And if heritage is what you’re after, look no further than brands like Creed (founded in 1760); Floris (1730); Penhaligon’s (1870) or Acqua Di Parma (1960). Or try true classics like Aramis – a fragrance redolent of leather-bound books and gentleman’s clubs – Creed’s Green Irish Tweed, Yves Saint Laurent’s Pour Homme or the grown-up, patchouli-based sexiness of Givenchy Gentleman.

If you’re daring, Craven recommends giving Knize Ten a whirl. A leathery number dating back to the hedonistic 1920s, he describes it as ‘disturbing’. In a good way, obviously.

The ‘I’ve Arrived’ Fragrance

Once a man is in his fifties he rarely has anything to prove: he’s confident in himself, has a bit more cash to flash and appreciates the finer things in life. “You have lived and your mind has expanded,” says Craven. “Your imagination is broader, you’re less judgemental and more open-minded – you’re your own man.”

Now’s the time, then, to opt for a finely crafted boutique fragrance like Kilian’s Light My Fire, which is big on notes (like tobacco) that have a whiff of the grown-up about them. “This fragrance smells of a Monte Cristo cigar; the smell of power, affluence and influence,” says Craven. “And in the same way a big cigar can be too much for a young man to handle, it’s a fragrance not all younger men can handle.”

Don’t worry about smelling like a 1950s gentlemen’s club (just in case that was a concern). “It’s far subtler and sexier than that,” says Craven reassuringly.

Kilian Light My Fire, available at Harrods.

The Finely Matured Fragrance

As we get older, production of sebum – the skin’s natural oil – slows down, making skin much drier, which doesn’t just have implications for the way our mush feels but for the way fragrance reacts on our bodies too.

“Dry skin doesn’t retain fragrance as long as oily skin, so you may find you need to opt for a stronger fragrance or re-apply the fragrance more often,” says perfume consultant Mary Ellen Lapsansky. So now might be the time to ditch anything light and citrusy and go for a big, bold chypré fragrance – one characterised by notes of rose, vetiver and cedarwood – designed to have staying power on the skin. Roja Dove’s Vetiver Pour Homme being a perfect example.