Crushed leaves, wet concrete, damp moss, earthy soil, woody bark... These are all scents we know intimately, yet somehow feel impossible to bottle. It feels as slippery and amorphous as its namesake: "petrichor"—the moreish aroma that rises when rain falls on dry soil.
In recent weeks, though, this collection of scents has become linked to a new trend, that of the "snail girl". The term refers to women who are eschewing the trappings of capitalism, and prioritising self-care (and being in nature) over hustle culture. For fragrance aficionados it's not enough to embody the slower pace of this lifestyle, they want to smell like it too.
