Annemariec, that's a very good question. As Jean-Claude Ellena pointed out when he gave a talk in London a while ago, it's easy to praise creations from yesteryear because we know which ones have stood the test of time and are worthy of praise. It's much harder predicting future classics.

Yes, when perfume enthusiasts are asked what they think are the modern classics, most of us will just name our favourites. What I like to do is play with the idea and really try to imagine the conversation if, say Narciso Rodriguez for Her, or Eau des Merveilles (but insert your own choice here) turn out to be carcinogenic or something. 'Oh, the way the orange blossom blended with those amazing musks!' (NR4H); 'Oh, the strange, fresh dryness of the orange!' (EdM) 'Why didn't we buy a lifetime supply when we could? I remember seeing bottles on the shelf as big as your hand … ! If I only had a time machine I would go back and … '.

I love this sort of mental exercise, which involves trying to imagine the ordinary of today as extraordinary and rare tomorrow.

Vagabond, thanks for stopping by. In my collection, I have something that claims to be vintage L'Heure Bleue, and yes, it is definitely smoother than the current version.

'Smooth' is almost a synonym for 'vintage', it seems.