This doesn’t look much like a lethal weapon, does it? For normal human beings it looks like a bottle of perfume and for the fashion/beauty-obsessed it looks just exactly like a limited edition Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum Purse Spray! Both are correct answers of course; I have been rounding up my favourite purse sprays for a travel feature that I’m working on and I have to say that I’ve rather fallen in love with Balenciaga’s fragrance. It’s right up my street. I’m useless at describing perfume so I’ll just say that it’s quite grown up and a bit muskyish, sexy but not overpowering.

This purse spray is a 15ml perfume and it comes with two additional 15ml refills, as seems to be the norm with purse sprays. I have a slight obsession with purse sprays because I think that they are invariably more attractive than their glass bottle counterparts and a whole lot hardier. And this Balenciaga example is probably the hardiest that I have ever witnessed – it would take an atom bomb to destroy this thing. Firstly, it weighs about the same as a small child and secondly, it’s made from some kind of enamel-coated super-steel. Not the most convenient thing to carry in your purse, I hear you say – but stay with me on this one.

I’m thinking socks. ‘Sock’ even – because you’d only need one. A sturdy stocking or pop-sock would do. I’m thinking, slip the heavy-weight purse spray into the sock and you have an instant, possibly lethal weapon. You could test my theory without owning this purse spray by substituting it for a paperweight (if you live in the 1950’s!) or couple of golf balls. Hold the top of the sock closed with the object inside and hit the wall with it! Actually, don’t. Maybe test it out on your mattress.

See? Lethal, I tell you. Invaluable for the lone female traveller and the overcautious agoraphobic. Muggers beware – we ladies might smell nice, but we are armed and dangerous!

Balenciaga Purse Spray, £60 from House of Fraser