Orange Marmalade

0.001 - GASC Here is the thing, I might be biased about this perfume... A delicious, soft, silky, yet pungent orange peel, that somehow creates the sensation of being one of those organic orange marmalades you find in a "pueblo mágico" here in México. So for a long time, I have been watching fragrance-related content. I am a very smell-receptive person who enjoys and appreciates nice smells, however, there was always something that turned me off from starting my own collection instead of watching videos, and it was the price. I hesitated a lot, thinking about what I should start with or if I should even start. I have been in a good moment in my life, both financially and emotionally, enough to feel heavily attracted to purchase an orange, woody fragrance advertised by the bear Paddington. I don't tend to buy things for myself as it makes me uncomfortable for some reason (let alone a USD 165 perfume), but, I think it was the fact that I was tired of wearing the same old colognes I got from my father's drawer to work and just the feeling of taking care of myself even if it was in a materialistic way that pushed me to buy it. Am I disappointed? Not at all. When I opened the bottle and sprayed it on myself I got scared a little bit because of how sharp the orange peel smell was at the beginning, I thought I might have over-sprayed myself. After going to buy some things to make a big meal (it was my mother's birthday) I noticed the smell was still very present, however, the striking orange that scared me, in the beginning, had turned into some orange suede that had a white wood smelling undertone to it, I could not explain it and I stood baffled. Maybe it was just the fact that I used a new fragrance that didn't come out of a suspicious-looking box and smelt like all the years it was inside of it, but something was different, it was worlds better. After having a great day with all the family, I said goodbye to everyone and got a compliment! That had never happened before to me, it was just amazing, the same day I got it, the same day I got the courage to do something for myself I got a compliment from someone else. So what I mean by the statement I gave in the beginning is that yes, it is a sweet but not too sweet orange marmalade, one of those that has orange peel inside of it, but it also reminds me very much of those caramelized orange peal treats they sell here in México, but in a very elegant, and I must emphasize on that because, after going on a spree caused by the purchase of this perfume, I can tell you this is one of the best qualities in all the fragrances I now have smelt. It has a very smooth feel; as if you could touch a soft blanket; or a velvety plant, or it even reminded me of how a deer antler looks. It is a very simple but very special blend that I think is unique from other orange and citrus fragrances because this doesn't smell like orange juice at all, or a synthetic, cleaner type of orange, it is nothing but the peel, as simple as that. I guess I still have lots ahead to discover and this was a great stepping stone, especially if you are like me, who likes subtle, yet sweet and strong enough to be there for those who you decide to smell you, it's a great choice I would recommend every single time. I must mention, I don't think it will be to everyone's liking, I am sure of that. So all and all I would give this perfume a 9.5/10, again, this is just the beginning of my journey but I will keep updating my experiences as much as my time lets me. Peace. GASC.

One of the most photo realistic orange fragrances I’ve owned. It’s as though a fresh orange has been squeezed on you arm. It is beautiful, you smell everything about that orange the pith, the rind, just stunning. As it drys down it becomes slightly woody and dare say creamier smelling- Projection isn’t great and the longevity is pretty standard for a Jo Malone fragrance, ie 1-2 hours. I got this as a Christmas gift to myself to wear at bedtime- yes at bedtime- I just love to shower and wear a beautiful clean crisp scent to bed as it makes me feel cosy. Price point is expensive for what it is but JM fragrances are price inflated for a cologne. Bottle looks great though and to me it is worth the price as a Christmas treat- Sits close to the skin but I can imagine it would work really well on a warm summers day. OMG this is gorgeous (as I’m sat in my bed with PJs on, on a cold winter night, electric blanket keeping my toes nice and warm).

Another love at first whiff! Super heartbreakingly, Orange Marmalade barely lasts an hour on my skin... how effortlessly it swept me off my feet with its damce of bittersweet citrus and warm, grounding embrace. This fragrance is less like the fruity marmalade it set out to depict, and more the fragrant allure of citrus peels slowly simmering on the stove, their bitterness curling into the air deep within a quiet pine forest. It’s fresh yet comforting, bright yet rich—an aromatic warmth that was once a signature stitched into my skin. Oh, how I adored it while it lasted.

This perfume has become one of my favourites. Usually I prefer sweet, fruity perfumes, however, sometimes I'm in the mood for something that's not sweet yet still smells good, I like to use this one. The orange is strong throughout the whole time I'm wearing, and I certainly can smell a rather herbal, leafy smell, which I assume is the sage. It threw me off initially, but it's grown on me. The herbal, leafy smell is more prominent in the initial spray, and the dry down smells more delicious and slightly sweeter. Overall, it's a perfume I use often in my rotation.

Received this today, it’s lovely packaging it to cute! I wouldn’t say it’s sweet at all or anything like marmalade! In fact it leans more masculine but I would still say unisex, it’s very fresh smelling hint of orange but I do pick up more on the woody/ clary sage notes! I will be pairing it with wood sage and sea salt body wash and lotion so it will definitely be giving fresh summer vibes! Either way I am happy with my purchase x

To me this smells exactly like a 2000's Hollister store, citrus and woody but a bit elevated. I really like it, the citrus notes do have quite a bit of staying power, which is rare and even more for a Jo Malone fragrance. It's unisex, masculine leaning. Fun, bright and peppy!

This scent its the most beautiful orange 🍊 fragrance ever i smell it in my life .like an orange cream candy but fluffy candy not the hard one we have here in Sweden like a marshmallow orange candy 😋

Que perfume bommmmm !!! Da pra ser seu perfume de assinatura ! Um aroma de laranja delicioso ! Do topo a base, se mantem com um cheiro maravilhoso e continuo ! Mais um otimo perfume da Jo Malone !

A lovely fragrance which smells very nice but longevity is very low off my skin. I will use it to layer on other fragrances. It just does not last as a stand alone scent. Which is a shame.

i love it so much it makes me feel like a twisty candied orange rind or perhaps the way an orange feels when it falls off the stem!

A longer longevity fragrance among Jo Malone's products, A pleasant cologne with sweet and light woody notes.

There should be a sugar note on here! Lovely, flirty smell that I can totally see wearing on a night out.

I fall for this i lovet it, want it,it smells sooo good like a orange marmelad what my mum made allways

I am the ultimate orange fan. I like all kinds of orange fragrances. Citrus, spicy, floral, fruity, aromatic, gourmand, woody, you name it. This is not what the name suggests. Yes, there is orange, but no marmalade. It's not jammy. It's citrus and almost salty. I mean even during the drydown there is not a hint of sweetness. This is similar to Essential Perfumes Orange Santal, but changing that bright amazing citrus orange from the Santal opening for a more chemical/ window cleanser orangy smell. Comparing this to Orange Bitters, Marmalade also lacks the beautiful opening. The good news are that it doesn't develop as much as Bitters, so what you smell in the opening is pretty much what you get during the whole evolution. This perfume feels herbal. I would have called it Sage Orange. Not a bad perfume, though. Sad, anyway.

A bright, uplifting unisex fragrance. It opens with a burst of fresh orange peel, followed by bitter orange. As it settles, there's a subtle herbal touch of clary sage and woody nuance, which nudges the fragrance into slightly more masculine territory. Longevity on my skin is around three hours, give or take, with moderate projection. I'm not quite sure why Jo Malone decided to call it Orange Marmalade, as there's nothing jammy about this fragrance. However, if you're after that sweet, gourmand feel without it becoming overly sticky, try layering it with Lemon Tart by Theodoros Kalotinis. Trust me on this one, you won't regret it.

To be honest I have no reference to the British orange marmalade, but I was really expecting som tart and sweet orange smell a gourmand in all sense, but this is not it, is more like a herbal orange and woody fragrance, fresh, clean and gentle, with a moderate projection and performance. To me it behaves like Arancia Di Capri from Acqua Di Parma, having a similar construction, Orange Marmalade with less sweet and more natural smelling. Nothing complicated, not groundbreaking but really easy to wear fragrance, if you want something clean, uplifting and fresh for the hotter days of summer.

A bright, clean orange fragrance that opens sparkling and fresh, but reads more as straight orange than true marmalade on my skin. It softens quickly into a gentle, linear citrus that remains pleasant and easy to wear throughout... albeit that it does go into stealth mode pretty fast. For me, although there is not one thing that is offensive here at all, it is just a little too simple and polite for my taste. If you enjoy soft, understated citrus this is absolutely worth sampling, but I personally prefer more nuanced orange scents with a but more lift and life.

This becomes a skin scent very quickly (after only about an hour), but it is such a nice fragrance anyway. It's a lovely blend of orange peel and clary sage, and will remind you of European marmalade (which is much less sweet than American marmalade). You can pair it with almost all other Jo Malone fragrances, as usual, which can extend it a bit.

Delightful! Not especially syrupy or fermented (as we often associate with marmalade), but rather fresh citrus rounded off with pleasant spices. Perfect for summertime.

Not sure if I've just had different marmalade from other reviewers (I've had marmalade in the UK, as well as various homemade European and soviet style versions) and they expected it to only smell of sweet commercial marmalade (especially the American kind which is very sweet) and were disappointed by the clary sage and cashmere wood (at least one reviewer was), but I thought it delivered. Now whether I like that is another question. The first few minutes definitely smell of marmalade - specifically orange PEELS and lots of them, cooking for a while on the stove. As someone that doesn't love sweet scents, I appreciated the fact they used bitter orange as I think that's more interesting as a scent than a straight orange. I also like that they didn't shy away from the orange by adding something like lemon (at least I didn't notice any). I definitely caught the clary sage, even from the first few seconds, but I like clary sage and I think it's a nice way to ground this fragrance. I'd put this in the unisex category - not sure why others think this is definitely a masculine fragrance. Not sure if I just don't know what 'cashmere wood' smells like, but I'm surprised that's the note that Jo Malone specifically lists on their website as the clary sage is so strong for me. Apparently there is pink pepper but I'm not getting it at all. There is also apparently lavender, but if it's there I think it must be more of the stem than the flowers. One reviewer said the notes are: top of orange peel and pink pepper, heart of orange bitter and lavender, base notes of clary sage, patchouli, and cashmere wood. I don't think this is the fragrance for me as I don't actually want to smell of orange, though I fully thought I might - I tend to prefer woody, mossy, earthy green kind of scents (even though I'd categorise my personality as more orange zesty), but I would love this as a candle!! Ironically, if Jo Malone had gone with their normal naming convention and called this Orange Peel and Clary Sage (or Wood), people may have liked this more. If they went the other way to double down on the theme and called it Paddington Bear (who knows if that would have been allowed though), I think that may have also worked better - I can definitely imagine a stuffed bear having the clary sage and cashmere wood notes. (Marketing campaign was super cute and definitely seems to have gotten a lot of people to buy this) I also wonder if they used a different base if it might hit better - again, double down and go for a bread note (or even less obvious like barley), or maybe stay in the food family with a black tea and a hint of vanilla? One reviewer says it layers well with Blackberry & Bay - in the same vein I think it would also layer well with Basil & Neroli, Poppy & Barley, and anything from the Rare Teas collection. On the other side, to make it deeper, richer, and maybe more into winter/autumn and mulled wine territory, I bet it would be nice with Nutmeg & Ginger, Myrrh & Tonka, Vanilla & Anise, Amber & Patchouli, and Ginger Biscuit. ------------------------ It looks like Jo Malone has tried variations of this in the past (just looking at those listed here in Fragrantica). Ignoring the orange BLOSSOM related scents which would obviously be more floral, their orange and orange peel related scents in chronological order: - Bitter Orange and Chocolate in 2013 - seems like more of a gourmand take with dark chocolate, cacao, coconut, and coumarin, and hasn't been repeated. - Orange Bitters in 2016 - this seems fairly different as (based on the notes) there is more orange fruit (and plum), and they used amber and sandalwood as the base. - Orange Peel in 2021 (not sure why Fragrantica says 2016) as part of the 'Marmalade Dreams' collection - very similar to this fragrance as it also had orange peel, bitter orange, and cashmere wood, but no clary sage. Did have a rhubarb note - Orange Bitters Cologne in 2023 - similar to the one released in 2016, also has fruits (including plum), and uses amber and sandalwood as the base. So the 2016 and 2023 releases were incredibly similar (at least note wise), and the 2021 and this 2024 release was incredibly similar (at least note wise). I wonder how much it changes between the years - are they trying to refine it (as there aren't great reviews for it this year at least), or do they just re-release the same idea as a limited edition scent every few years? (I've just checked the US site and it actually says "Orange Marmalade has returned". Not sure what the UK site said at the time, but I'm pretty sure it never said that and at the time of writing they're already advertising the advent calendars). I've seen only three people mention the previous release, and only one of those had both fragrances and she said this one is lighter and more citrusy vs orange peel which is sweeter and more heavy. I've checked youtube, tiktok, reddit, jo malone reviews, and everything and no one else is mentioning this.