Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise - something old made new!

By the amount of times I have mentioned them I bet it won't surprise you to know that Jo Malone is one of my favourite bath & home lines!  I like that they take something pretty ordinary, add something unordinary which turns it into something really cool!  Take the fragrance they introduced in the fall - Vanilla & Anise - I know, you're thinking yawn, another vanilla - but you would be wrong my friend - sure it has some vanilla sweetness to it but it also has a warm, spicy goodness to it that I haven't smelled elsewhere.  You will be doing yourself a disservice if you write it off as another vanilla without having a good sniff first.

Vanilla & Anise is composed of -  top notes:  sicilian bergamot, tunisian neroli, wild fennel flower, star anise  middle notes:  oleander, tuberose, frangipani, purple vanilla orchid and base notes:  creamy musks, madagascar clove, white amber, vetiver haiti, vanilla bourbon, tonka.

Here is what's in the collection:

Cologne - 100ml - $118 - 30ml - $70
New Bath Oil - 30ml - $72
New Body Creme - 175ml - $90
New Home Candle - 200g - $75

And unlike other brands that offer a line of products in a certain scent and want you to use all of the products in the same scent family, Jo Malone encourages you to mix up the scents to create something that is uniquely your own.  I tried it layered with Nutmeg & Ginger, which made it super spicy and delicious!  The nice thing is that there is no wrong combination - whatever smells good to you is perfect!  And the ladies at the Jo Malone counter are always so sweet and helpful - and they were even nice enough not to act disgusted when I decided I also liked the Vanilla & Anise layered with Grapefruit - I know, I'm weird!

Go find your own Jo Malone combination - and you can tell me what it is, I won't think you're strange at all!

Jo Malone is available in Canada at selected Holt Renfrew stores.

- Lisamarie -