Obviously, it’s a huge deal when your little girl starts to turn into a woman, but the change has a gentle fluidity, so it seems to happen like time-lapse photography of a flower blooming.

Men are appalling... We never really grow up, well not on the inside. It’s all just an act. Don’t ever trust men, we’re dreadful. Enjoy us, use us, abuse us, but never trust us.” – HAM.

The overpowering oriental out that had first led her there was tempered now by a much more varied and subtle fragrance palette. She could pick up strong threads of the most classic florals, rose, lily of the valley, magnolia, which Guy would have turned his nose up at before, alongside the more Mediterranean jasmine and neroli, with the warm notes of sandalwood and tonka, balanced by the bite of citrus.

I just love being around the animals. I enjoy their company, which probably sounds crazy, but I do. I particularly love their smell.""So do I," she said. "It's one of the great smells, actually, and traces of it are used in perfumes. It's called an animalic note.""Gosh," said Chum, "I wouldn't mind some of that. What's it called- Eau de Nag?""Well, it's more of a hint deep inside a very complex blend of different smells, although one niche company does make a perfume called Stable.

Chanel's Jersey had a strong note of sleep-friendly lavender, which would melt deliciously into the musk, vanilla, rose, jasmine and other slinky elements, all very soothing.

The next blog was 'The scent of the elders' and there was only one possible perfume choice for that: Mitsouko. Polly hesitated before bringing the blotter to her nose. She knew that perfume- which scent connoisseurs considered 'the greatest chypre'- so well, she wanted to play it through in her mind first, from the sparkling peach top note to the spicy vetiver base, because she didn't have time to let all the stages of it develop.

Oakmoss, patchouli, bergamot, labdanum, in the balance you constantly shift and nuance like a conductor, but dancing on top of that tonka, a hint of leather and a cheeky reference to Miss Dior, with some carnation. I think there will be ambergris and sandalwood in the dry-down, and I can't wait to see how it smells in the middle of the night.

She brought her wrist up to her nose again. Mmm, it was getting even more interesting. That vanilla note, then something sharper. But it wasn't jasmine, as she'd first thought; it was more lemony, but not obvious kitchen-cleaner lemon... a kind of warm, smoky citrus. Burned lemon peel, that was it.

A cherry tree was coming into bloom, shooting out a froth of sugar-pink blossoms. She could see from its size and the gnarled branches that it was a mature tree, yet still capable of putting on such a wonderful show.A new beginning every spring, even from an old tree.

She knew what the Barbour aftershave would make her think of, and of course it did with its forest violets and cinnamon bark.