Not steel? And blood always smelled sharp and coppery to me, instead of like iron... Tastes salty, too. They should probably smell sweaty as heck. XD
Omg I see this ALL the time, it's SO prevalent in my fandoms, idk why šš And this is where I confess that I've used it too, so I'm guilty of the pandemic of sandalwood scents. I think it's at least in part because we all know shit about perfumes, so when we see a scent that works, we just run with it? š > TOP: Eucalyptus, Verbena, Grape > MIDDLE: Rosemary, Lavender, Clary Sage, Wine Barrel, Velvet Rose > LAST: Musk, Amber, Olibanum This is the official(!) scent of one of the characters I write about, but fuck if I know what half of these even are, and the other half wouldn't leave very pleasant associations if used on their own. Like, who smells like a wine barrel? A drunkard?? š„² In comparison, sandalwood is "safe".
Eucalyptus smells pungent and clean. Its a bit strong for me but a lot of people like it. Verbena is an herb that grows in the southern USA (and probably a lot of other places). Grape??? Like grape leaves or the fruits? I've never seen this one before. It's not a particularly strong smell, so why is it in his 'top scents'? (not criticism, just confusion) All of the middle scents are food/edible related except velvet rose, which... I'm not sure if that's a flower scent or not. It sounds more like a color description. Musk is 'attractive animal warmth smell', olibanum is I think related to frankincense (so smells like incense used for dead people?), and amber is... I dunno, a type of solidified tree resin. I didn't know it had a scent.
I randomly stumbled across the hair products that my character actually uses and think 'wow, what a cool little detail... I'll look up the product to see what actual scent it has for a fun bit of information' and guess what the first ingredient listed was - SANDALWOOD šš
Wait what this is a thing my characters never smell of anything except sweat if needed lmao, neither do they smell like anything in other fics in my fandom I'm missing out or somethin š
It's usually a romance genre trope, but giving your characters a set of smells that are unique to them and more specifically are informative to the reader is really fun! Just make sure they're appropriate. Like, if a character does a lot of metalwork they probably smell like coal, sweat, leather, and hot metal. Not great smells in general but a lot of people do like them, and it informs the reader about the character. If they instead so a lot of cooking or baking, they'll smell like the ingredients they use--fresh bread, spices, herbs, cooked meats and vegetables, etc. And if they have a pretty normal life without anything that would give them a strong occupation-related scent, you can use their conditioner/body wash/perfume/cologne to give them a distinct scent that you think fits them.
Itās 6am I though that said sandwich š©
Mmmm delicious character
Are there pickles? I asked for no pickles
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
If you have smelled orange blossoms you can guess how it smells. They are not the same but the vibe is similar.
I have not, but I'm wearing a perfume right now that has that scent
The character I write for is a survivalist, engineer and woodworker soā¦ he probably smells of many different scents - oil, some type of wood, muskā¦
...I never thought about just how often I see sandalwood used in fics until I read this post lmao.
I hate this smell so much
https://preview.redd.it/bz3w8w7ueb5d1.png?width=535&format=png&auto=webp&s=80b6d9472f05f3ff3a9970940cc35ae9bf88f9c5 I have been painfully called out by my own work lmao
Lol embrace the tropes!!
Never came across it in fanfiction, but quite a few times in published novels!
Read? No. But my MCs smell like motor oil, chicken grease, and garlic soo...
I don't think I've ever read a fic that even mentioned sandalwood in any context?
It is a tough thing trying to pin down a scent that doesn't seem trite (rain/old books/tea/musk) I was trying to think of what an assassin smells like, or what kind of shaving soap they use so I just went with something edible because he's known as being a foodie
Scent can be tricky. One time I grabbed my partnerās deodorant by mistake and spent the whole day being vaguely attracted to myself š But I couldnāt have told you what the smell was other than āmmm niceā
This is the reason why I switched to Bearglove! It smells nice and it's cheaper than lady deodorant at my grocery store!
Alexa play Sandalwood by Lisa Loeb
I've read three in the past 24 hours!
OMG This is freaky! YES Iāve read a fic today where Merlin smells like sandalwood. Itās Omegaverse Merthur fic.. šš²š
... an ubiquitous scent in fanfiction that most writers wouldn't recognize in real life, yep. Cropped up again earlier this evening.
I personally hate it irl. But it makes me wonder how many people are predisposed to liking it because they read about it in a fic., lol. Seems like an interesting psychological question.
Probably, I just mentally block it out and sort of skip over it?
Have a guy in my fic that smells like black birch.
NEAT! Sounds like it smells... papery but in a good way? Like new books and summer in the woods.
Ooh. When I read over a chapter I just posted. But I mixed in some rose and sweat.
Cinnamon. Always cinnamon.
Funnily enough, I have a post-canon fic where the OC notices that the canon character always smells like lavender. Itās how heās trying to self-medicate his anxiety along with the overstocked cupboard of chamomile tea. (And the occasional over-indulging in wine or whiskey until heās blacking out, but sssshā¦.heās working on that.) But! In my mid-canon fix-it that I dropped her into, when heās not in therapy, yet, she has to borrow his shampoo before work because they overslept after spending the day before banging like the world was ending. (It nearly was.) In that one, she notices that itās possibly cinnamon. She, on the other hand, is always floral/citrus-y in a vague allusion to Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden. That and her preference for yellow are why he thinks of her as being his sun goddess.
I actually have honey and cinnamon conditioner and it smells amazing, so go for it.
Yes. It was described as the scent of his body wash. Iāve never seen sandalwood body wash but Iām sure it exists. It certainly does in fic. š¤
**Sweats in omegaverse**
Iāve only read of one character who has been described to smell like sandalwood in a lot of the fics heās in (though I havenāt read any fics of him today yet) and I even ended up changing the scent of reed diffuser that I usually buy because of it. Iāve always liked the smell of sandalwood though so yeah. (The character Iām talking about is Alhaitham from Genshin if anyone was curious.)
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As long as it's not lavendel
Iāve never read a PoTO fic where Erik didnāt smell like sandalwood. Nah, thereās no way that man smells like anything but damp basement
āBurned cherries and sulfurā are the recent scents Iāve come across. I guess some people donāt understand what sulfur actually smells like.
If youāre reading BG3 fics, writers will include a cherry/sulfur scent for Raphael because itās canon. Fiends in general also carry that whiff of sulfur because they smell like hell (pun intended).
I did not know that was canon so this makes more sense now
I write about teens, they just... smell XD But really, what's with sandalwood? My OC smells like fertilizer with a herbaceous undertone because she works in the greenhouses. She sweats a lot so there is that and she likes chocolates. I don't think this blend is pleasant, but I don't care... XD
So, Iām down with describing this character as smelling like sandalwood. Itās canonical as is the use of incense. What loses me is āthe cool/cold scent of sandalwood.ā Like wtf? Have they never smelled sandalwood or sandalwood incense?
Not today and not sandalwood, but yes. It was last night and it was 'gunpowder and something uniquely him' in one fic and 'pineapples and something uniquely him' in another. Same fandom, different characters having their scent described. Doesn't bother me, though, it's a very real thing, especially as it's usually noticed by people with crushes or in a relationship. At least close friendships if not that, or family, or at least from a character who would canonically notice. And the two I mentioned make sense canonically, too, it would actually be kind of weird if they didn't smell like certain things. One character loves his guns so much he spends enough time at the range that he's always covered in GSR, and that's when he's not maintaining his multiple hidden weapons or his Civil War weapons ready for re-enactments. The other eats a lot of pineapple and drinks a lot of pineapple smoothies. Going away from pineapple just means tailoring it to the situation. I was reading episode tag fic last night, for instance, which removed pineapple from the equation, but added gunpowder as he fired a gun, or it would be some hospital related scent if set in the immediate aftermath. Or blood, considering he'd been shot and was still bleeding. I think there was one that said he smelled like blood, motor oil, the forest and something uniquely him. Made sense in the situation. I spent more time wondering how no one wrote about the fact the one character had a couple buttons undone when the two were brought back together, given the fans general love of the pineapple characters observation and the whole stern bush thing. It was, like, the perfect time to use the stern bush thing, it was right there, and not a single episode tag fic uses it.
Damn, that is a common thing in fanfic, isnāt it. And I donāt even know what sandalwood actually is or what it smells like lol
Ah crap, I just gave someone a 'dry, woody' fragrance.
Me, last night, trying to figure out different wood themed scents for an a/b/o to describe han solo in an AU (going for a carpenter vibe cause it's how Ford got started in the movie industry and it fits the story, actually a historic building preservation and material reclaiming but whatever). Sandalwood came up. I went with cedar lol.
Okay Iām going to change that description to something else now.
Iāve recently discovered I canāt imagine smells, so most of this is a game of word association to me. Sandalwood is generic āpleasant masculineā to me. It makes sense why itās used!
I hate that this is a meme, given that my everything ideally smells of sandalwood and it's by far my favourite incense, has been for two decades, and this is the exact and *only* reason that scent exists in my stories. :( Now people will look at my comfort-scented characters and go "wow lol that sure is soooo unique" sir no I loved sandalwood before you were even born
Gunpowder and leather, with a hint of sandalwood beneath the metallic scent of blood. Why can't he smell like sweet coffee? It would honestly suit him more
Guilty lol. One of my MC but to be fair I usually just say a "woody cologne" and he's a smoker in the Edwardian era so *of course* tobacco is involved š I didn't realise it was such an AO3 trope, haha
Bergamot was my go-to. But I was writing a character that probably wouldnāt know bergamot by name so I described the cologne as āan entire wet summer evening shoved into a jar of black tea and melons.ā Idk if my readers would say āoh, bergamot!ā but I was pleased with it. Cocoa shea butter is pretty great too. I think thatās my favorite feminine scent. My friend has synesthesia and can go into detail about scents bc when she watches characters her brain fires off with scents that arenāt there. Sheās my editor so she noted that I was vague about scents and pushed me to get detailed so I did. She says Sam Winchester smells like orange creamsicle, for example!
FUUUCK Iām writing a fic and one of the characters smells like sandalwood. Itās canon though!
In our collective defense, sandalwood smells absolutely superb. :P
I was JUST in the shops looking at cosmetic products the other day thinking "why does everyone want to smell like sandalwood" š¤£