I’d never subscribed to the “love at first sight” trope until I met Jo Malone London’s Peony & Blush Suede Cologne. My nostrils were *literally* the human body part equivalent of the heart eyes emoji when I first spritzed it on my wrist in the throes of summer late last year. I was ready to sign the marriage papers right then and there. I’d already written the vows in my mind. 

With heart notes of peony and base notes of suede, I was drawn to the scent like a bee to a honey pot. Every time I wear it, I feel like I’m running, carefree, through a field of flowers, not unlike the whimsical characters in Sofia Coppola’s films. It’s fresh to death, smells like a warm, sun-dappled afternoon, and the bottle ticks all the boxes when it comes to complementing one’s beauty cabinet: pared-back, sophisticated, and chic. The fragrance is an unassuming seductress: she’ll draw you in with soft, powdery peony (perfectly rounded out by suede accords), and you’ll wind up staying for the romantic, feminine aromas that stay with you all day. Youthful without being too sweet, the fragrance is an everyday staple. There’s no threat of it being overpowering—it’s the perfect blend of elegant and understated. And the best bit? It smells expensive, but won’t cripple your bank account. 

Unfortunately, my parents’ combined income did not allow for such luxuries as gifting their horse-enthusiast daughter a pony for Christmas growing up, but that’s irrelevant now. This is because (as corny as it sounds) every single day is Christmas for me now that I have my own bottle of Peony & Blush Suede on tap. For all you other peony-loving girls, this is The One for you. Feel #blessed by purchasing a bottle for yourself here.

Words, Madeleine Woon. Photography, Ellen Virgona.