For the people who love fresh scents and are on the hunt for a new fragrance to add to their collection, Jo Malone‘s newest launch might be the one for you.
UCSB’s chapter of Her Campus recently collaborated with the perfumery brand, celebrating the launch of their latest addition to their fragrance line: Sea Salt and Bergamot. As a chapter, we received multiple mini samples for our members to test out. So, for the past two weeks, I have been religiously using the Sea Salt and Bergamot cologne throughout my college days. Let’s just say… I have some interesting thoughts.
So what is this perfume really about?
When we look into how Jo Malone describes the scent, it feels particularly scenic: “Plunge into the exhilarating surf of the Celtic Sea. Immersed in the wild waters, every wave carries a fresh minerality. Joining a burst of bergamot, driftwood anchors this sea-salt fresh scent. Experience the untamed beauty of the British coast.” The fragrance’s notes reflect this similarly—bergamot for that citrusy note, sea salt accord for its unique freshness, and driftwood as a woody base. Like most other Jo Malone scents, Sea Salt and Bergamot is marketed to be unisex and gender neutral. Alongside this, the scent is often shown side-by-side with another incredibly popular Jo Malone scent, Woody Sage and Sea Salt, which shares its sea salt notes.
It’s clear that Jo Malone was attempting to create a scent for the beach lovers or those who want to reminisce about summer. It takes inspiration from the British coastal regions, particularly noting the Celtic Sea in its description. This is incredibly apparent in its marketing as well, depicted with models in swimsuits, scuba gear, swim caps, and fishing nets. In most, if not all, photos from Jo Malone, the fragrance is pictured at the ocean, standing on the wet sand with the tide pressing against its bottle. The models, too, are usually pictured in the same environment.
The message is clear: they want you to go to the beach and dive deep into the ocean with this fragrance.
first impressions
For context, I have very clear preferences for fragrance, and I would consider myself to be a collector. If we look over the different fragrance categories in comparison with my tastes, my favorite scents are usually either fresh or woody in family. I tend to avoid super rich, sweet-scented fragrances, which generally pushes me away from gourmand fragrances, particularly vanilla.
I’ve also been an avid Jo Malone fan for many years now. I personally have used up my own bottle of Wood Sage and Sea Salt, and currently own my personal fragrance in their collection: Pomegranate Noir. Overall, I haven’t found a fragrance from the brand that I truly disliked, even the ones that weren’t for me.
So when I discovered we would be doing a collaboration, I was extremely excited.
The minute I received the sample, I tested it out on my skin. My instant reaction was simple: it smells so fresh. Super citrusy at the start, like lemons and, well, bergamot oranges. It’s zesty, fruity, and overall super clean. Then I smelled it again. The salty notes settle on my skin, mixing with my natural scent and leaving behind a clean, driftwood smell. It’s not super sickeningly sweet; instead, it’s surprisingly woody as it begins melting onto the skin.
Personally, I loved it.
However, I wanted to get other people’s input. So, I pestered my housemates. One of my housemates, Tylie, also owns a Jo Malone fragrance—the same Wood Sage and Sea Salt I mentioned earlier. So, when trying out this one herself, she told me she really liked it: “The sea salt kind of reminds me of the ocean. It’s more of a clean scent than sweet—I really like it.”
Briana, my other housemate, had similar opinions: “It’s very calming. I think it’s very versatile in that both men and women can use it. It feels smooth—not overpowering… It kind of gives me the vibe of when you’re at the beach for so long and you’re collecting seashells. Very coastal—beachy—yet not super fruity or warm.”
Other things to note: Jo Malone has generally been seen as a fragrance brand that doesn’t prioritize longevity. This doesn’t include their Intense collection, which is marketed to be a long-wear fragrance. Their general collection of colognes has oftentimes received negative feedback for not lasting as long as other popular fragrance brands. I’m a victim of thinking this way: the Jo Malone perfumes I’ve owned generally don’t leave the strongest impression throughout the day, but I still enjoy them for their unique scents. However, with this particular scent, the smell lingers throughout the day, and I don’t need to reapply it as often.
So, the overall consensus? Jo Malone did a really good job with this one.
why it’s the perfect beach perfume
I think it’s sufficient to say that, to a lot of people, Jo Malone’s Sea Salt and Bergamot Cologne is reminiscent of the beach in a multitude of ways. Students from UCSB can probably feel for this sentiment: we quite literally live right against the beach and experience a similar sensation that this fragrance provides every day. It’s perfectly fresh, salty, and made for those lazy beach days.
Jo Malone sells this fragrance on their website and exclusively at Sephora. They sell sizes ranging from their mini version (0.34 FL OZ/10 ML) to larger bottles (3.4 FL OZ/100 ML), with the largest size costing $175.
In summary, I highly recommend this fragrance if you’re interested in something citrusy and fresh in scent profile, regardless of gender. This is especially if you’re a student at UCSB and you want a simple reminder of the sunny beach days we know and love.