I have no sense of smell, so I let strangers pick my perfume

Steph Easton, a communications, PR and influencer lead in London, had no idea she had anosmia, until her job in beauty uncovered a pretty major detail: she has no sense of smell. What followed was a journey to crowdsourcing her signature scents, despite never smelling them herself.

Most people are shocked when they find out that I have anosmia (or no sense of smell). It wasn’t something I was really aware of until I started working in beauty PR over a decade ago. One of the brands I was working on was an old French perfumery brand which took its fragrance inspiration from gardens around the world. We were launching a new eau de parfum when the MD asked me to smell the individual notes and share my thoughts. When I replied “it’s all quite subtle,” I was met with shock. I was smelling the strongest, most undiluted form of the perfume, but, sniff as I might, I just couldn’t detect anything much.

Looking back, there have been times where I was vaguely aware of an issue, like when I guessed my way – totally incorrectly – through a smell test required for a festival stewarding job as a student. At the time, I assumed I had a cold and thought no more of it.

I don't believe that my sense of smell is gone completely – I can sense mint and sometimes, if a smell is particularly strong, I am aware that it exists, although, as I have no reference points, I struggle to place what it is. The truth is, I never really thought having a weak sense of smell was that much of an issue. Of course, at times it’s inconvenient, like not being able to tell if clothes need a wash. It’s impacted my ability to taste, too. I can eat strong flavoured food, from handfuls of coriander to whole garlic cloves, without really being able to identify the flavours (not a popular experiment for the people around me that can smell). However it was that moment at work, years ago, feeling embarrassed that I couldn't smell the perfume notes in the same way as the rest of my colleagues, that sent me on an olfactory journey to assess how weak my sense of smell is.

I read an article a few years ago where a journalist remembered one of her closest friends who had passed away. She discussed how important fragrance was in recalling precious memories of him. She revealed how fragrance can be healing, uplifting and crucially, how it taps into emotional memories more than any other sense. The article was so emotive and so powerful that I felt sad that I would never be able to feel the strong emotions fragrance can induce.

It motivated me to visit my GP, who referred me to an ENT (Ears, Nose and Throat) specialist, but sadly, they had no real answers. After the excitement of thinking that there might be a way for me to gain a sense of smell, I feel more pertinently aware of my anosmia now.

Of course, finding a signature scent is a whole challenge in itself, when you have no idea what a fragrance smells like. Over the years I've turned to others noses for help. That’s actually exactly how I choose my fragrances. If I wear one out and it gets complimented, I keep it, if not, I pass it on. Essentially, I've relied on friends, family and even strangers to crowd-source my perfume. The funny thing is, it's based purely on the smell alone, so there's no snobbery around marketing, or brands, or what's currently cool.

The most popular one interestingly, has been Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Gold Couture Eau De Parfum, while Miss Dior Eau De Parfum and Byredo Gypsy Water always get a good response, too.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Gold Eau de Parfum

While I wish I were able to experience scent like everyone else, there are many times when not being able to smell is a godsend; facing a sweaty armpit on a packed tube, or braving public toilets are a couple of examples. As for my signature scent, choosing them by blind consensus means that even though I have no idea what I smell like, I know strangers love it.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “anosmia is when you can’t detect odours. It’s usually a temporary side effect from a cold or sinus infection that goes away when your cold or sinus infection clears." They note that “sometimes anosmia may be a symptom of other, more serious medical issues like diabetes or traumatic brain injury,” but it can also be a condition that you're born with and have lifelong. “Congenital anosmia is the total inability to smell from birth,” explains UK charity, SmellTaste.

Whether or not your anosmia can be cured depends on the type or cause of anosmia. “Often, anosmia is a side effect of many common medical issues,” explains the Cleveland Clinic. “You’ll be able to smell again once the underlying issue goes away. Rarely, people have congenital anosmia, for which there’s no known cure,” they add.