Scentimental Journey

By:  Joseph Rosenfeld

When it comes to conveying how deep is your love this Valentine’s Day, you might consider delving deeper by showing up at your date’s door with a something so personal, so full of promise, your affection could only be expressed through the allure of fragrance.

Perhaps the most famous of all fragrance campaigns, just reeking of pure fantasy, is Chanel No. 5.  Of particular memory is a circa 1979 commercial depicting a perfect cerulean pool, a perfect looking woman, and a perfect looking sky with a jet plane flying overhead, set to music featuring the lyric, “I don’t want to set the world on fire…” The commercial was punctuated with the unforgettable slogan “share the fantasy.”

Beyond the marketing hype – and the fantasy – fragrance is a remarkable creation that makes life a sensuous experience from the moment you wake up to the moments leading you back to sleep.  Fragrances are available everywhere from Renuzit air freshener at Walgreen’s, to scented papers for lining your lingerie drawer at the Container Store, and to the cosmetics counter at Saks and all other points in between.

I took a dive into the pool of fragrance by visiting Silicon Valley’s crown jewel of fragrance boutiques.  Not so long ago, Jo Malone London quietly sprayed itself into Valley Fair and has been tempting its customers, not so much with marketing, but with inspiration and style. Malone morphed from facialist to skin care creator when she cooked up her first concoction, nutmeg and ginger bath oil, gave it to clients as holiday gifts, and got raves in return.  A new vision was born.

Years later, and at only the fourth eponymous boutique in the United States, Jo Malone’s bouquet of scents are spicy, fruity, floral, woodsy, and citrus.  Created as a luxury lifestyle brand, Malone’s desire was “to create scents that are authentic and true,” according to store manager Jenny Powell.  The scents maintain their complexity, as compared to mass-market products, because the perfume oils are produced just as they were in the eighteenth century.

Many of the company’s nineteen scents were developed directly from Malone’s personal experiences.  Spray a bit onto yourself and be transported into an exclusive experience.  Powell relays a Malone inspiration about French Lime Blossom.  “Jo Malone was inspired by a spring stroll along the Champs Elysées, lined with lime blossom trees.”  Pomegranate Noir’s inspiration evolved when, “she [Malone] was waiting for a friend in a restaurant during a trip to Morocco.  She looked up at the top of a set of stairs and spotted a woman in a rich red silk gown.  She was so inspired by the sight of the woman and by the fragrances in the restaurant that she created this fragrance to of capture that moment.”  The lady in the red gown turned out to be her friend.

Just as captivating as the stories is the ability to create a signature scent by combining those in the Jo Malone assortment.  As Powell explains with excitement, “Think of one fragrance as your little black dress and then accessorize with different scents for different occasions.”  For the person stuck on a scent for a long time, Powell opines that trying a new fragrance is a great way to “celebrate a person’s evolution and to create a new signature.”  There’s a thought equally revitalizing and refreshing.

Neil Chivers, store assistant manager, comments about fragrance, “It’s such a personal thing.  Comforting smells are reminders from childhood.”  If you’re going to shop for your sweetie’s new scent, the staff wants to know what your special someone’s currently wearing, and they will ask about the person’s lifestyle and clothing choices for clues.  Is the person “classic, playful, or exotic?  Are they open to experimenting and layering fragrances?”  These great questions can lead you to something fresh and new, while remaining comfortable, if not familiar.

Another benefit to consider about an exclusive brand like Jo Malone’s is the myriad of fragrant options that go beyond traditional cologne.  Some people work in sensitive environments, but being able to use fragrant soap or bath oil still gives them a sensuous experience.  Even burning a candle during a bath, “can provide someone with a fragrant experience even if wearing a fragrance is not what they normally do,” says Powell.

Experiencing a variety of fragrances is like taking an exotic mini trip around the world.  If you can’t take the plunge on the real deal for Valentine’s Day you can still share the fantasy with your ‘old flame’ and set your own world on fire.

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