Jo Malone London Starlit Honey & Mandarin

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] As you know, brand launches have changed – a few are holding face to face and group events but others have stayed with Zoom. On Thursday, I did a Wreath Making class with Jo Malone London so I thought I’d tell you how on-line launches work. Usually, brands will do a presentation where you learn about the products in question – in this instance, the Jo Malone London seasonal offerings – followed by something more entertaining, hence the wreath class. They’d sent a box with all the necessary items needed earlier in the week and tell you ahead what you’ll need to have to hand. This brand in particular is very good at supplying everything, right down to a pair of scissors – all I needed was a covered surface. I think there were about 20 of us all ready to learn.

The workshop was run by Hazel Gardiner (@hazelgardinerdesign – do follow) who is a floral designer and it was the best wreath workshop I’ve ever done – it was so simple and beautifully explained I actually think I could run up a wreath on my own in the future. The top left shows the results – I’m going to add some berries I think. There’s a messaging system so you could ask questions that would be answered live if you got stuck. Presentation wise, it was given by the brand’s expert, Emma South, who took us through the intricacies of Starlit Honey & Mandarin. It’s very useful to have this first hand briefing – usually I just receive fragrance cold and make my own impressions – it’s even better when they’re short and to the point and it just gives you some guide ropes to use in explaining a scent. The absolute key to a Zoom launch is to keep it brief. I left one in lockdown when after 20 minutes only one of about 15 new products had been discussed in detail by four different experts… I thought if I stayed it might be for the night. So, on to the scent.

The first thing you’ll notice about Starlit Honey & Mandarin is that the glass bottle is embellished with stars. I love stars at any time of year and because of the nature of the fragrance, it would translate well to any time of year although I’m sure it’s a limited edition bottle. The feature notes are mandarin, honey and coumarin – which is a compound found in several plants that is a relation, in aromatic qualities only, to vanilla. The twist of coumarin is a fresh hay aspect.

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The honey note is quite strong in this fragrance but it turns out that if you wrap it in the right things, it can take on a very different character – orange and honey are well known as happy companions and that is perfectly illustrated in Starlit Mandarin & Honey. Nothing predominates – it’s as smooth as silk in the amalgamation of notes and you’ll get a rising sometimes of one or another as it sits on the skin.  It’s bright and soothing at the same time – if you want drama, head to Pomegranate Noir, but if you want something gently at your side giving powdery warmth, milkiness without too much sweetness and a little kick of energy from the citrus, it’s Starlit Mandarin. There’s a ping of star anise that I think perhaps you’ll only be alert to when its everywhere. It’s £105 HERE which is Net A Porter –  it’s out of stock everywhere else. If you sign up you can get 10% off which is quite significant on this price tag.

I also want to flag up the table candles HERE which are fragranced with grapefruit (which apparently gets the saliva glands working ready for food). I’m hoping to review these but I think they’ll set out fast, even at £50, because the image of a dining table lit with tall candles and a room flooded with a tantalizing aroma is just so delicious.

PS Is it not very strange that this is called Starlit Mandarin & Honey? Just when…. etc.