We Asked a Famous Perfumer Everything You Need to Know About Fragrance
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
When I think of the suite of Jo Loves products, what immediately comes to mind is that bougie gift I either want to treat myself or someone special in my life.
A motherly figure, a kind aunt, a best friend - all would be the perfect recipients of a beautiful and decadent Jo loves body lotion, fragrance or candle.
An olfactory of unique, niche and all-encompassing scent offerings for your skin and your home, Jo Loves has nailed the luxe fragrance category.
And if you knew Jo Malone CBE’s story, it makes so much sense.
Her humble beginnings saw her transition from a facialist to a perfumer who started crafting fragrances by hand in her kitchen!
Jo has been conjuring up artisan scents and making her mark in the fragrance industry for well over 25 years. An English fragrance icon, some might say.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to ask Jo a host of fragrance questions we’ve always wanted to know…
How to make your perfume last longer? Should you rub your wrists together after perfume? Where’s the best place to spray perfume? We asked it all.
Keep reading to find out more about this amazing perfumer who also happens to have some great life advice for us, too…
What Is Jo Loves?
Your origin story is a true testament to following your passion as you didn't start your career as a perfumer, you actually started as a facial therapist. How and why did you make that transition?
I have always in my life followed my passions and the things that I love whether it be creating fragrance, skincare or surrounding myself with people that inspire me.
Passion for me is one of those magical ingredients of life and if you don’t follow your passions, you always live half a life.
I would like to return to it and create skincare soon again. I believe that great-looking and smelling skin are the two things that help us age gracefully.
I have always looked after my skin and a lot of that goes back to the training that I had when I was younger.
Fragrance for me is one of the greatest accessories in life.
I didn’t make the transition from one to another, it was just two different passions. It’s like having two children, I love both but now fragrance is getting a bit more attention.
What is your first memory or experience with scent?
I can’t remember my first scent memory, but I can remember that it was a part of everyday life for me.
We had a beautiful garden full of country roses and they smelt sweet like honey, peaches and nectarines.
Roses back then were really sweet and smelled great.
We also had a wonderful tree at the bottom of the garden. There were geraniums in the front garden.
So there was a lot of scent memories!
I can remember my father’s first cologne which was DIOR Sauvage Eau de Parfum 100ml and my mother's was Joy by Jean Patou so everything for me takes me back to my childhood memories.
Scent has always been around me and I have always had a big appreciation for it.
We’re seeing a shift in fragrance trends as we move away from traditional scents. A lot more people are exploring niche scents like the ones Jo Loves creates (so well). Why do you think this is?
I think the reason is that people are becoming a lot more creative with their everyday lives.
The customisation and feeling like you're different from others makes you feel special.
In fact, the other day I got into a taxi in Dubai and there was an elderly gentleman driving and he turned around and asked what fragrance I was wearing…
He said, “That smell you are wearing has taken me right back to my childhood in India.” and I saw his face transform and soak in that memory of his childhood.
So I left him a bottle as a gift since it made him so happy, but the reason that people are exploring these new scents is because they are exploring how to be uniquely themselves and capture their favourite memories.
How do you conjure up ideas for the notes that inspire your unique scents?
I’m inspired by life. Everything I create is capturing a memory or a moment in time.
At the moment I’m really enjoying travelling the world and looking at scent through the eyes of the different cultures and places I’m visiting.
Fragrance notes to me are like words in music. I use the words that I’m smelling in order to tell life stories of things, emotions, places I’ve been.
Then I allow other people to travel through that memory through smelling the scent I created.
For the fragrance novices, how should someone go about finding their ‘signature scent.’? Can we have more than one?
People today want to be playful with fragrance, layering, mixing, even wearing different scents on different parts of the body.
Everyone should have a fragrance treasure chest, what emotion do you want to evoke?
Are you spending the day by the beach or going to a black-tie dinner?
Pick your scent to match the occasion.
What is scent pairing and what notes do you think layer or pair well together?
There are no rules when it comes to scent layering.
Fragrance is like art; it’s about finding what you like.
I would always layer with the heaviest note at the bottom and then start by adding lighter florals or citrus notes on top to build on the scent.
Create your own fragrance pyramid with scent.
Jo Loves Pink Vetiver A Fragrance 100ml pairs well with Jo Loves Pomelo A Fragrance 100ml and Jo Loves Jo by Jo Loves A Fragrance 100ml.
Be bold and go for Jo Loves Ebony & Cassis A Fragrance 50 ML with the fruity Jo Loves Mango Thai Lime A Fragrance 50ml.
Or go for a fresher pairing with Jo Loves Cobalt Patchouli & Cedar A Fragrance 50ml and Jo Loves No.42 The Flower Shop A Fragrance 50ml.
I usually spray at least 2-3 fragrances on myself before I leave the house.
Where are the best places to spray perfume on your body?
I always cover my body and clothes in fragrance.
Generally speaking, you’ll smell it more if you apply to areas of your body that give off heat – your pulse points, on your legs and arms.
Should you be rubbing your wrists together after applying perfume?
No. It dulls the molecules in the scent.
If anything, take a paintbrush and dance the fragrance all over your arm and let the fragrance dry down.
What’s the best piece of beauty and life advice you’ve ever been given?
Live in the moment, treasure each second and enjoy every moment because it passes by so quickly.
For beauty advice - always keep your skin well cleansed and well moisturised.
Massaging your skin is key to healthy and glowy skin. Just like doing a workout for your body in the gym, your skin needs to move as well. It helps to improve circulation and boost oxygen levels.
Also, just before putting your makeup on, immerse your skin in cold water.
It will shrink your pores and let you apply your skincare products better and your makeup will look better.
Rapid Fire Perfume Questions:
What is your favourite Jo Loves fragrance pick for the sweetest, sexiest and most daring scent and/or person?
Jo Loves Ebony & Cassis A Fragrance 50 ML - Ripe blackberries and cassis, complemented by warm nutmeg and dates.
This fragrance is all about finding adventure!
How do you make your perfume scent last longer?
Scent-layering is my top tip in making fragrances last.
I would start with a body lotion and then layer on top with a fragrance and then top it all off with a complementing fragrance paintbrush.
What is your favourite holiday destination and the perfect Jo Loves scent to pair with it?
The South of France!
Jo Loves Orange Butterflies A Fragrance 50ml always reminds me of this beautiful place.
How far from your skin should you spray your fragrance?
You want a good spray so that the fragrance can be spritzed around your body.
There is no specific distance to keep in mind here but generally I would mist yourself with the scent.
Looking for 'Jo Loves Australia'? Adore Beauty stocks the beautiful Jo Loves scent offerings from fragrance to candles to body care.
And if you can't decide which Jo Loves fragrance is for you, we have you sorted with the Jo Loves a fragrance discovery set - the perfect way to find your personal scent.
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