The Flower Picker John Williams Waterhouse©

"…We will come back to earth some fragrant night, And take these lanes to find the sea, and bending

Breathe the same honeysuckle, low and white.

We will come down at night to these resounding beaches, And the long gentle thunder of the sea,

Here for a single hour in the wide starlight, We shall be happy…" – Sara Teasdale

Photo Gail apped from pixaby©

There are more than 200 species and hybrids of honeysuckle flourishing all over the world, from mountains to seacoasts. Many, if not most, have a pleasing fragrance, but only a few waft a series of scents as beautiful as those of the common honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, also known as Woodbine. Woodbine is one of two Lonicera species native to the British Isles. The perfume of the common honeysuckle actually changes throughout the day, perhaps to attract both diurnal and nocturnal pollinators.  Whatever the reason for this evolution of scent, creating a realistic progression of the honeysuckle's natural fragrances has always been a challenge for perfumers.   With Jo Malone Honeysuckle and Davana Cologne, Celine Roux, head of fragrance development at Jo Malone, and Anne Flipo, master perfumer, have  captured the succession in the of illusive fragrant moments characteristic of Woodbine flowering English countryside.

Jo Malone London's Céline Roux and Anne Flipo

What made this success possible? Starting with inspiration and headspace technology, finishing with the perfumer's art, Anne Flipo gives us a hint of her process: " The fragrance starts with fresh and bright rose oxide and neroli. The scent of the honeysuckle rises, enlightened by the floralcy of rose and the slightly fruity note of osmanthus. The davana in the top notes resonates, helping to enhance the woody signature of moss and sandalwood, which gives the fragrance its character." – Anne Flipo, master perfumer

  Lord Shiva via  Flicker

Jo Malone Honeysuckle and Davana Cologne soothes my spirit with an initial breath of magical shape shifting davana. Davana carries a scent that changes markedly with individual skin chemistry. Reputed to be an aphrodisiac (the blossoms offered daily to Lord Shiva), davana seems to mimic, enhance and modify each fragrance note it is paired with. In Jo Malone's Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne, I find the davana note to have a sweet herbaceous and floral lift – a little bit of chamomile, a little hay combined with woody notes, fresh fruit, and a whiff of cooling camphor. This smooth, soothing, slightly boozy effect fills me with calm, quiet optimism.

John Williams Waterhouse Study of Flowers and Foliage, for 'The Enchanted Garden' (oil on canvas)Private Collection © The Maas Gallery, London, UK

After about ten minutes, as the fragrance unfolds, I relax even more. I can almost taste the drops of sweet honeysuckle nectar, shared on long ago sunny afternoons with hummingbirds, bees and with my dear siblings. As the nectar warms and thickens, Honeysuckle & Davana releases a host of lost memories, recollections of summer evenings, heavy with the sultry scent of creamy honeysuckle. Before long I find myself awake in the still midnight hours, near our old seaside cottage garden, vines heavy with golden flowers draping, twisting and falling over moonlit fences and mossy rock walls.  The heart of Jo Malone Honeysuckle and Davana weaves a myriad of fragrant spells, transcending time and space, creating magic that remains in place for at least five hours before the spirit of davana parts with the honeysuckle, breathing a last lingering sigh, scented with sandalwood, rose and moss.

Notes:  Davana, honeysuckle, rose, creamy notes, osmanthus, sandalwood, patchouli and moss.

Photo by Gail©

Disclaimer:  I would like to thank Jo Malone for my bottle of Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne.  My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief