If there’s one thing we all need during 2020 is a little bit of escapism. British perfume house Jo Malone London has just released its latest collection and it offers plenty of this. Titled Lost In Wonder it is inspired by the ancient Hanging Gardens. “Back in 2016, I visited an incredible exhibition that showcased depictions of ancient fabled gardens throughout history. I loved this idea of fantasy and faraway lands, and I was captivated by one story in particular – that of the mythical ‘Hanging Gardens’,” explains Celine Roux the Global Head of Fragrance for Jo Malone.
What followed was the team diving into volumes of books and speaking to archaeology professors from Oxford to discover more about the legends. The discovery? A story of a king who planted a lush hillside garden. Creating it for his queen who missed her homeland, he filled it with lush greenery and bountiful fruit trees. In order to capture this story, two talented perfumers were brought on board, Sophie Labbe and Alexis Dadier.
Two blends have been created. “We were drawn to some really interesting ingredients: during our research, we discovered that the king liked to go into the gardens to hand-pick ripe figs for his breakfast and that lotus flowers were often used for their scent during the king’s receptions in the gardens,” explains Roux. This inspired the first juice, a light composition titled Fig & Lotus Flower. The team succeeded in bringing to life a watery fig that felt elevated by hints of lotus flower, with the juice also offering a feeling of greenness inspired by the lush, lively gardens.
The second composition is entitled Cypress & Grapevine. Blending together the natural note of the cypress tree which is extracted using steam distillation, the grapevine had to be translated into an accord. Built around a modern Fougere accord, the scent offers a more masculine feel to it. For those that love to experiment and layer, Roux suggests pairing it with Jo Malone London’s wood Sage & Sea Salt fragrance. “It uplifts Cypress & Grapevine with an unexpected salty twist,” she explains.