[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Here we are with part two of the Jo Malone London The Highlands Collection. A couple of days ago, I tried Mallow on the Moor and Highland Heather [HERE] and it’s now the turn of Melancholy Thistle and Wild Achillea.
I would suggest that Thistle is a very difficult plant to make a fragrance out of. I’ll stand by that because it’s my least favourite of the four. It greatly improves on the dry down and is more herbal than floral. What comes through very strongly to me is the ivy and I just don’t want to smell of ivy! I spend so many hours in the garden battling the stuff, working out carefully which areas I can let it grow in (for the insects that love it) when really, it wants to do a complete take over.
It has a general ‘after the rain’ feel to it when nature aromas seem to intensify. If you’ve ever taken shelter from the rain under a leafy tree you’ll know what I mean – that wet smell of wood, earth and greenery. There’s a sweet note to it with the finish being Coolwood, known for its mineral notes. Still not my favourite and what I imagine the whole of Outlander smells like.
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Wild Achillea is also something of a surprise. It’s appeared before in Jo Malone London’s Nettle & Wild Achillea cologne in 2019. Achillea has a naturally green spicy scent that definitely needs softening which is ably done with orange blossom which is just delicious in this fragrance. Next along in the line-up is waterlily which apparently smells aquatic and green (I’ve never smelled one) but can (sort of) get the ‘wet’ notes. The fragrance finishes with white musk which is softening and powdery. Overall, I get orange blossom which I am never going to complain about – it’s juicy and creamy which is bliss. My favourite. All four colognes are £58 each HERE, or a full set for £232 HERE. It’s one of the most interesting limited editions
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