In this Fragrance Story, I'm reviewing Jo Malone London's Brit Collection (also referred to as the "Marmalade Collection"). I will be doing a detailed review of two colognes from the collection: the "Tangy Rhubarb Cologne" and the "Orange Peel Cologne". I'll also be giving you an overview of the three other colognes in the collection.
The full Jo Malone London Brit/Marmalade Collection consist of:
Tangy Rhubarb 30ml Cologne RRPAUD$105
Orange Peel 30ml Cologne RRPAUD$105
Rose Blush 30ml Cologne RRPAUD$105
Elderflower Cordial 30ml Cologne RRPAUD$105
Blackberry & Bay 30ml Cologne RRPAUD$105
The first four all layer well with Blackberry & Bay Cologne.
This collection is available from May 2021 at select Myer, David Jones and Mecca locations in Australia, as well as our Jo Malone London Woollahra Boutique and online via jomalone.com.au . For International stockists, please go to jomalone.com
This collection is "inspired by nostalgic scenes and marmalade dreams.
Sun shines, families gather, brightly coloured bunting flutters gently in the breeze. Jars of homemade jams and marmalades sit on gingham tabletops. The warm air is infused with scents of summer: elderflower, blackberry, and rose, and all the fun of the fete."
"New bottle designs have been created exclusively for this collection, inspired by the shape and detailing seen on vintage marmalade jars."
- Jo Malone London
I love the idea of marmalade dreams!
What Jo Malone has to say about it:
"Imagine the scene where the sun shines on the local British village fete. Families gather, brightly coloured bunting flutters gently in the breeze and jars of homemade jams and marmalades sit proudly atop gingham tabletops. It’s this idyllic setting and all the fun of the fair that has inspired our latest collection: Five delectable scents inspired by nostalgic scenes and marmalade dreams. A summer dream bottled, with a dash of science and expert fragrance development included, making our Brit collection truly special and unexpected.
“Using seasonal fruits to create homemade preserves feels like such a quintessentially British pastime, conjuring up images of English breakfasts, high teas and village fêtes. The British love of marmalade has always intrigued me and became our starting point for this collection.” Explains Jo Malone London Head of Fragrance Development, Celine Roux.
Working with two perfumers Nicolas Bonneville and Marie Salamagne to bring different aspects to the collection. “We started with a tasting session. Thinking about different flavours and how to bring an elegance to fruit-based ingredients. Marie told me about a supplier in Scotland that made natural fruit flavourings for the food industry, using a process that could be potentially adapted for fragrance.”
The result the development of ‘fruit-extracts’ a bespoke process that supports local sourcing and cultivation in the UK. Using the fruit grown locally in the Highlands- strawberries, blackberries and blackcurrants (which sometimes grow just metres from their site) are harvested and slowly heated to release natural extracts, which are then recovered in a condenser. These extracts are typically supplied to the food industry, but true to our love for the unexpected, we found a way of using them in our fragrances.
“Fruit extracts are very volatile ingredients that can’t be added directly to fragrance oil. But in every fragrance, there’s a small part of water. By switching out the water for a fruit extract, we were able to introduce fruity notes that were fresh, vibrant and completely natural.” Explains Marie Salamagne, with the process used for both our Blackberry & Bay fragrance and a rhubarb fruit extract included our Tangy Rhubarb Cologne. “A wonderfully British ingredient- tart and little bit unexpected.”
The scents themselves pay homage to the single ingredient jams, encouraging you to use each fragrance in combination with another and experience all the fun of the fair. Take it from perfumers, the noses behind our latest collection, as they explain why each of its five fragrances is so special." (source link)
Made with real rhubarb extract, Jo Malone London says: "“We also worked with warm woods and clary sage to add elegance and refinement to this cologne. Our wonderful rhubarb fruit extract gives things a unisex quality and adds a hint of bitterness that works so well.”
"The unmistakable tang of unruly rhubarb plucked from the overgrown garden. Its bright and striking stems fill the bustling kitchen. Rhubarb brings a characterful heart to this eccentric fragrance, complemented by zesty orange and an elegant note of cedarwood."
Top Note: Rhubarb; Heart Note: Orange; Base Note: Cedarwood
My Thoughts on Jo Malone London Tangy Rhubarb Cologne:
The Bottle: I love the bottle design! It is so unlike the usual Jo Malone cologne bottles. It reminds me a lot of blue chinaware. with the matte white and blue lettering and graphics. Each bottle is just so sweet and does bring about those summer fete vibes. As you may notice in the photo above, each cap has a unique illustration of the main notes of each cologne. In this case, rhubarb leaves. How quaint and English.
The Scent: I do immediately get the sense of the tartness of freshly harvested rhubarb. It has that bitter green tangy tone to it in the beginning. There was also a bit of sharpness at the start. Also at first sniff, the cedarwood came through but before the orange. I felt like this was a warmer scent. A bit spicy. The juicy orange does come through as it starts to dry down. I felt that this cologne was more "masculine" than "feminine". Or rather should I say, more macho than girly.
The Dry Down: With the dry down, Tangy Rhubard mellows out a bit. The dry down time was quite fast, about 1 hours in. It comes softer and the orange and cedarwood notes come out "rounder". To contract it with the first sniff, the dry down is like Rhubarb Pie and the First Sniff was like chopping into a bunch of fresh rhubarb.
The Tastes: Definitely could taste this. It is a yummy fragrance from a "mouth taste" perspective (no I do not ingest the fragrance, I merely breathe it in through my nose and let the fumes fill my mouth). It tasted like a marmalade jam or rhubarb pie. There is a definite "jam-iness" to it. Just that good sticky sweet taste of freshly made jam.
The Colours: With this one, it was like a kaleidoscope of colours. Bright golden sunshine, mixed with blue gingham and rhubarb red.
The Feelings: This made me feel refreshed! A bit like the first cup of coffee in the morning. It made me feel energetic and it also made me want to cook!
The Wear Time: Slightly less than other Jo Malone Colognes. The dry down was quite fast. On me, it lasted for about 2 plus hours.
Suggested occasions to wear this: Definitely a day time one. Although, with the musky woody cedarwood, you might be able to pull it off at night. Wear it to a picnic, a fete, a casual night at the pub.
Overall: It is an interesting one. I felt that the cedarwood does seem to overpower it as the dry down is fast. It is more macho than girly and this would suit those with more masculine tastes. There is a of a "food" feel to it. Not surprising as they did use food standard rhubarb extract in the formulation process.
Jo Malone London says:
“Orange Peel took a long time to perfect as it required striking just the right balance between the juiciness of the fruit and the bitterness of the rind. We used natural orange together with the orange molecule Sinensal, which acts like a booster for orange to last longer, preserving a lovely zesty note all the way to the bottom of the fragrance.”
Marmalade making, a most British of traditions. Orange peel simmers on the stove, its zesty aroma and bitter bite tantalising the senses. Warm woods are blended with orange to create a refined, golden fragrance. Quirky natural rhubarb adds an enticing appeal to this fresh take on the classic marmalade.
Top Note: Orange Peel; Heart Note: Orange Bigarade (or better known as bitter orange); Base Note: Cashmere Wood
My Thoughts on Jo Malone London Orange Peel Cologne:
The Bottle: As noted above, the bottle design is quite different to the standard Jo Malone cologne bottles. This is a completely white matte bottle with blue lettering and graphics. I even like the font they use. I have no idea what it is, but even the font gives me "Brit Vibes". As with Tangy Rhubarb. Orange Peel has a distinctive cap design with the illustration of an orange in chinaware blue.
The Scent: Ohh I can smell that orange peel. It is just like peeling open a very fresh juicy sweet orange. You get that slight bitterness from the orange oils in the peel, then the zest of an orange. It is quite a comforting fragrance. It also feels like a warmer scent. In this one, the wood base note is not overwhelming but rather gently cradles the range of orange notes.
The Dry Down: Took about 1-2 hours. Once you reach the base note, you do feel like it is very reminiscent of marmalade. No, it is not sickly sweet jam, but a more refined concoction. Almost like an Orange Martini cocktail. It has some vodka tones to it. I did think of Paddington Bear and his beloved marmalade sandwiches.
The Tastes: Less jam, more Orange Vodka Martini. A clean crisp taste. The orange zest made my mouth water. I do love a good orange. I could really taste the orange peel zest. That bit of oil that comes when you peel your orange.
The Colours: Orange. Yellow. Sunrise tones.
The Feelings: Happy! Also comforted. It is a bit like jam making and a bit like cocktail making. All the feelings that come with both activities. It made me feel calmer too.
The Wear Time: A bit longer. This lasted from about 2.5-4 hours on me.
Suggested occasions to wear this: It is a citrusy scent. I think you can choose to wear it day and night. Though, I would suggest that it is more of a day time scent. This is good for brunch, afternoon tea, out shopping with friends, or just hanging out at the local pub on a Sunday afternoon.
Overall: I think I preferred this one over the Tangy Rhubarb. The woody tones in this were gentler and not as overwhelming. This is a fragrance that I could wear every day in Summer. Fresh and citrusy.
Rest of the Brit Collection
Jo Malone London Elderflower Cordial Cologne
Jo Malone London says:
“Elderflower Cordial is a beloved fragrance that has been brought back from our Sugar & Spice collection several years ago. It offers a wonderful contrast between powdery elderflower and tart gooseberry; it’s delicate, fruity and so very English.”
Capturing the scent of delicate elderflower buds harvested from the hedgerows on a cloudless morning. The soft, powdery appeal of these tiny white flowers inspire a very British recipe. Complemented by notes of hawthorn and tart, summer-green gooseberries."
Top Note: Gooseberry; Heart Note: Elderflower; Base Note: Dried Fruits
I personally really love elderflower cordial and can almost "taste" how good this is
Jo Malone London Rose Blush Cologne
Jo Malone London says:
“We did a lot of work on the texture of Rose Blush, really trying to tease out that transparent jelly effect. This was quite challenging, because with most extracts of rose you get something a bit honeyed and even a bit spicy, which can translate as quite old-fashioned. We worked hard to make our rose petal-fresh and added a hint of basil leaf in the top notes for a green, herbaceous twist.”
Delicate rose petals suspended in a delectable jelly. The charm of these blushing pink petals inspires a prized preserve. Vibrant basil and a juicy note of lychee add a modern twist to this pretty floral scent, cocooned in the comforting embrace of white musk".
Top Note: Basil Grand Vert; Heart Note: Rose; Base Note: White Musk
I like the addition of the basil. Makes it more sophisticated. A bit like strawberries marinated in basil and balsamic vinegar. A more sophisticated and lightly nuanced Turkish delight.
Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Cologne
This is the recommended fragrance for layering with each of the other four
"A long-standing favourite, this cologne was set to be at the core of the collection. A scent that was always been about jam-making and born from childhood memories, it pairs with all the fragrances beautifully."
Childhood memories of blackberry picking. A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant."
Top Note: Blackberry; Heart Note: Bay leaf; Base Note: Cedar wood
I love the mix of fruits and herbs. A good all-rounder unisex scent that is sure to please.
I hope you enjoyed this fragrance story! Please do subscribe to my blog (see various (they are irritating and I am sorry about that) pop up boxes or sign up in the box below). Drop me an email (tashi@teacupofmakeup.com) or DM me on my Instagram (@teacupofmakeup_bytashijadebell) and let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for me. I always love hearing from you.
Yours Truly with Lots of Love, TeacupOfMakeup. 待会见! 可爱的小茶杯!
Disclaimer: All of the photos here are taken by me. You cannot use them without obtaining my written permission first. These are my personal views and I do not any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. The Tangy Rhubarb and Orange Peel Colognes were gifted to me by Jo Malone London with no obligation to post about it.
