Jo Malone Master Class with David Ponce: A New Twist on the Art of Fragrance Mixing

Today, I attended an informative (and fun) master class at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria led by David Ponce, Jo Malone's national trainer. David was expertly assisted by James Tyree, Diana Foerster, and David McCray as we sniffed and drank our way through fragrance notes and fragrances. Yes - drank!

If you know Jo Malone, you already know that she made the art of fragrance combining come alive for customers. Wear your favorite Jo Malone scents individually or layer them to create your own custom fragrance. All of Jo Malone's fragrances are tested before introduction to ensure that they will "play well in the sandbox" with all other Jo Malone fragrances. There will be no nasty surprises when you experiment.

Today's class had a interesting twist. The team created cocktails for us using the notes from the fragrances they presented. Assisted by the store, they created three signature cocktails (without alcohol so we could all drive away safely) using blueberries, oranges, pomegranates - you name it - if it could be found in a Jo Malone fragrance, it may have been in one of our cocktails. Sniffing while sipping is a blast!

David Ponce is a fountain of knowledge. He's passionate about what he does, and it shows in his hand movements. He's in constant motion when he teaches. I took a zillion photos, trying to ensure that I had at least one that would be useable (and not too dark in store lighting). In every one, he was in motion, gesturing to speak with his whole body - throwing himself (literally) into his subject.

We talked about the new Wild Bluebell Cologne (which is selling extremely well). We smelled the individual notes (courtesy of David's traveling bag), and then we smelled Wild Bluebell. We talked about the novelty of the Wild Bluebell advertising campaign, with the fairy and white bunny, and then we looked in our goodie bags and found a white chocolate bunny. He's adorable, but I think I'm going to have to nibble at him.

I begged for a tiny sample of the bluebell note and came home with it. I need a whole bottle. It's beyond heavenly for this floral lover. He demonstrated how the character of Wild Bluebell can change by layering, emphasizing a floral surprise by combining it with White Jasmine and Mint, or fruits by combining it with Lime Basil and Mandarin. All the combinations we tried were luscious. Now that I'm home, I'm reaching for my Wild Bluebell bottle to give it another try mixed with my old standby Red Roses.

David covered so much ground in 30 minutes! Did you know that if you purchase one of Jo Malone's Fragrance Chronicles, the combinations yield 256 different scents? Can you believe it? I'm not a math whiz, but I understand how that's possible. I might be able to fix a stray ground wire in my phone's junction box (as I did this morning), but I get lost after a simple logarithmic scale.

It's no wonder that David travels around the country training industry insiders and customers alike. His own passion ignited ours, not only for Jo Malone and all of the company's stunning fragrances, but also for fragrance combining. I can't wait for his next visit.

If you ever get a chance to attend one of David's sessions, do it. I guarantee you'll have fun. He'll take great care of you and open your mind to fragrance combinations that might not have been intuitive.

I will end with breaking news. I have been bummed about the discontinuation of Jo Malone's Tuberose - one of my favorites. Apparently, there weren't enough of us purchasing it (until Tuberose lovers found out it was being discontinued, at which point there was a rush to buy). Next year, Tuberose will be relaunced in the new Cologne Intense Collection. While I have to wait until Spring 2012, the thought that it's coming back left me feeling like I could do cartwheels again. Isn't anticipation wonderful?

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

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Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne

In early July, I received a sample of the eagerly awaited Wild Bluebell Cologne ($55 or $110) from Jo Malone. The advertising campaign - a departure from previous Jo Malone campaigns that offered a minimalist's focus on the product, perhaps with some of the ingredients pictured for inspiration - had intrigued me. I found the model and the white bunnies entertaining in their depiction of English eccentricity along with the real thing, the bluebells.



No natural extract of wild bluebells exists. I don't think they have much of a scent. So the perfumer, Christine Nagel, imagined the scent and created its equivalent (in a lab, I assume). A green forest floor, complete with spring's majesty, the wild bluebell in the bottle is sweet, but not too sweet. The cologne opens with the fresh floral "bluebell" and clove; builds quickly to a soft heart of lily of the valley, eglantine (rose), and jasmine; and finishes with a soft base that combines white amber and musk.



I loved my sample. Although I normally detest clove in fragrances, it didn't "bloom" on my skin from the sample. Once I received my bottle of Wild Bluebell, though, I picked up the clove immediately (I often wonder if samples provide an exact representation of the full blend of a fragrance). Rather than refer to my sneak peek feature, I relied on my nose. My nose smelled a "spice" that disrupted the harmony of the other notes, leaving me wondering what odiferous transplant had volunteered its way into the garden.



The clove will make Wild Bluebell attractive to those who prefer to have the sweetness of their floral fragrances tempered by a little spice. To a gardener (and probably that white bunny), the ingredient is discordant, particularly since it remains with the scent through the heart. Wearing Wild Bluebell Cologne hasn't been the gentle trip down the wooded, wildflower-lined walking path that I had anticipated. It's an interesting experiment, and I appreciate the direction taken by the Jo Malone company in the last year to diversify its offerings. It's just not the best fragrance for my tastes.



Wild Bluebell is available in cologne, candle, body crème, and body and hand wash offerings - just in case you love it and want to live in it. You can find it at any Jo Malone counter or at the Jo Malone Web site. See what you think. My bottle was sent to me by a darling friend in the industry who is not associated with Jo Malone.



The native English bluebell is a threatened species. To help England stay carpeted with this flower, Jo Malone London made a donation to the Woodland Trust.



Photos courtesy of The Moodie Report and Jo Malone

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The Friday Forum - August 5

It's hard to believe it's August. Back-to-school sales have started, and our thoughts are turning to fall fashion and beauty. All the while, most of the country is gripped by dangerously hot and dry weather. I've noticed that the days are getting shorter, a sure sign that the season will change.

This was such a "straddle week" for beauty. The much-anticipated Les Aquarelles de Chanel Collection arrived at Neiman Marcus. I believe it was the last summer collection to hit the store. The pieces arrived at the same time as Chanel's early fall collection. Sharing space on the counter, they are a juxtaposition in color. Les Aquarelles represents the pale pinks of summer, while the fall colors offer more punch. There are two quads on the Chanel fall display. Blue is clearly on France's mind for fall! One of the quads features shades of blue. I thought about Dior's new palette when I saw it. Blue is clearly "hot."

Speaking of blues, Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell Cologne arrived earlier than we had anticipated. In case you've been among the many waiting, Neiman Marcus has it (at least at Tysons Galleria).

I visited with Michael Reinhardt at the Le Métier de Beauté counter at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie this week. He had received one of the new nail lacquer shades from the fall/winter East Meets West Collection. I took a photo of Anatolia in the store, but I don't think my photo represents the rich plum color adequately. Described as a rich plum illuminated with golden effervescence, it's a gorgeous fall color. Once all four shades arrive, I'll decide what I can't live without (if anything). They cost $18.

It was a fun fragrance week for me. I finally got my flacon of CREED's White Flowers (launch date was July 31), and I also have a nice, big sample of Original Cologne, a perfect summer fragrance for men or women. I'm enjoying them both, plus lots of other fragrance samples and bottles that have arrived. I also got to try the new Chanel No. 19 Poudre. Turns out it will launch as a Saks Fifth Avenue exclusive. So, next week, I'll head over to Chevy Chase to visit with my friends there. I need to spend more time writing (and less reading) to share all my newest fragrance impressions with you. Why is it I've got the summer lazies?

I also received two Sephora boxes, the result of surfing Sephora last weekend. I've got a pretty Guerlain bronzer to show you, hopefully later today. Despite my expectations that it might be a slow week, it flew by!

It's time for The Friday Forum, our open chat. I won't throw any bombs, like I did last week when I vented on the aggressiveness of store sales reps. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist this week? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers have moved on.

Don't forget the giveaway contest for Guerlain's Le 2 de Guerlain Mascara. The deadline for commenting to enter is tomorrow, August 6, at midnight. It's pretty cool!

Update 2:30 pm: The information I was given at a department store about the availability of a larger size of Anatolia was incorrect (not the store where I photographed it). The size is LMdB's normal bottle size. I'm sorry for any confusion (or anticipation) I may have created earlier today.

Photo by Best Things in Beauty

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Jo Malone Iris & White Musk Cologne Intense

My favorite of the Jo Malone Intense Colognes, Iris & White Musk Cologne ($135) is not at all what I had expected when I first learned about the Intense Collection. As I wrote last year, before the collection was introduced, the Intense Collection was expected to appeal to customers who might connect with rich scents and Middle Eastern notes. The collection, which was blended by Christine Nagel of Fragrance Resources, was a departure for Jo Malone, right down to the black bottles. I feared there would be too much spice for my tastes.

I've tried all four of the Intense Colognes now, and I will be wearing Iris & White Musk, a blend of violet, Casablanca lily, white musk, tonka, and iris notes, said to be composed with beautifully controlled contrasts. I don't read contrasts gracing my senses. I detect a beautifully blended soft floral, without distractions or sharp edges.

Iris & White Musk may be a floral for fragrance fans who don't love florals. It's not sweet. It reminds me that flowers spring from the earth and that they are one with their surroundings. The scent lasts for hours on my skin, gracefully exiting without losing its soft reminder of the beauty of the garden - perhaps one in which the fragrance lingers, trapped by the layer of sultry, humid air in summer.

On Tuesday, I featured Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense. It was the first one I tried. I like it, but it takes a backseat to Iris & White Musk for me. There are two more colognes in the Intense Collection.

• Amber & Patchouli, which has notes of amber, patchouli leaf, and guaiac wood, emphasizes patchouli with a supple, suede-like finish, resulting in a seductive, spicy, woody fragrance (definitely not for this patchouli hater)
  
• Oud & Bergamot, described as a fresh interpretation of the dark, hypnotic scent of oud, derived from the heartwood of the aquilaria tree, with additional notes of bergamot and an orange granite accord based on natural extracts of lemon and orange (I like it - it's fresh and lively)

If you are in the camp that has tired of Jo Malone's fragrances, once exclusive, but now seemingly everywhere, you should seek out the Intense Collection. It's a niche line within one that's familiar.

You can purchase the Cologne Intense fragrances at Jo Malone online. Of course, you can always call my friends Diana Foerster or David McCray (Jo Malone representative at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria) or Kathy Shoreman at (703) 761-1600, ext. 3268. They are only getting 10 bottles of each scent, and then they will be gone.

Persian iris illustration above courtesy of specialcollections.library.wisc.edu; photo courtesy of Jo Malone

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Jo Malone Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense

I had given up that we would ever see Jo Malone's Cologne Intense Collection locally. I had previewed it in April of last year, even though it seems like only months ago. Now, the four fragrances have arrived at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria.

Cologne Intense draws its inspiration from the Middle East and was expected to appeal to Jo's Malone's Middle Eastern customers, with scents that are familiar, but mixed in novel ways. Last year, Dominic De Vetta, Jo Malone’s Global General Manager, told WWD that the launch of Cologne Intense was part of a company-wide strategy to respond to regional consumer preferences. “We wanted to start playing with deeper, richer ingredients, and we wanted to offer more consumers that experience in a very Jo Malone and modern way,” he said, adding the collection was created to appeal to “fragrance connoisseurs” as well as the brand’s Middle Eastern clientele.

A collection of distinctive scents inspired by the rich, sensory experience of the Middle East. A place of immense beauty with ornate architecture, vibrant colors, and intense scents from the Spice Routes of the vast trade network, the Middle East has a liveliness rooted in history.

Set to debut last July, the collection was only to be sold in about 35 stores globally, including doors in Paris, London, and New York. The collection, which was blended by Christine Nagel of Fragrance Resources, includes familiar Middle Eastern notes with a modern interpretation: two florals, one spicy, and one woody. Now, the collection is available at Jo Malone's Web site and select Neiman Marcus doors.

I was privileged to try all four fragrances. Today, I'd like to tell you about Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne ($135). Billed as a twenty-first century translation of the traditional Arabian Rose Mokhalat, imbued with a modern Jo Malone edge, the rose and vanilla are complemented by neroli overlaid with the sweet, floral woodiness of petitgrain, and undertones of smoky agarwood.

Rose Water & Vanilla is indeed intense. The dominant note, from application to dry-down about eight hours later, is vanilla. It's a soft vanilla, unlike the ubiquitous vanilla of candle shops and cheap fragrances in mall stores. The rose water and neroli give it a slight floral opening, but the woody notes linger.

The packaging reflects a "darker," richer spectrum for Jo Malone's fragrances. Following the rules of fragrance mixing, you will want to spray Cologne Intense first, and then apply one of your lighter scents to "make it your own." Now that I've had a chance to wear Rose Water & Vanilla, I think I'll give it a Red Roses overspray to customize the scent to my floral-loving nose. Then I'll try one of the fruits, perhaps Grapefruit. I'll have fun playing.

I'll let you know what I think of the others after I've had a chance to try them. Next up on my list is Iris & White Musk, a blend of violet, Casablanca lily, white musk, and iris notes. I should have tried it first, but I've been on a voyage of discovery. I promise, I'm not morphing Best Things in Beauty into a fragrance blog, but I'm taking you along on my journey.

You can purchase the Cologne Intense fragrances at Jo Malone online. Of course, you can always call my friends Diana Foerster (Jo Malone representative at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria) or Kathy Shoreman at (703) 761-1600.

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone, vanillaimporters, and hellotrade.com

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Sneak Peek: Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne

Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell Cologne is set to launch in September. The feminine scent was celebrated at an exclusive media dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in May. Ever since I read about Wild Bluebell, I've wanted to get my hands on it. This week I got my wish. I was privileged to receive a sample.

The advertising campaign is a departure - and a welcome one, I think - from previous Jo Malone campaigns that offered a minimalist's focus on the product, perhaps with some of the ingredients pictured for inspiration. The new Global Creative Director, James Gager, envisioned a model, the whimsical and bewigged "Wild Bluebell," in a fairy tale setting, complete with white rabbits. I'm not sure whether the central character, the model, or the white bunnies were more entertaining to me. It may have been the adorable (and apparently faux) bunnies. The campaign was shot by British photographer Tim Walker and depicts English eccentricity along with the real thing, the bluebells.

The cologne itself is the best Jo Malone introduction in a long time - in my humble (and unsophisticated) opinion. I'm not a fragrance taste maker, and my nose may have a deficit. Although Wild Bluebell supposedly opens with clove among its notes, I do not smell clove. Normally, I dislike clove in a fragrance. It's spicy and belongs on a ham! No matter, there are enough sources that say there's clove in Wild Bluebell, so I'll go with the concept and tell you. The clove apparently tempers the sweet florals with which it's blended.

No natural extract of wild bluebells exists. I don't think they have much of a scent. So the perfumer, Christine Nagel, imagined the scent and created its equivalent (in a lab, I assume). A green forest floor, complete with spring's majesty, the wild bluebell in the bottle is sweet, but not too sweet (like Sakura Cherry Blossom is). The cologne opens with the fresh floral "bluebell" and clove; builds quickly to a heart of lily of the valley, eglantine (rose), and jasmine; and finishes with a soft base that combines white amber and musk. Spicy? Not to my nose. Beautiful? Absolutely! There's something green in the mix, but I'm not sure what.

This lovely cologne will be mine - just as soon as Neiman Marcus receives the product. Until then, I will have to ration my sample (unless I receive the second one an industry friend offered me - I need to pester him). I love Wild Bluebell. Even though it's scheduled for an early September arrival, beauty products have a way of arriving a little early. Wild Bluebell will be a perfect cologne to wear right away. Not only that, there will be a body and hand wash, body cream, and candle to delight us. You'll find it at Jo Malone online and at Jo Malone counters.

The native English bluebell is a threatened species. To help England stay carpeted with this flower, Jo Malone London made a donation to the Woodland Trust. I like that - another reason to purchase!

Photos courtesy of The Moodie Report

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Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Dry Body Oil

I guess I was asleep at the switch. I didn't realize that Jo Malone had introduced a dry oil in English Pear & Freesia ($65). When I found out, my credit card jumped out of my wallet at lightning speed. I love dry oils, and I love Jo Malone's English Pear & Freesia fragrance. It was a natural for me.

English Pear & Freesia is a fruity floral with a burst of King William Pear in its top notes. White freesia (always one of the most fragrant flowers in a bouquet) is among the scent’s heart notes. Amazingly, its dry-down includes patchouli, white amber, and musk. I don't smell the patchouli, which I normally despise. I do smell the musk.

This luxurious, moisturizing oil scents the skin and is silky to the touch. The innovative, light texture is said to be ideal for warm weather - in my mind any weather. Dry oil hydrates the skin, but is dry to the touch. This one leaves behind nothing slick that would interfere with clothing, just lovely, scented hydration.

Given that "dry oil" is a relatively odd term, you might be wondering, "How can an oil be dry?" A dry oil is an oil that has been rendered almost free of water, contaminants, and impurities. Most dry oils for skin care are absorbed rapidly and don't leave you feeling sticky or greasy. A few do - but not this one. If you like English Pear & Freesia, you might want to look for this dry body oil.

You can find Jo Malone online and at department store counters everywhere.

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone

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Jo Malone Sakura Cherry Blossom Cologne

Jo Malone's new, limited-edition Sakura Cherry Blossom Cologne ($55 or $105) celebrates one of nature's most dramatic but delicate displays - particularly in Washington, D.C. Sakura Cherry Blossom, developed by perfumer Christine Nagel, was inspired by those few precious days each year when the profusion of blooms paints pastel pink clouds onto spring's bright blue skies - or spring's unexpected snowfall.

Called "an exquisite interpretation of the airiness of blossoms fluttering on boughs, Sakura Cherry Blossom Cologne is layered with chiffon-sheer notes of rose, accented with the sweetness of bergamot. The diaphanous, powdery fragrance that lightly comes to rest on a creamy base of musk and woods." The top notes are cardamon, bergamot, and mandarin. The middle notes are cherry blossom, rose, and mimosa. The base notes are musk and rosewood.

The description and notes hint that this is a sweet fruity floral, and it is. Unfortunately, after wearing it for a few days, I think it may be too sweet. When a fruity floral fragrance is too sweet for me, it's really sweet. It's a pretty fragrance; I don't want you to think the scent isn't attractive. It's just a tad cloying to my nose. Fortunately, it's short-lived, so if you want a sweet smell for a few hours, you may love it.

I wish I could gush. I really wanted to adore Sakura Cherry Blossom. It's not love; it's more of a flirtation. I've been wearing it every day since I got it, but I'll move on soon.

Saskura Cherry Blossom is available at Neiman Marcus now, and it will be available soon at all Jo Malone counters.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

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