Ormonde Jayne: from candles to a perfume house
Before turning to perfumery, Linda Pilkington traveled through the Middle East and Asia collecting spices, oils and fabrics, and she started out with scented candles. Her first commission, according to the house, was a candle for Chanel Fine Jewellery. To be able to issue invoices, she registered the name Ormonde Jayne, which combines her middle name with the name of the street where she had her first workshop. From the Old Bond Street boutique, now in the Royal Arcade, the house moved on to perfumes, which it still makes in its own workshop in Kent. There the oils mature for months before filtration and, as the house states, the perfumes are poured at the highest concentration allowed. Pilkington worked with perfumer Geza Schoen on several fragrances, and Ormonde Man and Ormonde Woman received five stars in Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's guide. The house itself divides its catalog into families: florals, ambers, woods, ouds, gourmands and citrus.
The olfactory families in the catalog
The grouping below is the house's own, which assigns each fragrance to one or more families.
Woods: Ormonde Woman, Ormonde Man and Kashmir
Ormonde Woman and Ormonde Man are the two fragrances that bear the house's name, and both are woody. Ormonde Woman is a dark, unconventional perfume that opens and closes on black hemlock absolute, with jasmine and violet absolute. Ormonde Man pairs the same hemlock with juniper and oud oil, which is why the house also places it among the ouds. Kashmir is woody too, inspired by the Himalayan valley, its deodar cedar forests and the Kashmir saffron fields.
Florals and roses
Champaca is built on champaca flower absolute, a relative of magnolia, with neroli, bamboo, rice and green tea, and it is a floral the house describes as creamy. Frangipani combines frangipani, jasmine and tuberose absolutes with plum and water lily. Then there is Levant, a bouquet of peony, lily, orange blossom and jasmine, and Sakura, which has lime and pink pepper in the opening, followed by cherry blossom, almond and vanilla.
For rose there are two paths. Ta'if takes its name from the Saudi Arabian city where its rose is grown, and the house describes it as an opulent rose that prefers dusk and night. Damask, on the other hand, is based on Damask rose with pear, blackcurrant, mineral amber and musk. Finally, Babylonia, which the house considers both floral and gourmand, is a powdery scent with iris and violet over musk, vanilla and praline.
Ambers and gourmands
At the center of Tolu is tolu resin, with golden frankincense, amber, orange blossom and clary sage. Ambre Royal has rose, jasmine and bergamot in the opening and a base of patchouli and amber. Vanille des Afriques Intensivo combines orris butter and Madagascar vanilla absolute. Byzance, which the house places between gourmands and ambers, has an ambery opening followed by soft leather and gourmand notes.
Oud, tobacco and citrus
Besides Ormonde Man, oud appears in Muscat, which skips a citrus and floral opening and starts straight away with oud, rose, dates, vanilla and halwa. You also find it in Arabesque, inspired by the Middle East and the patterns of Islamic art, with a heart of rose and jasmine over patchouli and oud. The house's tobacco scent is Montabaco Intensivo, woody and ambery according to the house, with tobacco leaf, suede and wood over magnolia and jasmine. From the same series, Montabaco Rio adds wild berries, pineapple and mango, with musk and amber. Finally, Qi Intensivo is placed by the house among citrus, fruity and floral scents, and its name means vital breath in Chinese. It is inspired by the Chinese taste for light, delicate fragrances.
How to choose an Ormonde Jayne perfume
To get to know the house, start with Ormonde Woman or Ormonde Man, the fragrances that bear its name. If you love white florals, choose among Champaca, Frangipani and Levant, while for rose there are Ta'if and Damask. On the ambery, resinous side there are Tolu, Ambre Royal and Byzance, and for vanilla Vanille des Afriques Intensivo, with iris, or Babylonia, with iris, violet and praline. If you want oud, there are Ormonde Man, Muscat and Arabesque, and finally, for tobacco, Montabaco Intensivo and Montabaco Rio.
In parfum concentration are Ormonde Woman, Ormonde Man, Champaca, Frangipani, Ta'if, Tolu, Ambre Royal, Qi Intensivo and Montabaco Intensivo, while Sakura, Levant, Damask, Kashmir, Arabesque, Byzance, Babylonia, Muscat, Vanille des Afriques Intensivo and Montabaco Rio are eaux de parfum.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Ormonde Jayne?
Ormonde Jayne was founded by Linda Pilkington, who started out making scented candles for luxury brands before creating her own perfume house. The name combines her middle name with the name of the street where she had her first workshop. She collaborated with perfumer Geza Schoen on several fragrances.
What does Ormonde Woman smell like?
Ormonde Woman is a dark woody scent built on black hemlock absolute, a raw material rarely used in perfumery, together with jasmine and violet absolute. It comes in parfum concentration and, like Ormonde Man, bears the name of the house, which places it in the woody family.
Which Ormonde Jayne floral perfume should I choose?
Among the Ormonde Jayne florals is Champaca, which pairs champaca flower with neroli, bamboo, rice and green tea. Levant is a bouquet of peony, lily, orange blossom and jasmine, while Sakura has lime and mandarin in the opening, then cherry blossom and almond. Frangipani is the tropical floral, with jasmine and tuberose.
Which Ormonde Jayne rose perfume should I choose?
For rose, Ormonde Jayne offers Damask, based on Damask rose with pear, blackcurrant, mineral amber and musk, and Ta'if, an opulent rose named after the Saudi city where it is grown, which the house associates with dusk and night. Ambre Royal and Arabesque instead use rose in ambery accords or with oud.
Which Ormonde Jayne amber perfume should I choose?
Among the Ormonde Jayne ambers is Ambre Royal, with rose and jasmine in the opening and a base of patchouli, cedar and amber, and then Tolu, based on tolu resin with golden frankincense. Vanille des Afriques Intensivo combines iris and Madagascar vanilla, while Byzance has soft leather and gourmand notes.
What is Montabaco Intensivo?
Montabaco Intensivo is the Ormonde Jayne tobacco perfume, with tobacco leaf, suede and wood together with magnolia and jasmine, and it comes in parfum concentration. From the same series there is Montabaco Rio, an eau de parfum that adds wild berries, pineapple and mango with musk and amber.
Which Ormonde Jayne perfumes contain oud?
The Ormonde Jayne fragrances in the catalog with oud are Ormonde Man, Muscat and Arabesque. Ormonde Man pairs oud oil with hemlock, juniper and woody notes, while Muscat starts straight away with oud, rose, dates, vanilla and halwa. Finally, Arabesque has a heart of rose and jasmine over patchouli and oud.
What is the tolu resin in Tolu perfume?
Tolu is a balsamic resin that the perfume's listing describes as coming from a Peruvian tree, and in Tolu it is at the center of the composition. The house pairs it with golden frankincense, amber, orange blossom and clary sage, with a citrus opening, and describes the perfume as a velvety amber journey.
Which Ormonde Jayne perfumes are in parfum concentration?
In parfum concentration are Ormonde Woman, Ormonde Man, Champaca, Frangipani, Ta'if, Tolu, Ambre Royal, Qi Intensivo and Montabaco Intensivo. Sakura, Levant, Damask, Kashmir, Arabesque, Byzance, Babylonia, Muscat, Montabaco Rio and Vanille des Afriques Intensivo, which combines orris butter and vanilla, are eaux de parfum.
