Ad Campaign photo for Jo Malone Melancholy Thistle Highlands Collection

 

 “Thistle and darnell and dock grew there,

And a bush, in the corner, of may,

On the orchard wall I used to sprawl

In the blazing heat of the day.” ~ Walter de la Mare, excerpt from Nicholas Nye

 5 pence piece with thistle via wiki

What could possibly be more emblematic of the Scottish Highlands than the thistle (other than heather)? It has been blooming on the British Isles since Charlemagne’s reign. The thistle appears in the works of Shakespeare, Hans Christian Andersen, and Dylan Thomas; Mary Queen of Scots had its image incorporated into the Great Seal of Scotland, thus making it a national symbol of longevity. The greatest order of chivalry is The Order of the Thistle – thought to have been founded by King James III: the King is Sovereign of the Order, and awards this honor to 16 knights and ladies he deems worthy, and the Queen, Princess Royal, and Prince of Wales (called the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland) are also appointed as Royal Knights of the Thistle. Quite aptly, their motto is the Latin phrase Nemo me impune lacessit: “no one harasses me with impunity” – and the very same might well be said about the thistle.

Thistle photographed by Jacob Meister ©

The thistle, perceived by some as an intrusive weed and a flower by others – has a long history with fascinating associations. To the Victorians, a gift of thistle was a warning against unwanted meddling – and it represented hostility, encroachment and suffering; to the Scots, good fortune, bravery and strength, the emblem of the kingdom of Scotland; to the French – protection against witchcraft – in the Lorraine region of France it is associated with the Virgin Mary, as its sap signifies mother’s milk. The thistle is a plucky, hardy plant with beautiful flowers most frequently seen in hues of blue and purple, but there are white and yellow ones as well, and pollinators adore them: 200 reported varieties worldwide.

Anne Flipo Master Perfumer and creator of Jo Malone Melancholy Thistle

Jo Malone’s Global Director of Fragrance Celine Roux entrusted Master IFF Perfumer Anne Flipo with the task of summoning the landscape which she describes as “a celebration of the raw nature of the Highlands, where the elements run wild, and where ivy and honeysuckle grow in the cracks of castle walls”. I long to experience this for myself, as wild places touch my soul like nothing else: the broody mist over the Highland moors, rugged and breathtaking terrain. Mme. Flipo has succeeded with legerdemain and composed an atmospheric olfactory tribute to this noble and pervasive plant. Jo Malone Melancholy Thistle is a haunting fragrance that conjures the untamed countryside of legend, replete with the cool verdancy of ivied and mossy fortresses flagged by radiant, sun-hued broom.

via Jo Malone©

I cannot speak to a thistle accord as such, as the ones I’ve experienced possess a faint odor – but Mme. Flipo has created her own. The gravelly, peaty soil is represented in Jo Malone Melancholy Thistle by a multi-faceted patchouli and IFF captive named Coolwood®, the latter of which is said to have mineralic, petrichor, and myrrh-like tones. To my nose the minty, earthy depth of patchouli melds with the agrestic aspects of ivy and Coolwood®; it smells of shadow, stone and soil. A glimmer of honeyed hay is portrayed by broom (aka genet, ginestra), splendidly floral in nature; this plant is so invasive that it forms thickets and overtakes the environment if attention is not paid. Broom can be overwhelming, but in Melancholy Thistle it is employed judiciously, to the perfumer’s credit: it serves to contribute roundness and a subtle glow to Melancholy Thistle’s overall composition. This fragrance is as charming as it is fleeting, a tonic panoramic breath taken in a wistful, open space. I feel that it can be worn by anyone successfully, if they venerate the outdoors.

Notes: thistle accord, ivy (headspace capture), broom, patchouli, Coolwood® (IFF)

Flacon of Jo Malone Melancholy Thistle provided by Jo Malone- many thanks!  My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Please read Sr. Contributor Rachel Ng review of Mallow on the Moor

Available  Jomalone.com and select stockists. It is a limited edition.

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