Wild Flowers & Weeds is a new ephemeral collection of the Jo Malone London perfume house. I was lucky to discover these creations last week in complete privacy in the shop of the Carrousel du Louvre. Accompany me on an enchanted journey in the English nature.
Wild Flowers & Weeds : the collection
As its name suggests, Wild Flowers & Weeds bring us to discover wildflowers and weeds. There is only Jo Malone London to dare to venture on these paths, while maintaining, the elegance of the house.
The starting idea behind this collection is to look for beauty in imperfection. In Britain, there is a real culture for outsiders, a rebellious air that has been at its peak with the Punk and Rock movement. Through the art of perfumery, Jo Malone celebrates the rebels of nature, to surprise and surround with nobility notes that others would leave.
The perfumers behind these creations are Yann Vasnier and Louise Turner. Yann Vasnier has already worked with the English house twice : during the creation of the ephemeral Bloomsbury Set and the two colognes English Oak & Redcurrant and English Oak & Hazelnut.
The two perfumers explain why each of these five perfumes is so special :
“With wild flowers and weeds nature takes over, with no rhyme or reason- and makes things unexpectedly beautiful.“
This collection consists of five colognes :
- Lupine & Patchouli
- Hemlock & Bergamot
- Nettle & Wild Achillea
- Willow & Amber
- Cade & Cedarwood
These fragrances are available in 30ml format and are sold at a price of $72 or 49£. If you buy the collection, a box in the colors of Wild Flowers & Weeds will be gifted to you.
The bottles are again decorated for the occasion. Each of them dress in the note they put in the spotlight. It’s bucolic while being very cheerful with spring colors that plunge us into the joy that we could feel by exploring the meadows, woods and other green lands that can extend as far as the eye can see.
Wild Flowers & Weeds : the fragrances
Lupin & Patchouli Cologne is a fragrance that recalls the canal banks, flooded with colors. “The lupin in this scent is an interpretation of its colour and strength. We took something visually stunning and transformed it into something olfactively beautiful” says Louise. The lupin accord is vegetal and floral, creating a slightly chypre fragrance, punctuated with patchouli which injects a sense of fun and spontaneity. This perfume is also composed of rose that enhances the floral touch of the fragrance and tonka bean gives a little warmth to the whole. Lupin & Patchouli surprises with its contrasts and especially with the fresh vitality of the tangerine.
Hemlock & Bergamot Cologne sublimates the petals powdered with hemlock are illuminated by bergamot. Hemlock is a deadly but inexplicably delicate flower. Vanilla brings depth. “We used mimosa to represent natural hemlock and it gives this a yellow, powdery scent. We complemented it with cucumber, birch leaves and white musk. It’s soft but really fresh” says Yann. The fragrance is full of light and very modern.
Willow & Amber Cologne honors the expressive weeping willow that leans delicately over the cool morning water. “This fragrance has the clarity of the forest. The soft woods we used – such as cashmere wood – help to bring a lightness” says Yann. For Louise, the beauty of the perfume lies in the texture it represents. “It has something very fluid and transparent about it. It also captures the movement of the weeping willow, which was the starting point of the inspiration.” We are on an almost aquatic scent for the weeping willow brought to light with pink pepper and balsam fir. Cashmere and vetiver give sweetness and sensual amber finishes the perfume in beauty.
Nettle & Wild Achillea Cologne enjoys the spice of nettle. “I was desperate to capture the sting of the nettle and transform it into something you can wear as a fragrance. The use of wild Achillea really helps to balance it out, adding clear, fresh notes” explains Louise. This composition is sparkling thanks to its green notes brought by bergamot and vetiver. The whole is softened by white musk.
Cade & Cedarwood Cologne captures the smouldering embers of a wood-burning stove at nightfall. “Cade comes from burnt juniper wood. It’s something you don’t often use in a fragrance, so it’s very original to have it star in the scent. It really captures the smoky, resinous effect of a wood burner on a canal boat. Warm and sense” explains Louise. A woody duet envelops the cade of this cologne : cedar wood and galas. This composition is enhanced by a mouth-watering hint of sensual vanilla.
Other Jo Malone posts :
- Jo Malone London Christmas
- Jo Malone London Honeysuckle & Davana
- English Fields, the new Jo Malone spring collection
