A walk through my perfume hall of fame

Regular readers will know that I am partial to perfume. I'd give up many beauty products before perfume. It defines you, it cheers you up, it makes a grey day a great day and it's just so much fun. Why have one bottle when you can have 10? That's my motto. It got me to thinking of my journey through perfume. I've always loved it right from wafts of it coming from my mother as she kissed me goodnight.

My first perfume was everyone's first perfume. Anais Anais.

I've not smelt it for years but it's not offensive at all. A rather pretty scent and perfect for teenage girls.

Of course I also had The Body Shop's White Musk. Again, a rite of passage. Smelling this now always transports me back to secondary school.

My first grown up perfume was YSL's Rive Gauche. My mum must have bought me this. 

The packaging is marvellous. I thought I was the height of sophistication wearing this and let's face it, I was! It's still a lovely scent although I can never go back to perfumes, too many memories and makes me feel like I've regressed.

Being an 80s kid, obviously I had some Poison. This is much maligned, it's a lovely perfume as long as you don't drown yourself in it and wear it at night.

Then I discovered Calvin Klein. I was obsessed with Eternity.

I don't know why I loved this so much since I think it's pretty vile now. This reminds me of first and second year at uni. Along with this horror.

Escape, a truly awful perfume. My mother refused to let me in the car if I was wearing it! Then I found my first true love of a scent, the one that felt like me.

Dune is heavenly. I think this is when I really felt the power of a great perfume. People would tell me how wonderful I smelt when I wore this. Random men would stop me in bars and compliment me on my perfume. I can honestly say it was like an Impulse advert without the flowers. I wish I had never stopped wearing it because I can't go back. I feel all wrong wearing it now. But this defined my early 20s and I adored it.

The 90s were very much the Dolce and Gabbana decade and for my first proper job (in advertising), I wore this.

Nobody said to me, "honey, a little much for the office, no?" I must have asphyxiated everyone around me. I loved it though and the my colleagues were largely horrible so who cares? My mother must have hated this on me because I remember her buying me this.

Which is a nice perfume but a little dull for Chanel. I wore it but it never felt like me.

My husband (except he wasn't at the time) got me this and I knew he was a keeper.

It's simply lovely.

I think it was around this time I bought the perfume book that changed my perfume life. And I discovered Guerlain. Mitsouko is my go to perfume for when I mean business.

Mitsouko is suitable for any mood, any day, any season. It's perfection.

The day I realised Chanel's Les Exclusif range was a special one. So many to choose from, all so wonderful. Bois Des Iles was my wedding day perfume and I probably would pick it as my desert island scent.

So chic.

Sometimes you need a nice fresh scent and my go to for this is Jo Malone's Grapefruit. It doesn't last but it's oh so refreshing and zesty.

Dries Van Noten is a real grown up perfume. It's not for every day but it is totally divine and perfect for striding around in heels, owning the world.

Tom Ford perfumes are such a luxury. I find most of them a bit much, too cloying. But this little baby is heavenly. Wear it and feel like you are on the Amalfi coast even if you're commuting on the 7.02 from Hemel Hempstead.

And finally (because I could do this all day and I have to get on with my Sunday), I leave you with the most famous of them all. I think you have to feel like you've really grown up to wear this. I only came to it last year but it's beautiful. Coco, I salute you.

M&S Tuscan Escape

I had heard good things about the M&S beauty range so I popped in a few weeks ago. I remember M&S beauty consisting of that awful Lily of the Valley range they did and Royal Jelly bubble bath. They have certainly moved on and have some amazing products and at such a bargain price. I bought this bubble bath with a lemon verbena scent, it's delightful and only £4.

I also bought the shower gel which is even better and only £3. I don't really like shower gels in tubes as I think they should come with a pump for ease of use but I am not going to argue when it's only £3.

M&S also now stock Bliss although sadly not in the branch I was in. They have interesting looking make-up, great scented candles and all sorts of lovely things at a very reasonable price. I noticed Lily of the Valley range was still available so grandmas everywhere can rest easy.