Lemon Tart

The Lemon in this Jo Malone is not cleaning fluid to me, but it is also not exceptional (or edible), especially in the opening. The dry down is slightly more sweet and pleasant. I don't really get anything light, fluffy or gourmand in this fragrance. I used to work in a bakery that made lemon tarts, and I have eaten many variations on the lemon tart theme from different places. This is NOT a true to life lemon tart. It IS, a strong, linear, slightly artificial lemon scent. If I were going to smell from a linear lemony citrus, I would choose the original Lemon Verbena by L'Occitane over this in a heartbeat. Lemon Verbena smells exactly like a true to life lemon ice. It is so fresh, uplifting, and well... edible. I would like to say I expected more from Jo Malone since I am a loyal fan, but in the past few years, she has had a few more misses than hits. I am still looking forward to trying the rest of this collection. Maybe I'll be surprised. Update: So now that I have been sitting in a cloud of "Lemon Tart" for some time, I am really beginning to want to eat one. Whether that is a testament to the power of this fragrance, or because I am writing this before breakfast is impossible to say. However, the reality is undeniable: now I seriously want a lemon tart. If you already want a lemon tart, smelling anything lemony is going to make you want one more. Second Update: I went out and ate a lemon tart. Then I returned to my home and re-applied Jo Malone's Lemon Tart, which had long since disappeared from my skin (projection and longevity are both very low). On re-application, I once again experienced that strong, linear lemon from before. It's been confirmed: JM's Lemon Tart does not resemble a true to life lemon tart. It's lemon alright, and it is rather tart, but the pastry aspect of the composition is totally lost on me. Fingers still crossed for the rest of this collection. Third Update: Revisited this one after a week or so of not wearing, and was surprised by how distinct it is. It's still that same linear lemon note, but in experiencing it again, I now see it as "Jo Malone Does Lemon". The JM watermark is unquestionably present in the DNA of this simple fragrance, and for that, it deserves consideration. If you were sad that you missed out on the Lemon from the Tea Series and are enamored with all things JM, this one won't disappoint.

I wanted to love this perfume as a lemon pastry sounds absolutely delightful. Unfortunately, this doesn't smell like a dessert. It smells like a very clean lemon product. The initial notes are a mix between Lemon Head candy and Lysol. Then it dries down into a powdery lemon scent not unlike a dishwasher detergent. After an hour or so, the smell completely dissipates to the point where even my partner couldn't smell it on me. I would absolutely repurchase the fragrance as it made me smell like I actually cleaned my house. But the incredibly short longevity of the perfume prohibits that.

I really wanted to like this. I love Annick Goutal Eau de Hadrian, and have many citrus scents. I read that mixing this perfume with JM Nectarine/Honey would be really nice. I found, however, that this scent was too reminiscent of cleaning fluid, Lysol to be specific. I did not try it on skin since the test strip was not pleasing to me and I wanted to save "skin" for the Elderberry and the Redcurrant. Perhaps it would have smelled better on skin....

I bought this because I wanted a replacement for Jo Malone Verbenas of Provence, which has, to my complete dismay, been discontinued. Verbenas of Provence was a gorgeous, romantic fragrance, and I absolutely loved it. It was a lovely sparkling citrus fragrance with soft feminine floral notes that was unique and eminently wearable. The floral notes softened the sharpness of the citrus scent perfectly. Verbenas of Provence was a total standout fragrance from the rather boring and predictable parade of sharp, linear lemon verbena fragrances available on the market from everybody else. So, of course, they got rid of it. And came out with Lemon Tart. I ordered a bottle blind, because it's a Limited Edition and could be unavailable any day now. (Clearly, Estée Lauder , which bought out Jo Malone, has decided that longevity of any particular fragrance is not important, and loyal, devoted fans will just have to get used to their new marketing strategy to produce constantly changing short-term "limited edition" fragrances that are here today, and gone tomorrow, and to Hell with the loyal customers who want to stay with a signature fragrance.). And, to my complete and total disappointment, Lemon Tart is, predictably, another boring, sharp, linear lemon cologne that has nothing to distinguish it from the myriad of lemon fragrances you can buy at almost any good perfume counter anywhere. Estée Lauder executives must be proud. What the hell were they thinking? I'm beyond irritated. I've been a devoted Jo Malone customer and have spent a small fortune on these fragrances for over 12 years. You want to lose a devoted customer base? This is the way to do it.