Blackberry & Bay

Blackberry & Bay, inspired by Jo Malone London Blackberry & Bay Cologne (2012)

Blackberry & Bay smells of fruit picked straight off the bramble, with the tartness left in. Beside the berry sits something leafy and slightly vegetal, the bay accord, which pulls the composition towards the hedge rather than the dessert plate. Galbanum, a resin that smells like a snapped green stem, gives that leaf its bite. Once the fruit fades, dry cedarwood takes over and the finish stays clean rather than sweet.

About the original

Announced in May 2012 and launched that September, it joined the brand's Cologne line in 30 ml and 100 ml, with matching body products. Brand copy ties it to childhood memories of picking blackberries. Like the rest of the colognes, it is presented as unisex and as something to wear alone or combine with another scent from the range, an approach the house calls fragrance combining. The sources we checked do not name a perfumer.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Jo Malone London stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Fruit lovers who find most berry perfumes too candied are the natural audience here. It reads light and leafy throughout, with nothing heavy in the base. A rich, jammy blackberry it is not, and the bitter green bay note may feel austere to someone expecting one.

Related scents

• Jo Malone Wild Fig & Cassis
• Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Blackberry

Heart notes: Bay Leaves

Base notes: Cedarwood

Blackberry comes first, tart rather than syrupy, with blackcurrant adding a slightly sour, leafy tang.

The heart is the bay leaf accord: herbal, green and a little bitter, shaped around galbanum. Launch coverage in 2012 also mentioned grapefruit and vetiver.

Cedarwood closes it out, dry and pencil-like.

Is Blackberry & Bay sweet?

Only lightly. The blackberry is tart, and the green bay accord and cedarwood keep sugar in check.

Is Blackberry & Bay for women or unisex?

Jo Malone London sells it as unisex, like all of its colognes. Its tart fruit and dry woody base do not lean strongly either way.

Is this based on the cologne or the body products?

On the 2012 Cologne. The matching body and home products share the name but are not the reference for this scent.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Jo Malone and Blackberry & Bay are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Jo Malone in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.