It seems unbelievable, but  MALIN+GOETZ are celebrating an incredible TWENTY YEARS of groundbreaking skincare and cult fragrances, and we can think of no better way to join in than sniff our way through the collection (and urge you to seek them out and follow our noses, too!) Read on for how to get samples of them all…   It was in 2004, in Chelsea, an ultra-hip corner of Manhattan, where Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz first launched their distinctively-packaged skincare. From the word ‘go’, this was something different. The unique and pioneering approach Matthew and An ..read more

Every year in the month of May, Guerlain releases their much-anticipated Muguet – a limited edition, Bee-bottled fragrant homage to the the spring season, and artistically referencing legends surrounding lily of the valley…   Only available on guerlain.com and in Guerlain boutiques, this annual exquisite collectors piece represents Guerlain’s olfactive ode to their heritage – utilising a beloved floral symbol which we happen to adore at The Perfume Society, too, lily of the valley being the emblem we chose for its fragrant folklore meanings (and because we began ten years ago on May ..read more

With a history firmly rooted in Celtic, Christian, Nordic and Germanic folklore, the many myths and legends that entwine our superstitions – and filter through to current day celebrations – also provide a host of perfumed inspiration across many cultures. May is a month particularly ripe in these traditions in the British isles, though, with May Day and the annual Jack in the Green parades around the country providing part mirth, part whimsical terror in the form of mobile hedgerows and Morris Dancers and May Poles.   The Jack in the Green parade, Hastings, East Sussex.   With the st ..read more

Incredibly, we are celebrating our TENTH BIRTHDAY this year! We simply cannot believe it’s been a decade of fragrant fun at The Perfume Society – how quickly it has flown by, and how much has changed in that time… But did you know our co-founders Lorna McKay and Jo Fairley chose the date of May 1st for a very particular reason?   For the French, May 1st traditionally represents the start of gifting bouquets of “muguet” to loved ones to signify the regard in which they’re held and as a token of prosperity for the year ahead. A tradition supposedly begun when King Charles IX was presented w ..read more

Sarah McCartney, perfumer-founder of 4160 Tuesdays, has featured her scent Tokyo Spring Blossom from the time she launched her perfume house, in 2011. It’s the most beautiful essence of spring, and though it feels so effortless to wear, the story of how Sarah actually captures that blossom-y blooming sensation is quite another matter…   In the spring issue of our Scented Letter magazine – sign up to get your FREE digital copy delivered to your inbox! – Jo Fairley focussed on blossoms in her joy-filled fragrance feature for the season, and Sarah revealed the complications of capturing that ..read more

Oh how we adore iris – the flowers, of course, but also the fascinating fragrances conjured from what has to be one of the most unlikely-looking ingredients in perfumery (but happens to be one of the most expensive)… Because it’s not the flowers that grant us the ingredient used in iris scents, it’s a rather unprepossessing looking root with a heavenly, suede-like aroma. You might say that curiosity combined with ingenuity altered the history of perfume forever. Who was the first person rootling around in the earth beneath the gloriously flowering iris, discovering the fleshy, creeping rootsto ..read more

Spring is a time of joyfully watching the flowers bloom and the gardens come to life again, and of course it’s also a season for gathering bouquets; but did you know there are many ways you can send a secret message via the flowers you select – and perhaps one you might play with in the fragrances you wear (or gift)…?   For thousands of years, secret coded ‘messages’ have been attributed to flowers, and the cultural or social settings in which they’re given as tokens or displayed. The Victorians were particularly fond of this sentimental ‘Language of Flowers‘, with a number of books and p ..read more

Shakespeare’s exact birthday isn’t known, though scholars generally suppose it to be somewhere in late April (his baptism being recorded as taking place on April 26), while April 23rd is National Shakespeare Day, the anniversary of the bard’s death in 1616. Therefore, at this time in spring our thoughts turn to the man who is still the most well-known poet and playwright in the world; and our thoughts, in particular, turn to fragrances we can connect to Shakespeare’s love for flowers…       Shakespeare’s Flowers cards, £3.99 for 5 x A5 pack, DaysEyeCards   Though ..read more

Lately we’ve had all possible spring weather, from beautiful bright days to downpours and even hail storms thrown in. While we await true spring laying ball for several days in a row, instead of cursing any rain showers, we’ll be wearing rain-scented fragrances and embracing the weather while we can! ‘It is certain that the best soil smells like a fine unguent… It is the odour often recognised at sunset… at the place where the ends of the rainbow meet the earth, or when rain has soaked the ground after a long drought. Then it is that the earth exhales her own divine breath, received from the ..read more

You may have noticed we’re fully embracing a spring-fling of magnificent magnolia fragrances to wear this season, so from that initial edit of some favourite magnolia scents, and having taken a closer look at the science and history behind why we (and perfumers) adore the smell of magnolia; now we’re going in for a second floral frolic. Which of these have you tried so far? Your nose is going to need to smell them ALL, and we’re pretty sure you’ll fall – or rather, spring – for at least one…     Magnolia branch         THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BLUE TEA With each fr ..read more