From the perfume your first love wore to the fragrance you chose for your wedding day, there's something incredibly emotionally evocative about scents.
Fragrance is intrinsically linked with memory hence why walking past someone wearing an ex-partner's perfume can be disconcerting even if you haven't thought of them in years, while a waft of your mum's favourite fragrance can immediately transport you back to childhood.
With scent playing such a huge role in attraction, too (hello, pheromones!) we spoke to 17 people about the fragrance they were wearing when they met their partner – and some might surprise you.
The non-conformist
"I first met my partner when we were teenagers (cue collective awww) and I thought I was so edgy wearing a male fragrance – Diesel's 'Zero Plus Masculine Eau De Toilette'. I think I even probably asked him to buy it for me on one occasion. Despite him recollecting "it wasn't too manly, I remember it being quite nice," I don't think I'd ever repurchase it. However, I am partial to masculine tones in my fragrances to this day and I do like Moschino 'Toy Boy', so perhaps it started my signature scent style..." – Rachel Avery
The matching scents
"Both my now husband and I were wearing Tom Ford 'Black Orchid' when we met. We don't wear the same scent now, we don't wear much, actually – as we have two small children who are always on us." – Racquel Monroy, nutritionist
My signature scent
"I was wearing Armani Emporio 'Because It's You Eau De Parfum'. It's the only perfume I wear. I've even had airport staff ask me where my perfume is from when being patted down at security.
"My partner, who has an incredibly keen sense of smell, always comments on how much he loves the scent. To this day, he can tell immediately when I've sprayed it. It's quite a sweet and romantic scent without being overpowering." – Sharnaz Shahid
The time capsule scents
"I was wearing Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb' and he was wearing Issey Miyake's 'L'eau Dissey' – both of us have rediscovered them recently and it's like being thrown back to 15 years ago." – Beccy Roberts
The throwback
"I was wearing 'Flower' by Kenzo. I don't often wear it anymore, which makes me appreciate it more when I do. I wore it randomly once a few years after we met and my partner said, "You smell like you again." He's since lost his sense of smell through Covid, so I don't wear it as much anymore…" – Zoe Burke, editor of Hitched.
MORE FRAGRANCE: I always match my perfume to my outfit – am I the only one?
The scent with longevity
"I was wearing Thierry Mugler's 'Angel' when I met my other half in a nightclub in London; I was a trainee journalist and he was a barman. I still wear it to this day, coming up to 14 years of marriage and two kids later. I absolutely adore it as there's nothing else like it - the combination of sweet elements such as vanilla, caramel, chocolate and honey with the deep earthiness of patchouli.
"It really stands out and although it's unique, it's not overpowering. I get so many compliments on it and my other half says he's so used to it that it's almost become a part of my personality. I have many other scents on my bathroom shelf, but this is the one I reach for again and again." – Katherine Robinson
The fresh start
"Yves Saint Laurent 'Libre Intense Parfum' is the scent that I was wearing when I met my boyfriend. I bought the perfume when I was entering my post-divorce era and wanted a fresh scent. Libre means freedom. Our first date was over coffee at a beautiful hotel in London. We hugged goodbye in the car park and he messaged me later that day to say, "Random compliment, but you smell amazing, I am mildly intoxicated". I still wear that scent and we are both still intoxicated with one another."- Annalie Howling, author of Unapologetic: Unshackle Your Shame, Reclaim Your Power
A lasting impact
"One of the first things I noticed about my boyfriend was the way that he smelt so, so good. He was wearing Creed 'Aventus' and now whenever I catch a trail of the sophisticated, fresh green fragrance I am transported back to the heady days of early dates." – Rosie Green
The popstar scent
"Mine was a Justin Bieber fragrance. I definitely don't wear it now, but my partner loves it to this day." – Humera Mohamed
Britney's approval
"It was a long time ago – I was wearing a Britney Spears perfume and needless to say I don't wear it anymore. My partner was wearing a Hugo Boss scent, I always remember that. He also no longer wears it!" – Jo Woodhurst
READ: Jo Malone CBE on how to choose the perfect evening scent - and the royal secret we never knew
The unisex scent
"I was 16 when I first met my husband and I’m now 48 so it was clearly a long time ago and a bit tricky to remember but I do know that I loved 'CK One' at the time.
"Unisex fragrance was a category in perfume that was so modern and new and I wanted to be part of it! I remember him liking it but not to the point that he would wear it too. We are not that kind of couple! We like our own individual style. I loved how clean it was and I felt stylish and different wearing it. It clearly did something for him as we are still together all these years later!" – Donna Francis
The upgrade
"I was wearing 'Tommy Girl' when I met my husband in my early twenties. I was a Tommy Girl for years - it was quite fresh, I don't like overpowering fragrances or OTT florals, so this works. Andy remembers I smelled nice, but I wear Jo Malone now." – Katherine Holland
My special occasion scent
"When I had my first date with Andy four years ago, I still remember getting ready and having a spritz of my favourite perfume, 'Dot' by Marc Jacobs. This was my 'expensive' fragrance that I only wore on special occasions.
"During our date, Andy commented that I smelt nice a couple of times. Four years later and I still use this perfume when we have date nights for nostalgic reasons.
"The red bottle with black dots and the large flower bottle top also looks amazing on my perfume shelf." – Melissa Pauley
A sophisticated choice
"My signature scent when I met my now husband Mike was Ghost 'Deep Night'. I got it for Christmas the year before we met and it was my absolute favourite to wear. I loved the moon shaped bottle, and the way it made me feel like I was super sophisticated. I don't wear it at all now, but hubby was definitely a fan when we met!" – Steff Shot
The nostalgia hit
"My signature scent when I met my husband Danny 16 years ago was Lacoste's 'Touch of Pink', which I thought at the time was peak sophistication. I loved the Barbie pink bottle and that it was a floral-esque fragrance without the old lady vibes. I actually still wear it to this day, popping on a spritz when I want to reminisce about the start of our story. It's my best nostalgia go-to." –Amanda May
The scent we both love
"Meeting my partner in my thirties meant I had been through plenty of fragrances including D&G 'Light Blue' and Issey Mikaye. By the time I met my husband Sunny, I'd reached the lofty heights of Prada 'Candy' which I still love and wear today. It’s a great light scent, which lasts throughout the day. Sunny liked it so much he wasn’t shy to pinch a spritz or two." – Mala Mistry
The romantic fragrance
"Without sounding too much like a wannabe romance novelist, falling in love conjures up images of idly wandering in the sunshine losing track of time gripped in conversation with your other half.
"This embodies my go-to perfume, Jo Malone 'English Pear & Freesia' perfectly, with the fresh and ripe top notes of pear and freesia complemented by the romantic woody notes of patchouli.
"The brand's description reads: 'Orchards steeped in golden sunshine, warming the russet curves of luscious pears.' Every time I spritz it for date night, my partner can immediately distinguish it from my other scents." – Nichola Murphy
