Jo Malone recently released a limited edition Tea Fragrance Blends collection of 5 colognes. After reading the Beauty Look Book's review of the collection, I picked up three of the colognes on a recent trip to the US.
Of the five, I was immediately drawn to Earl Grey & Cucumber, which has fresh bergamot paired with a sweet base of beeswax, vanilla and musk. I've been wearing this cologne non-stop since purchasing it. Deliciously light and fresh, this elegant concoction surprised me with its lasting power and sillage. Jo Malone fragrances usually do not last beyond a couple of hours on me but with Earl Grey & Cucumber, I would get tantalising whiffs of it wafting up over 4 hours. (I usually do 3-4 spritzes around the neck and chest.)
Sweet Lemon is true to its name with hints of pineapple, peach and fresh green cypress. It is a much softer and soothing accord without the sharp lemon note of Verbenas of Provence. The peach note tends to dominate after about 10 minutes.
Assam & Grapefruit is the most complex and full-bodied cologne in the collection for me. After the grapefruit top note comes notes of mate, cardamom, almond and patchouli. The grapefruit note wears off very quickly and what's left is a soothing warm malty fragrance. Now Smell This has reviewed this cologne here. I skipped Sweet Milk cologne as it was just too cloying for my liking and also Fresh Mint which wasn't particularly unique.
As Neiman Marcus was offering a gift with purchase of US$150, I also picked up Red Roses together with Sweet Lemon and Assam & Grapefruit. The GWP is a duo of Grapefruit and Orange Blossom colognes (9ml each) encased in a lovely leather pouch. Prior to the Tea Fragrance collection, Orange Blossom was my favourite Jo Malone fragrance.
Below is my current Jo Malone collection (just missing Verbenas of Provence which is stashed in my office). I used to own Tuberose and Gardenia too but had to discard them after they turned with age. In the 8 years that I owned them, I hardly wore them as they turned out to be too floral for my liking. If you are interested in Jo Malone perfumes, the cheapest place to purchase them is in London's Heathrow airport dutyfree where you can save on the VAT of 20%. Otherwise, the normal retail price is the UK is £34 (S$70) for the 30ml size, and US$55 (about S$70) in the US, versus S$95 in the Singapore boutique in Ngee Ann City.
As Neiman Marcus was having its Beauty Event promotion, I also received this gift tote filled with samples from Kiehls, Fekkai, Kate Somerville, Cle de Peau and Lolita Lempika.
The bag is actually quite pretty and would make a great beach bag. The lime green and bright pink combination reminds me of Kate Spade somehow.
The ultra-luxurious silk-coated Cle de Peau cotton pads.
The Telegraph has an excellent interview with Jo Malone on her new line, Jo Loves, which will debut later this year. It's a must-read for Jo Malone fans!
Of the five, I was immediately drawn to Earl Grey & Cucumber, which has fresh bergamot paired with a sweet base of beeswax, vanilla and musk. I've been wearing this cologne non-stop since purchasing it. Deliciously light and fresh, this elegant concoction surprised me with its lasting power and sillage. Jo Malone fragrances usually do not last beyond a couple of hours on me but with Earl Grey & Cucumber, I would get tantalising whiffs of it wafting up over 4 hours. (I usually do 3-4 spritzes around the neck and chest.)
Sweet Lemon is true to its name with hints of pineapple, peach and fresh green cypress. It is a much softer and soothing accord without the sharp lemon note of Verbenas of Provence. The peach note tends to dominate after about 10 minutes.
Assam & Grapefruit is the most complex and full-bodied cologne in the collection for me. After the grapefruit top note comes notes of mate, cardamom, almond and patchouli. The grapefruit note wears off very quickly and what's left is a soothing warm malty fragrance. Now Smell This has reviewed this cologne here. I skipped Sweet Milk cologne as it was just too cloying for my liking and also Fresh Mint which wasn't particularly unique.
As Neiman Marcus was offering a gift with purchase of US$150, I also picked up Red Roses together with Sweet Lemon and Assam & Grapefruit. The GWP is a duo of Grapefruit and Orange Blossom colognes (9ml each) encased in a lovely leather pouch. Prior to the Tea Fragrance collection, Orange Blossom was my favourite Jo Malone fragrance.
Below is my current Jo Malone collection (just missing Verbenas of Provence which is stashed in my office). I used to own Tuberose and Gardenia too but had to discard them after they turned with age. In the 8 years that I owned them, I hardly wore them as they turned out to be too floral for my liking. If you are interested in Jo Malone perfumes, the cheapest place to purchase them is in London's Heathrow airport dutyfree where you can save on the VAT of 20%. Otherwise, the normal retail price is the UK is £34 (S$70) for the 30ml size, and US$55 (about S$70) in the US, versus S$95 in the Singapore boutique in Ngee Ann City.
As Neiman Marcus was having its Beauty Event promotion, I also received this gift tote filled with samples from Kiehls, Fekkai, Kate Somerville, Cle de Peau and Lolita Lempika.
The bag is actually quite pretty and would make a great beach bag. The lime green and bright pink combination reminds me of Kate Spade somehow.
The ultra-luxurious silk-coated Cle de Peau cotton pads.
The Telegraph has an excellent interview with Jo Malone on her new line, Jo Loves, which will debut later this year. It's a must-read for Jo Malone fans!
4 comments:
Hi Iris,
Just to share that prices for Jo Malone in Paris is quite reasonable as well. I got the 30ml fragrances for 42€ each which works out to about S$74. Jo Malone can be found in Printemps. Of course if a tourist spends 175€ in the store, they are entitled to 12% VAT refund. ;-)
I got a couple of these too. I went for the Assam and the Mint. They go rather well together. I like that about Jo Malone fragrance. They can be mixed and matched to create unique scents.
hi vonnay,
Thanks for the info! Will keep that in mind if I ever go shopping in Paris!
hi Old Cow,
I'm usually don't layer my JM fragrances as I like them in their original form, but I should definitely start trying that out.
I got the black version of the gift bag from Neiman Marcus!
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