Jo Malone London Basil & Neroli Collection

Jo Malone London has introduced a divine new fragrance: Basil & Neroli (100 ml is $130). The moment I smelled a sample, I asked Sydelle St. Jules to make sure she put aside a bottle of cologne for me the moment it arrived. Basil & Neroli Cologne appeals to both women and men. We were all wearing it at Neiman Marcus last weekend, and we were all continuously sniffing our arms where we had sprayed our samples. It is addictive.

This is the first cologne characterized by basil that has been introduced by Jo Malone since its ever-popular Lime Basil & Mandarin (1999). You might think the new fragrance would be similar, but it's quite different in composition.

The fragrance promises the sophisticated British vibe of London in this modern, youthful, and fun edition. The fresh, playful, and floral unisex composition is created by perfumer Anne Flipo, who described it as "a fresh, sophisticated, sensual floral with green facets—stunning in its simplicity." (Fragrantica) It develops with green top notes of basil, which transform into a fresh floral heart of neroli, with a base of white musk and vetiver for the popular earthy tones.

In addition to two types of basil, including basil grande verte, the top notes include cedar needles, which add a peppery edge, an unexpected twist to the vibrant citrus-like notes. The middle notes include neroli and bitter orange. The hand-picked blossoms of the bitter orange tree, neroli is a green floral note, wonderfully clean and fresh.It infuses the fragrance with the elegant scent of orange flower. The base notes are white musk, mastic (a bushy evergreen Mediterranean tree of the cashew family that yields mastic and has aromatic leaves and fruit, closely related to the pistachio), and vetiver. They give the fragrance a clean, powdery trail of the scent, adding a softness that endures.

Anne Flipo called it, " A fresh, sophisticated, sensual floral with green facets - stunning in its simplicity." It's a perfect description. I adore it, and I'm sure I will be wearing it frequently. Right now, I'm being frugal with my sample.

The collection consists of a 30 and 100 ml bottle of Cologne, a 250 ml Body & Hand Wash, a 175 ml Body Crème, and a 200 gr Home Candle.You can surround yourself in this fabulous new scent.

I suspect Neiman Marcus and the other store counters received it this week. The collection is available now from Jo Malone's Web site. Make sure to sample this beauty!

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone of London