A Wren Says

I’m nervous. I am starting to doubt myself. I need a boost. Today is the day to wear Cosmic Power, by Charlotte Tilbury. Cosmic Power is part of the beauty brand’s collection of mood boosting fragrances. With specific oils added, each are supposed to help the wear body the emotion or feeling in the name.

I sprayed the fragrance on. Woody or perhaps earthy, I couldn’t quite place the scent. It smells not at all mystically feminine but closer to what I would lump into the masculine fragrance category.  Perhaps, it will help me gain the (stereotypical) strength that men (believe they) have. I need the strength to move mountains and the confidence to believe I can, even if better judgment would say otherwise.

I decided to dig deeper into how each of the mood boosting elements in this fragrance could affect the body.

Black pepper- reduction in acute stress, as measured by heart rate variability and skin conductance

Cinnamon oil- Antidepressant like activity (in mice when administered intraperitoneally, which I don’t imagine humans to do, or I hope)

Clove oil- Improvements in inflammation-induced anxiety, depression, and cognitive memory deficits in mice and perceptions of pain and anxiety in labor and anesthetic uses for fish farmers

If those benefits came to me when I sprayed the fragrance, I suppose it would make me less anxious about the task at hand.

I sprayed this on at 9:30 AM. By 7:30 PM I couldn’t really smell this on me. I certainly didn’t get a full 18 hours, as Charlotte Tilbury suggests I should. But the real question is, did I feel more powerful?

As the day progressed, and I was able to consider the task before me, things seem more doable. It would be difficult, but I became more confident in my ability to complete it. It is questionable whether I would have even sprayed enough to get the scientifically proven effects of the essential oils. But maybe just maybe, the smell itself is what matters. It was part of an affirmation that I am stronger than I think. Or maybe it was me all along.

If you are looking for a warm spicy scent and maybe a little bit of empowerment, give Cosmic Power by Charlotte Tilbury a try.