I tend to get worried when long-standing companies begin their latest press releases with a statement about how this is the “New…More Modern…..Quirky” version of the line. Often those phrases are the harbinger of something less than what came before; more flash and less substance. Even so sometimes there are good companies which I might think do need an image overhaul and I believe it can do them some good. The latest example of a company trying to go from stiff British upper lip to “quirky” is Jo Malone. In the press release for their latest release Wild Bluebell I was greeted with a very different photo than what Jo Malone has used in the past. Instead of a bottle surrounded by its ingredients the Wild Bluebell photo has a luxe-grunge princess  lounging on a bed of bluebells in front of an oversized bottle of Wild Bluebell with a couple of white rabbits thrown in. This was not the old static bottle photos that came before.

Sometimes with the image makeover the perfume house can also have a creative makeover as well. Jo Malone has become a very reliable line for my tastes especially since Christine Nagel has taken over as in-house perfumer and after the picture I began to read the words and realized that the change at Jo Malone was all image but the substance, the juice, that still carried the same creativity Mme Nagel brings to her fragrances.

Wild Bluebell feels like a natural partner and progression from the spring release by Mme Nagel for Jo Malone Sakura Cherry Blossom. Sakura Cherry Blossom was a lightly floral paean to the possibilities of Spring and fairly burst with life. Wild Bluebell feels like the waning days of Summer and the early Fall as you try to sniff the flowers one more time before winter snatches it away for good. Wild Bluebell carries the same light floral character of Sakura Cherry Blossom but it has a fresher quality to it which is quite attractive to me.

In the opening moments of Wild Bluebell that is all you smell fresh sweet floralcy courtesy of the titular note. Then Mme Nagel throws a bit of spice underneath in clove. I really liked the choice of clove as counterpoint to the freshness as it roughs up the innocent bluebell; a little like our poster girl in the picture. Mme Nagel then lets lily of the valley add to the fresh floral nature and also includes a bit of jasmine to make it slightly sweeter; not a lot just a little. The end game of Wild Bluebell is all white amber and musk, kept sheer and lilting, perfectly balanced so as not to intrude but to slowly take you away from the garden and into the house.

Wild Bluebell has overnight longevity and above average sillage, both unusual for a Jo Malone release.

I’m still on the fence about the image makeover but thankfully the image makeover did not carry through to the perfumer’s atelier, which is a relief. Christine Nagel is putting an indelible imprint on Jo Malone and over these last few releases has been creating an outstanding body of work and Wild Bluebell is just another example of it.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Jo Malone

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

What do you think  about the  the new "makeover" and or Christine Nagel as a perfumer in residence for the Company?  

 

Editor's Note  Jo Malone’s new Creative Director James Gager. who comes with a great resume of helping brands cement their places in the marketplace as both clever and cool. Gager was formerly Senior Vice President Creative Director for MAC Cosmetics Worldwide, and rightly described by the Lauder group’s John Demsey as a “game-changer.  He began conceptualising all creative activity for M.A.C in 1999; and is the man responsible for Lady Gaga for Viva Glam 2011 .  Since M.A.C  is the number one makeup artist brand in the world; I am looking forward to seeing what  he will do  with  Jo Malone and perfume