JO MALONE FOR ZARA – tried and tested!

One of the most affordable high quality perfume lines is the collaboration between Zara and Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves (she doesn’t own Jo Malone, mind you!), one of the most accomplished and well known perfumers ever. I’m a massive fan, and since I’ve tried almost all of the scents I thought I’d give you a roundup of my impressions. I found all of them to be great at layering, easy to combine with other fragrances from and outside of the Jo Malone Zara line. Let’s start!

Collection 1 – Zara Emotions

This collection is all about zest. Here you can find some of the juiciest fragrances I know.

• Grapefruit Incense – I bought it as a blind buy and it’s probably the fragrance I regret purchasing the most. I wanted the grapefruit of Vetiver Pamplemousse with Incense Sunset’s smokiness, and all I got was a 3$ body mist. Next!
• Amalfi Sunray – a good ol’ neroli & citrus combo done well. Can’t go wrong, the longevity could be better, but for the price it’s still a steal.
• Fleur De Patchouli – it’s elegant, easy to like and has a certain vintage touch. Good as a gift!
• Waterlily Tea Dress – the potential of this scent is limited by mediocre performance. It’s a lush green garden, perfect for spring. I like it, but I don’t love it.
• Jo’s Rhubarb – is it the most affordable realistic rhubarb? It might be. If you like juicy fruit scents this one is for you!
• Ebony Wood – while people think that all Zara scents are dupes of famous fragrances, I dare you to find something that smells like this one. It’s a perfect unisex woody scent with a peppery twist, one of my faves and great for layering! Best layering: with Vetiver Pamplemousse, hands down.
• Vetiver Pamplemousse – I love the photorealistic grapefruit note in this. It’s just marvellous, and the way it’s complimented by a hint of vetiver is a masterpiece. It performs like a cologne, so you need to reapply, but it smells amazing. Best layering: with Ebony Wood 

Collection 2 – Zara Rain

This is sadly discontinued, but I miss two fragrances from here so much I have to give them a shoutout (and I hope they come back eventually!)

• Amber & Fig Cashmere – this is a warm hug personified as a perfume. I like that when you smell it you can feel a freshly laundered cashmere sweater. 
• Bergamot & Leather Spritz – Dior Homme lovers need to try this. It’s a leather/iris scent with some additions that make it stand on its own. I absolutely love this and use it sparingly, if I’d known it would be discontinued I’d have bought 3 more bottles. Fabulous scent, deeply refined and elegant.

Collection 3 – Zara Exclusive

This takes us into deeper, richer scents – exploring oud, smoke, leather and tartness. As a whole it’s my favourite Jo Malone Zara collection

• Ancestral Papyrus – this could be a super niche perfume with a different name tag and everybody would praise it as a unique scent. This is tart papyrus, surrounded with ozonic notes and aquatic violet. Nothing quite like it, it’s not the most wearable, but the blend is surprising. Best layering: with Leather Jardin.
• Leather Jardin – Massimo Dutti lovers, this is the store’s scent. Vintage, powerful, for the people who aren’t afraid to leave an impression. It’s the kind of leather scent that’s not en vogue anymore and I deeply respect that. Pair it with Ancestral Papyrus and you’ll smell like the entire library.
• Universal Oud – this is diet oud. Work-appropriate, with a warm peppery undertone. Nothing groundbreaking, but I’m a fan of the wearability.
• Incense Sunset – my favourite of the collection. Imagine sitting on a Moroccan terrace, overlooking a small town drenched in an orange sunset. Incense is burning, while you inhale the tangy aroma of citrus rinds and the cedar trees above you. It’s an underrated experience. I love it.

Collection 4 – Zara Olfactive

Jo takes us on a trip around the world with a collection inspired by cities. This, for me, is quite hit or miss, as quite a fe of the fragrances are very linear and… dare I say boring. Let’s get them out of the way and focus on the hits.

• Boldly Seoul – unfortunately it’s forgettable. Nice, but forgettable. I’m also not a fan of linear powdery scents, so if you like them you might find this a lot more interesting than I did.
• Captivatingly Paris, Fashionably London – two rose-based fragrances that are sweet and linear. Better for layering than on their own, but may be nice for rose lovers.
• Stunningly Venice – a berry fragrance that’s actually quite interesting at first, but then it veers towards confusing. I still don’t know what was the thought behind it, but I know it layers well with deeper fragrances.
• Elegantly Tokyo – a white flower & green fragrance that’s very subtle (performance isn’t good), but smells so comforting! Layer it with Vetiver Pamplemousse for the perfect summery combo of citrus + white flowers.
• Gracefully Madrid – it’s super wearable, elegant, unisex and fresh. Safe, but is that a flaw?
• Energetically New York – Santal 33, is that you? If you’re looking for a dupe of that coveted jasmine + sandalwood combo it’s the right address that won’t break the bank.
• Creatively Shanghai – One of my favourite citrus scents by Jo. Mandarin orange with delicate cedarwood? Sign me up. Another super wearable fragrance, but this is actually very interesting and stands out. Love!
• Magnificently Dubai – Fave of this collection, leathery spice cocktail that attracts so many compliments! A true head turner that layers well with everything, performs great and is loved by many. Hard not to like it!

Collection 5 – Zara Ocean

Another summery collection by Jo. It unfortunately feels less polished than others.

• Caviar Bergamot – While I love how it smells (white flowers + citrus when done well can be stunning), the performance is abysmal. I don’t feel it after a few minutes.
• Salty Ocean Bouquet – this is a very safe scent that I wish was more marine. It’s still quite wearable and pleasant, though.
• Saffron & Orange Flowers – if you like Magnificently Dubai, this is the light version. The smell of the saffron opening is so captivating! Smells refined and exclusive.

Collection 6 – Captivating Memories

A new bottle design, with a more Jo Loves vibe brought to Jo Malone’s Zara. The collection, once again, has hits and misses.

• Unexpected Joy – it’s described to be a citrus-white flower-cedar combo, and you best believe I would absolutely eat it up if it were a reality. It’s simply not the case, with a soapy neroli note taking up more than 95% of the experience. It would be nice as a room spray!
• Warm Freedom – judging by the notes I thought I would love this. Unfortunately, after the promising, coffee-forward opening it’s not clear to me what’s going on when it develops. It is cozy and cashmere-y, but in a simple, fabric softener way. If that’s your jam then give it a try!
• Vibrancy Adventures – from the opening this hits you with a zesty lemony-citrus note that’s delightfully fresh, with some apple and litchi that give it a more watery feel. This has more cedar in the base than Unexpected Joy, and Jo’s woody background frames citrus so well. I would prefer a lot more of the woody notes though!
• Energy Vibe – this is what I want from Jo – a fresh, green mint/lavender fragrance over a musk-forward base with a peek of bergamot and jasmine. This would make a great spring scent. Really nice. Similar to Waterlily Tea Dress.
• Reflecting Celebrations – my absolute fave from this collection, and I bought a full bottle. Opens with a woody blast of a multidimensional Palo Santo note, served in a palatable way with hints of orange and grapefruit. When Jo gets that wood-citrus combo right, it’s RIGHT. No notes. Beautiful and unisex.