The manufacturer of Smiley Eau de Toilette is claiming that the fragrance is “the world’s first antidepressant perfume,” but Joe Heim of the Washington Post isn’t buying it:
“Ever wonder what happiness smells like? For me, it’s the aroma of a Big Mac and fries, but that scent is, unfortunately, a non-starter with most perfume makers. No, for the smell of cheer in a bottle, look no further than Smiley, whose makers proclaim it to be the “very first antidepressant perfume.” Apparently a puff and a huff of this unisex fragrance every day just melts the gloom away. That’s the idea, anyway. The “psycho-active” cocktail” was created based on studies claiming a link between happiness and certain scents. Whatever. I found the sweet, citrusy smell cloying and overripe. (Eau de toilette, indeed.) At $45 for a 1.7-ounce bottle, it’s cheaper than an hour with a psychiatrist, but at least you don’t leave the shrink’s couch smelling as if you’d been doused with Glade.”
Smiley appears to be more about the science behind the scent rather than the scent itself – kind of like those fragrances based on human pheromones that claim to attract members of the opposite sex. Still, I would expect that happiness wouldn’t smell like oranges and ass.
