Jo Malone Wood, Sage & Sea Salt launched in 2014 and has become one of the fragrance house’s most well-known and well-loved scents. This fragrance was inspired by British beaches.
Fragrance Notes:
- Top: Ambrette
- Middle: Sea Salt, a bit of citrus?
- Base: Sage
Wood, Sage & Sea Salt (WSS) is a fresh, mineral aquatic scent, that is pretty linear. By “linear,” I mean that the scent doesn’t change much after you first spray it. Jo Malone’s fragrances are known for this, as well as being pretty straight forward and simple. This scent is not complicated, but it is interesting. I would classify this as a predominately ambrette scent. Ambrette is actually extracted from the seeds of the hibiscus plant and have a distinct musky quality. It’s not a heavy, cloying musk, I find that it can be rather lively, warm and comforting. When paired with particular notes, it can be quite fresh, as it is here. To my nose, the ambrette is a bit effervescent and lends a bit of sophistication to this fragrance, while still remaining casual. What’s interesting about WSS is that it does smell a bit salty, which is hard to explain. This note is what gives this scent it’s mineral, slightly sharp, metallic quality. Not metallic in the, “I just held a wad of coins in my hand and now I smell like nickel,” sense, but in the sense that this fragrance does remind me of being on the beach as autumn is just beginning. The air is cooler, windier, damp and salty. The sage here is not a super sweet sage, it’s herbal and blends nicely with the sea salt, conjuring up images of driftwood laying in the sand. Personally, I also get a slight citrus note floating around in WSS - it’s fleeting, but it brightens up this scent and keeps the sea salt and sage from becoming too “earthy” or “dirty.”
This fragrance is so evocative, it’s insane - every time I smell this I get the image of a lone person, walking on the shoreline. They’re bare feet are sinking slightly into the wet sand, their jeans are rolled up above their ankles and their are wearing a loose-fitting, lightweight cotton sweater. It’s windy, so their hair is ruffled and it’s the sun is just beginning to set.
Season: WSS can be worn for the majority of the year - from spring to early fall. This is a soft scent and will easily get buried under layers of clothing, so it needs to be exposed on open, bare skin and clothing to be fully appreciated.
Sillage: WSS has low projection from the body. This is definitely a skin scent and only those quite close to you will be able to catch a whiff. This scent is unobtrusive, unoffensive and appropriate for settings, like the office, where you may want to be more mindful of other’s scent sensitivities.
Wear Time: I’ll be honest here, the performance of WSS is not great. In fact, it can be rather dismal. How long a perfume lasts on you in unique; it has a lot to do with your personal body chemistry. I admit that I’m one of those lucky people who gets decent performance out of almost any fragrance, so the short wear time of this one doesn’t bother me, but I’ve even noticed that this one is low. This is a big deal breaker for many people, especially since Jo Malone is on the pricier side. I like to spray WSS, on my neck, clothing and in the crooks of my elbows. I don’t mind topping this up every few hours - I find this fresh scent to be uplifting during the day. Also, because this fragrance is so well done and comforting, I will put up with the low performance.
Recommended For: This is advertised as a unisex fragrance. It’s neither feminine of masculine in my opinion, because WSS is one of those scents, like Diptyque Philosykos, that evokes a place, not a a type of individual. If you enjoy clean, aromatic, comforting scents, then I think you’ll enjoy this. If you are a fan of aquatic fragrances, or fragrances that feature ambrette, then I think you’ll really appreciate WSS. If you are in the market for a warm weather fragrance that evokes the natural elements of the beach, but doesn’t smell like coconut, pineapple or sunscreen, this may appeal to you. I would say that this is a safe “blind buy.” It’s simple, casual, unique enough to be interesting, and just smells heavenly. I only have about a third of the juice left in my bottle and WSS will definitely be a staple in my collection.
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