Fragrance Review for Father’s Day 2008: Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne

by PJ on Friday, June 6, 2008

in -Jo Malone London, fragrance

(Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne)

With its first store opened in London in 1994, Jo Malone is the youngest of what I think of as the three classy (in very different ways) British beauty brands, along with Penhaligon’s and Molton Brown. (All three happen to be fragrance-based brands.)

Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne is one of Jo Malone’s 19 modern classics, and this clean citrusy scent will appeal to both men and women. As a Father’s Day present, I think it will appeal to energetic, confident, and debonair dads who are young at heart.

Top notes: lime, mandarin, bergamot
Middle notes: basil, white thyme, lilac, iris
Base notes: patchouli, vetiver, costus

The scent opens with a burst of fresh citrusy energy. Zingy, zesty, but not overpowering. It strikes me as a good morning fragrance. The subtle floral middle notes are not overly sweet at all. Otherwise, I think the flow of notes might become sluggish and the scent would lose its identity very quickly.

There is a distinctive feel of crispness and dryness carried through to the base notes, but the crispness doesn’t feel abrasive or excessively sharp. The woody drydown is still very clean and light.

The scent is long-lasting. With several sprays on the wrists, it lasts for up to 10 hours on me.

Jo Malone advocates scent-layering, and their Fragrance Combining menu shows the array of possibilities. With Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne being beautifully clean, I can see how it can be paired with others.

For me, this is a fresh, modern and seamlessly put-together fragrance with a unisex appeal. I enjoy it as a daytime scent as well as a summer scent. The longer days in the warmer months are definitely a good time to savor the aroma.

You can find out more about Jo Malone and Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne on the About Jo Malone page.

(Jo Malone’s on-line orders are for UK residents only. Please check the FAQ-Delivery page for details about international orders.)

Other fragrance posts:

Bond No. 9 Saks Fifth Avenue for Him

Sheer Stella 2008 by Stella McCartney

Escada Moon Sparkle

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Allysia-May Saturday, June 7, 2008

Hiya

I’ve actually been thinking of trying out the Pomegranate one so maybe this would push me towards checking it out as i love to wear cologne during the summer months.

I’ve tagged you on my blog so please check it to see the rules of the game TAG!

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PJ Sunday, June 8, 2008

Hi Allysia-May,

I haven’t tried Pomegranate Noir, but it sounds very good to me as I generally enjoy fruity notes and it also features jasmine, which I like very much. Let me know what you think if you get to try it out.

Thank you very much for tagging me! It is by no means anything personal, but I don’t usually write tag posts. I hope it is okay with you.

Thank you very much for your comment again. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! :)

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