“I love all five scents that James sends me. In fact he slips an extra one—Molinard de Molinard (“The joker! Attracts very few takers. So precariously made that it coarsens if you leave the lid off for a few days, but so wonderful and feminine and silky”) into the package, and I love that one almost the most. Except that a little bottle of magic called Carnal Flower beats it, which, surprise surprise is indeed one of the two scents James thought of while still talking to me. (I made him tell me what they were before telling him my favourite).”

The service is called The Call Senteur at London-based Les Senteurs, and it costs £20 for the half hour consultation and up to five samples.