Jo Loves Shot Candle (TM) Studio is the first, of I’m sure to be of many, studios owned by Jo Malone where customers can go, and create their very own, candle, with help from the wonderful staff who have all be trained personally by Jo. They may even be lucky enough to meet Actual Jo, who spends a lot of her time there.
When I visited the Elizabeth Street store it had only been open for 4 days, and already was stirring up a storm – items going out of stock, a hen party, and a constant flow of customers. The story that goes alongside it, makes it all the more magical – Jo’s first ever job in a florist was in the very same building that is now her studio… 50 years later, on her birthday, her husband presented her with the keys, and it was then that she became a ‘shopkeeper’ – and a bloody good shop it is too!
The whole of the Jo Loves range can be found at the front of the shop, as well as a customer experience of ‘Fragrance Tapas‘ which I am definitely going back to try… then the room to the back is where the Shot Candles are created.
After seeing people customising their own Pop Tarts in New York, Jo was inspired and decided to make a customisable candle – giving you the choice of how you want something to smell, without taking away any quality – resulting in a product unique to you. The Shot Candle is made up of two parts – a base, which sits in the bottom and up the edges of the glass jar… then the shot which is the shape of a (rather large!) shot glass. You choose your fragrance of each, and they burn and meld at different rates so your candle will always smell different. Sometimes it’ll smell of the Shot fragrance, sometimes of the Base, sometimes of the both – and other times one will be stronger than the other.
Jo described how, to her, scents are like memories – so each scent will trigger off a memory for her – Tahitian Gardenia, for instance (which is one of the base smells), takes her back to a distinct memory walking down a beach. Her philosophy is that memories should be created from fragrance – like a photo album… and I love that.
The other base scents to choose from are Charcoalled Lemons, which is what I went for – a sweet, carameley, fresh citrus smell which is honestly, so good I wanted to lick it. Mint Mojito which smells deliciously summery, and Fig Trees which was a definite second favourite for me – such a rich, beautiful fragrance.
The shots. Ohhhhhh the shots! Wow. Yum.
Salted Caramel. Do I need to say any more!? She managed to get it just right – just like salted caramel, but without the sicklyness that sometimes comes from sweet scents. Mango – just like the best, ripest, juiciest mango you have ever picked. Lemongrass – reminiscent of lemon sherbet, so clean and fresh and good enough to eat. Petitgrain – a clean, floral, citrus, summery smell (and also, one of the most popular among customers). I had a really tough time choosing my shot – but in the end I went with Mango. I don’t even like mangos particularly, but I have never smelt a mango better than this in my life.
The top of the base is then warmed up with a mini blow torch, the shot is popped on top, and you, personally, walk your fingers around the top to mould the two pieces together. The gorgeous white jar is then placed in a white box along with Jo Loves matches and a card reminding you of your fragrances, then sealed with a red bow. The thought gone into each part of the creation process is amazing. Once your box is bagged and ribboned up, you ‘paint’ your fragrance onto a piece of Jo Loves card (which you and your Jo Malone consultant both sign) – so you can smell what you’ve created all the way home.
London transport has never smelt the same as it did that night. Every now and then I would get a whiff of my creation, and I couldn’t wait to get home and delve in.
Thank you Pop Tarts.
This is the beginning of a wonderful story. In the pipeline are more fragrances to choose from, and more ideas, which Jo is full of. I’m so excited by this new idea, and what is to come from Jo Loves.
A Shot Candle costs £75 for a 260g candle (60 hours burn time) and includes a one-on-one consultation. Available exclusively at Jo Loves Shot Candle Studio. For more info, check out www.joloves.com