Ever noticed a perfume that works wonderfully for a friend, but smells awful on you? That’s because fragrances suit certain skin types.

“Scents smell differently on everyone, so the best way to evaluate a perfume is to use blotting cards instead of spritzing it on your own wrist,” says Gilbert.

“My top tip is to write the perfume name onto each blotting card before you spray it – otherwise, you’ll forget which is which.”

If you’re in a department store full of scents spritzed every which way, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Instead, Gilbert recommends testing a maximum of three perfumes at a time to avoid overloading your nose.

Take a break for 30 minutes (just enough time to gander through the sales), wait for the blotting cards to dry, allow your nose to reset, then choose your favourite. You can always go back to try more once you’ve had a breather.

4 rules for buying perfume for someone else