Lime, Basil & Mandarin (1991)
by Jo Malone

Jo Malone's Lime, Basil and Mandarin has a beautiful, bracing, citrus opening with a very pronunced lime note swimming just ahead of the mandarin orange and bergamot notes. This opening lasts about one-half hour before slipping behind the basil that bursts through the citrus accord and welcomes all who are near to the emerging herb garden. While I'm not a huge fan of basil, I find LBM's basil note to be acceptable. It its what the name says. The mid notes in LBM remind me somewhat of the mid notes in Polo Modern Reserve, a fragrance that is light years away from LBM in character and temperament. The emergence of patchouli really sells LBM. The basil becomes restrained which helps avoid a complete herbal takeover. I can easily see LBM in my summer rotation. A perfect fit for trips to my favorite Thai restaurant.

11th December, 2011. (Last Edited: 12nd December, 2011.)

I only smelled this for the first time recently. It has such a pretty opening and it seems like it might simply be a long-lasting take on the eau de cologne. The heart turns out to be fairly short-lived, but the basenotes, while quiet, are quite durable. The base hints at vetiver, patchouli and iris, having a dry, dusty feel. It seems a bit like dried citrus rind, the perfect ending to the citrus-dominant start.

5th November, 2011.

The mandarin just glows and the lime-basil lends interest. This is an incredible mood-lifter for me.

On a humid, muggy day, for about 15 minutes I feel like a Thai yum tofu salad but then it passes. For some reason I don't register this aspect when it's not humid. So yes, the basil is very prominent here. It's not vaguely herbal, it's unmistakably basil.

I had halfway-decent longevity and it was much better than other Jo Malones I've tried with seem to disappear almost instantly. For me this lasts about three hours and then leaves a faint shadow of itself for the rest of the day.

7th May, 2011.

I'm torn with this one. This is one of Malone's first perfumes and the one I liked best at first. The basil gives an interesting and lovely note, and the fresh citrus is exceptionally well done. All three notes in the name really do come through. Overall this is an excellent citrus-basil accord that becomes more floral and slightly garrigue-ish with time. Hurrah! A Jo Malone perfume that evolves! Oh, wait, what's that? Oh dear, the basil is rotting on my skin. ARGH, now it's starting to smell more and more like week-old salad. Lovely at first, but it doesn't end well for this pretty little perfume.

16th January, 2011. (Last Edited: 28th January, 2011.)

On me, after the citris departs, it's strictly coriander. I like its green, warm and woody aura --- it's a fond reminder of Coriandre by Jean Couturier.

I think the lime, basil and orange herald the top notes and envelope the margins of the middle notes, but the basenotes are pure...coriander. Amazing that it's not list on the pyramid.

31st December, 2010.

I bought it for me, but ended up passing it on to my bf. Too manly for me. It's ok, seems good for a man's office scent.

14th December, 2010.