The Perfumed Dandy.

In the small hours of this St Valentine’s Morning from the The Old Smoke, our ancient city on the Thames, The Perfumed Dandy extends his love to you and bids you welcome to this, the story of his journey to the precious places of women’s perfume.

His evening toilette completed and all domestic duties duly dealt with, he is about to retire, but before he does so he offers you a glimpse of the pleasures that await us on this the first St Valentine’s Day in our delightful company…

And what better way to start the day than with a trip to the City of Light, to gai Paris… for a story of The Perfume Dandy‘s own ‘Un Premier Amour’, the first of the The Perfumed Dandy’s Scented Letters will arrive as all gentlemen of quality in the French capital complete their levee and are ready to embark upon their day.

Once this magical tale of our gentleman’s first encounter with feminine fragrance has been dispatched, we are free to go our own ways for a few hours to explore the cobbled rues, the quais and even the Monsiuer Eiffel’s Tour if so we please.

But mind that we’re all gathered back together in time to rendez-vous with our cousins across the Pond, for we will be meeting them mid morning (their time) for a cafe au lait and to present them with A Baker’s Dozen Red Roses for the Unlucky in Love. Or alternatively the all too lucky in lust.

This very lovely list comprises gifts for any lady or gentleman of quality – such as The Perfumed Dandy knows you all to be – to happily console yourselves with should the trinkets others have showered upon you fail to satisfy.

For if a Dandy doesn’t love himself who will love a Dandy?

As dusk descends on London Town, those not in receipt of evening invitations can turn their thoughts to the future, pop a few corks of their own and take their pick from the first edition of The Perfumed Dandy’s Hit Parade.

In so doing you will be deciding where The Perfumed Dandy‘s adventures take him next, selecting no less than a scent for him to wear and then report to yourselves on the very same smell in due course.

As the fizz flattens out and the bubbles fade away so our first day with The Perfumed Dandy draws to its close.

Tired and, no doubt in some cases, a little emotional. We will find our way to our handsome berths and snuggle into sleep, happy with our day’s adventuring and ready for the off the very next dawn.

For come morning we hunt scent a new.

So welcome all and ‘Happy St Valentine’s Day’.

Thus our fragrant foray begins.

Your ever

The Perfumed Dandy.

Dear Friends,

In response to the many questions I have received, The Perfumed Dandy today takes a few moments to talk of my bustling weekly calendar of commitments.

Come St Valentine’s Day when my travels recommence and I resume my reports from the front line of feminine fragrance, there will be little time for us to converse in this way, and I would not wish to leave you in the dark.

You see, The Perfumed Dandy‘s week has a shape, a form, a regularity that gives meaning to a gentlemen’s fleeting existence.

As I hope you will be sharing this humble life of mine over the days, weeks and months ahead, I thought it as well to share that form with you the – I hope happy – recipients of the fruits of my scented labour.

So, chocks away, here are the minutiae of the week of The Perfumed Dandy:

Monday sees the start of The Perfumed Dandy’s Working Week.

It is the day when I embark on my adventures through the Wicked Wild West of women’s perfume.

Each day I wear a new fragrant fancy chosen by yourselves from ‘The Perfumed Dandy’s Hit Parade’ yes, by you, my most darling dear hearts.

The Hit Parade itself consists of the ten most popular of the 400 plus strong compendium of perfumed picks that you have already put forward for The Perfumed Dandy‘s perusal.

To suggest some more good scents, simply visit the recommendations room and make yourself known at the counter marked ‘Suggest a new scent or recommend an old one’

Not only does The Perfumed Dandy exert himself to the point of fatigue sporting these smells, he also finds time each working day to send his scribbles recounting his thoughts on a previously apported perfume back home. These are of course The Perfumed Dandy’s Scented Letters of which there has been so much talk.

Now, with all this searching for scents, wearing the wonders and then writing about them, The Perfumed Dandy is quite worn out and so ends his travails on…

Now, many of you may be envious of so apparently a brief sojourn in gardens of the daily grind. But please, I beseech you, remember the ardours of the task in which our hero, my fine self, is engaged:

The Perfumed Dandy must hunt each day for wild scents.

Once caught he must wear them.

Then he must report to you in the most luxurious of language possible of what nature of beasts he has ensnared.

In addition, The Perfumed Dandy is a gentleman, and it is not seemly for a gentleman to be seen to strive too hard.

But fear not, after a restorative game of scrabble and a good night’s sleep, come Friday all is set for our gentleman of the gentle arts to board the fast train for his seaside destination and The Perfumed Dandy’s Long Weekend begins.

As he travels, The Perfumed Dandy sends his final scented letter of the week.

Taken from the The Perfumed Dandy’s Classic Collection these are the master’s masterly impressions of the masterpieces (and otherwise) that have already been elected to pass before his expert nose.

On Saturday a chance to recover, to reflect and to recap on the journey so far and to take a look through the ‘The Perfume Dandy’s Library Catalogue’. A selection from those fragrances so far put forward for consideration that have yet to take their turn on the ‘The Perfume Dandy’s Hit Parade’.

At this point your opinions are canvassed for which wonders should next face the public vote of the Parade.

Then a final day of relaxation, a chance to kick back with a copy of the The Perfumed Dandy’s Sunday Supplement beofre the madness of the week begins once more and…

… is upon us all again.

By Jove I’m quite breathless at the prospect.

Indeed put like that The Perfumed Dandy is quite the busiest boy on the block.