Musk Memento Cologne

I almost skipped sniffing this one in the store's Summer 2024 display when I saw its name because musk and summer heat do not really go well together in my opinion. But as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover -- or in this case, don't judge a perfume by its name. Otherwise, I would have missed this beautiful scent! Fresh, clean and bright are the top adjectives that come to mind for this, like the light floral soap we reach for during sunny days. There are no bergamot nor citrus in the listed notes but for some reason, the combination of all that it has seem to project those when sprayed on my skin. The musk/white musk which initially put me off actually adds depth and character to the overall scent. It lasts long too as I could smell it at the back of my hand where I sprayed it, even after washing. I rarely love scents from this brand but this one just got me hooked!

Updating a previous review- This one has totally grown on me to be my favorite from the collection. It has an almost cold quality to it and works as a great stand alone or layering fragrance because it is rather precise. Commenters comparing it to a dryer sheet are correct but it’s more palatable than that. Honestly one of my most worn this summer while still being a great new fragrance I didn’t have anything like before. Beware though because if you don’t like aldehydes scents you may not be a fan. Definitely an aldehyde lovers aldehyde. All the notes listed are noticeable in the fragrance, although the cedar is very subtle.

Does it smell like detergent and have a lingering "Grandpa's aftershave" note? Yes. Is that exactly what I expected and love about it? Also yes. It's called Musk Memento, so you should expect some nostalgia when you smell this. Maybe you folks who hated it for the familial associations have bad relationships with your grandfathers... This is occupying the void in my heart left by the discontinuation of Bracken Woman by Amouage (and at a much more friendly price point, no less). It has the same clothes-drying-in-the-sun-on-a-May-morning feel. Not for everyone, or every season, but what is?

I cherish every single drop. I am in love with this scent. It's so nostalgic, dusty but clean however, I am not even born in Europe but this is so homey and strange at all best. I am immediately missing my homeland when spray this and want to carry it into my day. It is not a complex one but very calming but aldehydes bomb stand out. This frag has some sweet element to it not so sure, but sugary a lil bit. I don't care if someone asked me why I wear linen spray, I am in love with this. Ambrette, Iris and Musk they goes well together.

This one is my least favorite of the collection, but I do appreciate the art of it, although I fail to understand who the customer is. The aldehydes are very strong but this one almost smells burnt... it’s really hard to describe. Imagine an aldehyde too crisp and NOT powdery.

Very musky, smells kinda like expensive soap or detergent. For me it's leans more feminine. Tried it only on paper though.

So I sampled every scent in the range and I was expecting to leave with Ginger Beer, but man, this was the weirdest and also my favourite, to my complete surprise. I smell aldehydes, cedar, lavendar, and musk all very clearly. I think the people comparing it to cleaner are doing this because lavender and cedar (especially in furniture polish) are big notes in cleaning products -- but come on, people, train your nose up a little! I think in perfume, people are very used to these notes appearing alongside sweet and floral notes, smoothing and taming them -- but this is realistic, slightly astringent lavender and cedar shavings. The aldehydes do make it sparkle and I can see again how people conflate aldehydes with soap. But there are layers here! This is your grandfather's cedar chest of drawers, full of folded wool trousers and linen shirts, lined with lavender paper or little drawer sachets. It's not meant to be sweet and breezy and fun. It's a dusty memory. A sepia-toned photograph. I love it. I'm shocked Jo Malone would release this for sale because it's so offbeat. I bought a full bottle.

Don't buy this because of the comparisons, that's for sure. It absolutely doesn't smell like CDG Marseille or Le Labo Lavande, whatsoever. It's fairly unique to my nose, which is always a welcome sight in my book. Slightly clean, slightly dirty musks over a sweet(ish) ambery base. When I wore it, I picked up a floral component I couldn't identify. It leans more feminine in my opinion, and the sweetness hints but doesn't cross in to the typical sweet designer realm. Suprisingly, the musk got a bit animalic and tip toed but didn't cross in to the daring niche territory. In summation, this is an interesting and slightly daring scent for a house that doesn't take many chances. I'm kind of suprised so many people like it. Not because it's bad, but because it's a a little unconventional, especially for Jo Malone. ----------------------------------------- Scent 70/100 Performance 75/100 -----------------------------------------

Musk Momento is an amazing citrus, fresh skin sent. It’s perfect for a hot day when you’re feeling very down, It just uplift the mood. It’s a very nice musky fragrance. That’s all I can say.

A simple, crisp, homely linen fragrance with a swimming pool-esque aldehyde quality. Nostalgic and pure.

the review below me is completely right, this is somehow a clean yet dirty musk...? it's very unique and "cold," but i'm not sure how i feel about it. it does have that classic jo malone DNA (i have no idea how to describe it) and i would say it's a safe blind buy but unclear if everyone would be impressed by it. i enjoy it for what it is, but somehow i feel like there is a petitgrain note in here somewhere that i am deeply conflicted about

This gave me a headache. I don't like musk, but JML is always reliably understated in a tasteful way, so I sprites without hesitation. Nope. This is straight up screaming dryer sheets. So, so strong and overwhelming. Of course it took forever for the smell to go away. And the projection! My sister was in as much misery as I was when she visited. Save the money and roll around in Bounty sheets.

Opens lovely but dries down to just a baby powder scent- not complex, just baby products. Not a love...

I expected a white musk type but it smells like a detergent, orange blossom centered.

it is just a boring fragrance, that's it. Too generic

Try picturing what your great-grandfather's bedding might smell like. A cheap, generic-smelling detergent or fabric softener, a residue of his old-fashioned aftershave scent left on the pillow, a touch of mothballs... That's Musk Memento! I've smelled this scent before for sure but can't remember where exactly. I detect a dusty lavender and dry, pale woods. This is not a happy fragrance, nor is it comforting. The powderiness here is somber. I don't like it sadly.

This is the only scent from this collection that I didn't buy. I really like all other 3 colognes, but this one smells like a cleaning aid and that's it. No other way to describe it. If you wanna smell fresh and clean, not soapy in "I just took a shower" way but soapy in "I've been cleaning the house and now this cleaning aid has entered all of my pores" way, then this one is for you lol. Unfortunately, this is also the strongest of the 4 colognes, not your typical "skin" Jo Malone scent, with better than average longevity. Even though this smells like cleaning aid it could still pass as kinda nice and refreshing scent, but there's this suffocating, almost headache inducing note in it... I don't know what that note is but it makes this cologne heavy and unbearable. Bottle also looks the cheapest out of the 4 which doesn't help the overall impression.

Pour les amateurs de l odeur de savon, du linge propre de la lavande et de musk blanc et senteur du barbiers une très belle découverte pour moi amateur de ce genre de fragrance, je trouve qu’il est unisexe ,excellente tenue et bon sillage , sent le savon traditionnel de luxe simple et efficace 8/10 mais un peu cher comme même

Very masculine, received in a box along with other Jo Malone fragrances. I like this one alot and so does my sister and mother. Haven't tested the longevity or sillage properly yet however it can be smelt from the other side of my room when sprayed once so the projection is promising. Doesn't smell synthetic would suggest

This was sold to me by a really good salesperson after I'd just told her that I don't like musky scents. It smelled so good initially but totally migraine-inducing after a while. I like it but hate it at the same time. It's complicated.