JO MALONE LONDON Basil & Neroli Cologne

For a "fresh" perfume, this is very strong and I mean that in a good way! It starts out predominantly green, with a sharp, aromatic blast of basil -- then tart, juicy citrus -- then the orangey powdery sweet neroli flower comes through. The longevity is great. The dry-down is a soft, smooth, musky neroli.

What I love about this is that the basil adds a much-needed sharpness and uniqueness to what could otherwise just be an everyday neroli scent. The staying power is great for a fresh scent. And the drydown into softness is absolutely beautiful.

Gorgeous! Unlike many citrus fragrances, and Jo Malone scents in particular, this has great potency and staying power- it is reminiscent of Dior's Escale a Portofino, but not as sharp and green. Also reminds me of Chloe Eau de Fleurs Neroli.

If citrus aromatics are your thing, you're sure to be happy with this...

When I first tried this I was submerged in a cloud of freshly cut grass. “Pleasant, but nothing special” I thought, resuming my journey. As the time went by, a very unique scent started to emerge from somewhere. It took me a while to figure out that the scent was Basil & Neroli that I applied earlier, because now it had nothing in common with the rather simple fragrance I initially thought it was. It was clearly and unapologetically stating “I’m here and I’m here to stay”. Indeed, the fragrance kept evolving for the rest of the evening and I could even still smell it on my clothes a day later.

A symphony of spices, neroli flowers (the blossom of an orange tree) and herbs, this fragrance is very complex, elegant and unisex. It would be great for autumn and winter as it has a surprisingly warming aura to it despite it’s greens-ness.

Clean, green and sharp. It's the type of fragrance that makes people smell like fresh out of shower on a sunny day. Great longevity and projection for a Jo Malone, and it combines perfectly with Orange Blossom, giving the mix that classical Eau de Cologne vibe (it's much closer to TF NP then, but still pretty different).

I smelled a lot of Jo Malone scents at one of their boutiques in Toronto, and this one captivated me right from the beginning like no other from their line. It smells very similar to Bond No. 9's Eau de New York but lacks some of the white florals like jasmine in the drydown, and is a bit darker than the Bond, and also more masculine in my opinion. Surprisingly, it has really amazing longevity for a Jo Malone cologne, projecting really well for over 4 hours and then remaining as a skin scent on me for many, many hours (in fact over 12 hours with 2 sprays for me). As for the scent itself, it is an absolutely amazing mix of neroli flowers (the blossom of an orange tree) and basil, making it smell very green and citric at the same time. It smells like you're walking in a lush dewy meadow surrounded by orange trees. This is an absolute masterpiece by Jo Malone and one of my favourite fragrances ever.