Dark Amber & Ginger Lily by Jo Malone

Fragrance is such a personal choice, don’t you think? For me, nothing (maybe Coco Noir by Chanel) has come close to Tom Ford’s debut scent, Black Orchid since it launched in 2006, and I love it as much now as I did then. It’s almost hard to believe, but I’ve been wearing the same perfume for over a decade – that’s a sign of a modern day classic isn’t it?

However, despite my loyalty to (and obsession with) Black Orchid, last year I came across Jo Malone’s Dark Amber & Ginger Lily cologne while browsing the St Andrews store with my mum. We were most tempted by the Intense range (the dark bottles as opposed to the clear ones) and immediately fell in love with Dark Amber & Ginger Lily. After much ‘um-ing’ and ‘ah-ing’ we left empty handed, but later that year (2016) I surprised her with a bottle for Christmas. Needless to say, she was delighted and she’s worn it ever since, alongside her classic Chanel No.5 and original Bottega Veneta, both beautiful but better suited to mum than to me.

Isn’t it funny how fragrance can smell so different on different people? As I said, No.5 doesn’t sit well on me, but it’s so glamorous on my mum. Likewise, my sister-in-law often arrives in a gorgeous cloud of Coco Mademoiselle but when I tried it I felt like a little girl trying on her mum’s heels. Similarly, Black Orchid is very different on my mum than on me. However, Jo Malone’s Dark Amber & Ginger Lily settles beautifully on both of us, an indication that this quality fragrance, so full of rich and special ingredients, is a great all-rounder despite being so luxurious.

Even though it feels a bit like I’m betraying Tom Ford when I wear Jo Malone, I can understand why I’ve been tempted: funnily enough, it’s actually enriched with black orchid. Well, when you know, you know.

Dark Amber & Ginger Lily by Jo Malone, £75 for 50ml.

Follow:
Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *