Jo Malone London The Bloomsbury Set | A Taste of Being Artistically Carefree

Fate has it that even though we remembered incorrectly our exact rendezvous time with this enigmatic yet playful British brand called Jo Malone London that very afternoon, it was the hospitality and determination and kind understanding of the Jo Malone London's Malaysia team that kept us going and told ourselves, we have to make it there, no matter, which eventually, we did (fashionably late, unfortunately).

Bobo KL in Bangsar was transformed into a private space filled with that artistic air, the moment we arrived, as if we have stepped into the world of The Bloomsbury Set during the first half of the 20th century English - an influential group of English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists, the best known members of which included Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster and Lytton Strachey. Simple yet intriguing, we were definitely there to celebrate an unconventional life through scents, specially designed by Yann Vasnier, Master Perfumer.

We were told that this limited edition collection from Jo Malone London was inspired by the free spirit of this British group, hence a collection of scents capturing the intoxicating essence of a less than ordinary life, the lily pond at dawn, bold blue hyacinths, blooming fruit trees, absinthe afternoons and golden linseed on paint-stained hands. Indeed we got a sample of the 5 scents from The Bloomsbury Set collection that afternoon. They are Blue Hyacinth, Tobacco & Mandarin, Whisky & Cedarwood, Leather & Artemisia and Garden Lilies. According to Yann Vasnier, their visit to Charleston was a pleasant surprise and discovery. He fell in love with the place that he made a storyline in his head from morning till evening, each scent reflects that moment of the day and the juxtaposition of domesticity and simplicity within that intellectual environment and mood. 

The two colognes we were gifted from The Bloomsbury Set were Whisky & Cedarwood and Garden Lilies. Whisky & Cedarwood is an enigmatic blend of fine whisky and opulent roses edged with spicy pimento, warm cedarwood and an intriguing accord of waxy wooden floors while Garden Lilies represents the scent of dawn at the lily pond captured with effervescent water lilies, dewy green sap and lush ylang ylang enhanced with white musk and a wisp of vanilla.  

We love the simple design of the bottles, with that painterly colours that distinguish each cologne from another in the collection. Warm and spicy, Whisky & Caderwood envelops us with a sense of adventure, almost quite in an intoxicating way, each time we put it on, though we do not particular warm up to the scent as much as we had hope for, perhaps we are not the whisky type of gal *_^ 

Garden Lilies on the other hand evokes that feeling of freshness from natural greenery and ultimately, floral and sweet. Feminine and refreshing, it invigorates our senses whenever we wear this one and makes us feel energised with light touches of delicateness, almost like petals of womanhood left out in the dawn to be collected by the wind, at the beginning of the day. We love this one more, most definitely. 

The Bloomsbury Set is retailed at MYR260 each 30ml bottle of cologne. Our apologies for the lateness of this post, we hope you have had the opportunity to own the set or at least the ones which tickle your fancy, since it is the brand's limited edition collection. 

More about the brand here and a huge thanks to Jo Malone London Malaysia for the love and a splendid afternoon well spent. It was intimate yet educational and rewardingly fun! Thanks for staying back just for us *_^ Till our next scent escapade with Jo Malone London, have a lovely week! 

With love, 

Jeann