The right perfume is more than just a smell; it's your personal essence in a bottle. Follow my simple guide to finding the perfect fragrance to suit your mood. With over 1000 scents to choose from on the perfume counters, selecting your scent can be a complicated process - but also very satisfying when you get it right.

Fragrances fall into six different groups or styles called fragrance families - floral, chypre, fougere, oriental and ozonic. There are lots of types within each family, but they all share important characteristics.

• Floral - There's a huge variety of floral scents, such as rose, violet and jasmine, and floral fragrances can contain either a variety of floral notes or a single strong note. Florals can have lots of personalities, from fresh to spicy scented mixes and they're easy to wear. Famous floral scents are: Anais Anais by Cacharel, Calvin Klein Eternity and Chanel No19.
• Chypre - Pronounced Sheep-ra, chypre is french for cyprus, which is where amny of the classic chypre perfume ingredients can be found. Teh chypre base is usually woody or mossy with fresh citrus, such a bergamot, and sometimes floral overtones. Famous scents include: Christian Dior Dolce Vita and J Lo Glow.
• Citrus - Invigorating citrus scents are bursting with the freshness of lemon, orange, bergamot, lime and grapefruit. They're so tangy they give your nose and brain a wake up call. Famous scents include: Christian Dior Diorella and Boss Woman by Hugo Boss.
• Fougere - Pronounced foo-jhair, fougere is French for fern. Often unisex, these scents are a mixture of lavender with a green, mossy or herby base and sometimes oriental, spicy adn citrus notes. They are complex, sophisticated and subtle.  Famous scents include: Calvin Klein Be and Hugo Boss Deep Red.
• Oriental - Rich, spicy and dramatic, oriental fragrances contain exotic spices like sandalwood and vanilla, with rich musk and amber undertones. It's not surprising that musk is thought of as a sexy smell; it's an animal sex signal that humans can detect too. Orientals tend to be quite noticeable fragrances and tehy are often long lasting too. Famous scents include: Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, Obsession by Calvin Klein and Coco Chanel.
• Ozonic - Developed in the 1990's these scents will whisk you outdoors with just one spritz. They're a breath of fresh air, evoking scents of the ocean and days on the beach. Famous scents include: Issey Miyake L'Eau D'Issey, Calvin Klein Escape and Cool Water Woman by Davidoff.

With so many smells, designers and bottles, it's easy to get overwhelmed at the perfume counter. Here's how to find the scent you'll want to wear.

1. Decide what it's for - Work, country weekends, romantic nights, formal dinners or a holiday in the sun?
2. List the fragrances you like - old favourites, scents you've noticed on other people or spotted in magazine ads.
3. Go to a perfume shop or department store with plenty of choice adn find a helpful assistant.
4. Tell the assistant what you like and what the scent is for; he or she can suggest fragrances in the same family.
5. Spritz scents you like on the paper strips provided and write their names on the strips. To clear your nose between scents, try sniffing a wool scarf or jumper.
6. Reduce the choice to three - more than this will confuse your nose. Spritz one on each wrist, adn one on the forearm. Keep imagining where you'll be wearing the scent.
7. And finally wait a few hours to allow the scents to change and develop on your skin, and ask friends for their opinion. If you love the fragrance every time you smell it, buy it!!