It’s always been a bit of a paradox that Jo Wood – ultimate rock chick, who spent much of her adult life touring with The Rolling Stones and partly bringing her kids up on the road – is a passionate advocate of natural and organic living.
Which extends to fragrance and bodycare. And Jo – astonishingly, now a grandmother of 11! – walks her talk. (Albeit in studded biker boots.) It prompted her to create Jo Wood Organics: a capsule collection of fragrance – and (soon to come) bodycare. It debuts with two fragrances – Amka and Usika – which offer great choices to those in search of all-natural smells, but which are truly beautiful options for any perfumista.
They’re based on vegetal water from oranges, and really fall into the same category as the Eau Dynamisantes of this world, as ‘treatment fragrances’ – infused with ginkgo, guarana and ginseng.
Amka (above) is a whoosh of green mandarin, sweet orange, neroli and bergamot layered over Iranian rose otto and Egyptian jasmine, on a soft, spiced base of cedarwood.
Although the fragrances are definitely ‘shareable’, Usiku (above) is warmer, more sensual and ever-so-slightly more masculine, we’d say: a spiced heart of clove, coriander and clary sage follow notes of rosemary and pine, cardamom and fire ginger. And as it mellows on the skin, this sophisticated fragrance reveals elements of cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver.
But as she unveils her beautiful collection – relaunching it in gorgeous black packaging (see below) – we asked Jo to take part in our occasional series, sharing her five favourite aromas…
Lilies I always have these for the house. They’re fantastically long-lasting as well as smelling glorious. I buy a massive bunch for £10 at Sainsbury’s, if I’m shopping there – and they’re good for a couple of weeks.
Fresh-baked bread I don’t bake now, but this smell always gets my mouth watering. I used to have a great bread-making machine and when I woke up in the morning, it was done. Nothing better than the smell of just-baked bread and just-brewed coffee to start the day.
Mint I grow this in my back garden in Regent’s Park and also in Spain, where I’ve bought a house. I love the scent of most fresh herbs but I have to say I’m very struck by how much faster they grow in Spain than in NW1…!
Orange blossom My sister and I were driving through Spain and the air was just filled with the scent of orange blossom coming through the windows. Absolutely beautiful. It’s a fragrance note I’ve always loved, in the form of neroli – which I’ve used in my Amka fragrance for that delicious freshness.
Find Jo Wood‘s fragrances/£59 for 50ml eau de toilette
jowoodorganics.com
