Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women event yesterday (24 June), Malone said that leaving the brand, which is owned by Estee Lauder, was "tough" as the terms of the split prevented Malone from being involved in cosmetics for five years.
"I had bury that dream, that passion," she said. "I couldn’t even walk through a cosmetic hall as I would cry.
"It was really tough…I was awful to live with," she added.
However, when the five-year period was up, Malone, who returned to the scene in 2011 with the fragrance range ‘Jo Loves’, admitted that it was difficult at first to get her creative juices flowing again.
"Creatively, it took me a long time to find my footing again. Creating a fragrance didn’t come back naturally. I was suddenly caught in the headlights and couldn’t find the right tunes."
Malone also revealed that she was advised by lawyers to "find something else to do" as a fragrance brand with her name already existed.
The split with Estee Lauder appears to have been an amicable one. Malone shared the branding and packaging of the Jo Loves range with the company before its launch.
"Jo Malone was my first child and I wouldn’t want to see her harmed in any way, shape or form," she concluded.
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