I love perfume as much as the next girl but I’ve never really given the whole ‘artisan perfume’ thing a shot. I’ve always just gone with my gut, tried the regular cosmetics shop brand perfumes (recently bought my second dose of Guerlain’s Petite Robe Noire) and bought what I liked.

Recently, however, someone very close to me gave me something special for Christmas – a bottle of Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir cologne.

I can say that I’ve been ruined for life.

I carry the small 30ml cologne bottle every second of every day in the side-pocket of my bag – I change bags, the cologne is moved along accordingly. The other day I forgot my wallet but I still had the cologne in my bag.

I have become so addicted, in fact, that during my stay in New York City (where I still am) I did a lightning run to Bloomingdale’s and bought not just one, but three more scents in the same travel-sized 30ml bottles – White Jasmin & Mint, Blue Agava and Cacao, and Black Vetyver Café. I seem to have developed a dangerous situation since I haven’t picked up my Petite Robe Noire since Christmas Eve, when I opened my neatly-wrapped Pomegranate Noir.

The thing about these scents is that they are so specifically tailored to your personality it feels… well, it feels like you. You’re not wearing a brand. Whenever you raise your wrist up to your nose and inhale slightly, you don’t think ‘oh, this smells nice’ – you think that it smells exactly like you want to smell. I’ve hopped back and forth between brand perfumes all my life, having a strong list of favourites – Guerlain Shalimar and Petite Robe Noire, Prada Candy, Burberry Body and Hermès Jardin sur le Toit – but this is a completely different thing.

It’s not expensive, but it’s a specific kind of luxury. It’s not an ad on TV and sounds a lot more like something you would order off a gourmet menu. This makes the entire experience of spritzing a bit of Jo Malone on your collarbone feel not like you’re just applying perfume, but like a small extension of your personality and a whole new way of expressing yourself – not to mention the ridiculous amount of confidence that it gives you.

So yes, I’m a fan.

And if there’s anyone out there whom you still haven’t bought a Christmas present for out of indecisiveness, check out the whole range of scents at the Jo Malone website and find a store or a department store corner near you.

You’re welcome.