Snob Essentials

Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne

It’s been quite hard to stay mum about Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia Cologne! Months ago I went to a fabulous preview the brand hosted in a lush garden. Amidst the chilly NYC breeze I found myself in a gorgeous white tent surrounded by endless flowers, trees, and antique-looking furniture. Master Perfumer Christine Nagel was on hand to speak about her

inspiration for this sumptuous fragrance. I don’t usually like fruity scents, but this cologne is unlike most as it’s not overly sweet. It’s perfectly balanced with floral and spicy notes. In fact, it was inspired by ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats, making the launch of this fragrance all the more timely.

Nagel told us that it’s unusual for a pear to take center stage in a fragrance and that it was challenging to recreate the scent of a pear captured just at that moment of perfect ripeness (this ties into the ‘To Autumn’ inspiration). The full-bodied pear note that Nagel has achieved with this cologne is now being considered an innovative technical achievement in the industry.

Combined with a honeyed, liquid note of quince, the pear is undercut with white freesias and scrambling wild roses. The base notes include patchouli, white amber, and my favorite, musk and unconventional keynotes like green rhubarb help spice up the classic notes with a hint of acidity.

As with all of Jo Malone’s scents, Jo

Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne can be combined with other colognes. Jump for some suggestions!


Jo Malone suggests combining English Pear & Freesia Cologne with Orange Blossom for a sparkling, effervescent edge. For some added spiciness, they suggest combining it with Vetyver and for masculine depth they suggest a dash of Black Vetyver Café.

I’ve been keeping my bottle next to my work computer ever since i got it (along with Grand Neroli from Atelier Cologne and Infusion de Tubereuse from Prada), to spray/smell whenever I get stressed!

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