In the run up to Christmas, when countless bottles of perfume will be placed under the Christmas tree, and endless candles will be burnt to make our homes smell like cinnamon and peppermint, we spoke with fragrance expert Suzy Nightingale, speaking on behalf of Homesense, to find how we can find our best scents.
"It's the closest we get to time travel, I think," Suzy says, reflecting on the power of smell. "I think we've all had that experience of walking past someone with a particular perfume, and suddenly you're rocketed back in time to memories of your nan, or an ex, or somewhere you wore that fragrance."
"It's like you can see the flat you were living in or you can see that person standing before you, even if they're not around anymore," she adds. "It's so vivid."
With so many emotions tied to certain scents, it comes as no surprise that the fragrance industry is booming, with everyone wanting to be associated with something delicious, powerful, floral, or fresh.
To pick the right one, the fragrance expert says buyers must put some time and effort in, especially as the same perfume can smell differently depending on their hormones - or even if they had a curry two weeks prior.
"There are people called skin models, which sounds really creepy, but they have to eat bland food, basically, for two weeks in order to test the perfume properly on their skin," Suzy explains.
"But, if that fragrance is going to be sold in India or somewhere with heavily spiced food, they have to eat that type of food for two weeks to make sure that fragrance will smell correctly."
Ultimately, though, curries and salads aside, Suzy's top tip is to focus on how a particular perfume makes you feel: "You need to give that time," she insists.
With some perfumes coming in at eye-watering prices, Suzy advises shoppers to do their homework when it comes to investing in a scent.
"A lot of the Zara fragrances have been created by really top perfumers," she insists. "There's a new range by a perfumer called Olivia Giacobetti, and she's done an amazing range of cologne type fragrances that are unisex; they all smell like white cotton and linen - it's very fresh and dreamy. They smell so much more expensive than they are."
Although it's tempting to grab a cheaper option when eyeing up the shelves, Suzy explains that cheaper scents don't tend to last as long, meaning that you'll likely go through the bottle faster with all the top ups.
A good way to make it last longer, she notes, is to ensure your skin is well moisturised - ideally with an unscented oil, lotion or body butter - as this will help lock the perfume into your skin for much longer. Another suggestion she makes it to skip your skin altogether and spray your clothes instead.
As for the perfume expert's top scents, she lists Chanel's Le Lion, Ormonde Jayne's Woma ("it wraps me in a cloak of intrigue"), and Rihanna's favourite Good Girl Gone Bad by Kilian.
With the cold weather setting in, many of us will be spending our evenings wrapped up on the couch, which means we need to make our bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens a joy to be in.
"Think of it like building a fragrance," she says of creating a delectable home. If you have a collection of candles in one area, you should focus on finding top, central, and base notes.
"Make sure they're quite simple and haven't got 13 ingredients in each one," she explains. "Maybe have a simple citrusy one, a simple floral and a simple woody one. That's how a fragrance is built. They all like each other, those notes, they'll all get on."
When it comes to the kitchen, Suzy suggests mint, citrus or eucalyptus as they are fresh and crisp, helping to cut through any lingering smells from last night's dinner.
In the bedroom, if you want your surroundings to be as "soothing and sexy" as possible, she suggests patchouli, sandalwood, and cedar.
When it comes to the Christmas season, with so many visitors and parties to be had, Suzy suggests opting for "foresty" scents if cinnamon and gingerbread is too overpowering.
"You can go by colour when buying candles," she adds. "If you walk down the 'green' aisle, you'll likely come across something that smells like you're out in the open air. You could then mix that up with something minty or eucalyptus because it will almost give the sense of Christmas in the air."
"If you've got guests coming, something universally pleasing, I think, is something that reminds you of nature," she continues.
The absolute most important note that the fragrance expert has when it comes to candles? Light them.
"I meet so many people that say they're saving candles," she says. "They are meant to be used. There's only a certain amount of time because overtime the essential oils will evaporate from the wax. Use them and get the best out of them."
Presenter Ryan Clark is set to become the first Homesense 'scent sommelier'. Click here to find out more.
