Roasted Oak Absolute
Jo Malone English Oak & Hazelnut is a slight departure for the house, not in temperament, but in structure. The top notes contain no citruses or the sort of charming, easy opening you’d expect in a Jo Malone. And if you’re expecting a gourmand-y roasted hazelnut, forget about that too. This opens intensely green and sharp, with a raw hazelnut accord surrounded by moss. It fairly quickly transitions to a heart of vetiver, cedar and elemi, which act as a transition between the green top and the woody base. Once in the heart, the roasted oak becomes more evident and dominates the remainder of the fragrance. For all you Aventus fans, dare I say there is a slight resemblance here, definitely not in volume and tenacity, but in that addictively smokey-sweet concept.
While the oak has a deep and rich quality, the fragrance remains light and airy throughout in that typical Jo Malone style, and will last the workday. If you’re in the Jo Malone fan club, you’ll probably appreciate that, and it makes this a woody fragrance that fans of lighter fresh citruses like me can also enjoy. If you’re not in the Jo Malone fan club, you already know you’ll have the usual complaints. Even so, I think it’s worth getting a sample of this to experience this new raw material, and you can look forward to a few years from now when other houses use it in a way (or in a concentration) you'll appreciate more.
If you've tried this fragrance, I'd be interested to hear what you thought of it.
Jo Malone English Oak & Hazelnut is a slight departure for the house, not in temperament, but in structure. The top notes contain no citruses or the sort of charming, easy opening you’d expect in a Jo Malone. And if you’re expecting a gourmand-y roasted hazelnut, forget about that too. This opens intensely green and sharp, with a raw hazelnut accord surrounded by moss. It fairly quickly transitions to a heart of vetiver, cedar and elemi, which act as a transition between the green top and the woody base. Once in the heart, the roasted oak becomes more evident and dominates the remainder of the fragrance. For all you Aventus fans, dare I say there is a slight resemblance here, definitely not in volume and tenacity, but in that addictively smokey-sweet concept.
While the oak has a deep and rich quality, the fragrance remains light and airy throughout in that typical Jo Malone style, and will last the workday. If you’re in the Jo Malone fan club, you’ll probably appreciate that, and it makes this a woody fragrance that fans of lighter fresh citruses like me can also enjoy. If you’re not in the Jo Malone fan club, you already know you’ll have the usual complaints. Even so, I think it’s worth getting a sample of this to experience this new raw material, and you can look forward to a few years from now when other houses use it in a way (or in a concentration) you'll appreciate more.
If you've tried this fragrance, I'd be interested to hear what you thought of it.
