It is likely that much of our emotional response to smell is guided by association, something which is demonstrated by the fact that different people can have completely different perceptions of the same smell.

With perfume, one person may find a particular brand ‘powerful’, ‘aromatic’ and ‘heady’, with another describing it as ‘overpowering’, ‘sickly’, and ‘nauseating’.

Therefore, it’s so important to sample a fragrance for several days before investing in an expensive bottle.