Photos by Charney Magri

I was recently invited for tea and macarons with the Jo Malone’s London team to celebrate the launch of Jo Malone’s Saffron fragrance. Jo Malone is a brand that I have grown to love after understanding more about the background, and appreciating the brand, and the power of scent. I recently sat down with the team to really learn more about the intense range, the choice of including oud in their scents, and how to make sure our scents last all day long.

A little background on the Saffron scent… however you must drop by to one of the stores to check it out (my favorites are in Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates). The notes of the fragrance includes Incense, Saffron and Blond Wood – a great layering base. Here is how my chat with Celine Roux, Product development director and Debbie Wild, Lifestyle director went…

The ladies were telling me they felt there was a need for new fragrances around precious ingredients, that had more strength and more masculine. “We were interested in Oud, so we decided to incorporate it into a range called the Intense range. We didn’t want it to be too heavy, so we mixed our first oud fragrance in 2005 with Bergamote. The Oud with a twist… Modern & contemporary.”

 

How was it creating the Saffron Fragrance?

It was a challenge creating the Saffron fragrance. Saffron can be seen as foody, so we had to be careful that the fragrance is sophisticated, yet still smell the Saffron. We mixed with Iris, Pink Pepper, which gives a great layer finish. This is the 7th fragrance in the Intense range.

 

How regular do you introduce a fragrance?

Once a year.

 

What tip would you give on wearing a fragrance?

The brand, Jo Malone London is all about layering and tailoring your fragrance. We like the Saffron mixed with Oud & Bergamote – my husband has started wearing that mix, so I have to change my combination now…

 

How is the Middle East thought of when creating a new fragrance?

The Middle East is really at the core. We come down 2-3 times a year, work with perfumers here, bring our stylists, do mini focus groups with our customers over tea. We like to listen to them… The Middle East are all about layering their fragrances too.

 

How does a new scent get developed?

It really starts from a moment or an ingredient. In this case, it was all about the intensity of Saffron – the color, the scent. Saffron is just as important as a rose or Oud.

 

How do we get our fragrance lasting all day?

This is the perfect question for us… Start with a body cream – our creams are really scented – high percentage of scent. Apply that first and then apply your fragrance – either the same scent, or a different one to achieve your tailored mix. Fragrance lasts longer when your skin is hydrated.