"mmm, you smell nice..."

Of the 5 things I had planned to do today, I managed to do 3 so am pleasantly surprised by my achievment. Today I have: got a new computer, booked a contact lens test and booked a driving lesson. I have failed to reply to an email, but I'll get on with doing that later.

Had a great time on Saturday night in a place called Inigo bar, which played Electro House (a movement for which I've been waiting a decade to finally arrive). Went out with the Seven Sisters girlies, all the way down in Sarf London. I miss them. They smell lovely. I too smell lovely, as a few people have commented on recently. While in Barca (or was it Amsterdam?...sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going) I bought some new aftershave at the Duty Free. I normally get a unisex one from Hermes (Eau d'Orange Verte), which I really really like (but it gives my mum a headache), but now I've moved on to their recent, more masculine one: Hermes Terre.

It's so hard to pick a perfume. Ideally you'd like to be presented with 15 glass vials, each with a different scent, and then pick the one that smells the best. But, of course, buying a perfume isn't just about what smells great. It's all about these extraneous things, such as the image of the fashion house, the shape of the bottle, the look of the advert for the thing, it's 'coolness'.

During my browsing experience, I immediately brushed past the YSLs, Ralph Laurens, and Versaces. I glanced at Armani. I wandered towards the Pradas, Burberrys and Chanels. Ooh, look there's Stella McCartney's. Oh, and don't you just adore Dior?

The very first aftershave I bought was Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren, I think I was about 16 at the time. It was all the rage, but looking back, it seems strange that everyone wore the same aftershave. This was especially true of deodorants; I remember the Lynx Africa fog in the changing rooms after rugby. But those post-pubescent years of underage drinking will always be recalled by that watery aroma of Polo Sport.

Between the ages of 18-21 I used to wear Issey Miyake, but so did everyone else. I remember being on a tube one time, and this woman lean over to her mate and say really loudly something along the lines of "Issey Miyake, someone's wearing Issey Miyake! Always Issey bleeding Miyake." I'm sure she wasn't referring to me...though I did use to douse myself in the stuff. Needless to say I dumped it shortly afterwards.

Which brings me on to Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte, my perfume of choice between the ages 22-24 (my golden age). I love this scent. It's vibrant, tangy, spicy, and comes in a lovely frosted green glass bottle. Plus it's Hermes, label of the famous scarf. Pronounced "ErrrMez". And it's unisex too, so you never quite know.

I think the time has come to put it to bed. Now I'm turning 25, I have to bring to an end my experimentations with my (perfume's) sexuality. Hermes Terre is now my scent. Sometimes you just move on. It'll be difficult I know, and they'll be some tough times ahead, but together...we can do it.

I'm not ditching the eyeliner though.