I am one of those people who take scent very seriously. Let’s face it, smell can attract and repel, enchant and offend. It can propel you into fantasy, take you back to memories and stir up primal urges in the most private of places.

One of the most pleasurable things in life is the sparkling perfume trails some people leave as they walk by. I was one of those girls who used to follow the path of a guy who was wearing Drakkar Noir or Ralph Lauren’s Polo (remember that dark green and gold bottle? Sooo fantastically 80s).

I couldn’t understand why all guys didn’t figure out there were certain scents that would make girls do just about anything. In fact, to this day I can’t believe men don’t make it their singular aim to find a scent that their prospective lover (or current one) adores.

I promise you that the right scent = more sex.

Conversely a bad perfume or cologne can make me want to vomit. The worst are those folks who douse themselves in cheap scents and go to enclosed spaces like the gym or the opera.

I remember my family’s annual outing to the ballet was always one of the most nauseating and headache-inducing – it smelled like a combination of sweaty lipstick, alcohol breath, dead animals, cheap leather, cheating hearts and profound misery…

Don’t get me wrong, I know that over the years I have worn scents that have offended people. Always one to gravitate toward the ‘spicy’. I seemed to have missed my mark when at 14 when I developed an obsession with Calvin Klein’s ‘Obsession’.

This led to my boyfriend’s father telling me that I smelled like “cat pee”…which ended the relationship to the perfume and the boy.

I’ve never been one of those people who wears different scents for different moods or seasons. I guess you could call me a perfume monogamist. I am swoony with commitment and love toward the scent until we no longer have much in common and we both agree to move on.

Suffice to say that the ‘signature scent’ is very important to me, which is why I found it particularly vexing when a friend told me that she had gone out and purchased mine. Honestly, my initial reaction was near devastation. It was almost as if I caught my friend having an affair with my lover.

I knew it was slightly ridiculous to be so bothered but I didn’t care. In fact, I immediately went out to the nearest perfume counter and began the hunt for a new lover. At first I was tentative about fondling a new bottle – almost guilty. But then I became more adventuresome. I had a nice encounter with a scent that fused saffron, white pepper and rose.

I flirted with another that mixed wild strawberry, lychee and musk. I rubbed up against others that paired bittersweet chocolate with spice dusted flower petals dipped in honey.

I finally settled on one and brought it home with me. But the next morning I woke up and realized that it probably will only ever be a one night stand. I’m back with my current love and have decided that until something else captures my heart. I guess I have to be willing to share.

Outspoken, hip, irreverent – yet enlightening, Cynthia Loyst is a TV host, advice columnist & relationship coach who likes to ask uncomfortable questions. She’s also a certified life/relationship coach and guest expert on a variety of shows including The Marilyn Denis Show, CTV Newsnet and Etalk. Follow Cynthia on Twitter.