Ever since Coco gave birth to Chanel No. 5, the wearing of fragrance became more than just about smelling nice – it proved that the scents we wear can also make a powerful statement about who we are.

But how often do we think about the fragrances we wear? We all make style choices every day – from what to wear to how to style our hair but how much thought do we really give to the perfumes we don?

Roja Dove is the world's sole Professeur de Parfums and is considered to be the leading authority on fragrance. His wisdom and passion bring the ethereal world of scent alive and he joins us in a webTV show to share his vast knowledge on the inspiring world of fragrance.

Roja has teamed up with World Duty Free to create a new website, Discover Fragrance that will inform and educate people about different scents from around the world and encourage users to discover the fragrances that match destinations they are travelling to.

So whether you tend to opt for fresh scented fragrances with an air of spring or warm, rich, musky tones, follow your nose and join in our live web TV show on Thursday 6th November.

Roja Dove joins us live online to uncover the world of fragrance.

For more information visit www.discoverfragrance.co.uk

H: Jackie Kabler, host
R: Roja Dove, Professeur de Parfums

H: Hello and welcome to the Lifestyle Show brought to you by World Duty Free, I'm Jackie Kabler. Ever since Coco gave birth to Chanel No. 5, fragrances – excuse me – became more than just about smelling nice – it proved that the scents we wear can also make a powerful statement about who we are. But how often do we think about the fragrances we wear? I mean we all make style choices every day don't we – from what to wear to how to style our hair, but how much thought do we really give to the perfumes we don? Well joining me today to talk about this is Roja Dove, the world's sole Professeur de Parfums – a very exotic title – he's considered to be the leading authority on fragrance. Welcome to the show!

R: Thank you very much indeed

H: I know that recent research showed that 45% of people say that perfumes evoke holiday memories, and half of people said that they adapt their perfume to their social situation, so it is something we think about a bit, isn't it?

R: I think that instinctively we do, but very often when you're going to work you maybe don't want to wear the same perfume as when you're going out in the evening. It's a little bit like with your clothes, you know there's often that one scent you put on that makes you feel fabulous, where a man might have a particular jacket he loves or a woman might have a particular dress, and it makes you feel a sense of occasion

H: But do you think we think about it enough because I know in your world perfume is just – you wouldn't consider going out without it really –

R: Absolutely

H: Because it can change your mood, it can change how other people relate to you. It's hugely important

R: I think it's hugely important, I think that people are maybe too swayed by marketing images, rather than really the smell. And I think that for each of us different things motivate us, so some people love the idea that they're wearing the latest Dolce Gabana or the latest Chanel or the latest Guerlain or whatever it is, and some people really just care about how they smell, so we're motivated by different things, but I think that because life is very, very fast, and we're always in a rush, we rarely have the chance to really stop and to take time to consider our purchase of scent, and maybe World Duty Free is a perfect place to do it, because with security being the way it is today we have so much free time

H: Absolutely

R: That this will be one of the few times we have free time to stop and make a considered choice

H: Yes it certainly is, you know when you're hanging about killing time at the airport it's the sort of thing you head for isn't it? Oh I'll buy myself some new perfume

R: Absolutely, absolutely

H: You were saying about the celebrity-inspired perfumes, but there is a danger that you might buy a perfume by somebody who you really admire, but it might not actually suit you and you end up just putting it away and wasting it

R: Absolutely. I think for each of us, as I met you today you have a very, very particular personality, as each person does, and a scent does as well, and people often don't think of that, and you could put the wrong scent on the wrong person. I remember years ago somebody I used to work with had heard me being interviewed by a journalist, and the next day came into my office wearing that particular scent. Bear in mind she was somebody I knew very well, this would make me sound caddish, but I said to her" Barbara could you kindly do me a favour, would you never wear that fragrance again in my presence." And she said "ooh but you were talking about it yesterday" and I said "yes but on you it's as inappropriate as red lipstick on a nun."

H: Ok so nobody wants to make a mistake like that, especially with somebody like you around! So there's this new website which is aimed at helping us choose the right perfume. Tell me a bit about that

R: Ok. So I was approached by World Duty Free to see if I could help with a way to guide people to a scent which they'd be happy with. So the website is, I think very – well fantastically laid out, I didn't do the work, but it's really fantastically laid out. It asks a very simple question, are you a male or female, and then it – I put some questions in to try to find something out about the sort of smells you might like. And there's smells from everyday, not perfumes you'd choose, but just smells that you might like. And then from that it helps guide me to an understanding of the sort of family or category of scents you're likely to like

H: Because there are 3 very distinctive categories aren't there which –

R: Indeed

H: And you may, I mean I always like the same sort of perfume. Probably not necessarily knowing that I'm always choosing from the same group

R: Absolutely, so in feminine perfumery the names most people know, the floral family – obviously sweet and flowery

H: Which I hate personally. Yes that's not my group

R: There's one with a strange sounding name which is Chypre, which is French for the island of Cyprus. They're the antitheses of the floral, they're warm and dry and woody and mossy, and then lastly the oriental family which are very soft and rich. In masculine perfumery we also have 3 categories, the Chypre and the oriental also exist, but we have another called the Fugere, which is the freshest of them

H: Right

R: And these very distinctive personalities, as I say, match the personality of the wearer, and that's what the website's about. But it's also about thinking, when you travel and you're going to somewhere maybe you've never been before and it's somewhere you know very well, you stop to think about the clothes that are going to help you fit in and feel comfortable in the place, and what World Duty Free have done is looked at the destination and then the reason for travel, because if you're going somewhere for business I'm sure your clothes are going to be different to if you're going for a romantic trip, so therefore the scent needs to be different too

H: Very interesting. Let me just pause for a second to remind everyone watching that this is of course a live show, your questions are very welcome, get them coming in. all you have to do is type the question into the box on the screen and press send and it will magically appear here in the studio, so hopefully we'll get to some questions – we have already had some actually, we're going to get to some of those in just a moment. But just – you were saying it's not just about where you're going on your holiday or your trip, it's the purpose as well, and that's very interesting

R: Very

H: I don't have – I mean normally if I go away, I may only bring one perfume with me but really that could be a mistake couldn't it?

R: Indeed. Well I think again it's this thing of force of habit where we are often in a rush in everyday life. For example, if you go to a city like Tokyo in Japan, their culture is not based around scent and they have no tradition for western scent. So you could merrily go wearing some huge oriental perfume, and because they're very polite they might not say something to you, but they'd find it overwhelming, and in business in particular, if you went to a business meeting wearing it it would be as inappropriate as wearing a plunging decoute down to here –

H: So that could be a huge mistake

R: You can make mistakes easily without realising

H: Wow, wow wow. And so what sort of perfumes sort what sort of personalities then? Say you were somebody like me and quite outgoing, like having fun, but I also like sitting quietly at home, so you – everyone's a mixture of personalities aren't they? But I suppose – do you go with your main, overriding personality? Is that how it works?

R: Ok let me ask – if I can ask you one of three questions

H: Please do

R: Would you – which one of these sort of smells do you think you'll like most – the smell of walking into a flower shop or receiving a big bouquet of flowers? The scent of walking through the woodland late in the summer where you have the smell of the woodland floor and the leaves that have fallen on it? Or do you like the idea of walking into a very, very warm patisserie where there are beautiful cakes and –

H: Oh yes, the latter, definitely. Definitely

R: Ok well without – with no doubt in my mind you like oriental perfumes

H: Well I do yes

R: And oriental perfumes generally suit people that have quite large, bubbly personalities, but also love being wrapped up in a cashmere blanket at home –

H: That's spooky, that is me. That's amazing –

R: That's really – the middle one that appealed to the fragrance type we call Chypre, and those people like everything understated generally. It's about tailoring and understatement. Quite strong personalities but they're not noisy people, they're quite – whereas the floral person just has this very happy-go-lucky disposition.

H: So if you have no idea which group you fall into this website will direct you to your group

R: Absolutely. Because it's technical, you know words like oriental, although most people use them, most people have got no idea what an oriental perfume really is

H: Sure

R: So it has no jargon in it. That's the thing they've been very, very particular about, there's no jargon, it's totally user-friendly, and that will take you into the style of fragrance you like, and then you just put in the city you're going to and you put in the reason for travel, and of course for a lot of people you may be going somewhere on business but you might decide to stay on for two extra days, so you're combining it with a little bit of pleasure

H: So you need to pack a different perfume

R: Yes. So it helps people when they go into World Duty Free that they – it will just suggest, why don't you try that and that, and it might be something you've never thought of trying and it could be just the perfect scent for you

H: Fantastic

R: Could be a new love affair!

H: We all like those don't we?

R: A fragrant love affair

H: Let's go to a couple of questions, we've got some good questions coming in now. First one here is from Sarah Jones – "I'm going to New York Christmas shopping, so what perfume do I go for?"

R: You definitely need something with a lot of energy

H: Because it's exhausting

R: It is going to be exhausting, so absolutely – New York as we know is a bussly, busy, vibrant city and when they turn on the Christmas tree you can't get into the city for the volume of people, and if you're not used to it and you don't have the energy it's exhausting. So I think that it's essential to have something which is lively and really, really, really fast-paced. Your choice of scent is really determined by your taste in fragrance, so I'd say if you like flowery scents, if you would have answered yes to the first one I would use a scent like Calvin Klein's Eternity

H: Right

R: Big floral perfume but with a lot of spice and notes underneath giving energy. If you're going to the city totally for business as well as the shopping on the side, then for the business part of it try something like Narcissez Rodriguez for her, and if you're somebody who would have loved the interior of that pastry shop, and going shopping, then something like the new Secret Obsession from Calvin Klein would be a very, very good scent. It's a modern twist on the original Obsession

H: Fabulous. Ok another question is from Sandra Miller and she wants to know "what perfume do you recommend for a first date?" Now that can be quite important because you don't want to put the man off, do you by being too overpowering I suppose

R: Indeed. I certainly wouldn't wear the oriental –

H: Right

R: Even if you – I would use fragrance a little bit to help you cheat.

H: You are so sneaky!

R: Not to cheat on a man but to cheat. Because oriental perfumes are all about – well sex and come on basically, they're the perfumery equivalent of red lipstick and plunging gautes...maybe that could make you come across a bit too forward for a first date! Likewise floral perfumes suggest somebody who maybe is a lacking a little bit in self-confidence, so something like a really nice Chypre perfume

H: Right

R: Because it suggests you have confidence even though you maybe are a little bit nervous

H: So that's interesting so you can use it, as you say, to cheat, so if you're feeling one way but you'd rather be seen to be another way you can cheat with your perfume

R: Indeed. The only thing with that is that in the end I don't think you'd really like the perfume long term, so it's – that's maybe the extra little purchase, the experimental something

H: Sure, sure

R: Yes

H: You've got examples of some of the perfumes here haven't you as well?

R: Yes

H: So you mentioned Secret Obsession there which is the oriental one

R: So this one's the new Secret Obsession, and – can I put a little bit on your skin?

H: Absolutely

R: I'm going to just share a small tip. When you try a scent, just spray a little bit from a distant so very little falls on your skin. Can I just have your other wrist? Most people would do this –

H: Yes

R: And spray the scent closely, smell the one on your left wrist

H: Ok

R: And now smell that

H: Oh gosh there's –

R: It's like two different things

H: It's a big difference. So this is more the accurate smell when you –

R: Yes. This –

H: When you spray it from a distance? Because quite often – if I'm testing actually, I probably do it completely wrong, I'm realising now, I might rub it in –

R: It's now running down your arm –

H: Yes it is! But I might rub it in a bit, but you don't do that either?

R: No. So the reason to spray it from a distance

H: It's lovely

R: The alcohol will evaporate very quickly and as you say, so you start to smell the scent as it should be more or less immediately. When you spray it close to your skin it smells aggressive because of the alcohol

H: Totally different, that's really, really interesting

R: And the thing of rubbing it as you say, everything we do when we make fragrance is done without heat

H: Right

R: Like we all know it from olive oil, you know cold, pressed olive oil, the reason why you pay more for it is the oil is purest and finest. The minute you rub you make heat and the friction will destroy the composition. If you want to show off it's called brosing, like brosing a fruit

H: Very interesting. Ok, shall we take another question? This is from Thomas, he says "I'm taking my girlfriend to Rome for her birthday" – how nice, what a nice man

R: Very nice

H: And I also want to buy her a perfume as a second present. Mmm – what do you recommend?

R: Well what I would suggest, is really he needs to use the site, because what I don't know about his girlfriend –

H: Of course

R: Is whether she likes floral perfumes, Chypres or Orientals

H: Right

R: So if he could maybe, as he knows the site exists and maybe his girlfriend doesn't yet as it's so new

H: Yes, yes

R: He could look at the 3 questions and try to work out which of those 3 is more her

H: Yes, yes

R: And it will take him immediately to the right site because Rome is on the site, and then he just chooses a scent for romance, and that along with whatever the other gift is, if that doesn't win her heart I don't know what will!

H: Exactly! Ah what a lovely man. Right, another man, this is from Ted – "I'm buying my wife a birthday present. What's the best romantic fragrance?" That's a good question.

R: Again it's a difficult question to answer because it's so subjective. The ingredients which generally we would consider romantic when creating a fragrance are what we call the powdery notes, so materials like violet and ores. I would suggest for everybody it goes back to the way the site is laid out. I don't mean to sound like a stuck record, but her taste in scent, it's like for you, you said you don't like floral perfumes

H: No I really don't

R: So I could merrily say well a floral perfume's the one, but if you were – if it was your husband buying it

H: Yes, I wouldn't be impressed

R: You don't like it so you wouldn't be impressed. That's why this website, discoverfragrance is just genius. I didn't do the website, I just have to say, otherwise it's making me sound egocentric

H: No no

R: But it is, it's genius because it takes the risk out, and that's the thing that I think's so important

H: Because perfume's not cheap is it, especially you know with the designer names, you're spending quite a lot of money so it's worth getting it right isn't it?

R: It's essential otherwise it does just sit looking very sad with all these other ones where people have got it wrong

H: Indeed, indeed. Right, this is a question from Amy, now this is a good question because this is a problem a lot of us have. "Do you have any tips for making perfume last longer?" Because sometimes you put it on in the morning, by lunchtime it's gone

R: Absolutely. First of all if I can explain – it's a bit of a technical one –

H: Ok

R: But I'll try and explain it very simply – we have jargon as all industries and we use words like top notes, heart notes and base notes. Simply top notes are the ones that disappear very quickly, base notes are the ones which hang around

H: Right

R: So if you want your scent to stay on your skin, you need as many base notes as you can find, right?

H: Right

R: Eau de toilette, which is the strength many people buy, 80% of what you apply if you put your fragrance on at 8 o'clock in the morning, will have disappeared by noon

H: Gosh

R: It's not a fault of the product, eau de toilette was made just to make you feel fresh

H: Right

R: But the trouble is that nobody ever explains this to anybody

H: No

R: Women buy their eau de toilette, and they spray so much on their skin to try to make it last, but if you pour the whole bottle on yourself and 80% if going to disappear within – 80% will disappear within approximately 4 hours

H: So if you're going out in the evening and you just want to smell nice for a couple of hours, that's ok I suppose isn't it?

R: Absolutely

H: Not for all day

R: So if you're putting your scent on in the morning as most people do and they're going to work or whatever and they're busy, the best strength is perfume. And the only people that think perfume is strong are people that have never worn it

H: Right

R: With perfume you just – I'll explain where you put it on in a second – but 50% of it is going to stay on your skin for 24 hours, so if you're looking for lasting property perfume's the thing, and of course World Duty Free is the best place to try it because you'll get it that little bit less expensively

H: Exactly

R: And that would be good

H: Absolutely

R: The other tip I would give, the majority of people tend to put body cream on after they take their bath or shower, and then they spray their eau de toilette / eau de parfum on top. If you do that the alcohol in the eau de toilette / eau de parfum will break the cream down. Much better after you've taken your bath or shower, spray your body with your scent, and put your cream on top. The cream will trap the scent and make the scent last much longer, and if the cream's moisturising it will be more moisturising, if it's softening it will be more softening. You would never dream of putting a moisturiser on your face and then spraying an alcoholic toner on top

H: No, absolutely not

R: Common sense tells you that that's a –

H: I'm sure 90% of women do put the body cream on first –

R: More

H: I know I do yes

R: Most women do. Again because nobody ever really explains it

H: No, that's fascinating

R: So do it the other way round, the cream on top will slow down the evaporation of the scent, it will make it last longer, also makes your skin feel nicer, and try, if you've never worn perfume before, try a little perfume next time you go through World Duty Free. When you use perfume, put it on your wrists, as you move your hands which I'm sorry I do all the time

H: That's quite alright

R: As you move your hands, you make the scent move in the air so you'll smell it, and the other place to put scent is always in the dip of your collar bone. The beauty of putting it here and here, as you move your head you have the pleasure of smelling it, and anybody whispering a sweet nothing in your ear is right over the hot spots, so heaven knows where that could lead! Never ever put fragrance here. Most women do, they take –

H: Yes just a squirt –

R: The neck and the top of the chest, we have basically no oil glands, no sebaceous glands. The skin is very, very fine, particularly on the top of the cleavage. If you spray alcohol around here, alcohol's an astringent. Mother Nature is cruel to this nature anyhow –

H: Yes it makes it worse, dries it out and –

R: So never ever, I always think of it as a forbidden triangle for women

H: Gosh

R: For men, same, just spray the fragrance across the body, but it's very good to put a little bit extra just on the wrist and a little bit just here and here for exactly the same reason

H: Ok, fantastic. We're almost out of time sadly, we're going to do one more question I think – "when travelling to Paris", this is from Sophie, "is Chanel the only way to go?" It is tempting to do that isn't it because it's the big one associated with Paris

R: And of course Chanel is a marvellous brand but it's a little bit of a cliché and I don't think it's a – it's almost like a panas hirsch – Chanel for all. The French have always been very traditional in their choice in scent, British people generally are much more experimental. So yes Chanel make beautiful, beautiful fragrances but I think there are many, many other things out there that are equally interesting. The website discoverfragrance will tell you the one which is perfect for you, and maybe it is a Chanel, but not the one that you might have chosen. There might be a better one for you, sitting there. But the website explains all of it and makes it simple to discover which

H: Fantastic. We're going to have to leave it there, but I shall definitely be going into World Duty Free on my next trip, and if you want more information about how to choose the right perfume for your personality or for the destination that you're going to, go to this new website Discoverfragrance.co.uk – you will find all the information you need on there. Thank you very much

R: Thank you very much

H: Thank you for joining us

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