The scent of love

How buying perfume after 20 years might change my psychological top note.

As I walked in London one balmy early evening, I found myself stopping in front of a perfumery. I had a sudden urge to buy a fragrance. This surprised me, as I had rejected it for over two decades. I don’t even like scented washing powder. Scent has always been important to me, but I preferred it natural, less chemical, less contrived. My puritanical nose also preferred my partner not to wear cologne.

I obeyed my impetuosity and walked in to the boutique perfumery. If you are going to be taken suddenly with an irresistible need for a new scent, let it be outside Santa Maria Novella, which is considered the world’s oldest pharmacy. It is inviting and quite beguiling.

After sampling all the testers, I settled on the right fragrance. The top note was juicy peach, the heart was the heady romance of evening jasmine and the base note was sandalwood and musk. I left and wafted sweetly on my way through London.

Of course, there is a little back story… Reader, I was lovelorn. Some women get a new haircut or a dress when they are newly single, some download Bumble. I bought a 100ml bottle of Angeli di Firenzi.

Why do we fall in love at first sight? Perhaps when the stars align, perhaps it’s pot luck or, maybe, it’s just a wishful imagination? Humans like stories. We are narrative creatures. We are entranced by the idea that there is one person out there for us and that we can fall in love.