The GH team’s all-time favourite fragrances for women

“This is a new find and one that, at first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of,” says Fleur. “It initially brings quite a masculine mood, probably thanks to its oak wood and patchouli notes, but then the chypre elements catch up – blousy florals and berries – for something multifaceted and truly sophisticated.”

“What should something beautiful yet completely devoid of scent smell like? This was the question posed to some of the world’s finest noses in the creation of these five fragrances, which I find so intriguing,” says senior beauty editor Lynne Hyland. “The collection is inspired by such olfactorily elusive elements as coral, rose crystal and mother of pearl. When you consider that great fragrance is as much about what you feel as what you actually smell, it all makes sense. Plus, I love that this set of minis means there’s one for every day of the working week.”

“If there was any question of what a summer holiday in a bottle might smell like, Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess, with a blend of warm-on-skin coconut, amber, sandalwood and vanilla, comes the closest,” says group beauty director Katy Young. “This is one of my go-to summer scents, and try as I might, I never grow out of it; it’s a warm-weather classic but also great for creating an illusion of sunshine all year round.”

“My forever fragrance is Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDT (black bottle); it has been for 17 years now,” says beauty editor Fleur Fruzza. “Something about (and I have no idea specifically what) the scent’s central ambery musk accord mixed with a little floral freshness and vanilla reminds me of time spent in Italy as a child; it whisks me away every time I smell it.”

“Delicate but definitely not lacking in depth, thanks to a base of white musk, this neroli and ginger-spiked scent is summer in a (very affordable) bottle,” says beauty editor Anna Lao-Kaim. “It brings warmth to even the coldest, darkest mornings and a generous spritz makes me feel instantly relaxed. It was the fragrance I packed in my hospital bag after I’d had my little boy, which gives it even more meaning.”

“My favourite perfume changes all the time but one that I always go back to is Molecule 01,” says Lynne. “It’s hard to pin it down in words, but I’d take a stab with quirky, mysterious, spiritual and somehow echoey, like walking through an empty, beautiful church. I suppose you could say it’s touched my soul. For years, I kept a bottle in my office drawer, so to me it’s the smell of good times and late nights; a fragrant demarcation between work and play. I hear that some people can’t detect Molecule 01, and I truly feel sorry for them.”

“I refuse to leave for a dinner or party without liberally spritzing Dior’s Hypnotic Poison,” says beauty intern Urmi Pandit. “For me, it’s definitely a sultry and romantic evening fragrance, thanks to the subtle notes of vanilla and almond (not to mention a gorgeous bottle, reminiscent of Snow White, to match). After years of ‘borrowing’ from my university flatmate, I finally bought one for myself and haven’t looked back. It lets me assume such a mysterious, sophisticated persona with just a spritz (or five).”

“My husband bought me a bottle of this as a surprise early on in our relationship (28 years ago!) and it’s become my signature scent for going out,” says editor at large Gaby Huddart. “I feel it’s part of my outfit – something is definitely missing without it.”

“The most sentimental scent for me is Alien by Thierry Mugler, as it was the first perfume my mum gave me, but that’s not my final choice,” says senior beauty writer Florence Reeves-White. “I found this fragrance, Phlur Father Figure, last year and it was an instant favourite – fresh, green and lush but with a creamy sandalwood in there somewhere. Anything that wins me this many compliments is here to stay. And it’s nothing to do with the name, sorry, Mum.”

“Being the dedicated Mademoiselle wearer I was after being gifted it on my sixteenth birthday (thanks, Granny), I didn’t think my head – or, rather, nose – could be swayed,” says lifestyle write Maddie Evans. “But on a recent trip to Paris, I decided to buy Allure, and I haven’t looked back. The rose and vanilla notes are soft, gentle and not overpowering – that said, only a couple of spitzes are needed. I think I’m a few years off the more mature scent of No.5, but I’m sure my time for that Chanel timeless classic will come, too.”

“This scent is here to party, as the leopard-print bottle indicates,” says Anna. “Citrus notes mingle with suede, cedarwood and patchouli for a fragrance that’s somehow fresh and heady all at once, plus it won’t pull an Irish exit on you when the night becomes fun – it lingers on the skin for hours. It gives 1970s vibes and never fails to make me smile.”