What Jo Malone is known for

Founded by Jo Malone in 1990 with her debut fragrance Nutmeg & Ginger; she opened her first London boutique in 1994 and sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 1999, staying on as creative director until 2006.

Jo Malone founded her eponymous company in London in 1990, launching with the fragrance Nutmeg & Ginger, a scent that became an early bestseller and built her reputation before she had any formal perfumery training. She opened her first boutique in 1994, offering fragrance, skincare, and home-scent products together, and gained wider recognition in the US market after an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. One of her most enduring creations, Lime Basil & Mandarin, began as a bath oil; working with her fragrance-oil supplier Lautier Florasynth and perfumer Lucien Piguet, she developed it into the cologne now sold as one of the brand's signature scents and among its best-selling fragrances worldwide. In 1999, Malone sold the company and the rights to her own name to Estée Lauder Companies for an undisclosed sum, remaining on as creative director until 2006 under a non-compete that barred her from launching competing fragrance or skincare products for five years. She later started a separate company, Jo Loves, once that restriction lapsed. Perfumer Christine Nagel has since created dozens of fragrances for the house, including Wood Sage & Sea Salt (2014).