“A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future,” claimed Coco Chanel somewhat damningly, as she launched her famous scent ‘No 5’ by perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921. And with a bottle of Chanel No 5 still selling every 30 seconds almost a century later, it seems that Coco knew a lot about women. We do love our perfume, and without it we feel naked. But if you’re still wearing that signature scent that captured the essence of you in your 20s and 30s, then your body may be quietly signaling that it’s time for a change.

Global fragrance expert Jilly Fraysse, says our changing hormones can affect the way perfume smells on us, changing character without us even knowing it. So, pretty much like fashion, what suited us at 25 won’t necessarily smell great at 55.
Fraysse noticed the change herself when she went through the menopause, and had to abandon ‘Joy’ her lifelong favourite as the jasmine scent made her nauseous.

So how do you choose a new perfume? And what scents suit the mature woman, who has passed the girlish innocence of ‘Anais, Anais’, but who isn’t quite ready for ‘Lily of the Valley’ with matching bath-cubes?

Know your character
Perfumes have many different base scents and only some may suit your natural smell so have a good sniff of each of the following types:
Aromatic: herbal ingredients with rustic character eg Clinique Aromatics
Citrus/fruity: includes bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin, watermelon etc, and has fresh, light character eg Dior Addict
Floral: contains flower extracts like lily, rose or jasmine, and its character is sweet and light, eg Dior’s Pure Poison.
Aquatic: synthetic ingredients that impart a sense of fresh linen, mountain or sea air, with character that is clean and modern, eg L’Eau d’Issey (Issey Miyake)
Green/Chypre: includes patchouli, oak moss and bergamot, and has a woody/floral character, eg Coco from Chanel.
Oriental: contains base of vanilla, musk, amber, and has character that is warm and sensual, eg. YSL Opium
Woody: contains cedar, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver, and has a character that is earthy, eg Romance by Ralph Lauren.

Smell your age
As a rule of thumb, extremely fruity and floral scents are best left to the young, while more complex fragrances with a musky base and notes of jasmine and rose are great for mature women over 40. Woody and oriental perfumes are perfect for mature women particularly for an evening out, while citrus fragrances are ideal for everyday use. Anything with Tonka bean, green tea, ginger and bergamot also suit the body chemistry and lifestyle of mature women.

Choosing and using
Perfume smells different on everybody, depending on body chemistry, age, stress and diet, so take your time when finding what’s right for you. Try new samples at home if possible as perfume counters can be afloat with a mix of scents. However if testing in the shop, give yourself a squirt on your wrist and inside of your elbow. Never rub perfume into your skin as it destroys the molecules of the more delicate notes and changes the overall scent. Leave the shop for a while to let the scent settle, and cover your wrist so the ingredients don’t escape.