It is finally nearing the end of the year. I don't know if that is a good thing as I always have so much to do at this late stage and hey, I don't even celebrate Christmas.

But, as I tell my family, there's nothing wrong with giving presents to your nearest and dearest, hint, hint.

No, my mum says, not at all, and starts imagining that I'm going to fill her pop sox with gifts galore.

But buying presents is not as easy as it sounds. It's always hard to know what to buy for people if they are not teenagers (CDs), or men (socks). What if they do not fall within these two groups?

According to newspaper reports the gift most women want for Christmas is perfume.

This makes sense, of course, as according to psychologists the most important part of the body is the nose and we use it especially when we fall in love though we don't realise that.

So perfume is tops. And not the yukky stuff that you used to lust after in your pre-teens, but the posh, expensive designer brands that make you feel all grown-up what do I mean, I am grown-up).

As a little girl, stealing your mum's perfume was obligatory.

Of course, in those days the only perfume mum had was Yardley and we thought that was the best.

Ah, the smell of Lily of the Valley, the sweet pong of Sweet Pea. Coupled with a huge smear of red lipstick across the face and mostly on the chubby cheeks and I was set for my debut as a madame but looked more like a panto dame.

The point is that perfume can make you feel sophisticated. I remember my teacher's perfume as she wafted into the room for registration or when she came past to help with the maths. She smelled confident and 'proper'. It wasn't a strong, overpowering smell but light and whispery.

That all changed in the shoulder-padded world of the 1980s.

In the Eighties when I was a teenager perfumes like Poison and Opium became very popular. We couldn't afford the real scents so some girls took to wearing the fake smells - which cost about £1.99 from the local chemist and were absolutely ghastly and smelled even worse than the original.

Thankfully, now there is a huge array of smells to choose from, ranging from the light and flowery to heady and headachy.

But perfumes make a great present as they are so beautifully packaged and look and smell so nice. What girl's heart wouldn't be gladdened by the sight of the golden box filled with the promise of romance. No wonder the beauty counters of department stores are packed - even if you are only there on your lunch break and want to brighten up your afternoon.

Oh well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some smelly goodies this year.

According to the experts, the leading perfume buys are Yves St Laurent's Baby Doll, Chanel No 5, and J'Adore by Christian Dior.

A far cry perhaps from Lily of the Valley perhaps but welcome on any dressing table.

That should give you some ideas, mum.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.