Jo Malone Orris and Sandalwood Cologne Intense

You know a fragrance is going to be good when it comes in a Jo Malone box. It’s pretty much a given. That said, I was less than impressed when I took my new bottle of Orris & Sandalwood home and my boyfriend tried to steal it. Yes, it smells that good. And pretty unisex to be fair. But just because it is, doesn’t mean I want to share.

Orris & Sandalwood is part of the new Cologne Intense lineup. It’s that little bit more powerful than their traditional colognes, and mingles warm, slightly spicy notes with just the right amount of freshness. If you’re more into sharing than me, it can definitely be worn by either sex – somehow it mingles with your skin to become that little bit more woody on men and slightly floral on the ladies.

As the name would suggest, it features plenty of sandalwood at the base of the fragrance, violet top notes and orris in the heart. You might be wondering exactly what Orris is (I certainly was) and a quick Google tells me it’s the ‘fragrant rootstock of an Iris’. It definitely has that woody feel, but with a few floral notes to help lift it and stop it being too overpowering.

It’s the first Cologne Intense that I’ve tried and I have to say, I’m definitely going to check out the others in the range. They’re a little more expensive than the regular colognes at £105 for a 100ml bottle (there aren’t any of the smaller 30ml bottles available in these scents), but the unusual combinations and striking black bottles definitely makes them worth the investment. I suspect they’ll be less suited to the fragrance layering that Jo Malone is so famous for, but there’s definitely no reason not to give it a try!

You can find Orris & Sandalwood at all Jo Malone boutiques and department store stockists now.

Do you like the sound of the new scent from Jo Malone?

*contains PR samples