My friend Jenny was the first person I knew who wore Jo Malone's Red Roses. It was 2003 and we were both on work experience at The Sunday Times.
I was earnest and spending my whole Christmas break from university in various newsrooms around the UK. She had just got back from travelling the world and needed something to do. I longed to be the type of person who just hung out at News International for want of anything better to do.
Anyway, Jen had amazing blonde hair, a great coat and always smelled like the best thing in the world - roses. "What's that?" I asked, as she doused herself in the fragrance before a night out. "Red Roses," she replied. "It really does smell like roses, doesn't it?"
And that's the point of this perfume - it's like burying your face in bouquet of the blooms and swanning off - somehow - with the scent.
But let's be clear. It's floral, yes. But, lame or frou frou? Absolutely not. Boys are in love with girls wearing Red Roses - they're the ones who fragrantly got away.
Take Jenny for example - that night out went on til 4am and every boy in the club wanted her number. Did she give it out? Did she hell! Well, she was going out with a certain super cool indie rock star at the time, which for some reason didn't surprise me a jot. Of course she was.
Charlotte Stockdale - Style Editor of Jo Malone - has re-imagined the bottle of Red Roses. It is £120 and available at Selfridges now.
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