The present invention relates to fragrances that are emotionally beneficial through their ability to promote well-being and happiness via olfactory stimulation.

Well-being is a measure of happiness and self-satisfaction, and is assessed against personal base lines and expectations of what constitutes happiness and satisfaction. For some people, well-being means a need to feel joy, for others it is about contentment.

There are several dimensions that lead to well-being. Among the most important of these are our physical, motivational and emotional needs.

Physical health is a major platform of well-being. Happy people have been shown to have a more robust immune status, and keeping happy may help firm up the body's defences and fight off disease.

Motivational needs refer to our life goals. There are three main dimensions here. First, for people to achieve well-being they must meet their basic needs such as food, partnership, spiritual beliefs etc. Next they should have achievable life goals. Finally the means of achieving these goals must be open. The person needs to believe that through their own endeavours, or with support, they can strive successfully. If any of these motivational dimensions is missing, the person is at risk of developing negative moods or even depression, with clear implications for their feelings of well-being.

The third dimension is emotional need. Although emotions fluctuate, when averaged over a longer period it has been shown that people have a mean level of emotion that exhibits a degree of stability over time.

The literature disagrees as to how many emotions there are, however there is a consensus emerging that fear, joy, anger, disgust, distress and surprise are basic emotions experienced across all cultures. It has also been shown that these emotions are not learned; rather they are hard-wired into our brains (i.e. they involve non-verbal processing rather than reasoning). Photographs of facial expressions showing different emotions are understood by many cultures and societies as depicting the same experiences.

Emotions such as joy are transitory, brief events that rarely last more than a minute.

Happiness is a mood, and moods can last much longer, even hours. They are background states that provide a context for emotions. They can be both enablers and barriers,

Within a happy mood it is easier to experience joy. Conversely, within a sad mood it is difficult to feel joy. Moods input into our feelings of well-being, which in turn can be seen as the integration of emotional and physical inputs that come together to define out state.

Not surprisingly, the amount of time people experience pleasant versus unpleasant emotions is heavily weighted when reporting happiness. Frequent positive mood generation can have a disproportionate effect on overall well-being.

Humans are remarkably good at perceiving odours and have the capacity to discriminate an almost limitless number of different smells.

Some odours are universally pleasant such as sweet light floral notes, others universally unpleasant such as strong faecal and sulphurous notes. It may well turn out that this uniformity reflects a uniformity in our perception mechanisms and is as hard-wired as the emotions, "joy" and "fear". However, we can also learn to associate even extreme smells with more pleasant experiences. For example, consider the smell associated with some soft cheeses, where the short chain fatty acids that make these cheeses so palatable are seen as highly unpleasant when associated with smelly feet.

WO2005/044206 discloses pleasant, long-lasting fragrance accords that can be achieved by selecting carefully perfume ingredients having low odour detection threshold levels. some soft cheeses, where the short chain fatty acids that make these cheeses so palatable are seen as highly unpleasant when associated with smelly feet.

Fragrances are known to act at a rational level to reinforce positive associations, satisfy expectations, and build memorability of events and objects. They can also work on an emotional level to reinforce feelings.

We have discovered that, not unlike pictorial art, fragrances can provide a sensory stimulus from which, heretofore unknown, emotional benefits can flow and that these benefits can reinforce and promote well-being and happiness.

This invention relates to fragrance compositions that are targeted at delivering well-being benefits through frequent, low level positive mood stimulation. This and other objects is/are achieved by the delivery of fragrance compositions for inhalation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide fragrance compositions that alter well-being through the promotion of a state of happiness.

In a first aspect, the invention provides an enlivening fragrance composition comprising:

• (A) from 3% to 20 %, by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) alpha-Terpineol; (ii) beta-Ionone; (iii) Clove bud oil; (iv) Hydroxycitronellal; (v) 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methyl-pentyl)-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde (known as Lyral); (vi) Methyl Anthranilate; and (vii) dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate and/or phenoxyethyl isobutyrate (e.g. Prunella™)); and
• (B) from 0.5 % to 5% , by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) Allyl Ionone; (ii) Cinnamic alcohol; (iii) 2-methyl-3-[3,4-methylene-dioxyphenyl] propanal (e.g. Aquanal™); (iv) Indole; and (v) Ethyl vanillin; and
• (C) from 30 % to 80 % by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) the musks: cyclopentadecanone, cyclohexadecanolide (e.g. Silvanone™), 1-[1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-2, 3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]ethanone (e.g. Traseolide™) and/or 4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydroindeno[5,6-{c}]pyran (e.g. Galaxolide™); (ii) the amber materials 1,2,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,9,9a,9b-dodecahydro-3a-6,6,9a-tetramethyl-naptho[2,1-b]furan (e.g. Amberlyn™) and/or 1-92,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronapthalene-2-yl)ethane (e.g. Iso Ambois™); (iii) Methyl dihydrojasmonate; (iv) tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methyl-2-[2H]-pyranol (e.g. Florosa™); and (v) Ethyl linalool and;
• D) from 0 % to 76.5 % by weight of the fragrance composition, of miscellaneous additional perfumery ingredients, with the provisos that: (i) odourless or substantially odourless perfumery ingredients used as solvents, or vehicles for other ingredients, are excluded from Group D; and (ii) the sum of the following ingredients w/w percentages in the fragrance composition shall not exceed the total percentages of materials present in the fragrance composition belonging to Groups A and B: Aldehyde c11 (undecylenic), amyl salicylate, armoise tunisian, cassis base, cedar leaf, cis-3-Hexenyl salicylate, dimethyl benzyl carbinyl acetate, galbanum, moss oakmoss synthetic, tagetes egyptian

The fragrance compositions preferably comprise

1. (A) from 3% to 20 %, by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 0.5% to 5% by weight of alpha-Terpineol; (ii) from 0.5% to 6% by weight of beta-Ionone; (iii) from 0.2% to 3% by weight of Clove bud oil; (iv) from 0.1 % to 5% by weight of Hydroxycitronellal; (v) from 0.3% to 10 % by weight of 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methyl-pentyl)-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde (known as Lyral); (vi) from 0.1 % to 5% by weight of Methyl Anthranilate; and (vii) from 0.3% to 5% by weight of dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate and/or phenoxyethyl isobutyrate (e.g. Prunella™)) ; and
2. (B) from 0.5 % to 5%, by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 0.05 % to 1% by weight of Allyl Ionone; (ii) from 0.1 % to 0.8% by weight of Cinnamic alcohol; (iii) from 0.2 % to 2.5 % by weight of 2-methyl-3-[3,4-methylene-dioxyphenyl] propanal (e.g. Aquanal™); (iv) from 0.1 % to 0.25 % by weight of Indole; and (v) from 0.1 % to 1% by weight of Ethyl vanillin; and
3. (C) from 30 % to 80 % by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 2 % to 30 % by weight of one or more of the musks: cyclopentadecanone, cyclohexadecanolide (e.g. Silvanone™), 1-[1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-2, 3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]ethanone (e.g. Traseolide™) and/or 4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydroindeno[5,6-{c}]pyran (e.g. Galaxolide™); (ii) from 1% to 20% by weight of one or more of the amber materials 1,2,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,9,9a,9b-dodecahydro-3a-6,-6,9a-tetramethyl-naptho[2,1-b]furan (e.g. Amberlyn™) and/or 1-92,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronapthalene-2-yl)ethane (e.g. Iso Ambois™); (iii) from 5% to 25% by weight of Methyl dihydrojasmonate; (iv) from 1% to 20% by weight of tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methyl-2-[2H]-pyranol (e.g. Florosa™); and (v) from 1% to 10% by weight of Ethyl linalool; and

The fragrance compositions may comprise

1. (A) from 3% to 15 %, by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 0.5% to 5% by weight of alpha-Terpineol; (ii) from 0.5% to 6% by weight of beta-Ionone; (iii) from 0.2% to 3% by weight of Clove bud oil; (iv) from 0.1% to 1.5% by weight of Hydroxycitronellal; (v) from 0.3% to 3% by weight of 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methyl-pentyl)-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde (known as Lyral); (vi) from 0.1% to 2% by weight of Methyl Anthranilate; and (vii) from 0.3% to 5% by weight of dimethyl benzyl carbinyl butyrate and/or phenoxyethyl isobutyrate (e.g. Prunella™)); and
2. (B) from 0.5 % to 5%, by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 0.2 % to 1% by weight of Allyl Ionone; (ii) from 0.2% to 0.8% by weight of Cinnamic alcohol; (iii) from 0.2% to 2.5% by weight of 2-methyl-3-[3,4-methylene-dioxyphenyl] propanal (e.g. Aquanal™); (iv) from 0.1 % to 0.25 % by weight of Indole; and (v) from 0.1 % to 1% by weight of Ethyl vanillin; and
3. (C) from 30 % to 80 % by weight of the fragrance composition of at least three materials selected from the following group: (i) from 2 % to 25% by weight of one or more of the musks: cyclopentadecanone, cyclohexadecanolide (e.g. Silvanone™), 1-[1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-2, 3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]ethanone (e.g. Traseolide™) and/or 4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydroindeno[5,6-{c}]pyran (e.g. Galaxolide™); (ii) from 2 % to 20 % by weight of one or more of the amber materials 1,2,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,9,9a,9b-dodecahydro-3a-6,6,9a-tetramethyl-naptho[2,1-b]furan (e.g. Amberlyn™) and/or 1-92,3,8,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronapthalene-2-yl)ethane (e.g. Iso Ambois™); (iii) from 5% to 25% by weight of Methyl dihydrojasmonate; (iv) from 5% to 20% by weight of tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methyl-2-[2H]-pyranol (e.g. Florosa™); and (v) from 1% to 10% by weight of Ethyl linalool.

As used herein "enlivening" refers to the psychological aspects of well-being, namely the feeling of happiness. Examples of desired responses of happiness range from simple contentment to intense joy.

The term "effective amount" refers to the percentage by weight of the fragrance composition that is needed to promote the desired state of well-being and happiness.

The fragrance compositions may comprise from 5% to 10% by weight of group A materials. The fragrance compositions may comprise from 1 % to 3 % by weight of group B materials. The fragrance compositions may comprise from 40% to 70% by weight of group C materials. The fragrance compositions may comprise from 15 % to 45 % by weight of group D materials.

The fragrance compositions may be administered alone or, more typically, are diluted by an odourless, or substantially odourless, solvent.

A suitable solvent is ethyl alcohol (ethanol). When the fragrance compositions are used in conjunction with ethanol, the weight ratio of fragrance composition(s) to ethanol (based upon pure ethanol) is in the range of from about 1:99 up to about 99:1. The ethanol used in conjunction with practice of the invention may vary from 5% aqueous ethanol up to 100% (absolute ethanol).

Fragrance compositions may be used "as is" (e.g., 100%) or in a "cologne". Directions for quantity to use and frequency of use, as well as variations in the formulation, e.g., summer and winter formulations, may be employed to assure that effective levels of fragrance composition(s) may be administered. For the purpose of this invention, the term "cologne", as exemplified hereinafter, means a fragrance composition incorporated in an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solution. The fragrance composition can vary between 1 to 99 % and the balance of the formulation is comprised of alcohol or a mixture of water and alcohol. The water:alcohol weight ratio can vary from 50:50 to 0:100. Examples of alcohols typically used in these products are SDA 39-C and SDA-40, either 190 "proof" or anhydrous (See "Ethyl Alcohol Handbook", 5th Edition, Published by National Distillers and Chemical Co.). Colognes can also contain solubilizing agents, emollients, humectants, thickening agents, bacteriostats or other cosmetically used ingredients.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a consumer composition comprising an effective amount of at least one fragrance composition according to the invention.

As used herein, "consumer composition" includes, but is not limited to, room fresheners or room deodorants; clothes deodorants; fabric softeners; dryer-added fabric softener articles; household cleansers; toilet bowl cleaners; cosmetic products such as powders, creams, deodorants, hand lotions and sun screens; personal care products such as antiperspirant and underarm deodorants, general body deodorants, hair care products such as hair sprays, conditioners, rinses, shampoos; foot care products; colognes, after shaves and body lotions; solid or liquid soaps and anionic, cationic, nonionic or zwitterionic a cosmetic powder or a deodorant stick, as little as 0.1% by weight of the fragrance composition in the perfumed article will suffice. In space odorant applications, on the other hand, as much as 99% of the combined carrier perfume substance and fragrance composition(s) can be present. Thus, consumer compositions may contain in the range of from about 0.1% up to about 99% of a composition of matter consisting essentially of fragrance composition) of this invention.

The term "consumer composition" also includes solid-form polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and other polymers that contain pores. Such perfumed polymers can be produced according to any technique well known to one having ordinary skill in the art.

The fragrance composition is typically dispensed in an amount and time effective to provide a vaporous emission for inhalation. Typically this is in an aesthetically pleasing form, such as, for example, cologne, a perfumant or an air freshener.

Dispensing of the fragrance compositions may be by any conventional means, such as from a vessel containing the odorant substance, optionally with a valve and nozzle mechanism, an aerosol or non-aerosol spray, a gas, a solid or liquid air freshener, a scented cloth, lotion, cream, perfume, cologne, potpourri, incense, light bulb ring, a candle, fabric softener, carpet shampoo or freshener, a plug-in air freshener, and the like. The fragrance compositions can be dispensed in combination with an odorless liquid carrier such as mineral oil or water, and can be formulated with a viscosity effective to allow for aerosolization.

The fragrance compositions may also be packaged as a part of an article of manufacture, or kit. The kit can include in association, for example, (a) a carrier and other optional additives for forming a composition, placed in containing means such as a vial, jar, pouch, can, bottle, The fragrance composition is typically dispensed in an amount and time effective to provide a vaporous emission for inhalation. Typically this is in an aesthetically pleasing form, such as, for example, cologne, a perfumant or an air freshener.

Dispensing of the fragrance compositions may be by any conventional means, such as from a vessel containing the odorant substance, optionally with a valve and nozzle mechanism, an aerosol or non-aerosol spray, a gas, a solid or liquid air freshener, a scented cloth, lotion, cream, perfume, cologne, potpourri, incense, light bulb ring, a candle, fabric softener, carpet shampoo or freshener, a plug-in air freshener, and the like. The fragrance compositions can be dispensed in combination with an odorless liquid carrier such as mineral oil or water, and can be formulated with a viscosity effective to allow for aerosolization.

The fragrance compositions may also be packaged as a part of an article of manufacture, or kit. The kit can include in association, for example, (a) a carrier and other optional additives for forming a composition, placed in containing means such as a vial, jar, pouch, can, bottle, cloth, aerosol can, blister pack, and the like, containing an effective amount of an fragrance composition; and (b) means for instructing as to the fragrance composition and its use to promote well-being and happiness. The parts of the kit can be contained or separately packaged within a packaging material, such as a box or bag.

The fragrance compositions can be delivered in the form of a liquid solution, aerosol spray, solid, microcapsules, or other suitable form to deliver a suprathreshold amount of the odorant for sniffing and inhalation into the nasal passageway. The fragrance compositions can be administered in combination with an odorless liquid carrier such as mineral oil or water, and can be formulated with a viscosity effective to allow for aerosolization. The fragrance compositions can be dispensed, for example, by means of a cloth material that is coated with fragrance compositions, as a solid or liquid form contained in a capped vessel, from an aerosol or pump-type spray device, as a nasal spray, by opening a blister pack or scratch-and-sniff odor patch containing the odorant in the form of microspheres, from a pen-like dispenser containing a liquid form of the fragrance compositions adsorbed to a wicking material, and the like.

Delivery of the fragrance compositions may employ a device that is portable and minimally disruptive of bystanders. The fragrance compositions can also be administered to a group of people within a confined area, for example, by pumping air containing fragrance composition through an air vent, spraying the fragrance compositions into the air as a mist or dry powder using an aerosol or non-aerosol spray, and the like.

The invention will be further described by reference to the following detailed examples, wherein the methodologies are as described below. These examples are not meant to limit the scope of the invention that has been set forth in the foregoing description. Variations within the concepts of the invention are apparent to those skilled in the art. Examples (w/w%) INGREDIENT Group Ex.1 Ex.2 Ex.3 Ex.4 TERPINEOL, ALPHA- A(i) 1 2 IONONE BETA A(ii) 1 1 CLOVE BUD RECTIFIED A(iii) 2 HYDROXYCITRONELLAL A(iv) 3 2 2 LYRAL A(v) 7 5.5 4 METHYL ANTHRANILATE A(vi) 3 PRUNELLA (F) A(vii) 1 1 ALLYL IONONE B(i) 0.1 0.3 0.1 CINNAMIC ALCOHOL B(ii) 0.5 0.2 AQUANAL (Q) B(iii) 1 1.5 1.5 INDOLE B(iv) 0.1 0.1 ETHYL VANILLIN B(v) 0.5 0.5 2 SILVANONE (Q) C(i) 10 5.5 3 4 TRASEOLIDE (Q) C(i) 1.5 5 3 GALAXOLIDE C(i) 15 17 7 AMBERLYN SUPER (Q) C(ii) 0.2 ISO AMBOIS (Q) C(ii) 1.5 7 10 7 METHYL DIHYDROJASMONATE (Q) C(iii) 22 15 20 13 FLOROSA (Q) C(iv) 1.5 18 10 ETHYL LINALOL (AC) C(v) 9 2 BANGALOL (Q) D 2 BENZYL SALICYLATE (Q) D 7.5 10 2.5 CASSIS BASE D 2.5 CIS-3-HEXENYL SALICYLATE D 1 DAMASCENONE (F) 10 % DPG D 0.5 DIMETHYL BENZYL CARBINYL ACETATE D 0.5 1 ETHYL ACETOACETATE D 2 HELIOTROPIN D 0.5 HEXYL ACETATE D 4 HEXYL CINNAMIC ALDEHYDE D 2 4 LILY ALDEHYDE D 2 METHYL IONONE, ALPHA-ISO- D 2 ORTHOLATE (Q) D 2 PATCHOULI ACID WASHED D 1 PHENYL ETHYL ALCOHOL D 1 7.5 5 SANDELA GD (G) D 10 2 1 VANILLIN D 5 YLANG YLANG D 0 1.4 DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL (solvent) - 22.9 7 17.4 21.7 Total 100 100 100 100

The following materials are available from Quest International:

• AMBERLYN SUPER (1,2,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,9,9a,9b-Dodecahydro-3a-6,6,9a- tetramethyl-naptho[2,1-b]furan)
• AQUANAL (2-Methyl-3-[3,4-methylene-dioxyphenyl] propanal)
• BANGALOL (2-Ethyl-4[2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopentenyl]-2-butrenol)
• FLOROSA (Tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methyl-2-[2H]-pyranol)
• ISO AMBOIS (1-92,3,8,8-Tetramethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronapthalene-2-yl)ethane)
• ORTHOLATE (2-[1,1-Dimethylethyl] cycloheylacetate0
• SILAVONE (a mixture of Cyclopentadecanone and Cyclohexadecanolide)
• TRASEOLIDE (1-[1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-(1-methylethyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl]ethanone)

The following materials are available from Firmenich:

• PRUNELLA (a mixture of Dimethylbenzyl carbinylbutyrate and Phenoxyethyl isobutyrate)

The following materials are available from Givaudan:

• SANDELA (Isobornyl cyclohexanol)
• LYRAL is 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methyl-pentyl)-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde
• GALAXOLIDE is 4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydroindeno[5,6-{c}]pyran

Analysis (w/w%) Ex.1 Ex.2 Ex.3 Ex.4 Sum Group A 5 15 8.5 7 Sum Group B 1.6 2.6 2.4 1.8 Sum Group C 50 56 55.2 46 Sum Group D 20.5 19.4 16.5 23.5 Odourless solvent 22.9 7 17.4 21.7 No. of Group A 3 5 3 3 No. of Group B 3 4 3 3 No. of Group C 5 6 6 7 Adjusted for solvent: Ex.1 Ex.2 Ex.3 Ex.4 Sum Group A 6.5 16.1 10.3 8.9 Sum Group B 2.1 2.8 2.9 2.3 Sum Group C 64.9 60.2 66.8 58.7 Sum Group D 26.6 20.9 20.0 30.0

Exposure to fragrances of this invention promoted positive affect or moods and led to enhanced ability to make associations between ideas and concepts, and to see more different similarities (or differences) among stimuli. The stimuli could be consumer products, and specifically could be characterised as mildly pleasant.

By way of illustration, the fragrance as described in Example 1 of this invention (Fragrance A) was presented to a panel of 40 subjects. A second fragrance that was not within the scope of this invention (Fragrance B) was presented to 40 subjects. Subjects carried out an association task in which they developed associations to a target stimulus. Exposure to Fragrance A led to more associations than did exposure to Fragrance B. Furthermore, exposure Fragrance A led to more different multiple relations (similarities or differences) than did exposure to Fragrance B, indicative of Fragrance A having an enlivening effect.