Jo Malone’s latest limited edition collection is inspired by the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands…
‘To create the collection, global head of fragrance Celine Roux and perfumers Ann Filpo, Marie Salamange and Yann Vasnier travel to Scotland through memories and imaginations to distil its essence in fragrance. The result transports you to an extraordinary place steeped in history, imbued with mystique and breath-taking beauty.’
‘The untamed beauty of the Scottish Highlands inspires a new limited-edition collection comprised of four scents, exploring vivid landscapes of rugged highlands, misty moors, crumbling castles and mysterious lochs. ‘Often, when we think of the British countryside, we think of something that’s a bit more orderly, a bit more groomed,’ says Céline. ‘But with the Scottish Highlands, nature runs wild in such a dramatic way. We really wanted to embrace this with this collection. The idea that however much you may try to control nature, when left to its own devices it just takes over.’
I have two fragrances from the collection to share with you today – Wild Achillea and Mallow on the Moor.
Wild Achillea is actually a re-introduction, rather than a new fragrance. This was initially launched in the Wild Flowers & Weeds collection from 2019. This is a wonderfully green, almost wet fragrance, with a photorealistic ‘fresh cut grass’ or ‘tomato leaf’ type aroma, though these notes are actually not in the scent. Wild Achillea opens with a striking green and fresh neroli note, blended with sparkling bergamot and nettle. The heart includes aquatic floral waterlily, and the base features soft white musk. This is a bright and vibrant fragrance, that’s not too sweet. It makes me think of walking in a sunny spring garden in the morning, the grass has just been cut, the flowers are in bud, and you’re surrounded with vivid green vegetation growing around you.
- Top Notes: Neroli
- Heart Notes: Waterlily
- Base Notes: White Musk
Mallow On The Moor is my favourite of the two, and I’d say it’s quite the polar opposite to Wild Achillea. Where Wild Achillea is vibrant, and tangy, Mallow on the Moor is powdery, soothing and calming. Mallow on the Moor opens with fresh, green violet leaf, to brighten up the scent, while the heart includes a soft and powdery mallow accord with floral notes of orris and heliotrope, leading to a base of warm and rich roasted oak, to represent the earthy texture of the moors. This fragrance makes me think of having a relaxing siesta in a flower garden on a warm summer’s day, surrounded by purple heliotrope and iris flowers, and you just feel so warm, comfortable and content. This scent is so beautifully soft and comforting, it feels like you’re being caressed into the most wonderful cocoon of soft flowers – this one is a must try!
- Top Notes: Violet Leaf
- Heart Notes: Mallow
- Base Notes: Heliotrope
Also in the collection are –
Melancholy Thistle – Anne Flipo describes the fragrance as ‘a celebration of the raw nature of the Highlands, where the elements run wild, and where ivy and honeysuckle grow in the cracks of castle walls. We combined a thistle accord with various natural elements to create that sense of wildness: creating a woody, green effect, with aqueous facets to capture the idea of wildflowers growing among wet stones. We harnessed Headspace technology to capture the natural scent of English ivy, which lends leafy green herbal notes, added natural patchouli for elegance and a special molecule called Coolwood to replicate the smell of moss on wet stone. Natural broom – a flower that grows in abundance in Scotland, with butter-yellow flowers that are favourites of the bees – added a honey-like touch.’
And Highland Heather is described as an elegant, enticing and fresh fragrance. ‘I was fascinated by how heather turns whole hillsides purple when in bloom, attracting bees that make the most prized honey,’ Anne remarks. ‘Heather offers aromatic, woody notes, as well as fresh florals, both of which were represented in our heather accord. To this we added cypress and vetiver for naturality and amber for sensuality. Towards the end of the development, we blended in English lavender to really emphasise that purple, aromatic appeal so beloved of the bees.’
The Jo Malone Highlands fragrance collection is available now at Jo Malone, Selfridges and Lookfantastic.
