Description
“English Fields Collection Q&A with Celine Roux, Head of Global Fragrance, Jo Malone London and Mathilde Bijaoui, Master Perfumer.
Celine: This was the first fragrance we worked on. The creamy oat colour was a great contrast to the blueish-purple cornflowers. Mathilde came up with an accord to represent the oats, which are rough at first but turn into something very silky, wholesome and mouthwatering, with an addictive and sensual texture. She brought to it an almost invisible flour-like touch using a synthetic white musk, that’s not overly present but gives it the modern Jo Malone London twist.
Mathilde: I wanted to replicate the nuttiness of oats so I included some hazelnut, and enhanced the fragrance with a warm, sweet tobacco, bezoin and earthy vetiver. For the cornflower effect, again there is no direct extract so I created a very poetic concept using hedione, which has a fresh, airy floral scent. It opens up the fragrance with a luminous transparency that’s synonymous with Jo Malone London.
Wholesome oats gathered from the field, fit for a hearty feast. Warm and delicious. Enlivened by vivid blue cornflowers and a hint of hazelnut. Complemented by an elegant vetiver base.” – a note from the brand.
Oat & Cornflower was launched in 2018.
Latstussy – :
Oat & Cornflower opens up with a screechy alcoholic note. Once it dissipates, a very realistic oatmeal shows up. It reminds me of oatmeal served at hotels (I don’t eat oatmeal at home). I can detect a hint of chestnuts, not honey roasted ones, but the shell of uncooked ones. It dries down to a woody base that is typical to Jo Malone perfumes. I was hoping for some manly vetiver (refer to the review below) but got none. Sillage is not quite armslength. The quirky oat smell lasts throughout the wear. It’s a thick and cozy wood, more of a fall/winter perfume, although the projection is questionable to be worn during cold weather.
igornbm – :
Starts beautifully, then becomes a bit heavy and even cloying. Maybe it’s the vetiver, but I also get the “old man” vibe from it.
I do believe this is one of those scents that are meant for colder weather. Will revisit and review it again comes winter.
zxz2094 – :
I’m so glad I wore this around for the day instead of just buying it on first sight. And at the behest of the sales person too– should have known something was up lol. The top note is gorgeous ad creamy and nutty, but holy cow does it settle into an AGGRESSIVE vetiver on my skin. Its heavy and cloying and just kinda smells like old men on the subway to me. Weirdly I got NOTHING of that on the scent card. Pass.
tvv70 – :
Heavy oaty nutty fragrance in the opening spray and then it becomes intense in the dry down. I don’t detect the cornflower note at all but maybe on my skin it doesn’t come out. I think the vetiver intensifies the hazelnut notes, making it creamy and powdery but maybe later I will experiment layering with my other Jo Malone fragrances to see if I can bring out the cornflower note out. I still prefer the Honey & Crocus over this one but I like it. I wouldn’t recommend wearing this during hot weather as it can be a little cloying.
black73111 – :
Very sweet and nutty…reminds me of the leftover milk left after a bowl of cereal…especially Lucky Charms…
alexandr_1973 – :
This is so beautiful!! Ahhhhh!!!warm, pretty and like bathing in some expensive bubble bath sweet and not over baring sweet and not synthetic in anyway! So natural and subtly nutty! and drys down to a beautiful warm skin scent.
If i had a partner I’d wear this too bed!! smells so beautiful clean and unique!! you’re partner would appreciate holding you and smelling this on you’re skin! amazing!!! 10/10
TumTumFamily – :
This is directly marketed to ME. I don’t care what it smells like. I love this photo, the girl, the guy, the surroundings, the name, the colors…perfection! And I’d buy it no matter what… if only it lasted a good LONG time!
ganzal – :
To be honest this one smells more honied (especially the drydown) than the Honey croccus one I eventually settled upon buying, Oat & Cornflower was a close second. It opens up very milky and creamy, reminiscent of lightly spiced porridge oats which is a very appealing smell in many ways. That spice is like a super subtle hint of cinnamon and ginger just dancing across the top notes of this stuff. This warmth and cuddliness is probably what provoked the Aomassai comparisons and I do get why tolu balm is evoked. I like the drydown less but it’s still a hugely interesting fragrance that changes from the opening. It might be the cornflower in here because I’m not sure what it smells like but the balance and tempering of sweetness is good and not to the ridiculous extent of jeux de peu or anything like that, but has that oaty quality throughout. I like it but I’m not mad about it, the performance seemed to be better than most of these for longevity at least because non of these are projectors.
haleev007 – :
I was curious how this fragrance would be executed. Oat and cornflower aren’t notes you see in conventional fragrances. Very unusual. I had a whiff of it at the counter and sprayed it on because I liked it most out of their collection. I also sprayed Green Wheat and Meadowsweet, to which my chemistry made it turn sour (that lemon note turns into something like BO on me, just like the Wood Sage and Sea Salt).
I love the bottle it comes in. Reminds me of expensive crockery… like handmade Japanese tea cups or all those two-tone plates and bowls, which is relevant to its theme (grains; organic feel to it).
Very warm and creamy once it settles in your skin (5 minutes). It reminded me of a good chai latte because there was a hint of spice (not sure where it comes from) but I think porridge would be a better comparison.
I can see the comparison to Shay & Blue Salt Caramel in that sweet nutty scent (almost popcorn-like scent), probably from that hazelnut note… but I also get a similar sweet smokiness that you’d get from Chanel’s Coromandel if it were toned down and stripped of patchouli and mystique.
As much as I love this fragrance, I don’t think it’s for me, especially when I own the above fragrances mentioned and they’re my go-to warm comfort scents.
erggf – :
Oat & Cornflower is really nice, and untypical for Jo Malone, a brand I associate with fresh and light scents. This is a true gourmand, and an interesting one, too!
I opens with a very cereal-like, grainy scent. I also get something caramelized, almost burned, that reminds me of popcorn, and a hint of fruitiness. I don’t know what cornflowers smell like, but there is something that reminds me of apricots, and also something milky. The opening is really unusual, and very sweet, but it doesn’t become too cloying in the drydown thanks to the hazelnut and the refreshing, woody vetiver.
To my nose, and it could be just me, I get a similar vibe (not a similar smell) to the wheaty and milky Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau and also to Shay & Blue Salt Caramel, but this one is more wearable.
I have tried the other scents from the English Fields collection only on paper so far, but it seems like Oat & Cornflower is the one that stays truest to the grain theme.
Addition from May 2018:
I sprayed a bit of this from a tester in warmer weather and didn’t like it as much, it became too sweet. Seems to be more of a winter to early spring scent.
serggigi – :
Hi missk.
You made a mistake: it’s not cornflour, but cornflower (which is a blue flower).
Your name of perfume is perfect for breakfast though. 🙂
slavian03 – :
The name Oat & Cornflour does not sound appealing whatsoever. When I saw the four fragrances as part of the newly released English Fields collection at the Jo Malone counter, I tested Oat & Cornflour out of sheer curiosity, also hoping for a laugh. Needless to say, Oat & Cornflour is absolutely beautiful, one of the nicest gourmands I have smelt in a long time.
I have recently changed my diet, cutting out all the bad, fatty foods and switching to cleaner dishes with fewer calories. I often start my morning with a bowl of organic rolled oats drizzled with honey, cinnamon and mixed berries. Oat & Cornflour smells like my breakfast, just minus the juicy berry part.
Who knew that smelling like porridge could be so appealing. Oat & Cornflour is a spicy, creamy and powdery gourmand on my skin. It’s incredibly comforting and dare I say, rather sensual. Additional notes of hazelnut and vetiver provide a delicious, rich saltiness to the composition which I really enjoy.
Jo Malone fragrances are not known for their longevity, yet in the case of Oat & Cornflour, this fragrance lingers for almost six whole hours on my skin. The sillage is also quite strong, so a few sprays is all that is required. I’m surprised to realise that this quirky, unique fragrance may be the first Jo Malone to find its way into my collection. I am pleased to have found a Jo Malone scent that works for me.
Zaycheza – :
It is creamy, silky and a bit woody with the note of hazelnut but fresh at the same time with the note of oat. It is not as greenery/violet-based as poppy, not as sweet as primrose and honey, and not as fresh as green wheat. It is a mixture of all of them which turns out to be a relaxing, comfortable and soothing scent. I believe I would have a good sleep if I wear this in bed.
12qwerty1989 – :
I agree with Calvini. It has characteristics of other 4 and integrates them well. It is a scent that makes one feel very secure and relaxed at the same time. It reminds me of sitting next to a perfect fireplace holding a cup of hot coco in a snowy day. Yummy!
totoha – :
This one by far out of 5, has the most woodsy scents. I’m not quite impressed with the whole English Fields collection. All I can smell from them are just wheat, rye and barley on my skin in the dry down.
I have the feeling that this whole line was “forced” to create and to be released while it was still “premature”. There is not a single one out of 5 that has a “logical” cohesive bond between all the notes. I get the idea that they wanted to create something extraordinary and “unusual” (as we all can see the names of the notes: wheat, rye, barley, oat…from the field). But maybe something should be left where they belong in their traditional origins (such as those ingredients should only be used to serve one purpose of making…edible, masterpiece items in the kitchen 🙂 ).
They did one right thing here though: this whole line is a limited edition 🙂
jktudkflf – :
This is my favorite of the bunch, as it (almost) encompasses the whole collection: It has fresh floral facets but doesn’t stop there, warm yet somewhat cool, nutty & sweet without overdoing it.
I think it’s the most dynamic one whereas the rest are made with singular intents/moods/feels.
sha1tan_udm – :
Nothing really special, but a delicious scent. Very creamy indeed, comfortable, sweet but not in a sick way. Would never have it as a signature scent, but as a consolation for getting out of bed in a cold day. For me the notes are nutty and slightly smoky.
NugPugArorN – :
My favorite from the line. Warm, sweet and leans masculine.