On Thursday last week, I ventured into virgin territory and took the plunge. I was both intimidated and excited, I mean, after all Jo Malone is a veritable powerhouse in the fragrance world. What did you think I was talking about?
I timidly entered their boutique set in the vicinity of the Royal Exchange with a view to discovering something new. Needless to say, the interior of their boutique is as crisp, clean and incredibly chic as I'd been led to believe by admiring their beautifully packaged bottles all these years.
I should perhaps elaborate and say I am in the market for a new perfume, I've always gone for something rose based and have done since I can remember but don't quite feel that I've found the 'one'. I want a fragrance that people will inherently recognise as mine.
The ladies, noting my timidness, very kindly booked me in for a Complimentary Hand & Arm Massage in their Tasting Room the following afternoon which would give me the opportunity to try out some of their fragrances and enjoy a bit of pampering.
First up, I needed to narrow down my fragrance choices, Jo Malone has a wide range of choice going from Citrus to Floral to Woody and of course we don't have enough time to sniff them all. Given my affinity for rose, I explained my previous fragrance choices (Flowerbomb and Loverdose Tattoo) and that on some level rose has almost become a bit of a trademark for me. In fact, the smell of rose just makes me feel safe. I should say I have a tendency to waffle but the lady taking care of me in the Tasting Room was wonderful and totally indulged me.
I was given three fragrances to try as a starting point, all with some element of rose. I settled on Red Roses (with a hint of spearmint making this super fresh) and Peony & Blush Suede which has a certain softness to it as my first tasters of what Jo Malone has to offer.
As they're also known for fragrance combining, we popped the Peony & Blush Suede body cream on both arms, and then popped the Peony & Blush Suede cologne on one arm and Red Roses cologne on the other to see how the two worked together. Cue me sniffing both arms in a 'Tragedy' style arm raising marathon, both smelt gorgeous and the layering of fragrance meant I could sniff to my hearts content for the rest of the day.
Before heading back to the office, the lady popped both scents onto cards for me and recommended having a think at home, letting the other half take a sniff to see what he thinks (my wording not hers, doesn't sound too creepy does it?) and then seeing if I fancy coming back to try anything else. After all, fragrance is an investment and shouldn't be rushed!
After everything was said and done, I also bagged a wee freebie, the Orange Blossom body creme to take home and have a play with. It was a cheeky wee bonus all things considered.
All in all my first experience was wonderful, I was made to feel very welcome, the staff were totally unimposing and more than patient given my tendency to talk for Britain when it comes to beauty goodies. What really stuck out was that there was no pressure to just rush in and buy something, they really want you to take your time and pick what's right for you.
The passion of the lady giving me my massage really shone through, she knew her stuff, clearly loved her job and could explain all the different nuances of my fragrances of choice. Heck, if she can listen to me chatting about everything from my anxiety, through to my first perfume purchase and even my other half, clearly she's a keeper!
I think there's one more fragrance I'd like to try before making my final choice, that being the White Jasmine & Mint and given my experience, I'm confident that the lovely staff at Jo Malone will be more than content to indulge me.
Ladies(or Gents), if you're looking to invest in a new fragrance, I'd recommend popping in and giving things a whirl.
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