JO MALONE'S son teenage recently gave her a present: a copy of the famous black and white photograph of artist Pablo Picasso with croissants placed on the table in place of his fingers.

It did more than make her smile. "He said to me, 'Remember Mum, people change the world, never lose your sense of humour.'"

The woman who created an eponymous brand 20 years ago and whose name is synonymous with those enticing cream gift bags tied with black ribbon suffused with the scent of lime, basil and mandarin is about to take the beauty world by storm again. And she couldn't be more excited.

Jo sold the brand bearing her name to Estee Lauder in 1999 and stayed on as creative director. After having her son, then successfully battling a diagnosis of breast cancer, she left.

She took time out and four years ago decided to start all over again with a new brand called Jo Loves. Initially sold online, it has built up such a steady stream of fans it was followed in 2013 with the opening of a store in a chic corner of London's Belgravia, with hat-maker Philip Treacy and designer Jenny Packham for neighbours.

It is a serendipitous address. "It was the florist where I had my first job when I was 16. My 50th birthday present wasn't a holiday or a diamond, it was the set of keys to 42 Elizabeth Street and my husband saying, 'Happy birthday, go and be a shopkeeper again because you are a nightmare being at home,'" laughs Jo.

There are already plans made for the brand to go global and that should mean a sigh of relief for fans north of the Border. Outside of London the largest customer base for the mouth-watering selection of luxury fragrances and candles that take scent to a whole new level - think A Shot of Thai Lime Over Mango or Green Orange and Coriander - is Scotland.

"There are lots of amazing things happening, we're living this adventure where every day there are moments when you think, 'Oh my God, this is happening again,'" she enthuses.

We are having a coffee when the fragrance queen is in Scotland to meet entrepreneurs and the excitement about; not just the booming growth of her company, but the invigoration of ideas is palpable.

"I went back to Grasse recently and the little square where I fell in love with fragrance nearly 33 years ago - and it was all gone," she says. "It was just restaurant after restaurant and the flower market wasn't there.

"I felt really disillusioned and realised that life moves on, and I thought, 'Who am I now? What have I got to give?' I felt really sad inside.

"We went back to the hotel and someone said, 'Have you been to Mougins?' We went there for lunch and as we drove up I felt my heart start to beat a little bit faster.

"We walked through the streets and it was as I remembered the beauty of Grasse. We sat and had lunch outside and someone said, 'Have you seen the Picasso museum? Picasso came here for one summer when he lost the ability to create.'

"Suddenly I knew life was saying to me, 'That's who you are, you're the artist. All those years ago you were that young girl but that's not who you are any more. This is who you are; you are the artist who will change the world with fragrance again.'

"I found who I was again and I've come back a different person. I'm alive again. I've just figured out who I am again: stop worrying about anything else and focus on what you do. It's a magical moment."

One of the ambassadors for the Government's Great campaign, Jo travels the world to encourage overseas businesses to trade with Britain.

In between that and inspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a wonder she has to fit in being a shopkeeper, as she modestly describes her day job.

Her idea to create a fragrance brasserie will be rolled out around the world as the company expands. In the meantime, Jo's collection of fragrances and candles can be bought online at www.joloves.com, including the brand new Shot Candle.

The unique design makes you the creator of your own bespoke fragrance; simply choose a base scent from a selection of seven, from Mint Mojito and Charcoaled Lemons to Tahitian Gardenia and Mango. Then drop in your chosen shot to personalise the scent and make your candle unique.

"It's about taking fragrance and saying, look this isn't just a candle ... that sounds like M&S," she giggles. "You can be part of the creation. This is an extension of who you are. This isn't just another product.

"I know the generation that is second and third and fourth from this, so this is just the start of this unbelievable journey we've about to travel on and cause the creator and the consumer to become one."

Jo's honesty is just one of the many attributes that makes her a successful businesswoman: there's no sales pitch, no flannel when you talk to her. And she is the first to admit she hasn't always been this confident.

"It's taken me a while to find my stride. I did lose myself in the first two years," she says frankly.

"I really didn't know who I was, I couldn't find who I was and I think in the last year every day I feel stronger and stronger. In the last month it's like, yeah ..."

Long may it continue.

Visit www.joloves.com