Fragrance can really say a lot about a person. Do you pick something fresh and fruity or strong and musky? Do you like feminine florals or spicy oriental scents? Smell is a a very important sense - we smell things that bring back vivid memories, think about the first time you get your beach towel out in the Summer and it still has that sun-tan lotion & sea air smell, reminding you of great holidays. Or that sweater that you still have of your boyfriends that smells like his cologne. Picking out your perfect perfume can be hard, but once you pick your signature scent, you're set for life. This is a little run-down of some of the choices available and the best scents you can find instore at the moment. All of these purfumes are available at most perfume shops, Sephora or Boots stores.

FLORALS: Burberry Tender Touch, Lolita Lempicka, Escada Sentiment

Floral scents don't necessarily have to smell like a country garden, and the floral scent doesn't end with Anais Anais and rose water. But a lot of us still love to smell feminine, and these are some of the best contemporary floral fragrances. These modern florals are romantic and girlie, but they're not over the top. Tender Touch, the summer scent from Burberry combines green tangerine and violet leaves, rose oil, lychee, peach, strong florals, and musk, iris, sandalwood and ambrette seed. Lolita Lempicka contains ivy leaves and aniseed, violet, iris root, and a hint of vanilla and musk. Escada Sentiment is an oriental floral, combining magnolia blossom, green mandarin and red currant with May rose, Indian tuberose, white peach and iris. Dior Addict is another oriental floral, containing silk tree flower, night queen flower, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood and tonka bean, creating a gorgeous soft & sexy scent.


Mature, Musky: Alexander McQueen Kingdom, Calvin Klein Escape & Jil Sander Sensations

Designers often launch strong, potent scents to compliment their collections, and Alexander McQueen's 'Kingdom' fragrance is one of these, following on from the likes of Dior Poison and Chanel no. 5 with a sexy, mature fragrance. This is spicy and woody, consisting of neroli and ginger, floral-spicy notes of rose, jasmine, and cumin, topped off with sandalwood, Copahu wood, and Myrrh. Escape from Calvin Klein is a bit more classy than CKOne and CKBe, with notes of Chamomile, Apple, Mandarin, Rose, Plum, Peach, Musk & Sandalwood. Finally, Sensations, from minimalist US designer Jil Sander is an aromatic, soft oriental scent made up of four notes - nettle flower for happiness; milk and cereal for comfort; vanilla, amber and musk for sensuality; and warm woods for serenity.

SWEET, FRUITY, YOUNG: Anna Sui Love, Gucci Rush 2 & Escada Ibiza Hippie

This is the category I fall into when picking perfume, I like fresh, fruity, quite potent but less floral scents, and these three are perfect. Anna Sui Love combines Bergamot, Passion Fruit, Osmanthus, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Marigold, White Rose, Water Lily, Tuberose, Orange Flower, Italian Violet, Vanilla Madagascar, Ambrette Seed & Rich Musk to give a rich, peachy scent. Gucci Rush 2 is made up of narcissus, rose, oakmoss and musk, topped off with Blackberry for a really fruity finish. It's a bit more grown up than some of the other fruity scents (like 'Les Belles de Ricci') but just as gorgeous. Ibiza Hippie, the newest Summer scent from Escada is fruity-floral, combining Litchi, Pear, Blackberry, Cranberry, Water Hyacinth, Blue Freesia, Blond Sandalwood, Amber, Passion Flower & Musk. It's much stronger than Rush 2 but a similar type of scent, perfect for Summer evenings, but maybe a bit potent for daytime.

FRESH & CLEAN: Ralph Lauren 'Ralph', Demeter Pick-Me-Up Sprays & Hugo Woman

These are the scents for girls who don't want to smell too strong. The kind of perfumes you imagine worn with polo t-shirts and khaki trousers, they're fresh, pretty and slightly preppy scents. Ralph by Ralph Lauren is a fun, colourful floral which isn't too strong, with notes of Apple Tree Leaves, Yellow Freesia, Italian Mandarin, Japanese Loquat, Osmanthus, Magnolia, Linden Blossom Flower, Purple Freesia, Boronia, Musk 2000 & White Orris. The Demeter Pick-Me-Up Sprays, available in a wide range of scents, from 'dirt' to 'sex on the beach' are made up of one true scent, well-researched to envoke the perfect copy of the real thing, and are a favourite of celebrities & stylistas the world over. Hugo Woman is a fresh, young and fruity floral, combining Cantaloupe, Water Lilies, Green Apples, Peach, Nectarine, Wildberries & Woods.