Sunday, October 19, 2008

Jo Malone Red Roses (for Breast Cancer Awareness Month)



I remember an article in some old and forgotten teen magazine I read when I was about 13. I can't tell you what was the exact subject, but I remember it describing a girl, a senior or junior in high school (the most glamorous creature to my poor junior high mind), who was everything I could ever want to be and fail miserably. She was popular, had a bunch of glamorous extracurricular activities, had frizz-free hair and was equipped with this mythological creature, a boyfriend, something I couldn't even dare hope to have. But the most amazing thing about this girl was her closet, where everything was neatly placed, including her beautiful cashmere sweaters, perfectly folded and arranged by color. Of course, I didn't have one cashmere thread in my godawful closet, and the most I could hope for was keeping our cat out of it (apparently some things never change, even after a quarter of a century and owning enough cashmere items to recreate a Himalayan goat).

It's funny that out of all the desired things she had, it was the closet that got to me most.


The first time I smelled Jo Malone's Red Roses scent I was instantly reminded of that old article and the perfect girl. This is what she would wear. A perfect rose with more than a hint of green. It's clean and fresh, probably why my nose interprets the scent as "young", and unlike so many rose notes, my skin doesn't turn it rancid.

While the sillage is minimal and vanishes quickly, the lasting power is surprisingly good and can be detected on skin level many hours later (6-8 hours, applied moderately). There are no secrets and mysteries to Red Roses. What you smell is what you get. It's crisp, well-bred and neatly folded, goes well with cashmere sweaters and a preppy boyfriend named Chad.

The bath oil is a pure luxury, both in smell and texture. It's very true to the scent and it makes the most ordinary bath a place right out of my early teen fantasies.

Red Roses is Jo Malone's "pink product" for Breast Cancer Awareness month. A portion of all sales goes towards cancer research (Breast Cancer Research Foundation).

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The cologne ($100 for 100 ml) and bath oil ($60) were a PR freebie. They can be purchased at Jo Malone boutiques, Saks, Bergdorf and Neiman's as well as online.

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