Route 66 was established on 11 November 1926, a ribbon of road from Chicago to Santa Monica that cut straight through the desert Southwest. The signs went up the following year, and by 1939 John Steinbeck had given it a name that stuck, the Mother Road, in The Grapes of Wrath. Nobody drove it for efficiency. You drove it for the windows down, the motel signs and the feeling that the next town might be a different life.

That feeling is exactly what Coach borrowed for Dreams. The brand says the scent was inspired by the freedom and adventure of a road trip across America, and the campaign was shot in the desert outside Los Angeles. It launched in January 2020, and the notes read like a postcard: pear, bitter orange and fruit on top, gardenia and cactus flower in the heart, Joshua tree woods and ambroxan underneath. Coach makes its fragrances under licence with Interparfums, which means a New York leather house gets to play perfumer with a straight face. I like that Coach Dreams perfume is a costume of the West worn by someone who lives nowhere near a desert, and it still works.

The trick is to start with the original and then decide whether you want the siblings. The first grid is the family. Dreams Eau de Parfum in the 90 ml size is the one to begin with, the full-size bottle. Dreams Sunset is the golden-hour cousin, and Dreams Moonlight is the night version, inspired by friendship, according to Fragrantica's listing. Dreams Starlight joins them, and the Mini Duo Set and Trio Set are the sensible way to wear three moods before you commit to one. Coach's Floral and Wild Rose eau de parfums round out the grid for anyone who wants the brand's prettier side without the road trip.

The back of your hand is a poor test for a warm floral. Spray once on the inside of your elbow, walk around for an hour, and then smell it. Fruity florals change the most between the first minute and the first hour, and that hour is the real scent.

If Dreams is the road trip, these are the other things in the glovebox. Valentino's Donna Born in Roma Green Stravaganza is the one with green in its name, so I would expect the freshest note of the group. Burberry Her with berries, amber and musk is the berry-and-amber one, and the musk in the name is your clue that it is meant to sit close. KAYALI's Fleur Majesty Rose Royale leans rose, as the name says, and it is the most statement-making of the eight.

Miu Miu's Fleur de Lait with coconut milk has coconut milk in the name, and it is the one I would give to someone who says they hate perfume. Marc Jacobs' Daisy Wild Eau So Intense is the Daisy family's most intense take. Carolina Herrera's Good Girl Blush brings floral vanilla, Glossier's You Rêve is the quieter skin scent, and Ellis Brooklyn's FLORIST is the plainly floral one.

A pairing I like: Dreams on pulse points, and Miu Miu on a scarf or the ends of your hair. They share a creamy softness, so neither fights.

What I would skip: a rose as heavy as Fleur Majesty on a stuffy, hot car ride. Save it for the evening.

Notice what time of day you want to smell like. Amber and vanilla work best when the light is low, and most people know which hour they mean before they can name the scent.

Maison Margiela's Replica Chasing Sunsets, with mango and sandalwood, is the most literal golden hour on the shelf, and the Replica Lost Eden with vanilla and oud is the darker, warmer flip side of it. Sol de Janeiro's SOL Cheirosa '62 is the sunniest name on the shelf, PHLUR's Golden Rule looks like the easy all-day wear, and Commodity Gold lists vanilla and sandalwood right in the title.

Burberry Goddess Amber Vanilla, an intense eau de parfum with maple syrup and amber, is the cosy, dessert-like pick, the one for sweater weather. KAYALI's Utopia Vanilla Coco is the sweeter cousin, and Ellis Brooklyn's SUN FRUIT is the brighter, fruitier close to this family.

These sit well next to Coach Dreams, which starts out bright and dries down warm. If you like the dry-down of Dreams more than its opening, this grid is where your next bottle is.

What I would skip: a thick amber at noon in summer. It is a night scent in a daytime costume.

Mist first, perfume second, and only on skin that is already moisturised. Fragrance holds longer on skin that is not dry, and a body mist is a soft base to build on.

Start with PHLUR's Coconut Skin, a coconut one, as the name says. Sol de Janeiro's Cheirosa 87 Rio Radiance and Cheirosa 68 Beija Flor are the two Rio-named mists here, and I would pick by the name that sounds more like you. Josie Maran's Golden Hour is made with natural scents, per the name, and Touchland's Golden Amber Power Essence has warmth in the title. Emi Jay's Aura in Angel Wings with amber and light musk is a hair mist I would keep in a bag.

Valentino's Born in Roma Salty Pistachio is the limited-edition surprise, a little salty and a little sweet, and Fable & Mane's Kerala Coconut with orchid and vanilla is coconut with orchid and vanilla, and a hair mist is an easy way to wear it to an office.

A gentle note: hair mists are best sprayed at arm's length, through the lengths, not at the roots. Keep them off the scalp and out of your eyes.

What I would skip: layering a sweet mist under a sweet parfum on a hot day. Choose one star.

For most people, I would say the original Dreams is the place to start, and the mini sets are the gentlest way to try its siblings. Pear and bitter orange up top make it easy in daylight, and the woods keep it from being too sweet.

Then let your taste lead. If you like the dry-down, try a golden vanilla. If you like the opening, try a fruity floral. If you just want to smell good in a car with the windows down, add a body mist and go. Steinbeck called Route 66 the Mother Road. Yours is a small glass bottle and a long weekend. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Coach Cherry Perfume and Tory Burch Perfume.