Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana for Autumn Transition

 

I am currently in Australia, now that we live this retirement life of wintering in the Australian summer during January through April at my husband's home city of Adelaide, and then back to Texas spring once autumn arrives here. If you can see the tree in the background of the photo above, the leaves are beginning to turn rust and golden colors. In another two weeks the tree will look like a ball of fire, but by then we will be on our way to Texas, transitioning from autumn to spring.

Many of us who wear a lot of different fragrances, loyal to none, are vitally influenced by the changing seasons and even the daily weather forecast. The scents I will choose for spring when I'm back to Texas will be ones of light green hopefulness and gentle florals. For autumn, something totally different is called for. I want scents that may have elements of the fading summer but that strongly allude to the cooling nights and crisper air. Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana fills this need perfectly.

Honeysuckle has always been a favorite note of mine in summer scents, referenced here and here in posts about finding the perfect honeysuckle scent. I think as I get older, the memories it stirs of childhood roaming and the joy of smelling wild honeysuckle trailing across a fence are sweet souvenirs of the past.

Jo Malone scents are very hit and miss for me these days, as I find their newer releases never offensive but also never exciting. However, they have had a few releases in recent years that I do like, and this is one of them. This is one instance where I think the descriptive copy for the fragrance really does capture the essence of the picture the fragrance conjures in my head when I wear it. From the Jo Malone website:

The wildness of honeysuckle, winding through the English countryside. Climbing. Twisting. Ever more alluring after dark. Fresh with rose, and the aromatic, fruity twist of davana. Woody with moss. Warmed by sunshine. 

The juxtaposition the aromatic, woody, mossy notes, but then warmed by sunshine is the essence of the autumn transition to me. Here in Adelaide our days are usually filled with golden sunshine, but the sun's bite is gone and the glow is softer. Then at night the coolness moves in like a cloak of fog, a harbinger of what is soon to come. 

My little bottle of Honeysuckle and Davana that I have here in Australia is a few years old, and I feel that it has mellowed and aged a bit, like a wine. The initial spray does give the aromatic notes from davana, a bit of tea and fruit. But it now feels like it is fermenting, infused with a wine-like presence. This gives it a more formal "perfume smell" than many of the lighter offerings in the Jo Malone range.

The davana is the top note. It is an aromatic plant from India and has a smell reminiscent of dried fruits. The fruitiness is pleasant but not at all sweet or tart, more rich and edible. Heart notes are honeysuckle and rose. The honeysuckle doesn't have the fresh innocence of a summer scent. It smells more of the honey aspect and less of the floral. The rose is very subdued and just a subtle sweetness underneath. The base is mossy, and this is what gives the perfume the autumn vibes for me. 

Overall, Honeysuckle & Davana comes across as a more polished, old-school perfume scent than the name might imply, but being a Jo Malone scent it is not in the least overbearing. The honeysuckle does give the scent a warm, golden feel to me, which feels like the waning days of summer and the more chilly days to come. Try it if you're looking for a scent which hasn't totally said goodbye to summer, yet brings the comfort of autumn days.

The perfume and photo are my own. 

Perfumes for an Indian Summer

Summer is over, or it should be. But here in North Texas we are still reaching temperatures of the mid-90's every day. It sounds like autumn....I live by a college football stadium and I can hear the band practicing in the afternoons, and the announcer's voice is crystal clear during the Saturday games, "And it's touchdown, T--C--U--!". But instead of bundling up in sweaters and taking a blanket to wrap around me while I watch the game, I'm spending the Saturday afternoons laying by my pool, trying to cool off in the sweltering heat, and pitying those poor band members in their heavy uniforms.

I'm sick of beach scents or tropical florals, but what to wear, fragrantly? It is far too hot to wear heavy Orientals or the favored aldehyde perfumes I drag out in winter. I search for perfumes that speak of the cooler temperatures to come and that give a hint of the autumn season, but do so with a featherlight touch, so as not to knock myself out. Here are a few perfumes I've been wearing lately.

Jo Malone Black Cedarwood & Juniper

This was introduced in 2014 as part of the annual Jo Malone limited edition and that year the theme was London Rain. Black Cedarwood & Juniper was meant to represent midnight rain and was the darkest of the four in the series. It was also the only one that was revived after the limited edition ended.

I am walking through a forest. It has rained recently, and the smell of the foliage is amplified, as it is wont to do when damp. The needles from the juniper bush and the cedar trees have made a thick, soft carpet underfoot and their sharp, fragrant smell is stirred up as my steps crush the foliage. Cedarwood has a distinctive smell I've known all my life. I think every Texas rest stop has a bush or two, and childrens summer camps, usually on the banks of a river, are dotted with old cedar trees. This smell is probably embedded into the olfactory memories of thousands of campers--a magical space free of parents, full of adventure, and in a bubble of this extraordinarily scented air. The cedarwood in the perfume has a bit of the pencil shaving smell, but is also camphorous, and at its best moments, slightly balsamic and sweet.

The juniper can smells a little like cedarwood but it also offers gentle wisps of incense from time to time. Although a fairly simple and linear scent, it does waft and wane with these different notes, just like what would occur in a real walk through the forest. There is a feeling of humidity and moisture in the air, a part of the original theme of this perfume which was meant to reflect a rainy day. Along with the heat Texas is experiencing a drought, so the aura of rain is a welcome one.

 Byredo Gypsy Water

Kate Moss in a fashion shoot for V Magazine.

I tried to resist Gypsy Water for so long. It has a reputation for being light wearing and short lived, but here's the thing. It is that very characteristic that is part of its charm and makes it so realistic of a commune with nature, or more poetically, a day in the life of a gypsy traveler.

The fragrance opens with notes of juniper and pine, reminiscent of a morning stroll through a forest. Lemon and bergamot give it a brightness and pepper adds slight sharpness to this fragrant air. There is vanilla in the mix but this doesn't present as a vanilla fragrance in any way; rather the note just adds a tiny touch of sweetness. Orris root, sandalwood, and amber round out the notes, but that doesn't explain how this smells.  When I apply Gypsy Water it takes me back to the long ago days when I used to go camping (when sleeping on the ground still seemed like a good idea). There is really nothing like waking up in the forest, smelling the air fragrant with the language of the trees. This is where the current idea of forest bathing came from, after all. The one note I didn't mention above is incense and it is this that elevates the perfume to perfection. It is not overly smokey but is quietly pervasive throughout the life of the scent. It is the scent of a campfire burning in the distance, maybe fueled by fragrant pine branches. Wearing Gypsy Water always puts a smile on my face and imparts a feeling of well being. I don't live near any forests and I'm not lucky enough to be able to take a hike through the woods, but with Gypsy Water, I can somewhat replicate that feeling. It feels like hope in a bottle.

Bond No 9 andy Warhol Lexington Avenue

Hello Autumn! This fragrance immediately takes me to a happy place where the weather is cool and crisp and the leaves have turned a kaleidoscope of fiery colors. It is a beautiful combination of warm and cool on my skin. Blue cypress gives a fragrant woody whoosh effect, like walking outside into the cold and the first air you inhale seems to clear the lungs and nasal passages. Spices of cardamom, star anise, and fennel pull back by adding spicy warmth to the fragrance. The spices remind me a little of the ones in my beloved Bond No 9 Chinatown, but there are no white flowers here, it's all about woods and spices. 

As the fragrance develops a subtle gourmand aspect appears, with notes of creme brulee and pimento berry. It is nicely managed and doesn't tip over the top to sugary sweetness, it just combines with the spices to give a yumminess to the scent. Base notes of sandalwood and patchouli round it ou. The perfumer for this 2008 release is Claude Dir of Givaudan, who I notice also was responsible for Banana Republic 17 Oud Mosaic, the only scent from that line that really captured my attention and where the wood notes are also handled with a master touch.

Dame Perfumery Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli

I know, I've mentioned this one before. It is perfect in any season, but it's light bright opening really works in warm weather. The patchouli, however, makes it feel right for autumn weather. If you're afraid of patchouli this is a good place to start because the note is earthy, green, but fairly light. The mate tea note provides the light opening, without using citrus as so many perfumes do. Heliotrope works to balance the patchouli by providing a semi-sweet powder which is pretty much the opposite of the rustic patchouli. I really don't know why I like this so much. It's fairly simple but I find it to be just the perfect combination of notes; it feels chic, innovative, yet simple. On the website it is called a woman's perfume but I think this would be delicious on a man. This would be on a top ten perfume list if I ever made one. I don't know what the other nine would be but Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli would definitely have a place on that list.

Pinterest Image

Parfums Berdoues Oud Al Sahraa

This is an Oriental Woody fragrance featuring oud and myrrh which sounds weighty but wears like a silk scarf of scent, a trademark of the Berdoues Grand Cru line. I have already written a longer review of this fragrance here but the highlight is this gives the fun of wearing an Oriental fragrance without the heaviness of that genre that would weigh you down in hot weather. The mandarin top note is rather generic to my nose but no worries, it lasts only seconds. The myrrh is woody and slightly balsamic and the oud (if it is real oud) offers a slight smokiness along with more woods. Oud Al Sahraa is not groundbreaking and doesn't have a strong presence, but that is the whole point here. It works well in warm weather and in cold weather it becomes an office-friendly Oriental fragrance.

Bonus! The bottle is super cool and the price point is pretty fantastic.

All of these perfumes are totally unisex. What perfumes are you wearing right now?

Top photo: www.Urbanizationonline.com. Other photos not identified are Google images. Perfumes are my own. Opinions are my own.

Jo Malone Wild Flowers and Weeds Collection: Quick Impressions

It's that time of year again when Jo Malone releases a limited edition collection based around some twee hail Brittania themed aspect of life on the big island. I always wonder how they are going to come up with a new idea each year but so far the collections continue to delight. This year's theme is inspired by the weeds and wild flowers that grow wild on the banks of Britian's winding rivers and canals. I thought the painting below is a good representation of this bucolic and languid state.

Two Women Asleep In A Punt Under the Willows, 1887 by John Singer Sargent

As I stated last year when I wrote about The English Fields Collection, I always get excited about the scents but when I eventually try them there is often a let down. They are usually fleeting and faint on my skin. Last year's collection of scents had a couple I really liked but the bottles were just awful. This was unusual because normally Jo Malone can be counted on to have a quirky and creative marketing campaign to introduce the scents and the bottles are normally appealing.

This year Jo Malone has outdone itself with the bottles for the Wild Flowers and Weeds collection. I would love to own each and every one. I like these bottles even in their bare state; they are slim, squared, slightly weighty and fit perfectly in the hand. The botanical drawings on these bottles are off-the-scale cute, and happily for me my two favorites are also my favorite drawings. However, as much as I am over the moon with the presentation, the fragrances do the usual one to two hour fade away on my skin, with one exception.

Lupin & Patchouli

This scent is meant to represent canal banks lined with colorful flowers. The lupin is a bright showy flower that can grow to a meter tall and has a spiky top. It can be an invasive species, thus it could be thought of as both a weed and a wildflower. The perfumers interpreted the lupin into a scent representative of its color and strength. There is also rose in the formula but this note wasn't evident to me. When I first spray Lupin & Patchouli I smell a herbal, slightly minty smell; in my notes I wrote "a mentholated smell." But this disappears really quickly and there is a very pretty floral which I quite like but find difficult to explain, as it is an invented scent. Don't get too attached to it though, because patchouli enters the picture and takes over. It is a green, earthy patchouli, and if like me, you enjoy this note then you're in for a treat. If not, avoid at all costs because this is mostly about the patchouli. Lupin & Patchouli was the only one of these scents that had any tenacity on my skin. I could still faintly smell it the next morning.

Hemlock & Bergamot

This is the other scent that I quite like. When I hear the word hemlock I think of something dark and foreboding. Hemlock was used by the ancient Greeks to carry out death sentences, most famously on Socrates. The flowers, which you can see pictured on the bottle, look bright and innocent and so is the scent in Hemlock & Bergamot. The first spray starts airy and slightly sweet and I sense a touch of powder. It continues to have a creamy, sweet presence and to me the scent is very innocent and spring-like. The use of mimosa and heliotrope add to this powder aspect of the scent. When I'm wearing it I picture an alpine field dotted with flowers. It smells pure and fresh. I like it but I can see how this could be devisive -- a love or hate scent.

Nettle & Wild Achillea

"Crikey, this is green!", was my initial reaction on spraying Nettle & Wild Achillea. Another description that popped into my head was swampy green, which makes some sense in the context of thinking about plants growing alongside a river. There is also a bitter note. Nettle is herbaceous but if you've ever come into contact with it, you know it can have a sting to it, thus why it's sometimes called stinging nettle. Does the bitterness represent the danger of the plant? Wild Achillea is more commonly known as yarrow, and the properties of yarrow are also aromatic and bitter. Yarrow was used in times past to stop bleeding, relieve the pain of a toothache, and gently stimulate the immune system when taken at the first signs of a cold. After the rather harsh green opening, which tiptoes very close to unpleasant, the scent turns into a very nice musky green fragrance, light and easy to wear. I have other scents in my collection with this light green note and while their bottle isn't as pretty, they last a lot longer on my skin, so I won't be getting this one.

I came across this nice Scottish folk song about yarrow, or wild achillea, mood music for the review:

Willow & Amber

Willow trees have been a facet of British nature lore for centuries. The tree's long string-like leaves fall gracefully to the ground and along the river bank they will be caught in the current with a graceful pull. In Othello, Desdemona sings a folk ballad called The Willow on the night she will be murdered by her jealous husband. In Hamlet, the tragic heroine Ophelia falls from a willow tree and drowns in the river below. Jo Malone used headspace technology to capture the scent of willow leaves in flowing water, which is interpreted as a woody note. There is always one scent in these collections which I can literally not smell, and this one would probably be the one in the Wild Flowers and Weeds Collection. There is a very gentle whisper of light green scent and soft cashmere woods. I thought I would always be able to recognize amber but here it is so soft I wouldn't have known it was there. To me this is "a fresh air scent". It is pleasant and I can't imagine anyone disliking it, but I'm not sure anyone would love it either. On me it is a gentle skin scent.

Cade & Cedarwood

This is another very pretty bottle. I wish I could put my Jo Malone London Rain Black Cedarwood and Juniper cologne into it, as the illustrations fit and it is an altogether better scent. I was a little confused by the plants referenced in this cologne. The other weeds and wildflowers go with the riverside theme beautifully. I'm not an expert in the flora alongside British rivers and streams, but are these trees common? I'm being pedantic, I know, but it just didn't fit in quite as well with their theme, in my opinion. But aside from all this, how does it smell? While the other scents are very spring-like this one definitely feels more like autumn. The cade is slightly spicy and this note translated into a sort of chai tea scent on my skin at times. The cedarwood is gently aromatic and at times I catch a drift of smoke. The smokiness probably comes from the base note of ciste labdanum which intensifies the darker aspects of the scent. Case & Cedarwood is a very wearable scent and could be thought of as the baby brother of Black Cedarwood and Juniper. For someone who would like a light woody scent with mild spice and slight smoke, this could be the ticket.

All the colognes in this collection were created by Perfumers Yann Vasnier and Louise Turner.

Perfumes were sampled at David Jones Australia.

Happy Diwali! Celebrating With Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac and Marigold & Honeysuckle and Davana

Deepavali, or Diwali, depending on where you are, was always my favorite holiday in Singapore, and there they celebrated pretty much everything. I loved the colorful lights, I loved the warm and spicy Indian food--delicious and cheap as chips in Singapore's Little India community. As my husband and I moved from Singapore late last year, this will be the first time in fifteen years I've missed the lights and the celebration.

A couple of years ago I wrote My Marigold Scented Deepavali Perfumes: Profumum Roma Tagete and En Voyage Perfumes Tagetes Femme to commemorate this event.This year I'm doing something similar but surprisingly I am featuring reviews of the veddy veddy British Jo Malone, two of which inspire with references to India and the scents I encountered there years ago.

Is Jo Malone having a bit of an India moment or what? Romancing the memory of the British Raj era? For Jo Malone Jasmin Sambac and Marigold, a new addition to the Cologne Intense line, the perfume was actually inspired by the jasmine fields of south India. Jo Malone's Head of Fragrance Development (best job ever?), Celine Roux, and Master Perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui visited south India in 2016 and were inspired by the beautiful scent of the sambac jasmine and its use as an adornment for hair and as temple offerings. They also noticed the colorful orange and yellow marigolds that have great significance in Hindu worship. When I lived in India I always found it interesting how reverentially people treated the marigold, which is not really used in floral arrangements in the Western world.

www.Rediff.com

I have always admired how Jo Malone fragrances sometimes twin two disparate notes, like hitting a discordant tune on a piano that somehow makes music. In the case of Jasmine Sambac and Marigold I think it works well. The first time I tried this perfume the marigold was very evident and really reminded me of scents in India. It added that slightly discordant note which makes the perfume more interesting and not just another jasmine, albeit a very lovely one. As for the jasmine, Ms. Bijaoui said her intention was to make that note as realistic as possible, and she added orange blossom and honey to achieve this luxuriant freshness and opulence of the jasmine petals. To bring warmth to the mix, in addition to the marigold she added vanilla, ylang ylang and benzoin. When the jasmine eventually loses some steam, these are the notes that keep the scent warmly generating a lovely scent for many more hours. Jasmine Sambac and Marigold is one of the more interesting from the line that I've tried in a while, but if you don't like jasmine I can't see this swaying you to buy.

When Honeysuckle and Davana Cologne was released earlier this year I was eager to try it because I love honeysuckle scents! (Go here and here to read more about that). The reason I thought to put this perfume, which Jo Malone markets as the quintessential English countryside fragrance, in a post on India and Diwali, is the addition of Davana to the perfume. 

The davana plant is native to southern India, the same place that had the fields of jasmine sambac that inspired Ms. Bijaoui and Ms. Roux. The davana flower and the oil that is gathered from the plant are known for a sweet and boozy odor, but it can show other aspects such as herbaceous, balsamic, woody and bittersweet. It is the bittersweet that interests me the most because that is the sensation I got when I first sprayed the cologne, along with the herbaceous note. It gives an interesting twist to the otherwise virginal honeysuckle note. When the honeysuckle appears it is very sweet, delicate and appealing. Jo Malone calls it a "sunny" fragrance and I would agree with that. Ultimately is goes to a mossy base note and on my skin becomes a bit muddled and indistinct at this point.

I enjoyed both of these perfumes and I have been known to be critical of Jo Malone, as some of their offerings I simply struggle to smell anything. Bear in mind that I am a huge white flower lover and factor that into my affection I'm showing to these two new offerings from the house of Jo Malone. Nevertheless I am encouraged that I have positive feelings and it makes me look forward to see what next they will produce.

Happy Diwali or Deepavali to those who celebrate and apologies for my lateness in posting, as the holiday is about to draw to a close.

Top photo www.littledayout.com. Bottom photo Google image. Perfume sample my own.

Jo Malone English Fields Collection: Quick Impressions

I always look forward to the Jo Malone limited edition scents every spring. The themes are fresh and original. The perfume notes always contain a touch of whimsy. The marketing is always superb. This photo for example. This spring's theme is the English Fields collection, utilizing the various grains growing in the spring and mixing them with traditional British flowers. No roses or jasmine here. It's primrose, poppy, cornflower, or meadowsweet. You never forget this line is British based. What I love about this photo: gazing directly into the dog's eyes as he pulls his mistress impatiently, the always attractive but not in the traditional way models with madcap attire. They look like the British bohemian version of the Tommy Hilfigar family of models.

But invariably, every year, no matter how precious the theme's conceit or how wondrous the notes sound, the scents usually fall flat for me. Longevity or lack of it, of course, but I'm sometimes able to capture only a whisper of a scent and it's usually gone ten minutes later. I've often thought if you strip away the lovely copy and photos, the Jo Malone name, and the whole precious English cheerio chipperness of it, people wouldn't touch the stuff.

I'm happy to say that I've finally found a limited edition line I can love, or at least like very much. The whole grains idea is interesting to me, and although I am unsure if any of these flowers have an actual scent, pairing floral and bready notes, while not entirely new, is certainly not overdone in today's market. So here are my brief, very fleeting impressions from sprays at the counter. Thank you very much David Jones in Adelaide.

Primrose & Rye

Does primrose really have a smell? I have no idea but doesn't the name sound like the quintessential English posie? The Jo Malone brief on this one was to have a sunny scent and they achieved that with the use of mimosa. Vanilla, rye, and cornsilk give a very light and yummy base. Out of all the scents, this one smells more of floral than of grain to me. It is a fresh, soft floral, rather indistinguishable, but smells pleasant, especially with the underlying scent of vanilla and rye grains. I like this one quite a bit. Key impression: Cheerful.

Honey & Crocus

The honey is very evident from the beginning. If you are one of those that sometimes gets that urinal smell from honey then don't blind buy this. That funny smell lasted just for just a moment but dissipated quickly and didn't put me off the scent at all. The idea for this perfume was the experience of bees flying over a meadow pollinating the English wildflowers. After the honey note I begin to get the scent of warm cereal. I immediately get such a strong mental impression from the time I spent in Scotland over fifteen years ago, eating a bowl of warm fragrant oatmeal at my cozy kitchen table. The grain note dominates and I don't get a strong floral vibe, other than that faint sense of floral in the honey you put on the oatmeal to sweeten it. And here's the weird fantastic part. I didn't read notes or description of the fragrance until this point of the review. Perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui wanted to get the honey just right so she tried to mimic British lavender honey, which has hay-like features. Guess what honey I used to eat on my oatmeal in Scotland--British lavender! So was this memory of Scottish oatmeal that popped into my head just a coincidence? I think not! And the other strange part is I'm usually a bloodhound for a drop of lavender in a perfume but I would have never guessed it was in this scent. And the last fragrance note, the perfumer added almond milk for creaminess. Key Impression: Cozy Yum

Oat & Cornflower

For some reason I expected to like this one the most, maybe because I like the smell of oats. This perfume has a slight spiciness to it. A hazelnut note emphasizes the nuttiness of the oat scent. It has a warm almost spicy feel and felt like it warmed up even more with wear time. I believe it is the vetiver note which has the most impact. At one point I thought I smelled the slightest touch of agarwood but I think it was the earthiness in the vetiver. The oat smell was present in the beginning but then it just turned into more of a warm, slightly spicy comfort scent. The floral note is very light and there is a slight white musk to add a bread note. I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first but the longer I wore it the more it developed and the more I liked it. It's longevity was far and away the best, being mildly present on my skin the next morning. Key Impression: Surprising Depth

Green Wheat and Meadowsweet

This scent is meant to emphasize the new season in the fields, adding green to make it seem like young wheat, according to the perfumer. When I first apply this scent it is grapefruit, grapefruit, grapefruit. I smell a tea note but this is not the tea collection, Jo has already been there, done that, so it probably is just an illusion from other notes. Those notes are meadowsweet, wheat, green notes, and of course grapefruit. If the wheat note comes through on your skin I suspect this could be a stunner, but it just doesn't work on me. It's nice enough, just not what I was expecting. Key impression: Where's the Wheat?

Poppy & Barley

I think of barley as being a substantial grain so I expected the grainy note to be stronger in this one. The poppy scent is conceptualized as the flower has no scent. It is an important flower in the English psyche, both because its bright red color dots the English countryside in spring and also because of poppy as a reference to remembrance day. When I first spray this it is sadly bland and boring on my skin. It seems the type of scent Jo Malone always has at least one of: perfume for people who don't really want to smell like they're wearing perfume. I'm looking at you, Star Magnolia. Predictably, this was the one David Jones was sold out of and I'm betting that will be the case at other stores too. Just as I'm ready to totally write this off about thirty minutes in, something changes and I get a pleasant floral aroma. It is perfectly fine, just no panache. And I wish I could smell barley. Key Impression: Yawn

So final verdict is three perfumes I would be happy to own, and two that were ok, just not for me. If you're interested you'd better hurry. These scents never last long.

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Jo Malone English Oak and Redcurrant and English Oak and Hazelnut

Jo Malone perfumes don't always work for me but one thing I can never fault is their marketing. They introduce seasonal fragrances with an unusual combination of notes that sound like something you can't live without. Their photo ads introduce worlds you wish you could melt into the page and live in their world. This new campaign for Jo Malone's new English Oak collection perfectly encapsulates the desire for cooler weather, falling leaves, and autumn magic. The elfin models perfectly suit the mood, well perhaps the girl is a bit more zombie than elf, but they add to the aesthetic of the ad.

I went through a phase where I burned nothing but Votivo Red Currant candles and I became addicted to their sharp tangy smell. The opening of Jo Malone English Oak and Redcurrant Cologne reminds me of these candles. It is piquant and the first spray made my mouth pucker. On subsequent sprays I didn't get quite a much tartness but it was always a realistic red currant note, juicy and almost acerbic. I really enjoy this note and it does have autumn connotations. There is a note of green mandarin which amps up the zest of the opening. There is a mid note of rose with white musk but the rose note does not stand out as distinct to me. On my skin the roasted oak note adds a toasty wood note which carries the perfume along after the redcurrant has faded. I love the opening of this perfume but find what follows a little bland, however I can imagine this will be popular with the Jo Malone customer base. I would be happy to have a bottle if someone gifted it to me.

The Acorn Fairy by Cicily Mary Barker.

The yang to Redcurrant's yin in this English Oak duo is Jo Malone English Oak and Hazelnut Cologne. The top note is a green hazelnut accord which is supposed to add a fresh, nutty feel. When I spray the cologne on my skin I get a strange chemical smell  tinged with a slight vanilla note. I couldn't get past the opening to give a review of the cedarwood and roasted oak notes. This one just didn't work for me at all but I see online that others quite liked it so perhaps this is just a skin chemistry issue for me. Try it--maybe you'll have better luck than me.

I usually find the Jo Malone line a little light for my taste, both in sillage and longevity, but as this is a constant I have accepted that their customer base approves and it works for them.

Top photo from www.JoMalone.com. Second photo Google image. Perfume samples from Tangs, Singapore.

Foolproof Perfume Picks for Mother's Day

For those of us who love perfume the next best thing to buying perfumes for ourselves is buying it for someone else, so Mother's Day provides the perfect shopping opportunity. Yet all too often gifted bottles languish on the shelf unused. Some moms are easy. They have a signature scent you can replenish each year. But if you've no idea what your Mom might like but really want to share your love of scent with her, here is a semi-serious guide of what to buy your Mom depending on her likes and style. The secret in each case is to buy a fairly transparent scent that doesn't make too much of a statement, so that the odds of Mom liking it increase exponentially. 

The Classic Mom

Jackie Kennedy with her children.

The classic Mom is polished and cool. She probably set dinner tables with sterling silver cutlery and crystal dishes if she could afford it. Her manner of dress is polished, neatly styled and always totally appropriate. She made sure you visited the occasional museum in addition to Saturday matinees. Manners and respect were important in your household growing up. She gravitates toward old style classics so for her Chanel No 5 L'Eau is the perfect pick. The beautiful fizzy opening is still there but without the sharp astringency of the original. It's a lighter fresher take on the original but maintains the beautiful heart of rose and jasmine and still exudes that timeless elegance.

The Sporty Mom

Candace Parker, basketball player, Olympian.

Maybe your Mom plays tennis or golf. Maybe she's a runner or surfer. Maybe yoga is her thing, but whatever sport it is, it's a huge part of who she is. For sporty Moms I'm going to suggest something I just reviewed, MFK Aqua Celesia. This scent won't distract them from their game; it's very quiet. It's almost a skin scent but it has some tart notes of lime, mint and blackcurrant to keep it fresh.  I have a totally unproven theory that musk scents, which Aqua Celesia is, smell better and more personal when mixed with a little of your sweat. If so, then it's perfect for the active mom who glows with exertion. Regardless, it's a beautiful scent to keep her feeling fresh no matter what.

The Do-Gooder Mom

Angelina Jolie , actor and humanitarian, with her brood.

Your Mom is the first one with her hand up. School PTA president, check. Girl Scout leader, check. Local women's shelter volunteer, check. She's a rebel with a cause and the only thing that makes her happier than working is working for change. So how perfect that by wearing a perfume she can contribute in a small way to the welfare of farmers in war torn countries or one's recovering from strife. Fair trade essential oils are sourced from places like Afghanistan and Rwanda. The company behind these good deeds? The 7 Virtues. You could pick the original scent, Afghanistan Orange Blossom with uplifting notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and freesia. Farmers who used to grow poppies for the drug industry now can make more by farming neroli oil. You can also pick from Noble Rose of  Afghanistan, Middle East Peace, Patchouli of Rwanda, Vetiver of Haiti, Middle East Peace, and the new Lisa Ray Jasmine of India. The florals are realistic and pretty but these wear close to the skin. The fragrances can be ordered from the website and are also available at Lord & Taylor in the USA.

The Hip Mom

Kate Hudson, actress, fitness clothing entrepreneur.

All your friends think your Mom is cool, whether she's 40 or 80. Her manner of dress is maybe more youthful or edgy than other Moms but she always looks fabulous. She keeps up with current trends but is not afraid to follow her own style. She's open minded, embraces life,  and loves to have fun, especially with you. This Mom is not afraid to try something a little different with a slight edge. The trick is to buy something with that unique feel, but not something too extreme or out there. I have the perfect answer. It's Dame Perfumery Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli. This perfume opens with a light mate tea note. The heliotrope gives a slight sweet touch and the patchouli is green and clean. It's my favorite "your skin but better scent". Click on the link above to read my full review. This one's a beauty.

The Trendy Mom

Victoria Beckham and brood.

Your Mom is always on point with trends. She may think she's too old to wear some of the latest style interpretations but you can be sure she knows about them. She is au courant about the latest movies, politics of the day, and the Pantone color of the year. She loves the latest thing and that's why the newest Jo Malone perfume may be the perfect gift for her. Every season Jo Malone is coming out with limited editions and new scents. The most recent release is Jo Malone Star Magnolia. Like most of Jo Malone's recent introductions, on my skin it's pretty, light, and fairly fleeting. Star Magnolia opens with a lemon and ginger note, then rapidly transitions to the magnolia and neroli. Both notes are light and come across as a white clean fragrance. While I don't love it, it's hard to imagine anyone taking offense to it. Even more interesting are the seasonal limited edition sets. They are always an interesting concept: last year it was the Herb Garden collection and this spring it is the five scents in the Bloomsbury Set. I haven't smelled any of them but I have no doubt they are charming and will fade away within an hour. Nevertheless I still can't help but be intrigued and would love it if someone gave them to me.

The Foodie Mom

Giada De Laurentiis, celebrity chef

Everyone wanted to hang out at your house because they knew there would be great food. Whether it was nourishing dinners or homemade snacks, your Mom likes to show her love through food. Her favorite program may be The Great British Baking Show. She knows the newest restaurant in town getting rave reviews and would rather walk through Williams & Sonoma than Barneys. Here are a few light and intriguing flavorful scents. Berdoues Grand Cru Vanira Moorea is a cologne strength vanilla and orange creamsicle; droolingly yummy but not too sweet. By the same company but totally different is Berdoues Grand Cru Assam of India. Pungent black Assam tea, sharp lemon, and a to-die-for bottle with colorful mini elephants make this a distinctive winner. Prada Infusion d'Amande has a creamy but transparent almond note that will have Mom sniffing her wrist non-stop.

The Traditional Mom

Florence Henderson as Carol Brady in the iconic tv show, The Brady Bunch.

Your Mom considered her primary job to be raising you and your siblings, despite everything else she might have had going on. She wants nothing but the best for you; your achievements are her successes. She loves you to bits and nothing makes her day more than hearing from you. For your special mom, treat her to the newly reintroduced Prada Les Infusions Rose. Like all the scents in Prada's Les Infusions line, it has a watercolor transparency. It is a pale pink rose scent, sprinkled with notes of mandarin, neroli, and galbanum. Sparkling and translucent, it's the perfect rose for the rose in your life.

I hope you've enjoyed my Mother's Day picks and found something worth considering.

Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense

Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka is the newest introduction to the brand's Cologne Intense line. These colognes are meant to be richer and fuller than the offerings in the main line, which tend to be lighter scents based on flower notes. 

I sprayed myself liberally with Myrrh & Tonka at Singapore Ngee Ann City. Perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui used a lavender top note but it is blended and doesn't stand out as a distinct note to me. The myrrh adds initial warmth and sparkle and is immediately apparent to my nose. Myrrh is a resin from a small spiney tree and Jo Malone copy says that it is sourced in Namibia. Myrrh has an ancient history of being used in religious practice, as well as in Chinese and ayurvedic medicine. I really enjoy the aromatic fragrance of myrrh and I wish that note lasted a little longer. Tonka appears rather quickly and from that point on the cologne is all about the tonka on my skin. Tonka bean can give fragrances a vanilla gourmand feel that leans less sweet and more balmy and comforting. There can also be almond facets with tonka and as this cologne settles both the vanilla and almond notes contribute to the warmth and creaminess. Tonka can remind me of a milder and more subtle version of amber in perfumes and this is true with Myrrh & Tonka.

Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka is a well done scent and different from anything they currently have in the line, but I found I kept waiting for something else to happen. It developed pretty quickly and then didn't change in the hours of wear. As a point of reference, I am not a fan of Guerlain's Tonka Imperiale.  If you are a tonka fan you may appreciate this but I eventually got bored. If I decide to add one of the Cologne Intense bottles to my collection I will probably go for Velvet Rose & Oud, a gorgeous deep red rose wrapped in a warm Oud.

Top photo from the Jo Malone website. Perfume sample sprayed at Jo Malone boutique.