Q. Is it possible to buy perfumes that are for ‘dabbing’ subtly, rather than sprays that are totally overshelming for the wearer and everyone else?  My husband was searching for one and all the perfume counters he visited insisted they were extinct.
A. No, fragrances you dab on your pulse point haven’t gone the way of the dinosaur – but it’s true:  you do have to work a little harder to sniff them out.  (Sorry!)  Many Chanel fragrances, for instance, are all available in non-spray format as are several of Guerlain’s.  For a wider selection, we recommend visiting a specialist fragrance store rather than a department store if it’s dab-able fragrances you’re after:  the wonderful Les Senteurs boutique at 71 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9PJ (they also have a catalogue, if you call 020-7730 2322), or – another of our fave fragrance destinations – Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie, at Urban Retreat on the 5th Floor at Harrods (020-7730 1234).  Alternatively, our suggestion is to mist a fragrance into the air, and walk through it – as Estée Lauder used to recommend;  just enough clings to your clothes (and hair, which carries fragrance beautifully), without being overpowering.