There’s a ritual in France, where on her 16th birthday a girl is taken to the La Maison Guerlain boutique, open on the Champs Élysées since 1914, to choose her signature scent. I think my first fragrance was bought on a P&O ferry, so I’ve always been enchanted by the romance of this idea, and it has inspired me to send several teenagers (including my son and godchildren) to a Jo Malone London counter or boutique for their own special coming-of-age moment.
The appointment is free (book to ensure an unhurried experience); the fragrances are obviously not. But ideally for a first perfume, not one of them is obnoxious or inappropriate –even if the recipient sneaks on a spritz for school – so you can encourage curiosity around fragrance without gassing out your home.
