Barley, oats and wheat are not traditional ingredients found in fragrance making. Editor Trudi Brewer reviews the latest Jo Malone London collection inspired by English Fields.
Picture a summer's day in an English meadow where the scent of warm wheat, fluffy barley and hearty oats are carried on the warm breeze? A British countryside laden with the wild, sweet scent of cornflowers, poppies and primrose fill the air? Are you getting a visual picture of fragrance inspiration? No, I didn't at first either. But I did get the image how before a summer harvest the fields are plentiful with grains and the scent of ripeness fills the air. And that was the brief or something close to that from Cèline Roux head of global fragrance to French perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui. She was asked to create a limited edition fragrance collection inspired by English fields - and all that grows in them.
Bijaoui, no stranger to Jo Malone London brand her previous scents include Myrrh & Tonka and the recent Christmas fragrance Green Almond & Redcurrant, she recently told reporter Elena Knezhevich from the online fragrance encyclopedia Fragrantica it was a challenge. "Many of the notes, such as barley, wheat, and rye, had to be made into accords, as they’re not available as natural extracts, so it was a case of combining a few different notes to capture the concept of the grains. However, I did have one unique extract: bran absolute, which was a perfect ingredient to add into some of the fragrances because it has a woody, slightly liquorice effect and gives wonderful texture to a fragrance. We also used a hazelnut extract to emulate a ‘crunchy bread’ idea, and a coconut extract to mimic the powdery silkiness of flour."
Not at all traditional in scent making, the smell of breakfast cereal to an unsophisticated nose is pretty blah. A challenge for Bijaoui she has actually nailed it. "As a perfumer, I love to be surprised and English fields is an unexpected territory. To have cereals and grains as the main focus is a first for me".
What better way to get a brand attention than thinking outside the square in the cluttered world of perfume making. To choose those everyday ingredients and make them smell gorgeous on the skin is certainly a skill for any perfume expert.
The new collection from Jo Malone London, English Fields.
The bottles are half smooth and half textured in the finish and all present in neural earth-inspired colours, something new for the brand. In order, from the left Jo Malone London Green Wheat & Meadowsweet. Oat & Cornflower. Primrose & Rye. Honey & Crocus. Poppy & Barley, 30ml Cologne, $116 available March 5th.
Editor Trudi Brewer's favourites from the collection
Honey & Crocus 30ml, $116
If you want to smell sweet like honey fresh from the beehive, this scent nails that aroma. Quickly you detect the delicate scent of the subtle springtime bloom crocus, and the warm, restful scent of English lavender. Finally, the delicious syrupy fragrance of almond milk adds a delicious balance, to what I think is the most unique offering in the collection. Combined with Jo Malone London Mimosa and Cardamon - it becomes warm and exotic.
Green Wheat & Meadowsweet, 30ml, $116
The freshest option in the collection was inspired by an English field at dawn, and I have to say this scent is full of the joys of spring. Crisp, fresh and the perfect balance of soft, white notes that you may find in an English meadow or your front garden in springtime. The zesty twist of vetiver and grapefruit is what got my attention, I love a green, citrus scent in summer and these ingredients combine perfectly. Once combined with the tangy scent of Jo Malone London Orange Blossom it's glorious.