Bad night. Long day. Grim mood. And the prospect of a party. You’re turning excuses over and over in your weary, resentful mind in the dull knowledge that you’re on a three-line whip.
A head start is the way to go. Take 20 minutes out for a bubble bath. Who has a bubble bath these days? Surely only a tastefully aromatic bath oil will do? I say no. I say bring back bubble bath. Cover all your bits with foam and raise a knee coquettishly. Lock the damn door and — if you are a relentlessly punctual person like me, then this is a truly naughty thrill — decide to be late. Let them wait.
Chanel No 5’s The Foaming Bath is all that you would want it to be. Even unwrapping the bottle is a boost. It bubbles like a commoner, brassier product — nothing to prove in terms of heritage, you see — and wafts its notes of ylang ylang, jasmine and May rose all over the house, so it’s quite sly as a home scent if people (or a lover) are coming over. It sits on your skin in such a powdery haze that it could almost, to the untrained nose, be the most enchanting washing powder or just the incomparable scent of a woman.
But a word of warning: should you choose to begin an evening with a Chanel No 5 bubble bath and a martini, I cannot be held responsible for the outcome.
Chanel No 5 The Foaming Bath, £40, at selfridges.com