They say time waits for no man. Which is why, collagen creams and anti-ageing products aside, all of us should seek to age with grace. No one likes a #cooldad, after all, with his trainers, Topman cardigan and ‘trendy’ haircut.

Don’t be that guy.

By the same token, it’s worth realising that your fragrances have a shelf-life of acceptability, just like your attire. No skate shoes past thirty. No Joop Homme after college. Bin the snapbacks when you get a proper job. Stop using that adidas Sport fragrance your gran bought for you five Christmases ago.

It would seem simple, but certain scents have youthful connotations – or will at least remind everyone of something once popular in the 1990s, and should have stayed there. Others are better matched with suits, the preserve of men well into middle age. And some will make you whiff like an old people’s home. What you need is the right spray at the right time.

We’re all for raging against the dying of the light, of course. But it’s time to stop clinging onto your youth when you’re floundering at the fragrance counter in Boots. Like the tide, time moves inexorably on. This, then, is your lifeline: a guide to the fragrances best suited to your age. Consider yourself plucked from the current. We’ll see you for the dry down.

20 And Below

During these sprightly years one truism holds supreme: you can do whatever the hell you want. It’s unlikely you’ll have a job for which there are draconian fragrance rules, so go all out.

Once you hit your late twenties, you’ll probably begin to look back on this version of yourself with envy; these are the good years during which not giving a sh*t is positively encouraged. Youth is wasted on the young, if you believe George Bernard Shaw. So don’t squander this opportunity.

To that end, go bold with your fragrance. Your peers will certainly lean towards a sweeter smell, usually top-noted with strong citrus and possibly even something metallic. Davidoff Cool Water is of course a major component of most amorous teenage boys’ dating kit and remains a bestseller (for good reason), so don’t turn your nose up at it. If you’re looking for something bolder, Paco Rabanne One Million is as youthful but with a touch more distinctiveness.