The Kohdo Wood Collection is the latest release from British niche house Jo Malone. There are two fragrances: Lotus Blossom & Water Lily (in the clear bottle, and meant to "to energise the body") for day and Dark Amber & Ginger Lily (in the dark bottle, and meant to be mellow and sensual) for night; both are limited editions inspired by the Japanese incense ceremony.
If you found the idea of fragrances inspired by Japanese incense to be a little "exotic" for Jo Malone, you're not alone. Jo Malone is a niche brand by virtue of their size and distribution, but the fragrances themselves are rarely what I'd call adventurous. In the event, neither of the Kohdo Wood scents turned out to be wildly adventurous, but they're a nice change of pace for the Jo Malone brand.
I'll start with my favorite of the two, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily. The top notes are citrusy spices, very strong and peppery, after that, it is a spicy amber-y concoction with sheer florals layered over incense. It is not entirely dark — I'd call it middling dark, and middling sweet as well — and while the opening is a bit strong, it settles rapidly. It isn't at all the sort of thing I'd reserve for evening wear.
They've done a lovely job with this one, and I'd very much like to know who the perfumer was. It strikes a nice balance; it's clean and smooth enough that nobody will accuse you of smelling like High Mass (Comme des Garçons Avignon) or Damp Basement (Etro Messe de Minuit), but it has just enough dusty-resinous-earthy stuff in the base to make me happy. It is easily my favorite Jo Malone ever. Figures that it is limited edition, right?
I bought it on the spot, thereby breaking perfumista rule no. 84, "Never buy a fragrance on the first sniffing". Why did I buy it? Well, I felt like it. Do I regret it? Yes. I like it, in fact I like it very much, and I'll wear it happily, but there are many, many things on my list that I wanted more than this (Diorissimo! In extrait!), and it is my second off-the-cuff purchase of the year. More to the point, it made me realize how utterly helpless I would be if all niche brands offered their wares in SMALL bottles at a REASONABLE price. $50 for 30 ml? Done. (The notes: black cardamom, pink pepper, ginger, night blooming jasmine, orchid, water lily, rose, black amber, white pepperwood, leather, patchouli, sandalwood and Kyara incense accord).
I figured that Lotus Blossom & Water Lily would be the simple, straightforward Jo-Malone-ish entry in the set, but it's surprisingly interesting too. It's a considerably more transparent scent, pale and summery and cool and clean. There's less spice, and just enough aquatic accord in the opening to annoy me (the notes: aquatic accord, grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin, lotus blossom, freesia, honeysuckle, water lily, jasmine, incense, amber, sandalwood, musk, aloeswood and guaiac wood). The flip side is that there's just enough incense and dark wood in the base to keep it from being entirely dull.
I like Lotus Blossom & Water Lily better than I expected, but I wasn't tempted to buy. Still, if you're looking for something pale and summery with incense, and you don't like Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, it is very much worth a shot.
As is the way with Jo Malone, neither of these scents are powerhouses. I found that both required frequent refreshing, and the Dark Amber & Ginger Lily did not perform any better on that score than the Lotus Blossom & Water Lily. They do layer together quite nicely. I was hoping that the Dark Amber would also layer nicely with Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia, a spur of the moment purchase from several years back, and one that turned out to be far sweeter than I care for. No such luck: the Vintage Gardenia eats up the Dark Amber and spits it out in short order. Oh well.
Jo Malone Lotus Blossom & Water Lily and Dark Amber & Ginger Lily are available in 30 and 100 ml cologne and in matching bath oils and candles. For buying information, see the listing for Jo Malone under Perfume Houses.
Update: the Kohdo Wood collection will return in the spring of 2009, again for a limited time period. Another update: they released it again in the spring of 2010.
I actually really like the one in the dark bottle. I agree, it is different for Jo Malone. I got a small sample the other day. Will I buy it? Probably not. Ever since my recent Chanel purchase I have enough to last me for two year. BTW, I did smell the new Chanel, Sycamore, and I thought it was really nice. Maybe a little to masculine for me to justify as a purchase. I think a man or woman couuld wear it though.
If you bought it on th spot it says something. I must try it!
LOL — and I have enough perfume to last me for my lifetime and then some.
I forgot to even look for Sycomore, drat! I did hear many Neiman Marcus stores would start carrying the line. I'll look next time.
Not sure it says much other than that I've the same longing for instant gratification as everyone else, LOL…seriously, I think it's a great scent, but I wish I'd lived with a sample for awhile. I've put a lot of thought into my official “to buy” list and wish I'd stick to it — and only add new things to the end of the list.
I bought both of them. 🙂 My first JMs. I totally agree with your assessment — the Dark Amber was instant love, but the Lotus Blossom really grew on me when I took it for a test-drive.
I must have the weirdest skin on earth. They both lasted the day. They're nice layered with each other as well.
Are these out already in the US? They're not released here in the UK until May 1st (Thursday). So much for being a 'British' company!
“More to the point, it made me realize how utterly helpless I would be if all niche brands offered their wares in SMALL bottles at a REASONABLE price. $50 for 30 ml? Done.”
Yes, that could be fatal. I can think of so many other things I *really* want (a bottle of 10 Corso Como, for starters), that I am not even going to look at the buying information for this one.
Seriously, they lasted the day??? I'm finding they do very well on fabric, but otherwise, they're flat (not gone entirely, but flat) after a couple hours. I need to have some of your arm skin grafted onto mine, would you mind?
But are you sure they haven't had a “soft launch” somewhere? That does seem really odd that we'd get them first!
I want 10 Corso Como SO BAD — it has been on my to buy list FOREVER. And now apparently it's been de-sandalwood-ized. Drat, figures. I need to try the new version and see if I still like it.
Really? What on earth does it smell like now? Sandalwood was a big part of 10CC's mojo!
Sadly, I did not love these two Jo Malone's – like Pomegranate Noir, both of these scents turned into Eau de Yankee Candle on my skin, artificial, waxy and reminiscent of potpourri.
We can all relate, Robin, and that's the silver lining to your reckless impulsivity. It makes our own need for occasional instant gratification feel a little less irresponsible, a little more human. If YOU can do it, we don't have to feel nearly as guilty!! Keep up the good work! 😉
Oh, no, you're kidding! I'm wondering which one my sample is of. I just got it from TPC.
I don't know what it smells like now. Perfumes: The Guide says they've taken out the real sandalwood, or something like that — no time to look it up just now. But real sandalwood has become very scarce, so that is true w/ many scents — keep meaning to go see what they've done with Diptyque Tam Dao as well.
LOL — I'm glad my failings make you feel better about yours — but I wouldn't use me as a model for anything, you know!
No way of knowing — even if you find it in a store, I'd guess you've no way of knowing unless they can guarantee it is a very old bottle. I need to run into a dusty forgotten bottle somewheres…
Ha, ha…It's so refreshing to see that you too, my dear, can be like all other mortal perfumistas: Impulsive! :):)
Hugs!
I must have freaky skin. The Dark Amber I ended up washing off. Even the Lotus Blossom, which I thought would go poof, stuck around most of the day. And they stick around forever on fabric, I could smell them the next day. I sprayed the Lotus Blossom on my sheets, it was nice. I can't believe how much I like that one, it doesn't seem “me” at all.
I agree – it's nice to hear that even the high priestess of NOWSMELLTHIS even succumbs to impulse fragrance shopping. 🙂 I almost did this last night with the new Hermes Jardin (at Saks!). It actually felt a physcial pain in my chest, when I had to walk away from the counter without buying it. Normal people don't act this way about fragrance!
I smelled both of the JM's two weekends ago – I loved the Amber also. I agree, the resin note is just nice enough to appear without being “Serge Luten'-ish. However, I really don't need another amber scent in my wardrobe.
I'm not optimistic about the floral notes, but they sound like they might be interesting. I think they carry Jo Malone at the local Saks or NM, so I'll see if they get these new ones.
I tried these the other day, after I tried a number of other perfumes on various limbs, and I found the Dark Amber & Ginger Lily very similar in the opening to Kenzo Jungle Pour Homme, which I was already wearing – very gingery, nutmeg-ish citrus. They deviated in the heart and drydown: Jungle Homme was very milky musky, while the JM was smoother and more floral. I think I preferred the Kenzo, but the JM bottle in black is a winner (and the juice more your style, maybe.) Everybody needs an impulsive purchase or two, every so often. Since I bought my discount Ca Scent Beau, I've been resisting the urge 'cuz my birthday is soon. (Hoping for Chinatown or 31 Rue Cambon. Somehow doubt either is coming, but comon, the b-day is also darn close to Mother's Day…)
p.s. Are they planning to expand on this Kohdo Wood motif, or is it a collection of two?
You are the worst possible role model. And for that, I will blame you for the bottle of Fig and Iris Guerlain that you will have all but FORCED me to buy when it lands in Vancouver in a few short weeks!!! xoxox
Please give us your thoughts on Ca Scent Beau.
Thank you!
Aaaarrgh. But wait. I just discovered it this year — so maybe I like the de-sandalwoodized version? Will say this — got new samples from the reps at sniffa and couldn't tell the difference between that and what I have — with my sniffa nose. Will do a side-by-side comparison later today…
Yes, I am hoping that what I smelled is the new formulation so that I can buy a good sized decant from TPC and be happy. Please let us all know. Thanks.
Mike, do you mean the Monsoon thingy? How was it? I think that might be my first Hermes…
WHAT?!? They already have Un Jardin apres la Mousson at your Saks? Where are you? Hermes said it wouldn't be out until end of May or June…..
BTW I was completely underwhelmed by both the Kohdo scents… very meh on me.
Robin, it's great hearing you describe your impulse buy. We've all been there, and “I wanted it” is really the only possible rationale when it happens. Life is short, right? My buys — impulse or otherwise — are almost always online and I have a hard time waiting for them. Obviously, I have to wait a couple months before new launches end up online at discount, but I've managed to not be tempted so far (I'm working through a big backlog).
I like the few Jo Malones I've tried, though I'm a sucker for citrus (I mentioned last week I love the Lime Basil Mandarin, which you hate!). I want some samples of her Lime Blossom and Nectarine Blossom & Honey, though I think the latter will be too sweet for my taste. The Dark Amber sounds interesting and I'll have to snag a sample.
Curious that you recommend Sur le Nil as something “pale and summery with incense” — I must be oblivious to the incense in that (then again, my ability to detect notes of just about anything fails unless I READ the list of notes and then say, Ah, yes, guaiac wood, etc…).
can i be in your will? 😉
I am not kidding, I do worry about what will happen to my fragrances after I'm dead. In fact, that is the definition of a “perfume problem”, LOL…when you wonder who to leave them to.
Oh good, maybe the change is not so great! That is, assuming their samples were “brand new from the factory”…
The base really is nice — if they had just left out that darned aquatic stuff, I'd have bought both of them too. I am holding a grudge against aquatic stuff.
You cannot blame me until I've reviewed it! Which I hope to do before the week is out…
Surely you did not think I was an immortal perfumista 😉
Um, not planning to admit that I bought Mousson unsniffed until it arrives…
Sorry you didn't like the Kohdos, but that is $$ saved, right? Saks seems to have an advance exclusive on the Hermes, my local one has it in stock too.
ACK, you don't have a SINGLE Hermes???
They are both of them less focused on the floral notes than they sound, I think. I think all of the NM stores have JM, but wouldn't swear to that.
The bottle disappoints me, by the way, by not being the opaque black I thought it was (it is actually just a dark gray). Oh well. Now I need some Kenzo Jungle Homme!
Good luck getting one or the other for one or the other holiday. If you ask me, you can buy your own if it's your birthday!
Have not heard a word on the subject, and wonder what will happen. If they sell like hotcakes, I'm sure they'll get a life extension, but they aren't the usual sort of Jo Malone thing so perhaps they won't sell like hotcakes? I have heard there is another “regular” addition to the line coming later in the year, and that is all I know.
I am not so impulsive online, perhaps because the Word file that contains all my perfume notes, including my “to buy” list, is sitting right there in front of me. I do way worse in stores when surrounded by merchandise screaming “buy me! buy me!”, and when I've the added incentive of wanting to thank SAs after wasting tons & tons of their time.
The one thing I'll say about both of my in person buys this year is that neither of them were likely to end up at an online discounter. At least there's that!
The incense in Sur Le Nil is odd — it doesn't really smell like frankincense to me so much as “dusty desert air with wood”, if that makes any sense at all. And my nose is no better, I'm sure!
As a matter of fact, I did, lol!
Wow. That's really odd – I would've bet all the raisins in my Raisin Bran that you would toss the Lotus in the loo or butched it up with some turpentine or something!
Just goes to showya!
Then I will try not to disappoint you!
You've not smelled it yet? You won't be bored, I don't think. Patty dug it up somewhere at the Sniffa… it's really masculine. Vegetal. Vetiverish. Sort of in the direction of Terre d'Hermes but darker. I was quite surprised, expected it to be more in the style of the first two. I think you'll like it. It will be interesting to see how well it sells.
Diorissimo in extrait is magificent; in fact is was the first parfum extrait I bought for myself.
I'm curious to smell these two scents especially since they are so atypical for the line. Even the list of note is longer than usual. Interestingly, Vintage Gardenia was also a spur-of-the-moment purchase of mine. I loved it a lot until I worn Jasmin et Cigarette once, and ever since than Vintage Gardenia reminds me of that wet ashtray scent mixed with jasmine 🙁
I bought the Lime Leaf Basil Mandarin body cream because I loved the smell and the consistency. But drat, it's the perfume equivalent of my tinnitis–it starts at E above high C and just shrieks all day long on that one tone. If it developed on my skin, just a little, I'd love it. (So if you want the jar. . .) But I'm eager to try the two new ones. I'm going to Saks this weekend to see if the Apres Le Monsoon is there. I'm struck that it is vegetal and masculine. I was hoping for some rice steam and black cardamom. I will continut to hold out hope. . .
I spent a while in Selfridges recently at the Jo Malone concession and came to the conclusion that Jo Malone have an over-inflated view of themselves when it comes to fragrances.
Considering the outrageous prices they expect people to pay, they could try delivering a) more interesting scents and b) scents that last, have something in the way of sillage and c) which offer something better than equivalent niche or even top end designer fragrances.
Frankly, they leave me unimpressed.
I do know what you mean about the perfume collection needing an entry in the will. I imagine all the friends and rellies will be fighting over it! The other thing that keeps my father up at night is fretting over what would happen if there was a fire at my place. Me thinks it would create a fireball!
I am not so sure if this is good for your hair, but it is definitely less painful than a graft, but I only wear my perfume sprayed on my hair. If I spray it on my wrists I end up walking around with my nose glued to my wrists and as I wear a different perfume every day, my clothes used to get STINKYwith all the scents all mixed together! I find that my shampoo and conditioner cleanses out the majority of the left over scent and I just start again the next day.
Congratulations on your impulse purchase and may you soon forgive yourself! There was a soft launch of this in the UK, in Harrods, which I happened upon by chance the other week 🙂 I've been “off” JM scents for a while as I think them quite pricey for nothing very exciting. There's always a queue in the JM store in the City but I hardly see anyone in the L'AP store round the corner which I think has more interesting 'fumes. Anyway. I did sniff the dark one in Harrods and was pleasantly surprised. Had it not been at the wrong end of the month I would have been very tempted into an impulse buy. Liked the bath oil too. Will be at JM's tomorrow to see if I can snag a sample before heading off to vote for a London mayor!
Thanks so much for this description of the 'perfume equivalent of my tinnitis' – it's perfect! I have been having certain notes eg carnation, doing what I can only describe as screaming in a high-pitched way at me from various perfumes recently and now I know I'm not alone.
I'm a new poster from Oxford, England and have been enjoying this blog sooooo much for the past few months in silence, and at the same time learning an enormous amount from it – thanks to Robin and all contributors.
None of my friends or relatives care about perfume so I'm not going to have that problem 😉
I do that sometimes, but many days my hair is in a scrunchie so it doesn't help. But for testing, I mostly use the back of the hand.
I have not! And too lazy to drive to Saks so have to wait for it to get here…and it isn't getting here very quickly.
QC, I got a bottle of the LBM as a gift, and had to give it away — but not sure anything but a major revamping would make me love it 😉
Hi Liz, and welcome!
A, it really is magnificent. I don't know why I didn't buy it when you could still get it at discount in the US 🙁
I know I'm jaded, but I find the prices reasonable — at least, the $50 for 30 ml is fine with me. The scents, many of them, are very simple & linear, and many of them seem like functional scents to me — in other words, fragrances for body products or something like. But these 2 are quite different.
Entirely agree that L'AP has more interesting scents, but JM probably has more crowd-pleasers — so not surprised that is where the line is. Good luck getting a sample, and do see if they'll give you the light one too — they are nice to layer.
I sniffed Sycamore last night at Bergdorfs. I liked it but didn't find it overly masculine.
R, it does remind me of something – maybe the old Caron Campagne, as previously mentioned? Or perhaps, a fruit jube or candy of some type? It really smells like something with a dusting of icing sugar overtop – it's the perfume that most captures the “feel” and smell of icing sugar to me. That makes it sound awful, but it's quite nice – smart, I would say. Not really my sort of thing – more of a 4-star on my personal rating scale and there are other Kenzos I prefer – but I'd still recommend it. Especially if you get it for cheap, like me! 🙂
Hangs head in shame…
I think I'm about to get thrown out of the perfumistas union.
LOL — you certainly are! But then, I'll probably get thrown out for not liking Mitsouko & Feminite du Bois, so there you are.
Mitsouko, we'll forgive you. FdB? Immortal or not, Ms. K., you have feet of clay!!
Bizarrely, someone on POL is saying the Monsoon smells like a fruity floral to her – I am really confused now…
I'm so excited, I just HAVE to share!! Robin, at lunch I ran to Holt Renfrew to check out these two new Jo Malones. Very, very nice.
BUT, here's the thing: I went over to the Frederic Malle counter to once again see if I could “get” Therese. And, finally. . .I CAN!!!!
It was all there — the spice, the flowers, the melon, the peach — and I actually LIKED the aldehydes. I mean, I love this fragrance. It is a total masterpiece. But I couldn't appreciate it until now.
I know exactly why. Thanks to you and contributors and your learned friends on other notable sites (where I've lurked for ages), I am slowly becoming educated. Thanks to you guys, I've taken the time and spent the money to buy and swap a bunch of samples to expose my naive nose to a range of scents. I've just been hitting the Carons and Piguets and Patous hard in the last couple of weeks, and that's probably what has enabled me to go back to Therese with a whole new understanding of what it's all about. Another milestone: I'm beginning to ADORE a good chypre, whereas before they invariably sent me scrubbing!!
Just wanted to let you know how good I feel about this. . .and to thank you. All of you!
P.S. Oops, plums, not peaches!
P.P.S. I had originally posted on the FM Therese thread months and months ago, thinking I'd “gotten” it then, but I back-tracked on my opinion on another FM thread. I got that queasy feeling. I'm so happy I'm “cured”!
Alas. They are different. Damn. I really wish I hadn't tested side-by-side now. There is a slightly annoying department-store topnote (like my technical language?) in the new sample where the spice-and-oud hit used to be. I'll check back in for the dry down.
More upset about this than I should be. It was my new love and I'd been putting off driving out to Neiman's with my saved-up gift card. Darn! Crossing my fingers for the dry down…
My bottle still has not yet arrived, so I am NOT LISTENING!
Ah but no, perfumista rule no. 1 is “thou shalt value no perfume above Mitsouko”.
LOL…
You know, PdT is not always easy to wear — it is very high on my list of the great perfumes of all time, but there are days when it is too much. So getting that queasy feeling is understandable. But glad you can add it to your list of loves 🙂
Hey, “slightly annoying department store topnote” is perfectly precise, I know just what you mean. Weird, because that implies that it isn't just the sandalwood that is MIA, but maybe some of the oud too. Drat and double drat.
LOL. Glad you said that, Robin, cuz about twenty minutes after I posted, I started to feel queasy again!! 🙁
You're right about the “too much” factor. It's like some rich, grown-up type foods you adore but can only handle a little of at one sitting. Ah, we could call it the Stilton Cheese Effect!
The stars have to be perfectly aligned, LOL…
They dry down is slightly better (writing this for posterity — I do read all the comments when I browse your archives!) but the oud is definitely MIA along with the sandalwood. My guess is that they substituted a cheaper and/or synthetic blend for the sandalwood, since I'm getting that peanutty note I get for Bois de Farine, rather than the gorgeous woody oud/sandalwood combo I get in my (alarmingly low and profligately sprayed!) decant.
Would also like to note that when I received my current decant I was disappointed in the amount of sillage compared to the sample I had tried (as sample which I *gave away* — pause for brief mourning period) so I'm betting this is isn't the first reformulation.
Victoria F. did write on BdJ the other day that they are replanting the Mysore sandalwood groves and that if we are patient those raw materials will be available again. Wish I had more faith in the possibility that they (anyone!) might reformulate something to be better and more expensive rather than the other direction…
Sigh.
Well at least I love my newest impulse buy…
A, I'm going to link from the 10CC article to here for anyone who wants to see your comments.
Hey — that would require some SERIOUS patience. And by then, IFRA will have outlawed the use of real sandalwood anyway, right?
I can only hope my nose is wrong, but thank you for the link. You are so meticulous, and we all rely on you that way–thank you.
You'll have to ask V. about the sandalwood — she sounded so calm and assured about it!
Water Lily seems to be a popular thing now. It is the third Water Lily thing I met in a short time.
Yep — I think The Body Shop just did one as well.
I will not be able to be meticulous on this issue though — haven't the time or resources to “re-smell” and compare new vs old for every fragrance on any kind of regular basis. Anything old w/ lots of sandalwood is now suspect, and clearly the Carons are suspect 🙁
Hi all,
Just tried the Kohdo Wood Collection, and purchsed Lotus Blossom & Water Lily but am regretting it now. Usually, frags last well on me, but no such luck with the LBWL. It is lovely layered with the Nectarine/Honey, but otherwise doesn't last at all. Bummer ….
I consider it a lesson learned, never buy on the first sniff…..
I believe they are coming out with the Bath Oil soon, although Saks isn't going to carry it year-round, per the SA.
Oh, that is a shame! It doesn't do so badly on me.
Hello! I just subscribed to this blog (which I have been reading for, hmmm, just about 2 years?!). I just bought Joe Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily. I had promised myself NOT to buy any perfume for at least 6 months (I just lost my job) because I have about 50 bottles that are not even half empty… But I fell in love with Dark Amber & Ginger lily, HELP me! I cannot stop sniffing myself!! I paid 110$ for the 100ml. Love has a price.
I am so sorry to hear about your job and hope you find another very soon! Meanwhile, you might as well have the 100 ml since it's limited edition 🙂
Just wanted to pop back in to comment that I received samples of both the Kohdo Wood scents last night and liked them both.
This may sound funny, but I really think Burberry Brit for Men could be bottled as “Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Extrême” and they'd get away with it. Or Dark Amber could be called “Brit for Men Lite/Fresh”. I do like it, but was surprised how similar it is to my Burberry, and I doubt I need both. If anyone else detects a similarity, please email me so I know I'm not completely crazy.
I like the Lotus Blossom a lot — there's something very Asian about it to my nose, and the freshness/cleanness of it doesn't bother me at all. I can tell it would not last long, so not sure if I'd be willing to shell out for a bottle, but it was definitely nice. A decant may be in order, or I'll check out the prices for 30ml.
Interesting, I will have to try it next to the Brit for men.
The 30 ml is around $50, IIRC.
For what it's worth, I wanted to report back that I chatted online a couple weeks ago with a rep on the Jo Malone site and they said they don't plan to have any more in stock there since the scents are LE. Called my local Saks and they only had 100ml of the Lotus Blossom, but the terrific SA located a 30ml bottle for me at another store and had it shipped. Seems that whatever stock is floating around out there is all we're gonna get… for now.
Interesting. It seems like it sold pretty quickly, so maybe they'll make more? Or maybe do more in this collection, that would be nice too.
Gosh – Lotus Blossom & Water Lily is so sweet! And I agree that Dark Amber & Ginger Lily is anything but dark or dangerously sensual. They're both very tame.
Just to let you know:
Both fragrances are from Takasago. I know that Andr.ea Lupo and Carl.os Vinals worked on this project. I can't tell for sure, but them both is more likely to be from Andr.ea.
Just an inside piece of information ; )
Thanks!
Agree on tame, although daring for Jo Malone, I think — not the usual style of the brand.
These two fragrances are making a comeback at Holt Renfrew in Toronto. They’re arriving soon (April 09), but will only have a limited number. The SA told me they’re taking names and will be selling it on a first come, first served basis. Despite the apparent exclusivity, I wasn’t taken enough to sign up for one. I received a sample of Lotus Blossom and Water Lily. For me it’s not spicy and warm enough to be sexy, yet not fresh or pretty enough to be irresistible. Both are interesting though, and worth a sniff.
Yes, they’re coming back in the US as well, also for a limited time. I liked the Amber much better than the Lotus…but am tempted by the Lotus too.
I got a sample of the Lotus when I ordered the Amber, so finally have sniffed it. Couldn’t make up my mind, and then my husband said it smelled like an insect repellent they have in Finland, and he couldn’t get past that association. And now that he mentioned it… it does sort of have that feel to it, as do the FLB and OB samples that came along. LOL! Think I’ll test them come mosquito season, since they all smell better than any insect repellent I’ve tried. 😀
Ack! Did not smell like bug spray to me, LOL…but maybe we just don’t have such nice bug sprays in the US 🙂
No, nor to me on my own either. Once the idea was there though… well, see what happens next time you smell it. LOL!
Luckily I have a terrible short term memory!
Just exquisite! I’m simply addicted. But I too find myself needing to refresh several times through out the day, and yet no one seems to smell it unless they’re virtually nuzzling my neck. 20 squirts, and it’s non existant. Is there anyway around this?
Not that I know of, although a rich lotion might make it last a bit longer.
I use Bath and Body Works Jasmine Vanilla body lotion and then spray on Dark Ginger and Amber Lily. The scent lasts all day long and they compliment each other.
Although I knew of Jo Malone, I was not familiar with their scents, yet that did not deter me from recently purchasing the Lotus Blossom & Water Lily Cologne on the spot. It was difficult to decide between the Dark Amber & Ginger Lily and the Lotus Blossom & Water Lily limited edition collections, however, as I was looking for a daytime perfume I chose the former. Unfortunately, I regret that I did not do my research before buying the perfume. I have been disappointed to find that the perfume hardly lasts for longer than a few minutes(!). For a pricier perfume, I would expect so much more. My lesson has been to get a sample before making a rash purchase – I’d recommend others to do the same.
So sorry! That is a common complaint with the JM brand, and in general, there’s little correlation between price & lasting power.
I have finally decided to light my Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Home Candle (at AU$100, it certainly is an indulgence). The fragrance really is beautiful, as is the stained dark glass votive.
Just wish candles lasted forever!
Thanks, glad to hear the candles are nice!