Perfume Brand Jo Loves Is Now in Manila
The renowned perfumer herself was in attendance for the grand launch.
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(SPOT.ph) When people think of fragrances, there's a name that comes up the most: Jo Malone. We see her name frequently—on perfume bottles and boxes at luxury department stores, duty free shops at the airport, and on small decants in your best-smelling friend's purse. So much so that it's surprising to find out that she actually once lost her sense of smell when she battled cancer. The renowned perfumer shared her inspiring story when she attended the grand launch of her perfume brand, Jo Loves, in Glorietta 4 in Makati City last May 8.
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Who is Jo Malone?
At the event, Jo talked about her humble upbringing. "I came from a family background where there wasn't a lot of money. But I came from two very, very, very creative parents," she says. "My mom was in the beauty industry and my father was an artist. I would go to the market with him and sell his paintings. And I used to absolutely love the marketplace." When her mom got sick, Jo had to leave school and take care of her full-time. She also shared that she had severe dyslexia.
The creativity that she grew up with combined with the entrepreneurial spirit instilled within her at a young age, and the resilience from her life experiences all seem to have led to her successful career.
In 2003, a few years after she sold her first company, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. "I didn't want to die. I went to New York and I fought for my life."
She continues, "I was one of the first women to take chemotherapy in a very different way. It's called dose-density chemotherapy today. It's why most women survive breast cancer today, but I was one of the first to take it. After one year of chemotherapy and surgery, losing my hair, losing my confidence—but I also lost my sense of smell. And I hadn't told anyone."
She was the Creative Director of Jo Malone London at the time. "What was I gonna do? How on earth was I gonna head a global brand and not be able to smell? Let me tell you—you don't know me well enough, but I could've bluffed it," she says with a light laugh.
"I was good at what I did. But I didn't want to live my life like that. I didn't want to live it as a lie by pretending. I wanted to be truthful to myself and the people around me."
What is Jo Loves?
Jo Loves is a perfume, scented candle, and skincare brand from renowned perfumer, Jo Malone CBE. Yes, CBE as in she holds the title of "Commander of the British Empire" in the United Kingdom.
Jo Loves is a completely different brand from Jo Malone London, which was founded by Jo in 1990. She sold it to Estee Lauder in 1999 and she served as its Creative Director until 2006. "A lot of people still think I'm there but I'm not."
She explains, "I had a five-year lockout deal which prevented me from entering the industry or ever using my name again for a beauty product. And the cruelty of this whole thing was that one month into leaving Jo Malone London, I woke up one morning and my sense of smell [returned]."
Jo recalls not knowing what to do during that time. "Four years, not being able to create, not being able to be the entrepreneur I know I am and will always be—what was I gonna do? I tried lots of thing and nothing fit me," she says.
"But, when that five years was up, 48 hours after, we were sitting around the kitchen table—Joshy, my son, and my husband Gary—and I said, 'I wanna start again, I wanna try again.' I was too young to sit there on my dreams and not fulfill them. And I was too old, I felt, to change my whole direction," she shares.
"And so that evening, in our little kitchen table, eating some spaghetti, Josh said, 'I know what you should call you company, mom. You should call your company Jo Loves—because fragrance love you and you love it.' And our company was formed that evening."
She continues, "The following week, we invested one million pounds sterling into trademarking Jo Loves around the world because we knew if we didn't trademark it, somebody else would."
What are the Jo Loves fragrances?
Jo Loves has a total of 14 fragrances—all inspired by Jo's memories. They all come in 100mL (P8,550) and 50mL.
The first scent she made for Jo Loves is Pomelo, a light, citrusy scent that Jo says is about fresh starts. The other citrus fragrances include the brand's signature scent, Jo by Jo Loves, which comes in a distinct red bottle. There's also Orange Butterflies and Mandrine.
The first Jo Loves store was opened along 42 Elizabeth Street in London, which is the same building where she worked her first job as a florist's assistant. It's the inspiration for the bottled bouquet that is No.42 The Flower Shop. The other floral scent in the collection is White Rose & Lemon Leaves.
For those looking for fruity notes, the unique Mango Thai Lime is inspired by Thailand's zesty culinary flavors. For a bit more spice, there's Green Orange & Coriander, Red Truffle 21, Pink Vetiver, Shards of Cedar & Red Thyme, and Smoked Plum & Leather.
There are two woody scents in the collection. There's Cobalt Patchouli & Cedar, which leans towards a more classic, refreshing cologne. And there's Amber, Lime & Bergamot, a warm but elegant take on the usual musk.
Jo Loves' Fragrance Tapas Bar and Fragrance Paintbrushes
When you enter the Jo Loves store in Glorietta, you'll see a bar in the middle with a cocktail-like set up. But they're not serving drinks. Instead, they're mixing up concoctions that let you experience how to layer Jo Loves products together.
Another unique offering from Jo Loves is their trademarked Fragrance Paintbrushes, which lets you apply a gel perfume formula onto your skin directly using a mini pen with a brush. It's ideal for traveling and it's refillable with any other Jo Loves scent, too.
Where to buy Jo Loves in Manila
Jo Loves in Manila is located on the Ground Floor of Glorietta 4 in Makati City. It's right by the entrance, across Nespresso and Flying Tiger.
Jo Loves is also available at Rustan's.
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