Jo Malone

[scrabble66]

DH bought me Channel no 5 for Christmas - lovely but I haven't used it for years so thought I'd sneakily change it for Amber and lavender Jo Malone which I love - but on website it describes it as both masculine and unisex. Not sure I want to smell like a bloke. Thought I loved it but am now confused!

Jo Malone always makes me laugh, 9 years ago i was working in a factory bottling Jo Malone goods and hand sticking labels on bottles in Devon. We all thought that it was a cheap nasty product and that the smells belonged on the pound shop shelf! Sorry not much help but it just takes me back!

if you like it, what does it matter what the web site says

WHAT!!!????!!!!

If my husband bought me Chanel no 5 he wouldn't have to do the dishes for a whole year!!!!

Chanel no 5 is sooooo classy and sexy and feminine PLEEEEEASE don't change it!!!!

I agree with Tea - keep the Chanel!

I have a disgusting Jo Malone fragrance - French Lime Blossom - bought for me by my sister. Bleurgh, like loo cleaner.

Jo Malone is an example of how effective branding can sell anything.

Keep the Chanel.

I love Amber and lavender Jo Malone - and don't like Chanel at all. Everyones taste different. I don't think a @ m smells at all masculine

i have the lavender and amber fragrance. I don't think it's unisex at all - quite 'musky' and sexy IMO.

Should have said a@l

Ps I prefer the body cream to the fragrance. Smell lasts on me for ages but more subtle.

But besides, HIS choice was classic feminine bit raunchy Chanel no 5.

I think he wants scrabble to wear ONLY Chanel no 5...

I should imagine it's described as "masculine" partly because the word operates as a kind of code. JM is known mainly for her fresh, floral type scents. So "masculine" means it's a bit more "crisp white shirt" than "Cath Kidston".

I say that with a touch of irony; I'm a big JM fan. And I love the florals. Am wearing "Vintage Gardenia" as I type.

"Chanel no 5" is lovely, too.

JM's scents tend to be what is described as "linear", which means they smell modern, to our noses, and they are easy to wear throughout the day (not overpowering, "polite", quite straightforward - you can see why they get sent up as "ladylike" and "English" - all good things in my book).

Chanel no 5 is a different sort of scent. It's quite complex, and smells "older". One shop assistant informed me it wasn't so popular with younger women .... But it is a lovely, sophisticated, complex classic, that unfolds its components as you sniff it, and is intriguingly multi-layered.

Rather nice choice from your dh.

Could you not have both ...? You may find that, on one day, Lavender and Amber expresses your mood, on another, Chanel no 5 invokes something of your inner landscape ... .

Surely your dh will notice a different bottle? I think you should put up with it. We have a Jo Malone shop here now and I went in to investigate - was horrified by the prices and sickened by the smell tbh.

I love Jo Malone Pomegranet Noir it smells nice on me.

I find Chanel to heavy and cloying.

I find Chanel No. 5 much, much too cloying, and also think Jo Malone stuff vastly over-rated. Do like Annick Goutal (but only a few, eg Eau d'Hadrien - rest are too sweet), a few Miller Harris, ditto Fredéric Maille, and Diptyque (the fresher, lighter ones). And Sisley 1 and 2.

If I had to wear a 'famous name' I'd coose Dior Eau Sauvage, which is actually unisex.

But I guess it's like food - everyone has different tastes.

'choose', not cooose' !

I also think malone is very over-rated.

But I suppose the same could be said of chanel.

polyhymnia, I think we are scent sisters!!! I love all the same perfumes as you I also like l'eau de l'artisan too. And Acqua di Parma.

I wore amber and lavender for a while and had many compliments on it. Buy it and wear it if you like it OP. Try one of the smaller sized bottles to see how you get on.

I actually think all truly great perfumes are unisex, or should be.

I wear Habit Rouge and Mouchoir de Monsieur and Chanel Pour Homme and Cartier Declaration.

My fashion (read into that what you will) friend will wear my Caron Tabac Blond (smoke and leather) and Lutens Ambre Sultan and L'Artisan Bois Farine.

They smell differently on men and women, as they do from person to person.

If you aren't sure an aldehydic perfume is for you perhaps exchange it for Chanel No. 19 -- that's an overlooked, staggeringly beautiful icy cool perfume. It does so much better what Jo Malone is stumbingly trying to achieve.

I think Chanel No.5 smells like cat piss (well it does on me)

I have Jo Malone, English Pear & Freesia, which is possibly my mos favourite scent EVER ! I do have Amber & Lavender, which I can mix it with....

Maybe I have bought into the whole Jo Malone 'thing' but I find the scents much more me than Chanel.

I have had JM lime,basil and mandarin and I do quite like it.

Chanel no 19 is my all time favourite perfume, it is just lovely

I think people can get carried away by the JM packaging. I've owned several of the perfumes and the one thing I've noticed is that the smell doesn't last. DH buys them for me. He picks them unfortunately and before xmas bought me nutmeg and ginger so I smelled a bit like a xmas tree. He bought me freesia and pear for xmas and I did inwardly groan when I saw it and then decided to stop the madness and say "no more" as they don't last.

I would suggest trying JM, it does not last on my skin for too long, however I couldn't help myself and got 2 - one is White Jasmin and Mint, the other - Orange blossom
each reminds me of scents of plants from my childhood
never tried Chanel 19 and would do it next time I am in town

Agree about Chanel No.19. My friend wears it and it smells so elegant and classy.
I love "Ambre Sultan" too. Mmmmmmm.

I don't like Chanel No 5- it is too strong nad gives me a headache.

I don't like any Jo Malone- cheap smelling.
I have used Chanel 19 for over 25 years with a break in the middle when I was disloyal. But it's still my fave.