While researching elements for Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac  & Marigold Cologne Intense, Céline Roux, Head of Fragrance Development for Jo Malone, paid a visit to India. "I traveled … to witness the moment the flower is picked…surrounded by serene countryside and beautiful women in saris treating the buds like precious jewels." For thousands of years India has been a thriving center of floriculture. Descriptions of flowers and gardens can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts like the Rig Veda, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Le Tuen©

Today the wildly colorful, fragrant Indian flower markets are still awash with garlands of blossoms and cut and loose flowers – marigolds, jasmine, aster, and so many more.  With Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense, Céline Roux and Mathilde Bijaoui of Mane (the perfumer for Poppy and Barley  and the limited edition English Fields Collection ) have captured  the mystique of Jasmine, the Queen of Flowers, in an unusual, exotic  combination of notes. 

Photo via Tumblr

When I was a child in Florida, the scent of Jasmine sambac was central to my young life. I was ten years old when my mother planted three small Jasmine sambac cuttings near a trellis by the front door of the house.  Very soon the cuttings took root and in less than two years the little twigs had grown into a large vines that covered the trellis and scented the night air with their ever-so relaxing perfume. In the evenings, as the fragrance of jasmine filled our home, my siblings and I fell asleep to the exotic perfume of the star shape flowers and to the songs of the summer frogs in the garden.  As a little girl I imagined a spirit – the djinn who lived in our jasmine vines – curling and wisping from the heart of the blossoms, through the walls of the house and into my bedroom, bringing me gentle sleep and sweet dreams.

Via Jo Malone

To this day I find jasmine oils, both J. sambac and J. grandiflora, to be intoxicating and almost narcotic. Some people say that the relaxing and aphrodisiac qualities of jasmine help them focus, but that is not the case for me.  Jasmine oil (even in a 10% dilution) might as well be an alcoholic nightcap – a sleep accelerant!  Jasmine sambac is a little greener and edgier than J.  grandiflora, but I find that a couple whiffs of either one and it's time for bed.  Thankfully this spring Jo Malone has come to my rescue with the new Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense, a jasmine I can wear all day long and still keep my eyes open.  I believe the secret is in the marigold!

Marigold painting by Gail

“Marigold is a fairly unusual ingredient. Its fruity and aromatic facets contrast harmoniously with the fresh and natural tones of Jasmine sambac. Together they capture the vibrancy of an Indian flower market.”– Mathilde Bijaoui, Master Perfumer from MANE

Jasmine collage by Michelyn

Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold opens with the fresh, spicy, aromatic qualities of marigold, burnished with the slightly metallic sheen of bright yellow flowers and just enough bitter green marigold leaves to keep me on my toes. This edgy marigold is nestled in the soft, sweet and peachy warmth of ylang ylang. From the very beginning I sense there is jasmine present, but rather than sinking into my mother's antique fainting couch in a jasmine induced swoon, I am revived by whispers of ketonic herbaceous "smelling salts"  – the tagetes – just enough to keep me alert as the fragrance begins to bloom with sambac.  The heart of the perfume is the danger zone for me! This is where the Queen of Flowers starts wafting her intoxicating swirls of methyl anthranilate and indoles.

Gail's bottle of Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense

I feel myself succumbing to the sultry pleasures of the Yasmin flower. Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold has me in her thrall. I am now burying my nose in my wrists and occasionally losing track of the world around me, at once demanding everyone in earshot to "smell this beauty"!  After about three hours the jasmine begins to lose ground to an almost gourmand combination of vanilla, benzoin and amber.

 

Raja Ravi Varma, Lady with the Jasmine flower garland©

There are still traces of the sambac and even a bit of the tagetes, but I feel that I am now in control as the fragrance lingers and finally disappears after a total of about six hours on my skin. Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Intense is not your typical white flower fragrance, but rather a perfume of many colors, vibrant whites, bright metallic yellows, spring greens and peachy tones – a fragrance suited to starry nights under blooming Jasmine vines and long afternoons in sunny gardens. Notes: Marigold (tagetes), ylang, Jasmine sambac benzoin, vanilla, and amber.

Disclaimer:  Sincere thanks to Jo Malone for my treasured bottle of Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense.  My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

Art Direction:  Michelyn Camen – Editor in Chief

Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense: 100ml Cologne $180 /50ml Cologne $120 is available at jomalone.com and at Jo Malone London boutiques nationwide.