Bitter Mandarin

This is exactly as the title suggests. There is a citrus note of course, but the real magic of this scent is how they managed to capture mandarin pith in a bottle. At first sniff, I really didn't know what to make of this. Why would it want to smell like pithy inner peel of a citrus fruit? But it grew on me! This has become an easy summer reach and as far as Jo malones are concerned, it's pretty lasting! Not a huge projector, but I prefer that.

Since the first time I got this perfume, I've been hoping Jo Malone brings it back for a special rendition or something. I LOVE, LOVE this. To me, this is the perfect scent. A little bit spicy, a little bit citrusy, very fresh and enjoyable. When I wear it, people usually don't smell me until they hug me (which I'm completely okay with) and I've been told I smell like the sea. My favorite perfume of all times, if I had to choose.

The opening really reminds me of Grand Marnier for a short while. Really lovely. Unfortunately this beauty also failed in term of longevity and silage as a large number of JML perfumes. Edit. Surprisingly the scent lasted on clothing for over ten hrs, albeit as a skin scent.

Mandarin oranges captured perfectly into a beautiful scent. This fragrance will not disappoint. It made me think of Cointreau and Grand Marnier on the rocks or with soda. The slight bitterness really balances the citrus and sweetness well.

I am very with my purchase! Fantastic, fresh, citrus scent. I think that this one may stay for longer, not only as limited edition 😍 Also it does reminds me of Italy!

A Jo Malone fragrance that actually lasts!?! This is it! Just got a bottle of this. It's orangey, as expected, but it is more than that. It is a complex masculine version of orange, like a combination of orange fragrance, deodorant (in a good way), and fabric softener. It's quite addictive, though I prefer it on my clothes than my skin. The dry down is actually better than the opening. I give the opening 3.5/5 and dry down 4/5. Overall it's good for any occasion, but yes, it leans masculine, possibly due to the bergamot and petitgrain notes. It's also the first Jo Malone that doesn't give me headaches, but I don't have that many Jo Malones to begin with...

Very unique scent. It’s definitely not sweet mandarin. As the name states it’s mandarin bitters. The inside of the peel if scraped with your fingernails. It has a cool feeling to it that reminds me a tad of atelier orange sanguine, though these are not the same fragrance. I wasn’t sure how I felt at first but after wearing it I found myself catching whiffs of it all afternoon and came to really enjoy it. Non offensive and is suitable for someone like me who has fragrance sensitivity and will often get nausea or headaches from certain smells. This did not cause me any issue. Bottle is gorgeous.

Seconding the Aperol Spritziness of it all. I love the bitter zest, just wish it lasted longer. I wanted Bitter Mandarin to be like taking a bath in Campari; it seems that way at first, but after an hour or so, it fades to the fine mist that gets released when you pinch or squeeze an orange peel. Still, it's a nice, crisp, energizing scent on my skin.

Strong resemblance to an Aperol Spritz! Reminds me of lighter, less sweet version of Orange Bitters. Pineapple isn’t listed, but it does give off a pineapple note to me when first sprayed. I like it, but not as much as Orange Bitters or Orange Peel by JM.

Amazing. One of the better launches of later years since the brand's take over. Fresh and spicy with a bit of powder.

At first spray, this is a green orange and iris mixture that's particularly fresh and bright. As it dries down, there is a sweetness to this and it has a strong amber note. It's not really like Atelier Orange Sanguine until this dry down, but after an hour they both are very similar to each other. I prefer Orange Sanguine over this because the orange note is more realistic, but the longevity and sillage are the same on both so it's really up to your preference and availability for the one you'd like!

I should love this--I love non straight-forward citrus scents--but I don't. Agreed with reviewers who call it Aperol-like and highlight the mandarin pith, but somehow, the petitgrain and iris really take over on me and the whole ensemble feels a bit dusty and generic. Definitely improves as it settles down, with the mandarin moving forward, but never quite makes it past "eh, it's alright."

I liked this, and I don't normally enjoy Jo Malone fragrances. I'll leave the scent descriptions to others, except to say that to me, I also smelled bitterness of the Mandarin Skin's Pith but not in the way a Vitamin C tablet smells. With the right chemistry, it's a crowd pleaser.

Jo Malone Bitter Mandarin As if you juiced a mandarin, and put the juice aside to smell the rind and pith. The name itself lets you know you are coming into a citrus sweet juicy affair. You crushed this fruit in you palm, the juices spilling away down your arms. The crushed pulp bleeding between your fingers and leaving the oils behind. It's a thin, biting veil of mandarin as a second skin. Jo Malone is known for layering combos, and I believe entirely this suits that purpose. It is immediately a bright top note infusion to a days scent. On it's own, a quick uplifting breeze, together with something like vetiver, you can "Summer"ize a fragrance. Amber is listed in the drydown, a hot burning trail. While not listed, I find cinnamon. A zested Tiger's Blood snow cone melting into a slurry succumbing to the season. On, that's my favorite portion. An unexpected drydown citric oil with a sensual skin spice.

Not really as bitter, green or citrusy as I expected. A nice not-so sweet floral with a hint of citrus that's generally clean and pleasant smelling. I wish I can say more about this, but there is really nothing else to add. Kinda ho hum to me.

I loved this JM scent. I reminds me a lot of a Rituals perfume which was discontinued named Ginger&Basil. I missed it for so long. It is so delicious to me!

This scent was copied from Chloe Nomade. As soon as I sprayed it on my wrist and waited for 5 mins, it smelled exactly like Nomade.