The woman who swears by expensive scents

The tester: Megan Murray, digital writer

The perfume: All Saints Sunset Riot, £49 for 100ml

Growing up, I was taught that perfume isn’t a last-minute present idea or a chance to make the most of a Superdrug deal – to me, it’s a part of my identity. That’s why I only ever have one or two perfumes on my dresser, each costing £100 or more. They’re deliciously luxurious, a treat. So when I was asked to try a high street fragrance, my nose was firmly in the air.

I was given All Saints’ Sunset Riot, one of five in their new range and the one I was most drawn to. With notes of orange flower, pink pepper and amber, it smells warm like sunshine. Neither overtly floral nor fresh, it makes for a nice daytime fragrance that certainly had my colleagues impressed.

After liberally spraying it through my hair and onto my clothes in the office, a wave of approving “Mmmm”s went up. “I don’t wear perfume because I don’t like anything too heavy, but that’s lovely. I could wear that,” chimed Stylist’s fitness editor Meriam Ahari.

My boyfriend’s verdict wasn’t as positive. “You smell different,” he declared as I arrived home. Sniffing around me like a bloodhound, he took a moment to ruminate before deciding: “It’s not as nice as your other ones. I like it when your perfume is more incense-y.”

I think what he was trying to say is that the oud perfumes I usually wear are more intense, more powerful. But Sunset Riot does have staying power – I kept getting wafts of it hours after I’d sprayed myself. My boyfriend’s assessment came a good six hours after application, by which time I’d battled the crowds of Oxford Street and journeyed the two-hour commute home. It seems Sunset Riot is in it for the long haul.

Will I give up my usual fragrance in favour of a high street one? I’m not sure. The good news is Sunset Riot impressed me, lingering longer than expected and bringing compliments. The bad news? I’d still call myself a perfume snob.

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