Friday 1 April 2016

Jo Malone Rare Teas Collection

Some of you might remember that late last year, I went on a brief yet action-packed trip to Japan with Jo Malone. It's up there with my all-time favourite blogging-related experiences and it absolutely killed me at the time not to be able to share my entire experience with you all... but the day has finally come, and I can share a little more about my trip!
Our three day adventure was to learn more about Jo Malone's new uber-luxe Rare Teas collection. It's a carefully curated selection of six colognes, all inspired by and containing rare teas from around the world. I vlogged a few snippets from our three days away, which you can watch below if you so wish. This blog post is to tell you a little more about the fragrances themselves and why they are so special...

My first thoughts upon hearing about this new collection are probably similar to what you're thinking right now... how can six fragrances all based on tea be so different? Well, trust me they are. Each has it's own distinct scent and feel about it, and you will definitely have a favourite as they are all distinctly different. They stand out from the rest of the fragrance offerings from Jo Malone for a few other reasons too. Firstly, they are housed in a beautiful new architectural-looking bottle with a large magnetised lid. Secondly they are super-sized, coming in only 175ml sizes, and thirdly they are a much more premium price point for the brand at £240 each.

Everything about this collection looks and feels super luxurious. The attention to detail in the design is stunning and the fragrances are all entirely different to anything else I've tried before. If you're expecting another simple 'green tea' scent, think again. This collection of fragrances are the first ever to be infused with actual tea, and each has been carefully hand selected from around the world.

Although all tea is essentially grown from the same plant (the Camelia sinensis) not all teas are created equal, and 'rare teas' such as those used in these new fragrances are produced in tiny batches using traditional techniques and meticulous care. Some of these rare teas are so sought after, they are worth more than gold, gram for gram! Environmental factors lead to vast differences in each tea's taste and scent including the soil, climate, altitude etc and to create six distinctly different scents for this collection, other notes were added to each fragrance in order to enhance each teas natural properties.
I'll talk about each in colour order, running from the palest Silver Needle to the deepest Golden Needle...

Silver Needle Tea - Made using tea from Fuji, China. Silver needle tea was traditionally grown especially for the Chinese emperor and it is still one of the most precious white teas grown today. This is the lightest fragrance in the collection and one of my favourites. It's fresh and slightly floral, with added notes of rose, sage and musk. If you like lighter, fresher fragrances then this one is for you.

Darjeeling Tea - Made using Phuguri Darjeeling tea from the foothills of the Himilayas, on the Nepalese border. It has a floral note to it, with a slight hint of fruitiness and the tea is infused for 45 hours to create the scent. The fragrance is completed with jasmine and freesia notes, so it's one of the most floral in the collection. It also contains an Indian herb called Davana which adds a unique fruity note not dissimilar to apricot. It's a very smooth scent that has a distinct depth to it despite having solid floral notes.

Jade Leaf Tea - Grown in Kyushu, Japan, Sencha Ariake was used to create the green tea fragrance in the collection. This variety of tea is the smoothest of all Japanese sencha and it is infused for 22 hours to create this fragrance, then combined with unusual notes of sesame, lentisk (similar to pine) and a hint of pomelo. This is a fresh take on a green tea fragrance. It has a fresh bitter element to it thanks to the citrus notes. If you like your fragrances clean and sharp then this is for you.

Oolong Tea - My personal favourite from the collection, the Oolong Tea scent has been created using Fu Lian Ooling Tea grown in the mountains of Jiangsu, China. It's a rich, smokey tea that is fermented before infusing for 68 hours to let the spicy notes develop. Jo Malone have added cocoa, tonka, hay and tobacco to create a dark, creamy scent that is totally unique and delicious. I am utterly addicted to this fragrance. It's warm and sexy, but subtle at the same time.

Midnight Black Tea - Made using Puerh from Yunnan province in China that takes years to mature and develop, this tea is then infused for a whopping 100 hours and enhanced with notes of vanilla, amber and guaiac wood. This is a very close runner up to my favourite Oolong, and slightly similar in it's warmth. This is a unique, alluring fragrance that is as sweet as it is spicy. A perfect evening fragrance.

Golden Needle Tea - Another spicy creation. The tea used in this fragrance is grown in the Yunnan mountains in China. It's infused for 92 hours then blended with smooth, dark notes of sandalwood and leather. All of the scents are uni-sex but to me, this is the most masculine of the collection. It's very deep but not as strong as the Midnight Black or Oolong tea, so it's not overpowering.
Although the new collection is eye-wateringly expensive, it's given me a new appreciation for ingredients in perfumery and I would 100% recommend that you all have a little look at these next time you're passing a Jo Malone store or counter, especially so if you're particularly into your fragrances or teas - They really are quite special! You can find out more on the Jo Malone site, here.
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41 comments

  1. Ive never used Jo Malone products, I'm tempted to buy a candle but these secants are certainly appealing to me and I love experimenting with new perfumes!

    Hayley| writeaboutbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

    xx

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  2. Fleur this post was brilliant! Loved it! I just wish Jo Malone would have made a smaller version of each fragrance... conversion from the British Pound to any other currency is tough... $400 a bottle. Anyway, they sound delicious and sophisticated

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  3. I can't wait to smell all of these, I'm really glad that they didn't fall back on an Earl Gray scent especially because they already have the earl gray and cucumber. I do wish there was a smaller bottle of them, since I don't wear much perfume so I've amassed quite the collection of it.

    Mana
    Fashion and Happy Things

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  4. This is so weird! I have never heard of a tea infused perfume...I can't wait to get my hands on them and smell them.

    girl C
    https://fromgirlc.wordpress.com

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  5. I've seen these advertised and I'm dying to own them especially those created from teas from the Yunnan area as i love yunnan tea. They are way to expensive for me though *cries* 😭

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  6. Um, Fuji is in Japan - not China....

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    Replies
    1. Fuji is also in China. It is a small town in Xiangcheng City (付集镇)which is in Henan Province. Just like there are multiple Venices in the world, there can be multiple Fuji's.

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    2. Fuji is also in China. It is a small town in Xiangcheng City (付集镇)which is in Henan Province. Just like there are multiple Venices in the world, there can be multiple Fuji's.

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    3. I think she meant to say 'Fujian' not Fuji. And Fujian is in China.

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  7. These look AMAZING! I really want to try them.
    http://thenewoldfashionedgirl.blogspot.com/

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  8. I really want to try the golden needle tea, as I love masculine scents, it sounds quite similar to the miller Harris feuille de tabac (that I spoke about here) http://similindgren.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/national-fragrance-day-2016-using.html?m=1 ... I wonder what the base note is X

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  9. They look amazing!!! Jo Malone is one of my favorite brand for perfume and candles!

    www.sincerelyeman.blogspot.com

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  10. Oh my gosh, this is the fragrance of my DREAMS! Tea in a bottled perfume?! Gah, so sad that it's so bloody expensive though. :'(

    www.ashrealasitgets.blogspot.com

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  11. I was scanning for Puerh because it's such a classic chinese tea and it really is expensive. I love teas and love that I could recognise a lot of them here. Jo Malone is really doing a great job and so innovative. However, I won't be able to afford any of these as the prices are just not in my price range.

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  12. It would be a dream to visit Japan, it looks amazing! x

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  13. They look beautiful! Sounds like a lovely trip Fleur! :)
    - Ambar x
    Her Little Loves

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  14. I love the detail that has gone into this post :-) I like to know about the origins of products and the added historical facts in this are fab!
    xoxo
    http://gingersnaphattie.blogspot.fr

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  15. I am a big tea lover, and even own a selection of candles based on different teas, so these sound like heaven on earth for me.

    Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

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  16. Ooh!!! They all sounds lovely!! I can't wait to smell them in person:)

    http://yumiandyuji.blogspot.kr/

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  17. Love this blog post! Even though I can't see myself purchasing a bottle at that price (I'd also be afraid I'd use it all up before it starts to go bad), I can highly appreciate the uniqueness of this collection! Just seeing all those bottles lined up wishes they were on my dresser! Off to watch the vlog!

    Brittany | thechicette.com

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  18. You're the second blogger I know who likes Jo Malone, I personally have never even tried their frangrances but when I go to London I will have to visit the store. Japan must be one hell of an experience!

    Meme xx

    New Post:
    Beneath the Surface by Heidi Perks Book Review
    www.thedayinthelifeof.co.uk

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  19. What a wonderful experience! I love Jo Malone, so luxurious.
    xoxo
    Serein
    http://sereinwu.com

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  20. Hi Fleur, loved you're post! Just wondering if you could tell me the name of the hotel in Tokyo and the ryokan in Kyoto? They both looked amazing and i would love to stay in both of those when i travel to Japan in the coming months. Thanks!
    Courtney x

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  21. I'm here because of your vlog!
    These sounds really interesting. I don't know where I can find Jo Malone in Switzerland but I'll try to have a look at these if I can. ;)

    Laura
    http://furiouslychic.blogspot.ch/

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  22. I just got back this weekend from Japan after living there for a while so this makes me miss it so much! I'm definitely a Jo Malone fan, but I wasn't familiar with this collection yet.

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  23. I like the sound of Midnight Black Tea! Off to watch your video now. : ) xxxx

    ♥ Carly's Beauty Blog ♥

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  24. Such an interesting new range, I'd be really interested in checking them out so will be keeping my eyes open whilst shopping. Pity about the high price point, however, especially as you can't really tell how well a perfume is reacting to your skin (in terms of scent) until you've worn it a couple of times, but if they ever decide to produce anything smaller, I'm sure I'll be buying a bottle!

    Charlotte xx
    Fox Socks

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  25. They all sound lovely! I've told myself that once I graduate and work a full year at a job, I'll treat myself to a Jo Malone perfume ;) They're one of my favorite perfume brands--I love how unique all the scents are. Lovely post! xx
    -Claire
    tallgirlbigworld.com

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  26. The Midnight Black Tea scent sounds amazing... I love slightly more musky vanilla scents! The packaging is amazing as usual!
    Aleeha xXx
    http://www.halesaaw.com/ (currently running a sunglasses and eyeglasses giveaway)

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  27. These look amazing :)

    http://ifoosh.blogspot.com

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  28. They all sound amazing! Can't wait to smell them in stores

    http://www.Fatima8450.blogspot.com

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  29. "Silver Needle Tea - Made using tea from Fuji, China", it should be Fujian, the same province that oolong comes from

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  30. My husband and I have been married for almost 10 years now, we have two children. About seven years ago we moved to Kuwait from the States, for a job offer he got. Now we live in Qatar because he got transferred. Since we have moved out to the gulf he complains that I don’t care about him or love him like I used to. Many things have changed since we have moved away from the states like I work full time and am completing a degree online. I was eighteen when we got married he was my first love and I was head over heels about him, as a person I have changed a lot it’s not that I don’t love him I just don’t have the same fire burning inside of me. All I ask of him is that he supports my return to school and that’s something he refuses to do. He almost always has nothing nice or positive to say about me. For me my marriage isn’t about sex I want to feel appreciated and want to have his support. Because he doesn’t give me those things I find myself pushing him away! Something that really gets to me is the fact that when I ask him about something he always tells me it’s not your business. I am his wife his life is my business. As of now he has moved his things out of our bedroom and we have not spoken to each other in about a week now. One day i was online for tutor, as i was browsing i saw a review about a spell caster who could solve my problem, i have heard about spell casting, and magic, i said i should give it a try i contacted the spell caster his name is Dr Ewan of {covenantsolutiontemple@gmail.com}, i contacted him and he told me not to worry that all he had to do for me is a love spell, he did it and told me that i should give my husband 48 hours and that he would realize him self, i waited anxiously and one the second day of casting the spell, he came to me and told me he was sorry for the wrong he did to me, he has agreed to send me to school and we are happy. Thank you Dr Ewan you are the best. If you have any marital problem, winning of lottery and many other problems you can contact him on his email, {COVENANTSOLUTIONTEMPLE@GMAIL.COM} Or call +2347052958531and also check out his website https://covenantsolutiontemple.wordpress.com/, he is a good and kind man. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. This sounds amazing! Do you also have swampland in Florida you can sell me?

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  31. Hey this sounds amazing! Do you also have some swampland in Florida to sell?

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  32. Seems interesting..
    http://latattv.com/

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