Goldilocks and the 3 (hundred) scents

I am so funny about scents. I might run away from the woman randomly spritzing strangers at the department store perfume counter, but given the chance to sniff on my own, I'll be entertained for hours. I'm one of those weird people who smells the detergents at the grocery store too (you know the ones I'm talking about). I'll take off every cap until I find the one that's just right.

The strange thing is, I'm not all that picky when it comes to perfume. Obviously I have to like it, or I wouldn't wear it, but I've never been one of those women who have a "signature scent." I change around too much for that! I have a huge collection of perfumes that I use for a variety of occasions. A dinner with grandparents calls for something soft and demure, while a night out with my husband might be cause to wear a sexy, "come hither" type scent. My mood might dictate my scent as well. I wear tooth-achingly sweet scents when I feel girly, a tropical scent if I'm in the mood for a vacation, and a clean scent if I want to feel like I just got out of the shower. How could I ever possibly narrow down my perfume collection to only one scent? While it might take me longer to choose my "scent of the day," I like feeling as if my perfume choice can influence how I feel on a certain day (and sometimes, the outcome of that day as well).

However, I know that in nature, babies know their mothers by their scent. Humans supposedly choose their partners based on their smell as well--potential mates who appeal to us scent-wise are more likely to have different genes, giving offspring a better (more diverse) gene pool. Some people say they know a friend or relative by their signature smell/scent. Even our animals know our smell, and can be comforted during an owner's absence by having a worn item of clothing nearby. This makes me wonder: am I fighting nature by failing to narrow it down to just one scent? Do people who smell the same all the time have an evolutionary advantage over those who don't?