editor’s letter When Lorna McKay and I founded The Perfume Society little more than two years ago, we had no idea who’d sign up – but it’s safe to say that neither of us expected that one-third of the visitors to our website, and a considerable chunk of those joining up, would be men. But what we’ve since learned is that there are many, many men out there who ‘collect’ and appreciate fragrance, in the way they perhaps might build a wine cellar – and who, like us, find the whole world of aroma utterly fascinating. Unashamedly, then – and with Father’s Day looming – this edition is devoted to men. Because even if you’re one of our female followers, you’ve almost certainly got brothers, fathers, sons, friends in your life who you’ve wanted to buy fragrance for – and not known quite where to start. We hope you’ll have gleaned some useful insider information, by the time you’ve finished reading this. For Thomas Dunckley (a.k.a The Candy Perfume Boy), building a male fragrance wardrobe is like any kind of D-I-Y. It calls for instructions, and tools, which he arms you with on p.16: the building blocks for a really great collection. (And if you’re looking for further new additions, do check out the Latest Launches, on p.38.) On p.28, meanwhile, we sent ‘The Chic Geek’ – in his signature papiermaché disguise – for a one-on-one scent-profiling session at Miller Harris: another route to finding a perfect fragrance ‘match’. (He certainly found his.) To keep our male fans happy, we’ve also just launched our first men’s Discovery Box. Actually, ‘The Scent of a Man’ box is pretty much an entire male fragrance wardrobe, ready-assembled: something for everyone (and some fantastic grooming treats, too). Certainly, a great gift for Father’s Day – or for any man out there. (Perhaps to salve the conscience of anyone who feels a twinge of guilt at having built up quite a collection of our feminine Discovery Boxes, for themselves…?) One of the classic male fragrance families is the ‘fougère’ family. (Even if it’s almost unpronounceable.) On p.11, our Jasmine Award-winning Senior Writer Suzy Nightingale explores its history, revealing that these fern-inspired scents were among the first to showcase the clever use of synthetics, more than 150 years ago. And at The Perfume Society, we couldn’t be more pleased that this quintessentially masculine category of fragrances is enjoying a renaissance. We also asked ourselves: who’s the man’s man who women almost universally adore…? Answer: David Beckham, who’s becoming almost as well-known for fragrance as for football, and has barely put a foot wrong, scent-wise. Read his observations – and an interview with Alienor Massenet, the highly respected perfumer who worked on the latest Beckham creation – on p.24. © picsfive; alexkar08 - Fotolia.com So it’s official: in 2016 the scent of a modern man is most definitely NOT motorcycle oil, with a hint of Swarfega and a waft of not-quite-doing-its-job-Right-Guard… www.perfumesociety.org The Perfume Society @Perfume_Society ThePerfumeSociety The <strong>scented</strong> Letter 3