When a new perfume company is launched it is often because the founder has a love of fragrance or has previously worked in the perfume industry. However, occasionally it is because there is already a family heritage that exists, whether it be dormant or not, and that sparks the idea to tread gently once more into a very overcrowded marketplace. With many brands vying for a piece of the pie, some carefully curated history can help to set you apart from the others. This is exactly what happened with Evka Škovranová when she launched 1907 Perfumes and, four years later, the beautiful Mon âme.
Sexy is different to sensual and sultry is not the same as provocative, but what these words all have in common is that they can be applied to every fragrance from one of Britain's finest independent perfumers. If Agatha Christie is the Queen of Crime then Liz Moores is surely the Siren of Scent. She always weaves a sexuality through her fragrances and this continues with her latest addition. An already impressive range of four fragrances is joined this month by a fifth in the form of the eagerly awaited Dryad, and it promises to entice and challenge in exactly the same way that her previous creations have.
It's my birthday, sort of. One year ago I started stephanmatthews.com, a twice-weekly observation on the perfume industry, and in that time we've had ninety four articles, two events, and an occasional "heated debate". One of the things that kickstarted my writing was the Perfume Society, and they have given me a wonderful birthday present ... five memberships to give away to my readers. Before we get to the competition I want to share with you my five favourite articles from the Perfume Society's magazine, the Scented Letter. It was great re-reading the current sixteen issues, and I hope that you enjoy the choices.
