Pack it up, organized religion! Jo Malone just handed us definitive proof of reincarnation. Glory, glory, hallelujah!
The Arquiste for J. Crew saga is one of the great tragedies of our perfume times. In 2014, Arquiste created two excellent fragrances as a special collection for J. Crew. There appear to have been some major packaging issues (I bought a rollerball only to find that half of the perfume had already leaked out), and the line was rapidly, unjustly clearanced and dropped. My favorite of the duo was No. 57, a sultry whiskey fragrance with more spice than sweetness.
Three years later, Jo Malone taps Yann Vasnier, the dashing longtime Arquiste nose, for their new Bloomsbury collection. Yann must have missed No. 57 as much as I did, because lo and behold, his cinnamon-flecked hot toddy of a perfume has been reborn as Jo Malone Whisky and Cedarwood! As a whole, this is actually one of Jo Malone’s most solid collections in quite a while. (Yaaaay! We’re rooting for you, you crazy kids!) The hyper-realistic Blue Hyacinth is definitely not to be missed. But Whisky and Cedarwood is the one that I feel most compelled to wear myself.
The Bloomsbury collection is limited edition, so Whisky and Cedarwood is actually only the briefest of respites from fragrance oblivion (dang, that just got dark). If you were sorry to see No. 57 go the first time around, Whisky and Cedarwood offers a second chance at a lost love. (Although I have to say I much preferred the elegant Arquiste for J. Crew packaging to Jo’s tissue paper stained glass art project vibe. I’m also not 100% sure why “whiskey” needed to be misspelled. It’s always something with you, Jo Malone.)
Disclaimers: This post is not sponsored and does not contain affiliate links. I sampled Jo Malone Whisky and Cedarwood at my local Nordstrom.
SCENTS OF SELF 
Hello, and thank you for yet another exciting post cum review. ^_^
Just FYI, “whiskey” is the spelling derived from Irish Gaelic, while “whisky” is the Scottish equivalent. The former spelling is used when referring to distillates of that type produced in the USA.
I stand humbly corrected! Thank you for teaching me the propr Scottish splling, Laura! 😉
I really enjoy this collection, well done and interesting. Shame they are just LEs.
Quite a few seem like they could hold their own in the permanent collection! Garden Lilies would be particularly popular, I bet.
I read this article while on a break from my business trip to London – less than an hour later I was at the Selfridges Jo Malone counter investigating the Bloomsbury Collection! Sadly Whiskey and Cedar was sold out but I walked away with Blue Hyacinth. Thanks for your recommendation, I am deeply in love with the freshest hyacinth perfume I have ever smelled.
I am looking forward to sampling these, especially Whiskey and Cedar after reading your great review!
Thank you for this!! I grabbed one bottle each of the Arquiste for J. Crew scents, No. 57 and No. 31, when they were clearanced, and I love them both but especially No. 57. Have been spritzing it sparingly this winter, not wanting to run out of it too soon. Off to Jo Malone I go! And Blue Hyacinth sounds lovely, must try that too.