Talk to me about Jo Malone perfumes please

[BitOfFun]

I seem to recall Shiney saying she doesn't like them, but she's not around to ask. I have about £45 to buy my mum a birthday present from my dad today, but am stuck at work. It's opposite a JM shop though, so I could dive in later. Are they nice? Her fave is Chanel No. 5, so something classy? She's in her early sixties.

Or any other ideas? Not one to lounge in the bath with candles, so they're out. Hope you can help!

They're very fresh and clean smelling. I love the lime and grapefruit fragrance, body lotion, candles etc and buy it for presents for lots of people, but I'm not sure it measures up to Chanel No. 5.

Definitely worth a browse in the shop though.

I know friends who love them, but I find them overpowering,harsh and too 'male'

I had the Lime, Basil and Mandarin fragrance for a while, but it always seemed a bit of an acidic smell to me. Body lotion etc would be lovely. The creme brulee body lotion and scrub etc is absolutely gorgeous, if your mum likes sweet smelling things.

alot of the scent is quite masculine. However this is not and is quite delicious.

They are all lovely

According to wiki Chanel no 5 is:

...is classified as a floral-aldehyde. Its top notes include ylang ylang, neroli and synthetic long chain aldehydes such as 2-methylundecanal;[6] its mid notes may rose and jasmine; and its base notes sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla.[7]

so you might want to find something in Jo Malone that has similar notes.

I love Chanel no 5 and particularly the extras - the soap, a spray on dry oil - and the talc (DD thinks it's hysterically funny using a bit of talc, lol, I didn't realise it was old fashioned)there's all sorts in the no 5 range so your mum might like a basket of Chanel no 5 range so she can 'layer' herself in the same perfume.

Also, does she have the edp or the edt - they are structurally different - the edp is nearer to the original smell and there's also a lighter version of no 5 around too.

I wouldn't buy someone else purfume. I would go for a candle.

Very at you working oposite a Jo Malone shop.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone- hope I find something!

I like the sound of the Vintage Gardenia one- and sound will be important, as I've just realised I won't be able to smell a thing as I have sinusitis

Oops, sorry Dad, you'll just have to trust MN

The orange blossom one...mmm...lovely.

Unfortunately £45 would only buy the small size - JM scents are £££££. I have had many and currently wearing Nutmeg and Ginger. The lighter ones would probably be more up your mum's street but they don't have much staying power. Blue Agave and Cacoa is lovely but sweet and not that floral. Lime, Basil and Mandarin fresh but deffo masculine. Orange Blossom is lushy but orangey, as you'd expect

You might be better off with something other than scent if she is really loyal to Chanel No 5. Fabulous scarf or snood? Leather gloves? Bag? Are you near an M&S? They have some good stuff in at the mo....

Hi BoF.

As other posters have said, JM scents are very light - she really doesn't do that heavy base that most perfumes have.

Chanel no 5 is a fresh, "classy" floral (the aldehyde) but it has a really quite sensual base, or heart, or whatever they call it.

I think you're right about Vintage Gardenia and the other poster who has recommended the Orange Blossom. Those two are the nearest in style to Chanel no 5. But ... they're not actually that near. Depends on what it is about the Chanel that she likes.

I think they're both a good bet, though I think the Orange Blossom is safer. It's a ladylike floral, that you can wear in the daytime BUT it has a teeny tiny hint of inner rock chick, which may pick up on the "mood" of Chanel no. 5.

All of JM's scents are, basically, very inoffensive. While women might not actually want to choose one as their true heart's expression, there are very few women who will actually HATE receiving one, and nearly all will actually quite like and wear anything they receive as a gift. Kind of like a white linen shirt, or actually, a T-shirt. So it's not that risky a gift. And perfume does look special when you give it.

(Inoffensive makes them sound awful - they're not, really, and I even have a favourite.)

All good advice- will have a good nosey in there WHEN IT OPENS, gah!! Later this month Does sound vvv pricey though. My mum just popped into the shop to say hi while sh'e in town, and has told me she wants an M&S voucher

She is impossible to do anything nice for, grrrr

Does that mean there's a JM shop opening in Liverpool?

LOL at your mum and M&S voucher

Met Quarter, later this month, Bob!

at the thought of having a teeny tiny rock chick in me (as well as 13-week old baby - maybe baby will be a rock chick).

I've got the lime basil and mandarin scent and a bit disappointed with its staying power to be honest. I can smell it when I spray it on (and the smell is gorgeous) but gone almost immediately - wouldn't get it again I think - was a gift luckily!

thanks BoF

I'm still cross we haven't got a Harvey Nicks or Selfridges yet but there are a few nice shops here and there. Met Quarter in particular.

Come and see me one Thursday then- I will be the one dying of cold because of the air-conditioning and people's nasty bugs, I'm like it every week. I am far too delicate of constitution for even a posh lingerie shop

The other thing that will out me is frantic mumsnetting in a slightly furtive manner behind the till...

I spent hours/days trying them all and hated every one= despite raves here and in mags- just didn't do a thing for me. HATED Pom, Noir, and Basil and Lime was a hopeful, but yuck.
Sorry.

I've got Grapefruit. Gushed loads over it when first got it but think this was because it was a very unexpected gift from bf and was more pleased about the suprise rather than the actual smell. Can't stand it now. Too heavy and cloying for my taste. Haven't tried any others though.

I like No5 too, and I lurve jo malone Nutmeg & Ginger. I also like the Fig one - one of my friends wears it and it's lovely.