Green Wheat & Meadowsweet

Lately, I have gravitated towards simple and comforting scents, and Jo Malone has a great many in their catalogue, but there is this one from their English Fields Collection that embodies the feeling of repose I so desire. I was initially drawn by its featuring meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), an aromatic and herbaceous plant that favors marshy meadows that has been used in flavoring beers, wines, meads, and desserts. It has also been historically scattered onto floors to give rooms its distinct scent, as a "strewing herb" much like sweet flag, hyssop, southernwood, and lavender. I own its essential oil—a curious profile of almond, cooling mint, wintergreen sweetness and herbal camphor. In this Jo Malone composition, it does feel apparent that this oil is used, or a magnificently rendered accord has been created. Meadowsweet is paired with indeed a certain vibrant green grassiness and a nutty, hulled barley effect, punctuated with a bright grapefruit at the top and underlined with the most nuanced of woods. Its initial crispness after an hour or two mellows into dry down so tranquil that I just want to don the softest pajamas, wrap myself in the comfiest blanket, sip on some tea, and read some pastoral poetry until my eyes grow heavy and I fall asleep. Alternatively, I may want to apply some and take a walk in the nearby glade and admire the waning summer wildflowers, the swaths of goldenrod, until the sun sets. As always, your mileage may vary, but I for one feel like this is just the remedy for when my weary mind is running on empty.

This is the first time a scent has made me say "wow" out loud. It's unbelievably delicious, just fantastic... but I also find myself a bit conflicted by it. It smells great, but feels like it's meant for someone else. My skin tends to absorb green and fresh smells while amplifying sweet ones. So on me, the sweetness of the wheat is the primary scent, with just a hint of freshness between the grapefruit and green notes. It smells like a slice of rustic brown bread fresh from the oven and drizzled in honey. There's an open window bringing a hint of a fresh breeze, and you're wearing a long white dress with lace. It's peaceful, pastoral, borderline cottagecore. Almost like if Wood Sage & Sea Salt took a cottage vacation. The longevity is also really good on me, I get about 4 hours of light projection, then a further close personal scent bubble for another 4-6 hours. I can even still smell it the next day if I press my nose to my wrist! The reason I feel conflicted, however, is because it's totally not my vibe at all. It doesn't go with how I dress or see myself, and it's not quite right for a playful, purposefully clashing thing either. It puts me in such a weird headspace that, so far, I've mostly been wearing it to bed. About ten years ago I was very much into the whole twee Laura Ashley look, and I find myself wishing I'd known about this perfume then. I would have loved to put this on for a picnic in a field. Now, I'm just not sure what to do... except take another deep whiff of it.

Wow! When the JM English Fields collection was widely available, I wasn't that interested in trying Green Wheat & Meadowsweet. Then someone gave me a sample and now I'm in love. To my nose this is something special. It opens up with grapefruit and green herbs, but the wheat note is already underlying. It's fresh and sweet, but also a little savory. Hard to explain, but on the one hand I get a sharp, almost woody note, on the other hand a hint of sweetened cereals. In the drydown it gets more grainy and sweeter, but not as sweet as Oat & Cornflower from the same line. A natural smelling scent that is rustic, but refined and even a little romantic. It makes me think of sitting on a plaid picknick blanket next to a cornfield, wearing a white cotton sundress. An idealized version of country living. It's a soft fragrance, typical for Jo Malone, but I don't mind at all, I don't think this kind of scent would work with a loud sillage. Just a warning for those who are looking for something bolder. I really hope I'll be able to obtain a partly used bottle for a decent price, or for JM to bring it back one day. Some of the listings I currently see on ebay.de look like obvious fakes, so be aware that fakes of this Limited Edition exist.

I discovered this through a sample grab bag from one of my favorite (now defunct) decanters and immediately fell in love. I'm a fan of soft, green fragrances and Green Wheat and Meadowsweet has just enough sweet wheatiness to make it stand out from my collection of greens. The longevity really surprised me as well - I still caught whiffs on my clothes hours after spraying this. I hope this makes a return someday, whether through Jo Malone or a dupe elsewhere.

Surprisingly, it actually smells like wheat, porridge, green grass and a bit of cannabis. It also has pleasant citrusy notes and some warm nutty undertones. Lovely!! Fortunately for me, I don’t smell any floral notes here, maybe some super soft florals like sweet pea, idk. Follow me on IG: scent.guide