(Photos: Jo Malone London)
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a special preview of the new Jo Malone London boutique at 2157 Union Street in San Francisco. It's the first standalone boutique in the city and you just feel the magic in the air when you enter. (Or perhaps it's really their magical fragrances!)
I've been a huge fan of the wonderful scents of Jo Malone London for years now. But I never realized that I could mix scents until James Mc Laughlin, Jo Malone London's Education Executive showed me how. First of all, I loved the gorgeous display showcasing all of the Jo Malone London fragrances. My two favorite Jo Malone London fragrances are Peony & Blush Suede and Wood Sage & Sea Salt. He sprayed and layered both the scents on my wrists and I couldn't believe how fresh and wonderful the two fragrances were together! That's another one of the specialities of visiting the boutique. You'll learn the art of layering your fragrances!
We were treated to a wonderful "tea tasting" by Bellocq Tea Atelier. The first one, the No. 57, Kabuse Sencha was my favorite. We learned about the different ways tea leaves are rolled to give flavor and scent!
This led us to the wonderful introduction to Jo Malone London's new Rare Tea Collection. The collection is not yet available online yet and is only available in certain stores. You can purchase it at the SF boutique. (Hint - great Mother's Day gift!) This is the ultimate in luxury fragrance. There are 6 fragrances that all smell so beautiful and unique – they are unlike any fragrances out there now. Each bottle ($340 for 175ml) is so intricately designed with a beautiful magnetic cover.
The fragrances are from left to right:
- Silver Needle Tea - A delicate floral made from teas grown in the lush valleys of Fujian, China
- Jade Leaf Tea - Made from Japanese Sencha tea featuring a crisp and fresh smell
- Darjeeling Tea - Richly floral with exotic sweetness from high in the foothills of the Himalayas
- Oolong Tea - A wonderful scent that's rich and buttery from tea leaves grown in the mountains of Fujian, China
- Golden Needle Tea - Notes of leather and spice made from the mountains of China's Yunnan province
- Midnight Black Tea - A seductive, exotic scent made from China's Yunnan province
It was hard for me to decide which one to choose for myself. I ultimately chose Silver Needle Tea because it was so sweet and light. I loved how it smelled on me.
Here are more photos of the interior of the Jo Malone London Union Street boutique:
The next time you are shopping on Union street, take a visit to the new Jo Malone London boutique and indulge in free hand and arm massage or learn about fragrance layering. It's such a beautiful store to hang out in, you'll probably never want to leave!
