Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint (2007) {Perfume Review}
If the title of the perfume, White Jasmine and Mint by Jo Malone, seems to suggest an unusually fresh and airy rendition of jasmine thanks to the addition of mint, in reality the perfume surprises you with its slightly more complex dual character, which reveals a warm and rich creamy facet.
The perfume opens on a tapestry-like floral bouquet rather than offer any discernable singled-out note; it is delicately hemmed with mint (the “Jo Malone mint accord of wild mint and peppermint leaf”). The first moments offer variegated nuances: soapy, subtly animalistic, savory, creamy, green, woodsy, and perfume-y. In fact and in reference to the latter, the scent combines a fresh natural simple-girl spirit with a dash of sophistication. The scent sharpens a bit too much to my nose for a little while seeming to screech a bit, but next a mellower cardamom milky creamy sensation follows letting out lightly mentholated notes while further blending with a crushed green-foliage impression. A little savory-sweet nuance is unexpected and adds a discreet edible nuance to the blend......
The perfume warms up becoming a bit chalky-powdery and creamy, sharper too, again, while keeping a marked green character. It smells of white metallic powdery ambergris rather than of a resinous and amber-colored rendition of it, in keeping with the white-color theme of a spring-like crystalline jasmine floral bouquet in an English garden; it is in this stage that the perfume seems to billow.
The jasmine is light rather than indolic and is comparable to the scent of jasmine rising up from a cup of tea blended with the flower’s petals. There is a light creamy woody facet. Citrus-y notes contribute to a lightening-up of the scent; it gives it a faint chypre effect although the scent is more readily described as a “fresh floral”.
The mint is much more felt going towards the dry-down where a realistic 3-D leafy coriander note starts joining into the gentle chorus more perceptibly. Later the scent of a vine-tomato stem peeks through. Still later, it smells of mandarin. If only for these lovely fresh notes and green accord, it is pleasant to wear this perfume.
The dry-down is fresh, clean, feminine, and lightly musky. It seems that a man could pull it off, thanks to the scent’s green and woody facets.
Notwithstanding its clean, casual charm, we wager that to some the fragrance will smell a bit sharp and synthetic, especially in the earlier stages while to others, it will come across as pleasantly soapy and clean. The mint and green notes combine well with the jasmine to give it a slightly quirky aromatic feel. The scent has good sillage and longevity. It is more of a fresh floral skin-scent than an ambitious composition. Yet, its apparent simplicity rests upon a certain level of understated sophistication. This pared-down character also corresponds to the layering philosophy of the brand. A nice scent for spring.
Notes: Jo Malone mint accord with wild mint, peppermint leaf, Jo Malone heirloom jasmine harvested in Grasse, chamomile, coriander, cardamom, bergamot, mace, cassis, ylang-ylang, orange flower, May rose absolute, muguet, cedar, Jo Malone musk, mate absolute, vetiver, prune, gaïac wood.
You can read our review of Jo Malone Red Roses
For layering suggestions, please go here.
A 30 ml bottle retails for $50 and a 100 ml one for $95.
Previous Posts in Perfume Shorts:
Unforgivable Black & Unforgivable Woman Black (2008)
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Comments
Does this frag really contain jasmine from Grasse?
Posted by: zztopp | March 30, 2008
Well, maybe a tiny amount? Anyway amounts are tiny in a perfume:) I faithfully retranscribed what Jo Malone said, for the historical record.
Posted by: Marie-Helene | March 31, 2008
How I wish it smelled on me like your description of it. It is the scent I reach for on days that are hot enough to melt a Styrofoam cup left in the car. (No kidding). I get just the lightest slightly- animalic jasmine (it's lovely, and I'm not a jasmine lover) and mint and it stays for a nice long time. It's a good one to layer with a chypre body lotion. Both benefit tremendously. What bothers me on the Jo Malones is that they don't develop. You put them on and you will get that smell all day. Linear exhaustion, I call it.
Posted by: QuinnCreative | April 11, 2008
I like that expression, "linear exhaustion".
I am assuming that you do not get the creamy facet. Beyond that, I have to say that my rendering of scents is not "natural" because it is the result of close-sniffing, like one does close-reading. It is more a conception of perfume as an object of contemplation than as one that you wear. If I am distracted I can smell a perfume and all I will be able to get is a blur or a mess.
Posted by: Marie-Helene | April 11, 2008