Sneak Peek: Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne

Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell Cologne is set to launch in September. The feminine scent was celebrated at an exclusive media dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in May. Ever since I read about Wild Bluebell, I've wanted to get my hands on it. This week I got my wish. I was privileged to receive a sample.

The advertising campaign is a departure - and a welcome one, I think - from previous Jo Malone campaigns that offered a minimalist's focus on the product, perhaps with some of the ingredients pictured for inspiration. The new Global Creative Director, James Gager, envisioned a model, the whimsical and bewigged "Wild Bluebell," in a fairy tale setting, complete with white rabbits. I'm not sure whether the central character, the model, or the white bunnies were more entertaining to me. It may have been the adorable (and apparently faux) bunnies. The campaign was shot by British photographer Tim Walker and depicts English eccentricity along with the real thing, the bluebells.

The cologne itself is the best Jo Malone introduction in a long time - in my humble (and unsophisticated) opinion. I'm not a fragrance taste maker, and my nose may have a deficit. Although Wild Bluebell supposedly opens with clove among its notes, I do not smell clove. Normally, I dislike clove in a fragrance. It's spicy and belongs on a ham! No matter, there are enough sources that say there's clove in Wild Bluebell, so I'll go with the concept and tell you. The clove apparently tempers the sweet florals with which it's blended.

No natural extract of wild bluebells exists. I don't think they have much of a scent. So the perfumer, Christine Nagel, imagined the scent and created its equivalent (in a lab, I assume). A green forest floor, complete with spring's majesty, the wild bluebell in the bottle is sweet, but not too sweet (like Sakura Cherry Blossom is). The cologne opens with the fresh floral "bluebell" and clove; builds quickly to a heart of lily of the valley, eglantine (rose), and jasmine; and finishes with a soft base that combines white amber and musk. Spicy? Not to my nose. Beautiful? Absolutely! There's something green in the mix, but I'm not sure what.

This lovely cologne will be mine - just as soon as Neiman Marcus receives the product. Until then, I will have to ration my sample (unless I receive the second one an industry friend offered me - I need to pester him). I love Wild Bluebell. Even though it's scheduled for an early September arrival, beauty products have a way of arriving a little early. Wild Bluebell will be a perfect cologne to wear right away. Not only that, there will be a body and hand wash, body cream, and candle to delight us. You'll find it at Jo Malone online and at Jo Malone counters.

The native English bluebell is a threatened species. To help England stay carpeted with this flower, Jo Malone London made a donation to the Woodland Trust. I like that - another reason to purchase!

Photos courtesy of The Moodie Report