As a wearer of different perfumes daily, I kind of hope for more compliments than I get, so when I get complimented on a fragrance, it’s always a rare Dear Diary moment. I am also an embarrassingly vocal giver of perfume compliments and curiously, it’s usually the same two fragrances.

Everyone chooses their scent of the day for different reasons, don’t they? Sometimes it’s the only truly autonomous decision we make for yourselves before plunging into the world of daily requirement. My biggest compliment giver is actually my son Leo. He always gives me a sniff and a verdict and I respect his opinion. His favourite that I wear is Givenchy Amarige, incidentally.

Here are my most complimented fragrances. (Then tell me yours)

Chanel Cristalle

I wore this for over twenty years. I don’t wear it anymore as it belongs to another chapter in my life. Back in the 1990s, I was often complimented on Chanel Cristalle which was my one and only for many years. I remember going into a takeaway to get chips and the woman behind the counter getting me to repeat and spell the name of my perfume before she’d give me my chips. This is a galbanum, hyacinth, citrussy chypre. Cristalle Vert is widely available, but Cristalle is only available in 100ml EDP now and I’ve been priced out at £140 a bottle. #Sadface.

4160 Tuesdays Sex Goddess

A hybrid of sorts, this was begat from 4160 Tuesdays Goddess of Love and Perfume and The Sexiest Scent on The Planet Ever (IMHO). The combination suits me down to the ground. It has swathes of cosy ambery vanilla but also peaches, roses and a big chypre finale. Friends and family alike have sniffed the air and said “You smell nice. What’s that?” “Sex Goddess” I reply, which embarrasses the kids no end.  Sadly, Sex Goddess is no longer available, but it was when I wrote the first draft!

The Body Shop White Musk

This one had its hey-day in the eighties and years later, when I wore it in the nineties, many a man would blink nostalgically about his first girlfriend/student housemates/school crush. Today’s version, and I’m talking about the oil as the Eau de Toilette doesn’t come close, is a weaker, more frail version, but back then, it still had power. Does this sound like a metaphor for life yet? You can buy it here.

Ormonde Jayne Damask

This is a newish addition to my collection and was gifted to me by the brand after I took part in a Zoom launch with the lovely Linda Pilkington. Damask is part of the Route de la Soie collection and it was love at first sniff for me. A few weeks later I went to my brother’s house and his sister in law sniffed the air as soon as I entered the room and said “who smells nice?” I looked at my husband, my teenage son and my then ten-year-old and said without further analysis “it’s probably me.” Luckily, I had the bottle with me so Rachel indulged in a few sprays and photographed the bottle to send to her partner as an unsubtle pre-birthday hint. Explore the silk route here and discover Damask.

Perfumes that get compliments from me when other people wear them

YSL Black Opium

This bestseller did not impress when I first tried it. Like many Opium fans of Yore, the name alone had given me high expectations of a smoky amber chypre like the olden days. Instead, I discovered a coffee, vanilla, patchouli and pear mishmash that suited me NOT. More fool me, because over the next few months I complimented no fewer than three people who were wearing this and who smelled outrageously gorgeous in it. So I’ll shut up about it now. Ignore what I thought of it on me, it will probably smell great on you. This is so widely available I don’t need to add a link.

Clinique Aromatics Elixir

Proving that Cupid strikes at any time, I was having problems with an unexpected item in the bagging area when the lovely Asda employee who rescued me smelled INCREDIBLE. I told her so too and it was Aromatics Elixir. She’d applied it that morning and by the afternoon she still smelled like a sophisticated Parisian.

The second time the Clinique Cupid shot me was when I was in the doctor’s surgery waiting room (pre Covid) and an elderly lady in a wheelchair came in. “Excuse me, “I said (she looked frightened), “but you smell amazing. What perfume are you wearing?” “It’s Aromatics Elixir. It’s not too much, is it?” “No,” I replied. “Wear it more!”. Be like her, and smell glorious.

Hermes Terre D’Hermes

This one really embarrassed my son. We were on a long arduous flight to Oakland California to stay with family. It was eleven hours long and not fun. I was in the aisle seat overlooking the toilet door and my husband is never allowed to book the seats again. Throughout the flight, I’d had pleasing wafts from one of the flight attendants every time he walked past. It was unmistakably Terre D’Hermes. As we disembarked, I thought I’d thank him for smelling nice. It was a small highlight on an uncomfortable flight.

“Excuse me, but I couldn’t help noticing how nice you smelled. It’s Terre D’Hermes isn’t it?” (Imagine my son cringing into a ball)

“No, I never wear fragrance when I’m working.”

“Oh, sorry, but thanks for a nice flight anyway.”

Now imagine my son, hissing a huge telling off my way and going red. Wait, it gets better. At the luggage carousel, I saw the flight attendant I had spoken next to a total clone of himself, I swear. Right next to him was another flight attendant, same uniform, same height, same goatee, and I KNEW he was wearing Terre D’Hermes. As you can imagine, I was no longer permitted to approach any staff thanks to my son’s threat to walk away and disown me. You can buy it here, but beware of enthusiastic Welsh women at airports.

How About YOU?

What perfume attracts compliments when you wear it? And what makes you compliment others?

Disclosure

4160 Tuesdays Sex Goddess was a gift from the brand with no strings and no expectation. Ormonde Jayne Damask was also a gift from the brand as declared above. Other fragrances mentioned have been paid for by me or tested in store. The feature photo is called Oath of Love by Hanz Zatzka. Other photos used are brand photos.