How can a magazine stimulate the senses and leave its trace on the world in a way that neither Apple nor Google have yet to?

One word: smell.

Dizzy from the news that even deceased revolutionaries now front eponymous fragrances – the recently launched men’s cologne Ernesto (as in ‘Che’ Guevara) bursts with citrus and woody notes, while Hugo (Chávez) is a more playful mango and papaya-based affair – we thought it the ideal time to scratch (and sniff) the surface of perfumery.

For a global industry that’s turned over 34 billion euros in the past 12 months, it’s safe to say that every last beauty shot, bottle design, olfactory formula and model contract plays its part in stirring society’s hopes, fears and senses.

Once again, we started by calling Juergen Teller – if anyone could redefine beauty photography, it was him (although in fairness to our cover stars Lara, Liya, Stella and Saskia, we didn’t so much throw Juergen into beauty as throw beauty into Juergen). His extraordinary pictures then led us to Prada’s ‘nose’, Daniela Andrier, who created the exquisite fragrances impregnating System’s four covers, your hands, your desks, coffee tables and news stands the world over (beat that, Google).

From fragrance comes beauty, and from beauty comes much of this issue: Cindy Sherman and Peter Philips discussing transformation; the difference between Prada and Miu Miu as seen by – who else? – Prada and Miu Miu; Rick Owens questioning his virility; and Serge Lutens recalling how his tenure at Dior sparked a beauty revolution.

Ernesto and Hugo would have been proud.