When you reach for a bottle of Eau de My Mood of a morning and have a quick spritz, you probably don't care whether the smelly stuff is considered to be an art form. But for those for whom fragrance matters - be they creators or wearers - a fine fragrance is akin to a fine wine or fine art. It comes from the heart, takes skill and stems from a rare talent that can speak to the masses.
So it won't come as a shock to hear that, lately, niche fragrance brands have been turning their bottles into mini artworks - hammering home their lofty ideals with the gentle dab of a paintbrush. Top among them is Kilian Hennessy, with his By Kilian limited range of 50 hand-painted, refillable bottles, which took the artist Sophie Matisse (the great-granddaughter of Henri) six months to complete.
"I'm trying to bring perfumery back to the level of art and quality that it enjoyed in the first half of the 20th century," says Hennessy. "At that time, a perfumer like Jacques Guerlain would go to see René Lalique and ask him to create a bottle for his new scent. The art of perfume and the art of glass were combined. I have tried to do that again in my collection - to allow women, and men, to perfume themselves using a piece of real art." At £800 a pop (for 50ml), it's a lofty financial proposition, but such is the bottles' impact that even the most level-headed sort might consider forking out for one.
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Meanwhile, Bond No 9 celebrated what would have been Andy Warhol's 80th birthday with a new fragrance, Lexington Avenue (£140 for 100ml). It comes in a special bottle decorated with some of the artist's shoe sketches from his early days as an illustrator. It's a highly desirable casing for a pretty intoxicating fragrance, which has citrus top notes and a woody base.
Then there's Etat Libre d'Orange, the cult fragrance brand, which has gone all pop art with its latest fragrance, Don't Get Me Wrong Baby (£38 for 50ml). On the bottle is a decidedly Lichtenstein-esque image, complete with an outré bubble thought: "I don't swallow". Roy would be so proud.
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By Kilian and Etat Libre d'Orange are available from Harvey Nichols. Bond No 9 is available from Harrods
PULSE POINTS
C'est chic
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Whether or not you can afford the real thing, this mini Lady Dior handbag palette is a beauty must. Inside are two shades (one tinted, one iridescent) to add colour to lips and cheeks and to highlight cheekbones. Palettes come in rose (Parisienne Chic) or dusty pink (French Chic). £68.50
Freshly ground
Mineral make-up is all very well, but how often have you ended up with a cloud of powder tumbling all over the carpet? Yes, we have, too. So Elizabeth Arden's Pure Finish Mineral Powder foundation, which comesin a pot with a twistable grinder, is most welcome, because you shave off only as much powder as you need. Genius.£22, from Boots
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THE PROFESSIONALS
Q I've been thinking of getting a perm. My sister says I shouldn't, but I really feel I need a bit of a lift at the roots. What would you advise?
Mary, 34, London
A Listen to your sister. Perming technology has moved on since the 1980s, but why expose your hair to all that damage when you can use the same technique James Brown does on Kate Moss. Simply spray hairspray onto your fingertips, massage it into the roots, moving hair round to create volume, and hey presto.