Coming from Scotland, I couldn’t be more excited about the Jo Malone London collection that’s dedicated to all things Scottish, scent wise. Also, because I’m from Scotland I know how badly wrong heather scents can go – endless home-made heather waters later – so I was the most curious about Highland Heather. There are four fragrances in The Highlands Collection so I’ll do two now and take my time to really sit with the other two for a post later in the week.
I didn’t know what to expect from Mallow On The Moor – certainly not the beautiful violet leaf that makes itself present from the get-go. It gives it a fresh accent (slightly grassy) which is the perfect company for Heliotrope with its powdery sweetness.
Weirdly, I get not exactly Play-do from this but there is something that’s got an undercurrent of it – I wish I could put my finger on it! Add mallow to the mix with a little more powdery-ness and the result is a very soft, gentle aroma that feels it naturally belongs in shady, verdant spots.
Highland Heather is is a creamy based heather which has its own particular herbacious aroma. Heather can be sharp and sweet at the same time as is the case here and it’s been given a lavender boost that highlights the sweeter aromatic notes. There’s a resinous element and that’s the bit that is resonating hard with me – I truly remember that (in nature) slightly acrid note from its tough little branchlets (or whatever they’re called!) that keep it so firmly rooted in the ground. Here, in Highland Heather, its been softened and freshened with cypress, while amber does sterling work in making heather somehow sexy. So far, I love these blends which have been treated with kindness and gentleness in romantic remakes of the real thing. Heather houses a myriad of insects and is a bee magnet – not ideal for playing in but a friend to nature. These 30ml decorated bottles are £58 .