English Pear & Freesia
Jo Malone London (2010)

I got recommended to try this one on the hunt for a light patchouli in the base. It was worth a shot but it fell on other aspects for me. It starts very floral, the freesia I presume, and therefore gives me an association of femininity. The pear note seems interesting but it is rather hard to pick up and I only do it from time to time.

I like it better in the dry down, the patchouli and woods starts to come out and makes it rather pleasant. That phase might feel a bit short as many of the Jo Malone's I've tried is on the light side. I think my wife would wear this better than me :)

Considering I hate both Freesia and Pear, I don't know why I even tried this. I'm not typically a fan of fruity florals so it's no surprise this one wasn't for me. It wasn't anything special, and there wasn't a depth that made me like this for myself, but I wouldn't hate smelling it on someone else. I tired of it quite quickly on myself, though.

Much more freesia than pear in this one. Nice light fragrance. May he too light. The amber is almost nonexistent to my nose. Settles down to a very light patchouli and woods. Did I mention too light. 6.5/10

From what I've read, of all the smells used in perfumes, pear has the smallest molecules, so it dissipates extremely fast, meaning that it's chemically impossible to make a perfume that smells like pear for more than a minute or two. So the real way to judge a pear perfume is on what it does for the rest of the day.

English Pear & Freesia does a good job using an apple note to continue the feeling of the pear on top, while something (ginger? aldehydes?) gives a subtle effervescence. There's also a smell that reminds me of the aroma of a good French champagne - mildly yeasty with nuances of stone fruits. It's this apple/champagne smell that's the real star of the show, while a very quiet hum of hairspray aldehydes simulates the freesia underneath.

I don't really detect a proper base, but the apple/champagne mix carries on much longer than I'd have expected. It works, but its eventual linearity is honestly better suited as a soap/candle scent than a proper perfume. But I do enjoy what this does, so I'm voting thumbs up anyway.

Oh, and for the record, I think the best pear perfume is Goutal's Mon Petite Cherie, though this is a confident second place and a bit less weird...

Light boozy carbonated pears swinging around with a bouquet of fresh flowers. The first burst is almost like a nice cold fruity beer, sparkling wine or some sort of sweet champagne that will take your brain to a festive mood (for a second at least).

The dry down is quite musky on my skin, patchouli also makes its way across the initial happy cocktail party mentioned, becoming a nice clean-showery scent with delicate projection. It lacks longevity on me, but you can overspray your clothes to make it last longer.

Addictive, perfect for fall, specially to bright those cloudy gray days you just don't want to leave home.

4/5

This reminds me of a more sophisticated version of the Freesia scent from Bath & Body Works that was popular in the 90s. I don't get much pear at all. It's pleasant, but Jo Malone London has many much better and more distinctive fragrances.