Wednesday Waftings: Sampler Set Review – Jo Malone London Cologne Discovery Collection

Happy Wednesday! It’s time, once again, for a perfume sampler set review and today I have a very popular house to share with you. I’m talking about the well-loved Jo Malone brand, probably best known for their elegant, floral-forward colognes. I especially wanted to feature this set mid-summer as I feel it has some really excellent fragrances for warm weather. There’s lots of stone fruit and fresh-feeling notes featured here.

The house was founded in 1990 and took off in popularity after Malone appeared on Oprah. She has since sold the house to Estée Lauder (which own tons and tons of other well-know fragrance houses/beauty brands as well) and now heads a new fragrance house called Jo Loves. She has lived a pretty remarkable life having now launched/headed two successful companies. She’s also a mother, a breast cancer survivor, and has overcome some other rather large challenges and difficulties in her lifetime. In fact, she has even written an autobiography, which I would love to check out at some point.

These fragrances are colognes so do keep in mind they will typically have lighter projection and shorter longevity than an EDT or EDP. Some folks feel that for such expensive fragrances, they should have longer/stronger performance but many others argue that they are so well-crafted that they are worth it and don’t mind reapplying throughout the day. They certainly are light, airy, and quite classic scents. The lighter feel also lends itself perfectly to office and close-quarter environments, as well as being preferable for those who do not care for heavier scents.

The lighter feel of these fragrances also makes them perfect for layering with one another and layering is, in fact, strongly encouraged with this house. They even sell different gift sets that contain two fragrances that blend perfectly with one another. I have tried a couple of these combos myself and below I will give my ‘two scents’ on how blending them together worked out for me.

Find it here:

Jo Malone London Cologne Discovery Set (at Sephora)

Other samplers & sets (at Jo Malone)

This sampler I’ve reviewed below is a smaller set with only 5 fragrances included so I’m throwing in a few bonus scents for you that I’ve sampled through decants. Without further ado, lets get on to the fragrances!

Wood Sage & Sea Salt

• Feeling: Lively, spirited, and totally joyful
• Key Notes: Top – ambrette seeds, Heart – sea salt, Base – sage
• Other Notes Perceived: grapefruit, seaweed
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, home candle, men’s travel kit, Fragrance Combining Palette solid scent refill, body crème, body & hand wash, scent layering trio, and car diffuser refill

The first time I saw the notes of this fragrance, I was nonplussed and wondered if I’d even like it. But though there was initial trepidation, it has actually turned out to be my favorite JM fragrance. It opens with a clean, sharp alcohol scent and the sage stands out a lot in the beginning but then it blends into the other notes perfectly. It’s clean, aquatic, woodsy, and smells slightly of minerals. It reminds me of spending the day relaxing at an expensive spa. There’s a very slight amount of musk from the ambrette but thankfully it’s not overpowering or animalic. It also has the teeny-tiniest hint of sweetness to it but is not at all what I would call a sweet perfume, by any stretch.

This is a huge top seller for the house. It is THE perfect office scent – clean, fresh, inoffensive. It’s also superb for daytime summer wear. Definitely unisex. Projection is light to moderate and longevity is about 2-3 hours. I like that I don’t really have anything else exactly like this in my collection. It’s in the same clean/aquatic/fresh family as Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue and Juliette Has a Gun’s Not a Perfume so if you like those kind of scents, this should be right up your alley.

Find it here:

Wood Sage & Sea Salt – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Wood Sage & Sea Salt – 30ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Wood Sage & Sea Salt – entire line (at Jo Malone)

English Pear & Freesia

• Feeling: Luscious and golden
• Key Notes: Top – King William pear, Heart – freesia, Base – patchouli
• Other Notes Perceived: melon, rose, musk, rhubarb, amber
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, exfoliating shower gel, body crème, body & hand wash, body & hand lotion, Fragrance Combining Palette solid scent refill, bath oil, hair mist, home candle in several size options, Scent Surround diffuser, room spray, hand cream, Scent to Go, and bar soap

This classy scent is super refreshing, I would call it a clean floral. The juicy pear note is really lovely and prominent. I can definitely sense the powdery freesia, too. And the sour, green fragrance of rhubarb. The rose note is quite pronounced here as well. To me, it’s sort of an old-fashioned fragrance. When I smell this, I think of a refined older British lady’s home. She has a baby grand piano with a lace runner on top of it and an expensive vase full of roses and other flowers freshly cut from her English garden set on top of the lace. I feel this is a must-try for rose-lovers and traditional floral enthusiasts.

This is one of your elegant, feminine, classic daytime event scents; perfect for brunch, a piano recital, or a bridal shower. Projection starts light but does gain some steam to be more moderate as it dries down. This one is not a long-laster, it gave me about 2 hours max before petering out each time I sampled it. This fragrance pairs SO well with Wild Bluebell (more on that fragrance below). All of the notes harmonize so nicely with one another and present a sweet & sophisticated floral with a touch of juicy fruit. HIGHLY recommend mixing these two for floral lovers, it’s really a gorgeous combo.

Find it here:

English Pear & Freesia – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

English Pear & Freesia – 30ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

English Pear & Freesia – entire line (at Jo Malone)

Peony & Blush Suede

• Feeling: Luxurious and seductive
• Key Notes: Top – red apple, Heart – peony, Base – suede
• Other Notes Perceived: rose, carnation, jasmine
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, car diffuser refill, body crème, home candle in several size options, Scent Surround diffuser, body & hand wash, body & hand lotion, Fragrance Combining Palette solid scent refill, bath oil, hair mist, and hand cream

Mmmm… I LOVE this opening! Beautiful peonies intermix with the sweet, fruity apple. There’s a tiny feel of pepper/spice, too, I believe coming from the carnation. After a couple of minutes, the sweetness dissipates some and there’s a fresh-feeling rose coming into play. Roses are frequently paired with peonies as they go so well together. I am a peony-lover through and through so I had a feeling I was going to like this one! This perfume has sort of a calming quality to me, it feels peaceful.

This fragrance is SUPER feminine and perfectly ladylike. As with the others, it has light-to-moderate projection. Similar longevity, approximately 3-ish hours. This combined with Wild Bluebell is another lovely match-up. The opening is SUPER sweet and almost smells like candy, very gourmand. That super sweetness doesn’t last, but it mellows out to become a gorgeous floral combo. It’s a beautiful duo that matches very well together.

Find it here:

Peony & Blush Suede – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Peony & Blush Suede – 30ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Peony & Blush Suede – entire line (at Jo Malone)

Wild Bluebell

• Feeling: Mesmerizing
• Key Notes: Top – bluebell (bellflower), Heart – persimmon, Base – white musk
• Other Notes Perceived: clove, green leaves, dew drops, peach, powdery notes
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, Scent Surround diffuser, body & hand wash, body crème, hair mist, and home candle

This fragrance is a lovely floral bouquet. In addition to the bluebell/hyacinth scent, I sense lily of the valley and maybe a tiny hint of gardenia and/or honeysuckle, too. I really like the use of clove here, it’s not heavy and it gives it some interest. The light peach and persimmon notes are so nice and bring to mind enjoying fresh fruit in a garden on a hot summer day. My husband, along with some other reviews I’ve read, mentioned both cucumber and melon impressions. A lot of people describe this as a dewy, green, fresh floral and that description is spot-on. It has the feel of a magical fairy forest full of bluebells covered in morning dew.

This is yet another JM proper English garden scent, simply ladylike and lovely. Very elegant, would be a safe wear to any daytime feminine gathering. But I think this would also be appropriate to wear out to a fancy, upscale restaurant for an anniversary dinner or other formal evening event. This fresh scent is perfect for summertime wear. Projection is pretty light with this one, it picks up a little when combined with the English Pear & Freesia. Longevity is about 2-3 hours.

Find it here:

Wild Bluebell – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Wild Bluebell – 30ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Wild Bluebell – entire line (at Jo Malone)

Nectarine Blossom & Honey

• Feeling: Sweet and delightfully playful
• Key Notes: Top – cassis, Heart – Acacia honey, Base – peach
• Other Notes Perceived: green notes, petitgrain, nectarine, black locust (honeyed mimosa/orange blossom scent), plum, vetiver
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, cologne pen, Solid Scent duo & refill, home candle, body crème, body & hand wash, and body & hand lotion

Wow, this really does smell like a fresh nectarine! Really nice opening that’s fruity with a hint of powder. About 2 minutes in and I can smell the honey, too. This is lovely and reminds me of a dessert I make with grilled stone fruits covered in Greek yogurt and honey. That being said, it’s not really in gourmand territory, in my opinion. It’s not really a sweet or sugary fragrance, it’s more clean fruit and lightly floral. It gets less sweet/honey-ish the longer it dries down.

Another pleasant summer scent. Very appropriate for office or daytime activities. Leans feminine but anyone who enjoys fruit scents could definitely pull this off. Projection is light. Lasted no more than 2 hours for me. Summed up perfectly as a fresh and green fruity floral.

Find it here:

Nectarine Blossom & Honey – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Nectarine Blossom & Honey – 30ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Nectarine Blossom & Honey – entire line (at Jo Malone)

BONUS SCENTS!

Orange Blossom

• Feeling: Pure delight
• Key Notes: Top – clementine flower, Heart – white lilac, Base – orriswood
• Other Notes Perceived: tangerine blossom, water lily, vetiver
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 100ml, Solid Scent duo, home candle, body crème, body & hand wash, and body & hand lotion

This is one of those fragrances that is VERY different on my skin vs. a test strip. On my skin, my initial impression is fresh orange, slightly aromatic, but very similar to freshly-squeezed orange juice. Not sweet, just fresh, real orange. But that top note is REALLY short-lived. Literally 5 seconds in, the white floral notes completely take over. And unfortunately, at least on my skin, they present as indolic/mothball-ish. The combo of the citrus blossoms with the lilac just makes it too heavy on indoles for me. There’s also a powdery vibe coming from the iris. It’s a little green from the vetiver note and a touch aquatic from the water lily.

As I was researching for this post and reading others’ reviews, I found that this is a very divisive scent. Half the people LOVE LOVE LOVE it and the other half are like me and can only smell the white flower indoles. Which tells me this is NOT a safe blind buy. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: I decided to try this fragrance out on a test strip and lo and behold, it was as if it were a completely different fragrance! It was this lovely, sparkling orange mimosa. I think I may have even heard an angel playing a harp in the background, lol I could finally see why the people who do love this scent, love it so much. It instantly reminded me of Tocca’s Stella in that it smells like mothbally, old dried flowers in Grandma’s attic on my skin but others have said it was this lovely, sparkling orange for them.

This fragrance is very, very popular, easily one of JM’s best sellers. England’s royal female family members are said to adore it (as well as other JM fragrances). As with the others, it has light-moderate projection and about a 2 hour longevity. If you love orange blossom fragrances like the lovely, sparkling Eau des Sens by Diptyque, this fragrance should be a great one for you to try.

Find it here:

Orange Blossom – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Orange Blossom – 30ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Orange Blossom – entire line (at Jo Malone)

Vetiver & Golden Vanilla

• Feeling: Sensual, warm, and earthy
• Key Notes: Top – cardamom, Heart – vetiver bourbon, Base – vanilla bourbon
• Other Notes Perceived: tea, grapefruit
• This Fragrance Available in: 50ml, 100ml

Well, you know I just had to have a vanilla tucked in here somewhere! 😉 And this is another nice one. The initial whiff is just lovely, spicy cardamom. It has a very cozy, amber-ish feel to it. This will be a great choice for spicy amber lovers. This feels very autumnal/wintry to me. It’s reminiscent of a spicy chai tea and maybe a bit similar to clove cigarettes – minus the smoky feel.

Unlike the fragrances listed above, this one feels a little heavy for a spring/summer fragrance. It’s so cozy and spicy and I imagine wearing this in late October, wearing a big, cozy sweater, while you’re carving out your jack-o’-lantern or baking a pumpkin pie. This fragrance is a Cologne Intense so both the projection and longevity are stronger and deeper. It’s also a little pricier due to that extra oomph. This is in the same fragrance family as my beloved By The Fireplace from Maison Margiela’s Replica line and a huge love for me.

Find it here:

Vetiver & Golden Vanilla – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Vetiver & Golden Vanilla – 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Pomegranate Noir

• Feeling: Dark and enigmatic
• Key Notes: Top – pomegranate, Heart – Casablanca lily, Base – guaiacwood
• Other Notes Perceived: rhubarb, plum, raspberry, watermelon, clove, pink pepper, olibanum (fresh balsamic, somewhat green, woody spicy, fruity top note), opoponax (warm, spicy balsamic resin), rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, cedar, patchouli, musk, amber
• This Fragrance Available in: 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, exfoliating shower gel, home candle in several size options, Scent Surround diffuser, body crème, body & hand wash, body & hand lotion, room spray, bath oil, and bar soap

If Vetiver & Golden Vanilla is autumn, Pomegranate Noir is winter, specifically the December holidays. Actually, the first time I tried this it reminded me of a Drakkar Noir car freshener I had in high school! lol But after testing it a few more times, the scent is super fruity pomegranate with some holiday spices (heavy on cloves), and even the smell of a Christmas tree is in there. None of the floral notes really stand out to me; this is really dark, wintry fruit-heavy with peppery and spicy notes. The sour rhubarb is a little bit of an interesting twist thrown in there. The cedar becomes more prominent in the dry down. This is a fun and unique spicy/fruity winter scent. It reminds me of a warm punch you’d serve at a holiday party.

Another review I read compared it to potpourri and I totally agree! For me, I think this feels more like it should be a candle or a room spray used around the holidays than a perfume. Some other reviewers mentioned a camphor or Vick’s VapoRub-like scent in the background and I can see that, though it does feel more like evergreen to me. It does not smell bad, by any means, but I personally would never reach for this as a perfume. It has much more of a home fragrance feel to me and I would definitely consider the candle, diffuser, or room spray during the holidays. Good projection and lasts at least 3 hours.

Find it here:

Pomegranate Noir – 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants (at Scent Split)

Pomegranate Noir – 30ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Jo Malone)

Pomegranate Noir – entire line (at Jo Malone)

What are your thoughts on Jo Malone’s fragrances? Do you have a favorite from this house? Or have you started wearing something from the Jo Loves house instead? One thing I appreciate about both houses are the bath & body and home fragrance options. If the perfume feels a bit out of your everyday price range, you can always splurge on a nice lotion or bath oil and still enjoy a little bit of luxurious self-care for a much smaller price tag! 🛁

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