Reviews of Orange Blossom (2003)
by Jo Malone

Notes:
Top: Citronella leaves, Tangerine
Middle: Orange blossom, Water lily
Base: Lilac, Neroli

Falling somewhere between Czech & Speake's focused orange blossom rendition in Neroli and Creeds snappy citrus-high Neroli Sauvage, Jo Malone's Orange Blossom (OB) does its own thing with the orange blossom note...flanking it between a juicy orange top and watery white floral notes.

The tangerine blast that greets you first is suitably juicy, orangey and pleasant. The orange blossom note that peeks at you afterwards though is not of the finest quality...its not as petit-grainy as in Fleur du Male, but neither is it as indolic or rich. Rather it smells a lot like the version found in Serge Lutens Fleur d'Oranger, with a strange lack of clarity in evidence with woody highlights and little to no indoles. Good thing that this note is further flanked by pleasant lily/lilac floral notes (with an almost nonexistent base...OB just peters out over 4-5 hours) to construct a fairly unique take on the Neroli/Orange Blossom genre resulting in a tangerine-white floral perfume with an adequate orange blossom note which runs through the composition without really overtaking it. All the better I say, considering its not attractive enough by itself to sell bottles. It's Ben Affleck in the Affleck-Damon partnership (while it lasted..).

Rating: 6.0/10.0

Jo Malone Orange Blossom EDC

Notes: clementine leaves, orange blossom, water lily (from jomalone.com)

Orange Blossom starts with juicy sweet orange, bergamot and orange blossom. The combination is classic and a tad soapy, however, there is an unexpectedly tenacious indolic edge to the orange blossom which keeps the fragrance from being too clean. The indoles are rather fecal in this composition, and at first adds a welcome complexity to a fragrance that would otherwise be very dull. Unfortunately, after a bright beginning, all the tangy, sweet, creamy qualities fade away, the fragrance loses its balance, and turns into a screechy white floral with fecal notes that challenge the most die-hard civet lover. The indole in OB does not develop the way natural indoles would, so the accord never loses its rawness. That is to say, OB smells strongly of bleu cheese crumbles, mothballs and urine from start to finish. When there is nothing left to balance and blend with the indoles, OB is not enjoyable anymore. Longevity is too long, all things considered--the indoles are going strong after six hours. Sillage is surprisingly strong, perhaps not a good thing. I am convinced the only way to wear this fragrance is to layer it, probably with another Jo Malone offering.

My favorite Jo Malone (though not a huge fan of JM overall). Nice soft citrus - truly oranges. Not anything complex or interesting here but a gentle and pleasant scent.

When it comes to florals, I am a purist. I like uncomplicated scents that smell like the real thing. This fragrance is all about orange blossoms. It's refreshing and, well, just pretty! I'm sorry that it is not longer lasting. Yet, for a cologne, it's longevity is decent. I suspect that any attempt to improve the staying power would spoil the thing that makes this so special.

When I first smelt this scent, I knew it was a winner because it was like finding oneself seated in the centre of an orange blossom; it has an other-worldly quality which I think you only usually get when you're touching and enjoying the actual flower in real life. I love the way it brought images of white flowers on naked skin to mind. It has an added softness to the original scent of orange blossoms which makes this very feminine. Absolutely stunning, I wore it on my wedding day.

A very orange, tangy opening… more powerful than I expected. It is like the zesty oil expressed from squeezing an orange skin. It softens into nice florals. It is a bit sweet, especially with the lily note. I can appreciate it, but I wouldn’t wear it.

Orange blossom is one of my least favorite notes, or so I thought! This is quite lovely, I must admit, with top notes of mandarin and honeysuckle, and a heart where I can detect more mandarin, orange and orange blossom. The citrus tempers the 'cloying' quality that I often get with orange blossom based fragrances, making it sharper and fresher and much more to my liking. Though I'm not sure it's something I'll reach for to purchase, I'm grateful this fragrance has expanded my olfactory repertoire a bit, and I'll certainly be sampling it again!

Love this incredibly feminine and refreshing scent. Only wish it lasted longer!

My favorite Jo Malone fragrance.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
I think nearly everyone loves this one, including me.

I just obtained a bottle and I will be wearing it a lot this summer. Great orange scent with some added softeners! Layering with this should be great as well. Very pure but soft orange. Stays on well too and will be great with cinnamons for winter

Purists will adore this 'fresh from mother nature' take on Orange Blossom. As for me, I prefer a refined orange blossom note...I find raw essences a bit harsh. Jo Malone's OB also boasts a noticeable amount of jasmine, which is a popular fragrance note although not a personal fave. I'm giving a thumbs up on this one because it has a "stand out" sort of quality - but I won't be wearing it.

Orange Blossom smells divine, but it's a bit too literal for me. I think a layering of this along with a vanilla or a jasmine (more creative members can come up with better combos than my predictable ones) would make this a lot more wearable, while still keeping the vulnerable, sweet, honest, blossomy heart.

I ignored this cologne from Jo Malone for the longest time, even though I never thought it unpleasant. In fact, I ignored most of the line, because for the most part I find the scents too "traditional" and the prices too high for something so conventional. Another reason I ignored it was due to a sample mix-up: even though they were manufacturer’s samples, my Orange Blossom and my Lime, Basil & Mandarin samples got confused, and so I thought that Orange Blossom was a conventional citrus & herb cologne and dismissed it with no second thoughts. Than when I got that mini-package - an extra mini bottle of Lime Basil Mandarin was slipped in as an extra, so I decided to give it a try. I quickly realized there was a mistake in the samples, and after further investigation learned that my charmging “Lime Basil and Mandarin” was actually Orange Blossom…

I was just stunned by how gorgeous Orange Blossom was! This is no ordinary citrus, nor what you would expect from an orange blossom scent, and it is quite unique. The note that stands out for me is the mandarin. When I put it on I was immediately transported to our family orchard I took care of my entire childhood, where I played and watered and weeded the trees. It was one of my favourite places and any scent that brings me back there is welcome to my collection. The heart is definitely orange blossom, which is one of my most favourite notes, and it helps that citrus top notes to linger just a tad longer than most other citrus colognes would.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom is one of the most beautiful things I've ever smelled. It smells like an orange grove on a warm night with just ripened orange blossom flowers and hints of sultry jasmine. This is perfect to lift my spirits and I love it in all seasons. It makes me feel like I can live the romantic, carefree days of summer all the time.

I must amend my previous opinion (Aug. 10, 2005, review). I now so enjoy layering Orange Blossom with almost any scent that I've bought a full flacon. With Ambra del Nepal, I get something like Boucheron's Trouble. With Demeter's Wet Garden, Orange Blossom smells like it's really outside. I think this could be used remedially, too: If a fragrance sample isn't exactly to my tastes, the addition of Orange Blossom seems to steer the scent closer to where I want it to be.