Our Impression of Poppy & Barley for Unisex Perfume Oil - by Jo Malone London (G2435)
English Fields Collection Q&A with Celine Roux, Head of Global Fragrance, Jo Malone London and Mathilde Bijaoui, Master Perfumer. Celine: Poppy was a very important ingredient for the collection as it so quintessentially British. It is symbolic to this country and they always appear in English fields. Aesthetically they are so bright and vibrant. Barley has a cocooning, cotton-soft texture and nurturing warmth. The contrast between this and the vivid poppies is very Jo Malone London. Mathilde: Poppies don’t have a specific scent, so I created an accord of green notes and red rose to express the colours and vivacity of the poppy fields. I liked how fragile poppies are, they can break so easily, and that’s why the contrast of barley works so well as it is something quite solid and secure. I added some fig and violet flowers to bring a rounded and edible facet to the scent, and used the bran absolute to emulate the nourishing and savoury warmth of barley. Celine told me she wanted a ‘cotton’ effect, so the white musk brings that sense of softness to the base. Rich red poppies dancing in the wind. Violet flowers, alive with colour. Fruity with blackcurrant. Cocooned by barley and bran. Softened with powdery notes of white musk." - a note from the brand. Poppy & Barley was launched in 2018.
