From a facial therapist, to a master of potions in her kitchen. Jo Malone created a name for herself. Although it wasn’t always easy, Jo’s determined nature and ambitious spirit saw her rise to any challenge.
With Autumn upon us, the time has come for cozy nights in, candles a burning and a good book at the ready. And here at StyleNest, we have the perfect read for you. Hailed as the ‘English Scent Maverick,’ Jo Malone is set to release her autobiography this coming October. ‘Jo Malone: My Story,’ details not only Jo’s success in the world of fine fragrance, but also her more trying times, even revealing her personal struggle with breast cancer.
Jo’s humble beginnings were a stark contrast to the luxury beauty world she would come to inhabit and eventually dominate. Born on a council estate, Jo struggled with dyslexia, culminating in her leaving school at 14 with no qualifications. However, Jo’s unique talents and entrepreneurial drive would see her create scents such as ‘Lime, Basil and Mandarin’ and ‘Pomelo’ firmly establishing herself as a household name.
As you read through Jo’s narrative, there is a waft of sweet, grapefruit with every turn of the page. (No, you’re not losing your mind.) Jo has cleverly scented the book with Pomelo her very first Jo Loves fragrance. You get the sense there is an element of love and care to everything Jo does, each fragrance is a memory, a part of her life and she shares this with the reader.
“Designing fragrance is who I am. It makes my heart beat”
After selling her brand in 1999 to Estée Lauder Companies and later resigning as Creative Director in 2006, Jo was set to tackle her next challenge.
Not one to rest on their laurels, her desire and fire for an industry she loves took hold and in 2011 Jo took to reinventing herself, revealing ‘Jo Loves’ to the world. Jo’s most recent launch as part of ‘Jo Loves’ is the newly released fragrance, ‘Smoked plum and leather.’ As with all of Jo’s products there is a personal inspiration behind the fragrance;
“Riding horses is one of my greatest passions in life and every year I spend the summer on a ranch in Montana. From the moment I arrive, I’m surrounded by so many incredible smells, from the dust on the riding trails,
my worn leather gloves, the heat of the sun as it hits the saddle, and the combination of woods and smoke which gently rises from the open fire at the end of each day.
Smoked Plum & Leather is a very confident and powerful interpretation of these wonderfully vivid and rugged moments.” – Jo Malone, MBE
This perhaps is Jo’s boldest fragrance to date. Moving away from her better known citrus, fresh notes, Jo incorporates warm, earthy, heady scents of cinnamon, plum, cedarwood and leather. Resulting in a more daring, almost seductive fragrance. This latest project, along with everything Jo has accomplished thus far, showcases her talents as a pioneer and innovator. Rightly gaining her an MBE for her services to the beauty industry.
“… Jo Loves is full of excitement and anticipation and I want to discover things that I’ve only ever dreamed about. Everyday I’m struck by different smells which evoke emotions or memories that inspire me to be creative.”
Jo has many strings to her bow, when she’s not busy concocting new fragrances she is sharing her passion for business with others. Whether it be via her weekly business advice column ‘Ask Jo’ within the London Evening Standard or various media appearances. Jo’s creativity and willingness to share with others the good, the bad and the ugly make her hugely relatable and results in an inspiring read for all.
‘Jo Malone: My story’ out October 6th 2016.