Clean Fragrance· Los Angeles, USA · Updated 14 May 2026
Matthew Herman
Matthew Herman co-founded Boy Smells in 2016 with his partner David Kien — building one of the defining genderful candle and fragrance brands of the 2010s and entering a strategic partnership with Procter & Gamble in 2022.
"Genderful — masculine and feminine in the same bottle, on purpose."
— Matthew Herman
Background
Herman co-founded Boy Smells in Los Angeles in 2016 with his partner David Kien, starting from candles handmade in their kitchen and expanding into fine fragrance.
The brand coined the language of 'genderful' fragrance and grew into one of the most-cited indie fragrance houses of its era. P&G acquired a strategic stake in 2022.
Philosophy
Genderful is more honest than genderless.
Candles as fragrance training wheels for new customers.
Career timeline
- 2016Co-founds Boy Smells with David Kien
- 2022Procter & Gamble takes a strategic stake
Press & appearances
P&G Invests in Boy Smells
featureWWD
More from the index
Graph relationships
Timeline