Thursday, November 02, 2006

Jo Malone: Fragrance Layering, Part 1

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I'm still catching up with life after being sick for so long, and I've had no time to write. Today's post will be short, but I should be back to my usual "blah blah blah" self in no time.

This morning it was rather blustery outside, grey and windy and slightly damp from last night's rain, but all the color on the trees is amazing, so I thought Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir would fit the bill perfectly for this kind of weather. I received a bunch of Jo Malone decants so I could play with layering, so after I applied my Pom Noir, I spritzed a little Vintage Gardenia on my wrists and neck.

The notes in Vintage Gardenia are gardenia, tuberose, cardamom, myrrh, and sandalwood. As a refresher, the notes in Pom Noir are raspberry, plum, pink pepper, pomegranate, patchouli, frankincense, and spicy woods. Pom Noir is not a light scent, but a deep fruity and spicy juice. Many say it has the most lasting power of all the Malone fragrances. I find this to be true as well, having tried a few others. Most last up to six hours, but Pom Noir lasts all day on me.

I tell you this because Vintage Gardenia really amps up Pom Noir, not just its lasting power, but also its scent. Something magic happens with these two fragrances. As I said, I applied the Pom Noir first, so I was already juicy sweet, and when I sprayed myself with the Vintage Gardenia, I got a huge hit of white flowers, and then it was gone, just like that, replaced by spicy woods, warm and inviting. The fruit in Pom Noir blends beautifully with the white floral notes, something of a scrim over the heavy woods and incense behind them. The patchouli is quiet, dominated by woods and frankincense, while myrrh lends a honeyed sweetness to the touch of fruit (this would be a tart fruit, not overly sweet, so it's softened rather than made cloying through this effect).

*photo from gloss.com