I tried Jo Malone’s Rose Water & Vanilla when it was first released, but since I was under the impression that the “Cologne Intense Collection” (which included Rose Water & Vanilla) was a limited edition line, I didn’t bother to review it. Now that it seems to have become part of the permanent collection, I’ve revisited it and I’m still intrigued.
The Cologne Intense Collection is a group of “distinctive scents inspired by the rich, sensory experience of the Middle East,” and Rose Water & Vanilla is inspired by “delectable Turkish Delight”: “Rose Water and comforting vanilla are enriched with a succulent bite of rose loukoum. Tempting and addictive.” Elsewhere, Jo Malone describes this fragrance as “an elegant powdery scent that blends spicy sweet Orange Blossoms, the richness of Vanilla and an underlying smokiness from the agarwood.”
I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks back with fondness on the craze for loukhoum-inspired fragrances that swept through various perfume message boards in 2004…