Perfume Stories: Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt

The Story

Prologue

With its slightly sweet musk and the impression of a sea breeze tickling the nose, this fragrance was actually inspired by waves crashing against sheer British cliffs under overcast winter skies, and a desolate beach where seaweed and driftwood had washed ashore.

The founder Jo Malone had no involvement in Wood Sage, because she left the brand in 2006. So how did the fragrance come into being? The story goes back to the meeting of Céline Roux, who introduced Jo Malone’s fragrance layering, and Christine Nagel, now the in-house perfumer at Hermès.
Appointed the new creative director in March 2009, Céline Roux turned to Christine Nagel to create her first fragrance. Nagel had studied under the great Michel Almairac and was then in demand at Cartier, Narciso Rodriguez and Guerlain. Together, they introduced English Pear & Freesia, now the brand’s No. 1 favorite. Needless to say, it was Nagel who created not only that fragrance, which made Jo Malone’s name known around the world, but also the firmly established No. 3 favorite, Wood Sage & Sea Salt, in 2014. But Rome was not built in a day. This story began to unfold in March 2012.

The Inspiration: A Cold Beach

In March, while it was still cold, Nagel and Roux visited Camber Sands beach in southern England. Mist hung in the air, the wind blew, and rain lashed their cheeks. High waves struck towering cliffs, sending up spray and the smell of the shore. Seaweed and driftwood had washed up, and there was not a single person in sight. It was the exact opposite of the beach people usually picture.

It was a cold, misty day. I could smell the salt air and hear the waves striking the cliffs. All sorts of herbs grew thickly there, reminding me of my childhood. I could taste the sea salt and see the long grasses and driftwood on the beach. That was where the story began for me.

Christine Nagel

From that visit to the British coast in March, Nagel pictured soft colors: a subdued blue tending toward gray. That is why, rather than an aquatic note evoking a sun-drenched sea, an entirely new aquatic note was created, suggesting clouds that block out the sun.
Two years after visiting the British coast, Nagel settled on “salt” and “sage” as the two main scents for this fragrance. As she put it, “The sensation of saltiness is very familiar to us, but in a perfume it needs to be more delicate.” Wood Sage & Sea Salt is more like a sea breeze than the sea itself.
Another interesting point is that sage, normally used in aromatic fragrances such as fougères, is used here as a deeply sensual woody scent. It brings out the desolation of driftwood and a pure, delicate eroticism.

The Birth of an Androgynous Perfume

In the finished fragrance, adding rare ambrette seeds, from a plant in the hibiscus family, to the grapefruit top note creates texture and freshness, while mint-like buchu leaves bring an unexpected surprise. Plum and dried fruits in the heart notes suggest femininity.
The base notes use guaiac wood and sage to express driftwood and a mineral quality, with a generous quantity of musk enveloping the whole composition like mist. Interestingly, it uses no florals other than sage, creating an abstract perfume with an androgynous character, as though embodying both sexes.

The advertising photographs reflecting this fragrance’s concept were shot in Northumberland by British fashion photographer Tim Walker. Rather than the summer seaside that many people imagine, the photographs were taken on the stark, naturally vegetated coastline beneath cloudy skies that Nagel and Roux had visited.

I hold Jo Malone’s fragrances from this period in particularly high regard. While many fashion fragrances tack on flimsy stories afterward or run advertisements suggesting that anyone who wears them can become sexy, Jo Malone expresses an authentic sense of self and works with perfumers in a way that seems to respect them.

Released in September 2014, the fragrance thus became a great success. Christine Nagel, whose reputation was firmly established by this and the success of English Pear, officially became Hermès’s second in-house perfumer in January 2016. Incidentally, there had been an apprenticeship-like contractual period from March 2014.

Recommended Fragrance Combinations

Now, let me introduce some recommended fragrance combining, or layering, options.

Christine Nagel recommends:
• Peony & Blush Suede (another Nagel creation, and it is really good)
• Lime Basil & Mandarin (a fragrance composed by Jo Malone herself).

The official recommended combinations are:
• For something fresher: English Oak & Hazelnut
• For something warmer: Jasmine Sambac & Marigold, or Myrrh & Tonka.

My personal recommendation is to apply perfume after using the Lime Basil or Wood Sage Body & Hand Wash.

The pleasure of Jo Malone really is in using products across a collection. Many people who consider themselves deep in the perfume rabbit hole may avoid Jo Malone, but I am a huge fan. Wood Sage was the first Jo Malone fragrance I bought, and for some reason I cannot throw away that first bottle. The Body & Hand Wash is wonderful too. For hand washes in particular, Wood Sage and Lime Basil are my personal favorites. The bath oils are not to be missed, either. How about using Red Roses to make roses bloom in your bath?
After getting out of the bath, turn off the lights and enjoy some relaxing candlelit time before bed. The candle I recommend is Oud & Bergamot. With its light oud, it is a fragrance I would love you to try if you enjoy the smell of temples or Buddhist household altars; it could almost put you into a meditative state. The black packaging is beautiful too. Even just displaying it without using it lifts my spirits enormously.
Although all Jo Malone packaging is simple, each collection has its own beautifully considered form, so I especially recommend it to minimalists and anyone who likes coordinated sets. Céline Roux’s direction is wonderful, and the distinctly Jo Malone touches are still utterly charming. For example, Jo Malone gives lovely birthday gifts, and, if I remember correctly, the Marunouchi store used to serve champagne or wine. For weddings, there is “Scented Wedding,” which creates an atmosphere through fragrance (inquiries are currently required). Some stores also offer calligraphy during the holiday season.

If fashion fragrances leave you wanting more, while niche fragrances are expensive and exhausting, then head to Jo Malone.