Have you experienced the world through Jo Malone?

My Jo Malone Aqua di Limone Linen Spray

Why Nature Gets It Right (and why we seek its essence)

The enchanting smell of frangipani’s blooming during the golden hour of the afternoon or jasmine buds in the evening, mixed in with a bit of sea breeze –is what I look for in a scent, and until I purchased my first Jo Malone about a year ago (Orange Blossom Body Lotion 250 ml at Heathrow Terminal 5), nothing on the market emulated the essence of nature as much as Jo Malone could.

Once in a while, a fragrance house comes along which has the power to brighten up your day, even for just the lenght of a Serge Gainsbourg song, when you indulge in an item from their collection as part of your beauty routine. I have yet to experience waking up to the Jo Malone holy trinity of Bath Oil, Shower Gel followed by Body Cream, but I am sure this combination is The Best prelude to any day.

The London-based brand with the iconic cream and black packaging (I use the ribbons as a headband) cornered the niche for original fresh scents over a decade ago, and women are still raving about their products as if it was launched only yesterday. And all this without needing to aggressively market or advertise.

A case of success through word of nose, perhaps.......

Clean, Fresh, Natural: How to smell like an emissary from heaven

Many a good and bad impression has been left via scent, I am sure you would all agree. A journalist interviewing Beatrice Dalle once commented on how clean and fresh she smelt - which took him aback as he expected her vampish beauty to be echoed in her choice of scent.
There is a conception, perhaps as a result of decades of aggressive perfume marketing, that in order to be mysterious and sexy, one’s perfume needed to be strong and exotic, with overpowering notes. A potent mix of danger, seduction and evil glamour packaged in a coloured glass bottle and shot by David Lynch.

Back to Beatrice, the journalist wrote at least a paragraph about how lovely she smelt, as if to convey that It did not matter how dark, dangerous and gothic this Gallic screen siren was, her scent was as pure, as clean and as fresh as an angel’s essence. And that potent dichotomy of vamp and angel, conveyed through scent was enough to leave the journalist enchanted and mystified by the actress. It was as if all of Beatrice’s sins (France loves to hate this woman) were forgiven because she smelt like an emissary from heaven.

Ever wondered what a Bond Girl smells like.....

At the moment, I am rocking the Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Cologne £64/100ml, which is "reminiscent of the scent of limes carried on a Caribbean sea breeze". It’s a unisex scent undercut by peppery basil and aromatic white thyme, which makes it very sexy, fresh and energising. I can't help squirting myself with it all the time.

It's the kind of scent I could imagine the Bond Girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger wearing.

I sprayed it on my fiancé to test just how far it could transcend the sexes, and it made him smell good too, although he prefers it when I wear the Jo Malone Vanilla and Anise Cologne (Men really do love vanilla for some reason). For me, this is the type of scent Miss Goodnight in The Man With The Golden Gun would wear.

But just as you will be remembered for your choice of scent (or lack off), you will also be remembered by the gifts you bestow on your girlfriends........

The Art of Gift Giving Jo Malone style
(or how to become very popular)

I truly believe that when choosing a gift for a girlfriend, you should look for something you would love to keep for yourself. This is the true test of good gift giving, although it involves much mental anguish if its a highly covetable item.

For a few years, I used to purchase tattoo sessions for friends as a gift. Now, I purchase JM items for my girlfriends and colleagues simply because Jo Malone ticks all the right boxes:

• Beautiful packaging, beautiful ribbons, re-usable box
  
• Exquisite clear glass bottle which has a vintage look
  
• A selection of scents/lotions which are perfect for the modern woman looking to smell fresh, young and natural
• Iconic London brand - so perfect for friends from abroad
  

Some of the presents I have given include......
For my Dad’s girlfriend: Lavender and Amber Body Lotion 250 ml (£38): She LOVED this present so much. Jo Malone produce great body creams which really keep the skin hydrated and smelling gorgeous, and this product really worked for her sensitised skin. And she has been super nice to me since!

For my best friend’s girlfriend: This particular lady told me that while she was at Normandy Keith’s house, she smelt her Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne and was very taken by the scent. On her birthday, I dutifully remembered and purchased the Grapefruit Body Lotion 100 ml (£19) for her via the Jo Malone website, so it was delivered to my door the very next day. You should have seen how here face lit up. Elizabeth Taylor eat your heart out.

For the Danish friend: As she will soon embark on a South American holiday, I purchased the Orange Blossom Shower Gel 250 ml (£30), as this will certainly help her to cement her memories through scent.

(I always find that purchasing a designer shower gel especially for your holiday allows you to prolong that holiday feeling when you are back home, and using it in Blighty).

When in doubt or if you are looking for some indulgence.....
Aqua di Limone Linen Spray (£30) 100ml because what women out there would not love to receive designer linen spray. There are many versions out there, but this one is the freshest.

Many a time I have had guests stay and have sprayed the sheets with some kind of natural fragrance to make their stay as pleasant as possible. Then this linen spray came into my life and I try to restrain myself from spraying it on everything all the time, particularly because I am a smoker (a dying art). I love spraying this in my wardrobe too. One word: PERFECTO.

We have all heard of the old adage of looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, but have you experienced the world through Jo Malone, or more importantly, has the world experienced you smelling of Jo Malone Red Rose cologne?