New Perfume Review: Ormonde Jayne Black Gold (Harrods Exclusive) + Gilded Sandalwood Fragrance Draw

black gold  ormonde jayne london

Photo:  © Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! Edited by Alistair O’Neill with photography by Nick Knight 

I have wanted an opportunity to review Ormonde Jayne fragrances for ages and never found a window of calm, despite being a huge fan of Creative Director Linda Pilkington’s luxurious and hushed fragrances. I have a fierce passion for her close and embracing  Ormonde Jayne Tolu… a scent that seems to whisper secrets to skin. Her Frangipani is also heaven sent, tumbling blooms tossed with plum and orchid oil. Linda is about the combination of sensual French classicism, quirky British craftsmanship and the alluring glamour of oriental perfumery. Combining these elements seamlessly in one line is ambitious, but the quiet, determined frisson that the fragrances diffuse is proof that Linda Pilkington’s long quest to become a perfumer was well worth the struggle.

linda pilkington and geza schoen for ormonde jayne

Linda Pilkington and Perfumer Geza Schoen on the Orient Express

Ormonde Jayne’s Black Gold is new and exclusive to Harrods, starting life on the Orient Express (appropriately enough) as a conversation between Linda and Harrods Merchandise Manager Mia Collins. The talk was of oudh – a favourite of the Harrods clientele but rendered with grace and harmonious sensuality, light years away from many of the bitter or faux oudh formulations that proliferate the niche market. Linda and perfumer Geza Schoen have focused on the finest materials available to them and this is reflected in the luxury price of £420 (approx 701.00 USD as of today) for a 120ml bottle eau de parfum. This may seem an excessive price for fragrance, but in this increasingly plasticized and synthetic world, it can feel almost sexy spending money on scent with heft, refinement and absolute soul.

sandalwood in perfumes

 Mysore Sandalwood

Haute quality sandalwood should flow like cream across skin, radiating a latescent odour of calm and anchorage. Due to the restrictions of harvesting and the cost of the raw material, many fragrance houses use aromachemicals such as Ebanol, Fleursandol, Javanol and Polysantol to enrich their perfumers’ palettes, suggesting holographic sandalwood effects in their juice. But nothing really comes close to the effect of real sandalwood. It is the difference between simple wool and the languorous thrill of slinky cashmere.

ormonde jayne black gold

Ormonde Jayne Black Gold Perfume

Santalum Album or Mysore sandalwood is one of the most aromatic natural sources of sandalwood in the world. The problem is sustainability. Demand outstrips supply and over the years this has driven up the prices to extraordinary levels. The yield is approximately 1kg per 20kg of wood, using a hydro distillation process. Linda has apparently used a second distillation of the final rectification, where only certain ingredients are collected at a very precise boiling point. This results in a final product of unparalleled purity and aroma. Linda said: ‘Finding a sandalwood 20 classes better than other sandalwoods… and that voyage was the lengthiest… was the most enjoyable aspect in the creation of Black Gold.’

Tao Okamoto by Lachlan Bailey for Vogue China’s December 2012

Tao Okamoto by Lachlan Bailey for Vogue China’s December 2012

Black Gold itself is quietly majestic, a scent of sweet, subdued darkness. The first impression I get is antique lacquered wood and a scent of plum compote, flavoured with star anise. The wood note is distinctly Chinese to my nose, cellar-old, cinnabar red and dusty. Oils glisten on the skin where I spray and my wrist is gently sticky, such is the concentration of the perfume. As the scent develops, a sweet, nutmeg-tinted Pekoe note rises through. I think this is the slow bloom of the carnation absolute unfurling its clovey sugars. Ambrette, schinus molle (an aromatic Peruvian pink berry), patchouli and a haze of precious oudh add facets of nutmeg, tannin, mace and smoked black tea to the body of this complex scent. It is to Linda Pilkington's and Geza Shoen’s credit that the much-vaunted absolutes are assembled and layered with dexterity and luminosity.

black gold  ormonde jayne

Natasha Poly by Willy Vanderperre for Vogue China November 2012

I find lovely layers in Black Gold, the lacquered woods and the odour of heritage stately rooms, untouched by time. The drydown is languid and regal, moving slowly as if weighted down by scented silks and the workmanship of a thousand nimble fingers. I know the oudh is important, but ultimately for me this perfume is about sandalwood, glowing and soothing with reassuringly deluxe effect. I imagine everyone has an idea of what they think sandalwood smells like.

isabella blow fashion collection nick knight

Photo:  © Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! Edited by Alistair O’Neill with photography by Nick Knight

Somehow this shifting elusive elixir manages to capture the enigma and creamy comfort of one of nature’s most sensual raw materials. As the hours pass, the wood becomes ghostly and close, I love this fading heat and final moment of sweet departure from the skin. Black Gold is a truly beautiful manifestation of woody desire.

The Silver Fox, Senior Contributor and Editor of The Silver Fox.

Disclosure: I received my sample from Ormonde Jayne

Editor’s Note: For an in depth understanding on the sourcing and high quality ingredients used in Black Gold, please read Linda Pilkington’s detailed notes here. Art direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

Thanks to Ormonde Jayne we have a worldwide draw for a generous sample of Black Gold which is a Harrods Exclusive. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you found interesting about The Silver Fox’s review, your favorite Ormonde Jayne perfume and where you live. Draw ends 8/18/2014.

We announce the winners only on site and our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will just be spilled perfume.

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48 comments

  • Nancy Knows says:

    Dear God did you make me want this! Tolu is my favorite Ormonde Jayne and this one sounds insanely good with the creaminess of the sandalwood. The whole idea of Mysore sandalwood is an elusive desire and I love those fragrances that leave you always longing. I am in the US and I also love the art Michelyn used in this piece.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    cant contain my excitement…mysore sandalwood, lacquered wood, and plum…i guess this is the draw i am most excited about in a long time..thanks for the generosity, Linda. I am in the US.

  • Oh, i love to hear about the handicraft behind the fancy bottles,so thats definetly the most intriguing part for me, and surely feel tempted to get a whiff of that sandalwood! Crossing all crossable bodyparts !:)

  • julesinrose says:

    Great review! I’ve really been enjoying all of the Silver Fox’s reviews, btw.

    I’d love to smell real Mysore sandalwood. I’m not sure that I have. I burn Japanese sandalwood incense every day and love the smell. This scent, with a smoked tea note? Sounds like heaven indeed.

    Tolu is also my favorite Ormande Jayne fragrance.

    In the US still.

  • This sounds amazing! It is definitely going on my must sample list, and then probably on my “if only” wish list after! I find it really fascinating that they are doing a second distillation on the sandalwood to refine its scent, as I think we have all seen the changes and decline of sandalwood oils over the years. Excellent review, you have my nose just begging to smell it!

  • Laquered wood and plum compote, count me in! My favorite Ormonde Jayne is Champaca and I’m in the US.

  • Black Gold sounds fantastic, would love to try this one. I like a number of OJ fragrances, but Tolu is one of my all-time favorites ever. I’m in the US.

  • Pekoe and sandalwood and plum? Yes please 🙂 I have not tried any OJ fragrances yet. but I would love to do so. I am in the US, thank you!

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    I love how he describes the “plum compote” and “tannin”… it sounds absolutely lovely. My favorite OJ is Woman, a captivating scent. I would love to try another from the house! I am in the US. Thank you!

  • Great review. You had me at Mysore sandalwood. It’s one of my favorite perfume notes. It’ll be interesting to see how good this second distillation sandalwood is.
    My favorite from OJ is Ta’if.

    I’m in Canada. Thanks for the draw!

  • I enjoyed reading about the creative process involving real sandalwood. This fragrance sounds fantastic. My favorite OJ is Tolu.

    I live in the U.S. Thanks for this draw!

  • I am really curious for this fragrance. I liked the review a lot. I love the OJ line. I bought the discovery set and after that I wanted to have my own bottle of OJ woman and Frangipani. Ta’if and Tolu are still on my to buy list. It is a pity this one is only sold at Harrods London. But I would love to to have a sample and explore OJ more. I life in the Netherlands.

  • Ah! Drooling. I loved reading about the very involved process of harvesting sandalwood. My favorite OJ is probably Tolu, with Woman being a close second. I’m in the US.

  • What I found interesting in Silver Fox’s review concerning Black Gold perfume is the use of oudh not bitter or faux but real notes of oudh adding to the sensuality of this perfume along with the use of real sandalwood leaving a creamy effect, soothing to the senses with a touch of luxury .
    This really makes Black Gold a perfume to long to smell and wear.
    Unfortunately, I never had the chance to experience any of Ormonde Jayne’s perfumes so I have no favorite one.
    I live in EU and I thank you for the this lovely draw.

  • Everything about this sounds divine! Just the illustrations alone make me want this dark mysterious creation. I love a scent containing carnation, and with the Mysore and plum, it says sensuality! I live in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • This sounds lovely! I found it fascinating that the Silver Fox reported Linda Pilkington used a second distillation of sandalwood oil to get the scent she was seeking. I have been an OJ fan for a while, my favorite is Woman but Tolu is a close second. I’m in the US and would love a chance to try this. Thanks for the draw!

  • I found the Silver Fox’s description of this scent to be fascinating, giving such a sense of luxury that it couldn’t fail to entice anyone interested in fragrance. The comparison of wool to cashmere says it all, and the descriptors flesh out what is black and what is gold about this fragrance. My favorite OJ perfume is OJ Woman, which also has the feeling of richness and depth. I live in the US.

  • I was taken in by the description of the distinctly Chinese wood note, cinnabar red and dusty.
    I haven’t worn any OJ perfumes to have made a favorite. U.S.A.

  • What a fascinating review, so interesting that the creation of Black Gold was instigated on the Orient Express.
    So was this perfume aimed at the Middle Eastern shoppers who come to Harrods?
    Recently I bought OJ Tsarina and Qi, they are totally unique I think.
    I am in Australia and would love to sample Black Gold.

  • I like the bold, intriguing, seductive and daring style that makes most Silver Foxes perfume stories feel and sound like part of a novel, so inviting…

    from Warsaw, Poland

  • Sorry, it’s more like US$715. My favorite fragrances are built around sandlewood,hints of patchoulli, tobacco, nutmeg,.. I’m in the USA. Is it available here yet? Or when is it expected?

  • Donna Spiegel says:

    Black Gold…..the name alone takes you on a magical journey. It sounds mysterious and luxurious. There is something so extremely beautiful about this just with the name. Then you get into the notes. Plum compote. With all the foodie shows, that one just says it all. Delicious. Best of the best to make this and it is across the pond (I’m in the US) and cannot obtain this unless I go to London. I tried – I emailed OJ when I first heard about it.. What an incredible tease. that just makes it all the more desirable. Oh how I want this. What a great review. thank you for the draw. I really would love this one.

  • I want to smell this sandalwood that’s 20 classes better than other sandalwoods. 🙂 Probably Tolu is my favorite. usa

  • Words so beautifully put can create a lusting that seems to consume one to the point of madness.. Alex you have created a monster inside me 😉 I have that same fierce passion for Tolu, and that deep sweet loving embrace of Frangipani. There truly is nothing better than Mysore Sandalwood.. done right. I am in the US and oh how I desire BLACK GOLD… Thanks for the generous draw…

  • I love the imagery resulting from reading “I find lovely layers in Black Gold, the lacquered woods and the odour of heritage stately rooms, untouched by time. The drydown is languid and regal, moving slowly as if weighted down by scented silks and the workmanship of a thousand nimble fingers.”

    My favorite OJ (not orange juice) is Woman. Sadly, I haven’t smelled much else, so this opportunity is very welcome!

    Thanks for the draw. I am in the US.

  • I like the review, makes me really want to try this fragrance. What I find interesting about the review is the “sticky feeling after I spray my hand, such is the concentration of the oils” very nice observation, that I appreciate, because with perfumes I like to pleasure other senses than smell, also sight – how the bottle looks like, how the bottle feels in my hand and this is yet another feeling, how it feels on my skin… I have not tried Ormonde Jayne yet. I am from EU. Thank you for the draw!

  • I am most interested in the natural sandalwood used in this scent. The fact that it was conceived on the Orient Express adds mystery and romance to the scent. My favorite Ormonde Jayne scent is Woman. I live in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • The sumptuous descriptions of the ingredients and the layers of scent in this fragrance are breathtaking. This review makes me want to take a deep inhalation and relax under the spell of sandalwood and oudh. The only Ormonde Jayne fragrance I am familiar with is Tiare, and it is a beautiful creation. I am in the US. Thank you for the fragrant inspiration and for the generous draw.

  • What a poetic review! The description of the oudh and sandalwood have me champing at the bit to try this. I’ve only tried one Ormonde Jayne frag, and that’s the shimmering, lovely Osmanthus. I live in Pueblo, CO, USA. Thank you for the chance to experience this rarity.

  • I found the process of distillation so fascinating. I had never really understood it before.I adore Sandalwood especially the Royal Hawaiian that I buy from time to time. I have tried the Ormonde Jayne scent called Woman and loved it! I would love to try this one. I live in the US

  • I found the process of distillation so fascinating. I had never really understood it before.I adore Sandalwood especially the Royal Hawaiian that I buy from time to time. I have tried the Ormonde Jayne scent called Woman and loved it! I would love to try this one. I live in the US.

  • I love the descriptions, so poetic. This combo sounds so delicious and sensuous with the refinement that only these two, the Sandalwood and Oud bring to the party. I did get to sample Tolu once when I was in the US, very accomplished. I am International, Thanks for the draw.

  • What a lovely, lyrical review! It is apparent that much passion and commitment to quality went into the making of this complex and luminous fragrance. I’d love to try it! I own 4 Ormonde Jayne fragrances…love them all, but perhaps Tolu is my favorite. I live in the US. Thanks for such a special draw!

  • Jennifer Witt says:

    Languid and regal Sandalwood! Dreamy! I would love to win this fragrance. I live in the US.

  • The Silver Fox says:

    Hello everyone! just wanted to say thank you all for the kind remarks and reactions to my Black Gold review. I loved writing abut this. It is one of the mos sensual wood perfumes I’ve put on my skin in years and felt incredibly special. I rarely review samples, only fragrances I own or buy. I made an exception as Linda and Geza’s perfume was so gorgeous. Despite heavy hype and claims from so many other brands , fragrances of this quality are actually rather rare. I have enjoyed very molecule of the wearing…

  • I was never try any of Ormonde Jayne perfume, but the review is gorgeous. I like the perfume name to, Black Gold, It’s sounds very interesting.
    I’m from Europe.

  • If the perfume is half as atmospheric and beguiling as this review, it is one of the all-time greats; the writing in this review is just gorgeous. I’m also very enticed by the description of the sandalwood and its interplay with the high-quality carnation. I love Ormonde Jayne fragrances; Ormonde Woman is easily in my personal top ten. I’m in the US; thanks for the draw!

  • Gerda van der Heyde says:

    No Ormonde Jayne in The Netherlands, but I was able to buy Tolu in Germany. Lovely! And now this review, of something that sounds so beautiful, so desirable. I loved to read what all there is to love in this fragrance. What more there is to desire besides oudh. The description of the development of this frangrance makes it so tempting. I would just be thrilled to try this. I live in The Netherlands.

  • Oh what lovely review and a chance I would never have!
    Oromonde Jayne is my favorite perfume house and I have oromonde woman, tolu,orris noir and frangipani
    I loved this perfume review and the beautiful art
    Please enter me USA reader and love cafleurebon!

  • Obviously the best part is the natural sandalwood angle. I think any perfumista would drool at the line offering sandalwood 20 times better than anything previously tried.
    ty

  • This sounds amazing! I found it interesting that Linda used a different distillation that will make a “sandalwood twenty classes above other sandalwoods.”

    My favorite OJ is Woman (love the unusual hemlock note!).

    Thanks for the draw … I am in the US.

  • I found the Silver Fox’s description of the development of Black Gold to be mesmerizing. This sounds like everything I love. Thanks for the draw, I’m in the U.S.

  • Wow, everything about Black Gold makes me crave it! Thank you Silver Fox, CFB, and OJ for the review and draw.
    Ormonde Jayne Woman is my favorite OJ fragrance, if I were more faithful it would be my Holy Grail personal scent. It makes me feel so alive, powerful, grounded, and myself when I wear it.

    Black Gold’s “sweet, subdued darkness”=instant love. The images of gilded forgotten treasures, and of seductive luxurious textures, are what I love about Silver Fox’s review. The attention to detail and quality sourcing are amazing.

    USA

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    I’ve been looking forward to a review of Black Gold since Cafleurebon introduced us a couple a months ago. I found the many intoxicating layers that The Silver Fox described to be very very interesting. And that flacon is beautiful! I’ve not yet tried any other Ormonde Jayne perfume. I live in the US.

  • I must say, the evocative imagery used to flesh out a description of this scent really got to me. The Silver Fox has me contemplating the scent of “sweet subdued darkness” and what this looks like. It has me picturing a dark Asian temple lit here and there by subtle candles only giving off muted light. I can wait to smell this fragrance, to see if it conjures the images in my mind that are already there just from reading this review.

    I’ve only tried Woman, Tolu, and Ta’if Rose but they are all incredibly stunning. I live in the US. Thank you for a beautiful review and giveaway. 🙂

  • It’s fascinating how a second distillation of the final rectification of the sandalwood doesn’t smell masculine but sweet and smooth as cream. It would be a privilege to sample Black Gold. Singapore.

  • Lovely review. While the price is high, it sounds like the ingredients may be worth every penny. I am a fan if the line and looking forward to the day when there is a US stockist so I can buy a bottle of Ta’if. I am in the US. Thanks for the draw.