Perfumes are like magic potions: They mask B.O. and attract the opposite sex. They put a spring in your step when you’re having a crap day; some even claim they’re therapeutic. To test that last theory, we got six of the season’s latest fragrances and took them for a spritz. First, we ran the ingredients past Dr Pallavi Vinod Dialani, a homeopathic specialist, who decoded the benefits of the scents’ key ingredients, and then we tried them out for a week in Time Out Singapore HQ. See whether they lived up to their curative potential. 

For him 
John Varvatos Vintage, $99 (125ml) 
Official notes Coriander seed, amber, tanned suede/leather
The doctor’s orders ‘Coriander seed is refreshing and cooling,’ Dialani says. 
Our diagnosis Upon first application, ‘this smells sugary sweet; I want to lick the back of my ears to see if it really is’, ‘it’s mature, very male’ and ‘there’s some hint of citrus and musk; it’s pleasant, but odd. I feel like a 30-plus salesperson’. By the afternoon, the scent hit its stride. It’s ‘less and less powerful, but still consistent’, ‘fresher now, which is weird since it’s later in the day. It’s lemony now – feels fresh, like I can wear it every day’, and made another staffer feel ‘mild and fresh’.

Narciso Rodriguez for him, $96 (50ml) 
Official notes Egyptian musk oil, patchouli and violet leaf
The doctor’s orders ‘Patchouli is emotionally strengthening; it gives confidence and clarity to thoughts,’ Dialani says. ‘[It’s] useful for grounding and reducing apprehension.’ 
Our diagnosis First impressions: ‘It smells very fake, made up, synthetic. It makes me feel dark and heavy’ and ‘it’s quite strong and musky’. Yet by the afternoon, the scent is ‘much softer on the musk and heavier on floral undertones; if it were a colour, I’d use the term “pastel” ’ and ‘it’s smooth and musky… and a little salty, too’. By the end of the day, ‘it smells very ladylike, makes me feel passive’ and ‘there’s a subtle sweet musk smell’. 

Hugo XY, $111 (100ml) 
Official notes Mint, basil leaves and cedarwood 
The doctor’s orders ‘Mint is cooling and has anaesthetic effects,’ Dialani says. ‘Basil leaves are a stimulant used to remove mental fatigue and sharpen the senses; it can also be used as an insect repellent.’ Our diagnosis From the initial spray, it’s ‘a bit on the feminine side; I actually think I’m underdressed for this scent’ and made one of our staffers nostalgic: ‘It smells a bit of boyish secondary school, like one of those rich boys who wears perfume to class’. By lunchtime, ‘the smell is nice, like I just showered’. By evening, ‘the smell has faded, but there’s a subtle and pleasant lingering scent, like powder’.

For her 
Lulu C Paris, $65 (50ml)
Official notes Cherry, yuzu, bergamot and cedarwood; base is jasmine, rose and pineapple 
The doctor’s orders ‘Bergamot is an antidepressant; it allays anxiety, grief and negative thinking,’ Dialani says. ‘Jasmine is invigorating and warming – it boosts confidence and is good for listlessness and apathy. Pineapple is uplifting for the nervous system.’ Our diagnosis Initially, it ‘smells saccharine – makes me feel like a little girl’; another staffer claims she ‘got a sugar high just from sniffing it. I feel like I’m six years old, trying out a kid’s perfume my mom gave me to play “grown-up” ’; and another one simply said ‘it smells like Japanese lemon candy, and makes me feel young and uncomplicated’. Yet by the afternoon, the sweetness gives way to, well, almost nothing. ‘I just smell faintly of spices’ and ‘it’s faded gently and thank God it’s not as cloying as in the morning; I actually feel girly and feminine’. 

Stella In Two Amber by Stella McCartney, $81 (.07oz) 
Official notes Rose, peony, black pepper, patchouli and cedarwood The doctor’s orders ‘Rose has strong effects on the sexual sphere; it helps with insecurity or anxieties related to sexuality,’ Dialani says. ‘Black pepper stimulates sweat secretion and is a muscle relaxant; it also reduces sadness and low feeling, and stimulates appetite.’ 
Our diagnosis At first, one of our staffers, a Stella Eau de Parfum regular, called it ‘a strange version, more bold and sexy than the original. It’s slightly cloying, like malt candy’. Another staffer found the perfume’s solid balm format ‘very strange – feels like I need to put on a lot for it to work. Still, the scent is subtle and musky’. Yet another staffer thought it was ‘spicy, warm and sexy in a very mature way – hellooo, Mrs Robinson’. By the afternoon, the scent had reduced to ‘faintly sultry and sweeter’. 

Rose Essentielle by Bulgari, $114 (50ml) 
Official notes Bergamot, orange, blackberry, violet leaf, rose, and patchouli 
The doctor’s orders ‘Orange is refreshing and uplifting, a gentle digestive cleanser which also reduces stress and nervous tension,’ Dialani says. Our diagnosis In the morning, one staffer said she felt like she’d ‘just walked into a charming florist in Paris, even though I’ve never been there’; another called it ‘very fresh, floral, summery’. Another one described it as ‘very feminine – makes me feel demure in a ladyin- waiting sort of way. I’m strangely relaxed’. In the afternoon and evening, the ‘smell isn’t as strong any more, but it isn’t sticky, either; it’s sweet and not overpowering – makes me feel like a natural woman’. One editor claimed that the afternoon transformation felt ‘pretty and girly’, and another went so far as to say it ‘smells kitchen-y, like you’re going to bake a cake’.