The Jo Malone line is not really my scene. It’s got that whole restrained British luxury thing going on, which is all well and good for Kate Middleton; but as a mere American commoner, I do not want the words “understated” or “minimalist” anywhere near my perfumes. That’s why I was so excited to hear about Rose Water & Vanilla, a gourmand departure from the usual Jo Malone aesthetic of squeaky clean florals. The Jo Malone website promises a “delectable Turkish Delight. Rose water and comforting vanilla are enriched with a succulent bite of rose loukoum.”
Now, I’ve never liked rose water, but I like this perfume very much. It really does smell like a satisfyingly chewy rose-scented candy. Rose Water & Vanilla is very sweet, but it is somehow less sugary than other turkish delight-inspired perfumes I’ve tried, including the famous Serge Lutens Rahat Loukoum.
I’ve never had the pleasure of actually eating turkish delight, but I am told that it is a terribly rich confection. I think that Rose Water & Vanilla might be one of the few Jo Malone scents to actually benefit from that characteristic Jo Malone transparency- a heavier or thicker version of this fragrance would be positively indigestible. The lasting power of this perfume is excellent. I have extremely dry skin that does not play nicely with perfume, and I got a solid six hours out of this.
If turkish delight really tasted like Rose Water & Vanilla smells, I would have happily taken the White Witch up on her offer and ditched the other Pevensie kids without a second thought. (Lucy was always such a whiner.)
SCENTS OF SELF 
Oh but rose water is glorious. I would put it in everything. I was mixing up cocktails last weekend consisting of St Germain, rose water & seltzer. It was like drinking a glass of fizzy perfume … if perfume tasted like it smells.
That said, I kind of want to sniff this now. Jo Malone is not at all my fare, either. Restrained, understated fragrances are not my forte.
You must try to smell it, if you can find it! I was so surprised to see the Intense line in Tampa. I’ve never seen them before or since.
People also say that the Dark Amber and Ginger Lily from the Intense line is very good.
I own the original Dark Amber and Ginger Lily (regular strength) and it is one of my all-time fave scents – truly unlike anything else. Aha, that might even have been my first amber love over on B’s blog the other day, but I forgot.
Actually, has this changed or just been rebranded Cologne Intense?
I love the rose/vanilla combo of Tocade, so this has provoked a “must-try” lemming, which is of course the easy-going cousin of the “must-buy” lemming.
And personally, as March comes to a close and spring is around the corner after six months of winter, there’s nothing that could induce me to hang out with the White Witch right now. Not manna from the gods or an unlimited fragrance budget or a free trip to Disneyland, nothing. Screw the white stuff.
Oh, you must have had a hard winter! We’ve only had snow twice this entire season in MD (and the first time was in September!) I think I could be tempted by an unlimited fragrance budget 😉
I don’t think I’ll be buying this one (I could never, ever use up 100 ml of it), but it is a very lovely rose and vanilla!
Thanks for the review, my interest is piqued and I will add this to my “must sniff” list for when I am next in the city. Also, Cafe Noir arrived safely–thank you!
You’re welcome, Meg! What do you think of your two new coffee scents?
Haven’t gotten coffee and cedar yet, but Cafe Noir is very interesting. I don’t really think it smells like coffee, but my sister, who is a trained barista and who is familiar with the coffee roasting process informs me that it smells like green, unroasted coffee beans. That, and other spices! It’s quite distinctive, maybe a little too masculine for me? Will know with more wearings. It has sure been fun to sniff, thanks again!
I am a Jo Malone fan but both rose scents from this line just do not work on my skin. I’m glad, though, that you liked it.
My favorite perfume from their Cologne Intense Collection is Dark Amber & Ginger Lily. It’s neither “understated” nor “minimalist”. The same goes for Pomegranate Noir.
I wish I’d had the time to try the DA & GL! I’m also really interested in trying the new Jo Loves line, whenever it finally gets to the U.S. I am seduced by their promise of a pomelo scent.
This is the only Jo Malone I like. In fact the day I smelled it I fell totally in love with it. Luckily I got my 100cc full bottle on Ebay for $80. It has become one of my 3 top favorite perfumes. It is one of the few fragrances i can apply in the morning and still smell it at bedtime. sure wish that I could find a few more super saver bottles
Oooh, what a great bargain you got! That’s the sort of deal that only comes around once, if at all 😦
I like a number of the Jo Malones, which don’t come off too high end to me – more upper mid at best! But maybe we see more of them in stores over here and there’s a ton of Jo Malone on UK Ebay, which might have devalued it a bit in our eyes.
Meanwhile, this sounds pretty nice – sheer Turkish Delight seems the way to go, imho!
Wow, you’ve NEVER eaten Turkish Delight? You should try it. It’s a very firm, sweet jelly that tastes of rosewater and is dusted with powdered sugar. Rahat Loukoum, in Turkish, as I’m sure you know. 🙂
I’m with you in generally finding Jo Malone’s perfumes utterly ‘meh’. They just don’t seem to have enough oomf in them. I was so disappointed when I tried Lime, Basil and Mandarin, as I thought it would be fantastic, but… no ‘Ooooh!’ However, I’ll have to give this one a try. I have to be honest though and say I’m unlikely to buy a bottle – it sounds very ladylike and that’s not quite me. I’m far more likely to be caught wearing something from your ‘bitch’ list. Though this one might be good for very stressed out days or travel. It sounds comforting.
Damn. Now I have a huge urge to hop in my car and find a 24hr supermarket to get some Turkish Delight! All your fault. Nothing to do with my basic greediness. 😀