Oud & Bergamot

I get the hype. As soon as you spray this on you're hit in the face with juicy, sparkling bergamot squeezed over a smooth and woody western style oud. Simultaneously fresh and easy to wear, but woody and actually interesting to wear. As it dries down, the oud takes the spotlight and breaks down into a multitude of different woody aroma chemicals and essential oils; Virginia cedarwood essential oil & iso E super are the two most prominent to my nose, but the nuances will be your own. I recently got a 9mL of this at the Jo Malone store when I picked up a 50 mL of their new "Hinoki & Cedarwood" cologne intense, and man this has grown on me so much that I've almost worn through half of my bottle already. It's simple: sure, but this walks such a great line between being a "dumb reach" kind of fragrance while still having depth and a slight nuance. I wouldn't be surprised if I scoop up a fb once I finish my 9mL, but only time will tell. The cologne intense collection from Jo Malone is one of the easiest "niche" lines to get into if you're just starting into the niche world, and I cannot recommend this enough. Moderate performance of 5-7 hours depending on heat and activity level, with arms reach projection for 3-4 hours, and then intimate for the remainder of the scent. 9.2/10. Signature scent worthy. Song vibe - Tom's Diner - 7" version by DNA, Suzanne Vega TLDR - Super fresh and juicy bergamot squeezed over smooth, woody oud. Supremely easy to wear, but interesting enough to appease even the biggest niche snob. Huge recommend to anyone who likes woody/western oud fragrances, and it's easily one of the best from Jo Malone. Side note - If you like this citrus/oud combo, I'd highly recommend trying "R'oud Elements" by Kerosene, it's a super good and powerful bitter orange/woody western oud combo!

Beautiful combination that I had never thought of blending well but felt immediately attracted to due to its notes. I’m a big fan of citrus notes that are blended in a way that is not expectedly summery, fresh and meant for hot weather only. Contrastively, I’m also obsessed with oud when it is softened in a way that it is not overpowering and heavy. This is it – though as I have read many times and am now experiencing myself, Jo Malone London’s colognes, even the intense ones, perform quite poorly by comparison to other brands which have similar price tags. Having said that, I would still buy this fragrance because it just makes me feel good about myself, its unique and unexpected composition, and it just smells damn good. Top note is bright and fresh with Bergamot standing out beautifully but being embraced by a comforting, well-balanced oud. It sits close to skin within the first hour. Weak in projection but still present as an intimate, personal scent to be enjoyed by yourself only for a few hours. Somehow, even though I try and smell it on my skin with no success after, let’s say, some 4 hours, I still get a whiff here and there, out of nothing, as beautiful and pleasant surprises even after 6 hours. It reminds me a lot of Fuggazzi’s Orange Crush once it dries down, with a very present orange note slightly synthetic, but, again, toned down by the cedar note, making it a bit more incensy and slightly woody. I get when people say it is not worth the price because of its performance. But it is what it is. You won’t get anything like it so if you like it, it is worth the investment. I am getting a bottle for myself.

this is my new signiture scent. it has citarusy mildly sweet opening, later the sweetness and citarus settle down, and the woody notes come threw. dried down all notes mix in a perfect balance and you can smell all notes at once with no one being dominent in my eyes, creating a new uncategorized scent. AMAZING. there arent many notes, but the balance is so accurate its genius in my eyes. this is a true unisex. it smells natural, like this was made of natural extracts. i dont like sweet scents at all, they usually throws me to a chimicly cheep place, and this is a tad to sweet to my liking but i truelly dont care, the sweetnes is so mild i find it forgiven, and if i dont look for it i cant sence it. after a few hours i cant sence it AT ALL. it has a little musty? feeling? idk you wont feel fresh wearing it, its not a walk in the meadow. its more like a cabin in the woods, and you havent left for days becouse its raining. which gives me dark mysterious vibes. its mature, (not old), sophisticated, serious, scent. not a ppl pleaser at all. the price... is high. which is a shame since i could really love some more sillage, and even though to me it lasts quite some time since it is so close to skin its hard to notice after some time. but i find it so wonderful i just pay the price and try to make the bottle last for as long as possable. i find it so difficult to find not sweet female fragrences. and unisex scent usually just smell man to me. so even though its pricey, to me its worth it.

I often come across criticism regarding the performance or longevity of Jo Malone fragrances. However, I already own English Pear & Freesia in the standard cologne concentration and have never experienced any issues with either projection or staying power. With this Cologne Intense line, my first impressions are even more positive — Oud & Bergamot in particular feels richer and more tenacious right from the start. What stands out immediately is the high quality of the raw materials IMO. There's nothing synthetic or flat about this scent; it smells refined and expensive, with a certain natural elegance. On my skin, the fragrance opens as a surprisingly warm and cozy blend — almost like damp, sweet tobacco, enveloping and atmospheric (even if I see no tobacco in the pyramid). Yet it’s also laced with a fresh, uplifting twist that adds a peculiar contrast. It's weird: while the scent profile would typically evoke colder months, there’s something unexpectedly breezy and luminous here — surely thanks to the bergamot. Still, I don’t detect the citrus in a direct or prominent way beyond the very first couple of seconds; instead, it seems to gently lift the composition without overtaking it. I was fortunate enough to purchase it during a promotion, which allowed me to get the 50ml bottle at half price. Considering the perceived quality and the richness of the blend, I find that a very fair deal — and it makes the value proposition much more appealing.

Apologies in advance to all those who are getting poor performance out of this. I guess this goes to show that skin chemistry plays a big role in our fragrance journey. This thing lasts a good 12 hours plus on my skin, maybe even longer. Personally I become nose blind to it after a few minutes, but throughout the day people give me compliments on it. I even get compliments from people across the room from me, proof that the sillage is strong with this one. But this is not a strong or harsh fragrance. It's just very noticeable, yet subtle. My second thought that will likely get me thumbs downed to hell, I do not smell any oud in this thing. I get the bergamot, and I get the cedar, in fact that's about all I get! Blast of fresh citrusy woody goodness! The driest woods I have ever smelled in a fragrance, and I love it! The more I wear this thing the more I fall in love, and the more sad I get that I'm running out. In case you're wondering, I wear this to every occasion; going to work, going to the gym, going on a date. I will wear it here or there, I will wear it anywhere! There isn't really much else like it out there, but I would say it has a similar woodiness to Creed's aventus, but it doesn't smell like aventus. Also, when it becomes a skin scent, it weirdly reminds me of BR540's dry down. Again, this does not smell like BR540, not even close. It also has a similar opening to By Killian Straight to Heaven.

One of the best things I've ever smelled, but performance is terrible! It reminds me of a cross between Oud Wood and Aventus if you took pineapple and smoke. It's a very unique oud, and can be worn year round. It's definitely a "Western oud" accord, nothing animalic about it. It smells clean yet mysterious. I've never smelled anything quite like it. It's a very linear fragrance and one of my favorites from JM. Back to that performance, this stuff becomes a skin scent on me after about an hour and a half. This would not be an issue if it wasn't for the fact that this costs $170 for a 100ml. O&B is extremely versatile and will work year round and is unisex, leaning masculine by typical fragrance conventions, but I would absolutely love to smell this on a woman. It projects better in the summer but lasts longer in the cold. I rarely try to push clones, even though I own a good number of them, but for $30 you can find a bottle of Jenny Glow Bergamot that smells 95% similar to me, especially after the first 2 minutes and it lasts longer. I still have to give this fragrance a good score and it would be higher if the performance was better. I unfortunately never had a chance to try the Extrait before it was discontinued, but I heard it was only marginally better. 87/100

First, it seems I need to address Jo Malone performance.... It is a cologne concentrate. You shouldn't compare it with EDP. Second, the Jo Malone atomizer is made VERY stingy because they encourage layering. So if you are not layering, spray heavy on Jo Malone and you should be fine on performance. For example, 4 sprays wouldn't even kick out as much juice as one spray from a Creed Atomizer. With Oud and Bergamot, you will get noticed and appreciated. It is one of those scents that women and men both compliment me on. I like Oud fragrances, but many of them come out so dry and bitter that they repel me. The TF, MFK, Montales are generally much less universal than this particular concoction. Add to that the top note of bergamot and it settles in very nicely. Another reason this scent is currently in my top 10 is that it works on my skin year around and in every possible scenario. This is signature scent worthy for those that crave that kind of thing. If you still are doubtful on performance, go to the store and spray two shots on your shirt and then smell it 2 days later. It will still be master blastin'. It is like Aventus on me where I can't smell it, but people are always picking up my trail. My Score: 9.5

I had a half vial sample of this and was not intending to buy a bottle because it was slightly sour on my skin in the beginning. However, there is a big HOWEVER in this story - I decided to spray my whole sample and since it was just a half vial, I layered Wood Sage & Sea Salt on top. What resulted was the most amazing aromatic, woody, fresh, scent. Oud & Bergamot by itself is nice but not mind blowing, I think you can get similar scents for less $$. BUT layer it with Wood Sage and BAM!! Magic happens! OH MY GOD. It elevated this scent to extraordinary. The combination just works. It's so good and fresh and woody with fresh spice and it lasted for a good 8 hrs on my clothes. It is definitely a unisex scent. I sprayed it at 11 am, then went Black Friday shopping the whole day. At 6pm I knock on my friends door, she opens it and first thing she says is "Wow!! You smell amazing!! What are you wearing??" After dinner, I went to bed and I could still get whiffs of this beautiful combo on myself. Yes it does not project loudly but for me, the important thing is that I could smell it on myself and enjoy it. I slept with a smile on my face that night. I am now eagerly awaiting a full bottle to arrive in the mail.

My baby. My first born. How special you are to me AND my entire scent journey. Oud and Bergamot was my very first experience where a scent evolved from my initial disgust into compulsatory (can’t put it down) sniffing, all the way to landing firmly in “soul mate” status. I was transfixed to say the least. It also marks the beginning of my exploration into more unisex and masculine scents. To this day, they’re still my favorites. There is something that’s seductive, scholarly, bold, natural? and even spiritual to this scent. At the same time, it never quite loses it’s soft and approachable edges. It’s the only time that a fragrance has put a full blown spell on me. Or? For a less romantic take, gave me one hell of a nasty addiction. I’m not mad about it. What a treat! It’s also the best example of a relatively rudimentary scent composition totalling something much larger than the sum of its parts. To be frank, it reminds me of a black hole. Both in it’s tone and theory. A perfect gateway drug to Oud and it’s many forms. Oud and Bergamot haunts you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t haunt for long enough being that it’s longevity and projection both kind of blow :( Still, I love her flaws and all.

This reminds me quite a lot of a unisex frag I wore now and then during my 20's- Paco Rabanne's Black XS, though not as sweet and gourmande and certainly no where near as lasting. As with many of Jo Malone's collection, sillage and longevity are quite weak (if ONLY they would create a perfume version of Sea Salt and Wood Sage, alas). Along with the oud (VERY light here) it has an almost strawberry top- definitely a sweeter citrus at least, something I normally don't like, but do here. There is also something fresh and slightly soapy about it- I find it very clean. For those who say it smells like mould- I renovated an old house so I know what actual mould smells like and this isn't it. EDIT: This is a $200C fragrance and it lasts about a 1/2 hour. It is criminally weak for the price- much more so than Wood Sage and Sea Salt and that is notorious for lack of sillage and longevity. "Cologne Intense?" I think not. It's so disappointing because all of the elements are there- the basic scent and balance of notes. However, the most important quality is missing: others smelling it on you and more importantly, being able to smell it on yourself.

Oh my God... Love It!! Just as reference, Oud & Bergamot is what Armani Privé Oud Royal couldn’t be... strangely they don’t share many notes, in fact they only share the Oud... but for some reason they have the same scent profile (and unfortunately the same limited performance)... however, where Jo Malone does a much better work, at least for me, is on how they encompass the Oud... while Armani Privé goes bit dry woody-ish, Jo Malone goes for a divinely warm and aromatic finish, which creates one of the most comforting and cozy oud perfumes in the market. What you get in this perfume is creamy oud from the start, creamy oud in the middle, and more creamy oud to finish... unfortunately, the finish comes very soon, since this perfume has very short projection and longevity. I don’t get the myriad of citrusy notes described... and I truly don’t miss them... more creamy powdery perfumes is what my world needs!! I just wished perfumers would consider giving their creations a better performance... what’s the point of an amazing scent if it will be lost in the air in just a few hours. Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot... divine!

I own a secondhand bottle of this. I used to agree with the reviews saying the sillage on this was "insulting". What a funny word. Ha! Ha! Ha! And then I kept on wearing it, and then I found myself realizing I would need to buy more, and suddenly I did not feel as insulted by the price point. The sillage and longevity on this? Not at all very remarkable... It is not a "beast", and while I do not want a fragrance that smells like nothing and to nobody at that, I do not believe that it is fair to say that the performance ruins anything about the fragrance. It is divine, exquisite. It is a lovely take on both ingredients, with a bergamot that does not at all feel cheap, and an oud that does not feel oppressive or heavy. It is good for all seasons, and all times. Sure, you will get a little less for your money, considering that if you want it to shine, you will need a shower of it. I don't deny that. But I cannot bring myself to say this is bad for that reason when the fragrance itself is so beautiful. I have gotten compliments, many of them, with some people asking me to tell me where I got it. Let it be a treat.

I’ve been a bit leery when it comes to Jo Malone. The brand is renowned (infamous?) for their light scents with little projection and longevity. I know they’re meant to be layered, which might extend the scents’ lives, but I prefer to purchase a fully formed fragrance. I mean, do they expect all of us to purchase multiple bottles and experiment with scent alchemy at home? And despite all that, Oud & Bergamot has fully endeared me to Jo Malone. It’s just too good, that woodiness with a little citrus, fresh and light, but with a richness and depth too. I get several hours on skin, with some projection early, but it soon hovers close to the body. And rather than perceiving its projection as a problem, Oud & Bergamot feels perfectly calibrated, that this is the way the scent *should* be. At nearly $200 for 100 mL, I do believe it’s overpriced. But you know what? Jo Malone could charge more, and I’d probably still be compelled to purchase. It’s just that pleasurable to wear. A masterpiece from the brand. Never will this not be great: any time, season, age, gender, planet, universe, etc. etc.!

I adore this from Jo Malone! In my opinion the only fragrance in the cologne intense collection that is suited to a man as it really has a wonderful woody quality balanced perfectly with the citrus. Again I am a fan of Oud fragrances but this one is not particularly Oud centric. It is a lovely blend of fruitiness and the Oud to create was is quite simply a very nice scent and something I want to smell like. Hats off to Jo Malone on this one and on the vast majority of her fragrances, even the few I don't particularly like are okay and have a lovely natural feel to them. Update: Just to say it again! This fragrance is amazing I really do love it smells amazing. I don't know why but somehow it conjures up the colour red. It puts me in mind of a really soft luxurious fabric like silk or velvet that's a very deep red or burgundy...If that makes sense? The fruity bergamot is so nice and creates its own beautiful accord when mixed with the creaminess of the Oud it's fantastic and although it stays pretty close to the skin after the first hour or so it has good longevity.

I have no idea why people hate this scent so much. To me it's a very clean, cool (also as in the attitude), unisex; smells interesting and like the person wearing it is interesting. It's not very complex but still rich, It doesn't change a lot during the wear, but it doesn't have to, since it's lovely and keeps on being so. It's not sweet, it's not "fresh" and it doesn't need your approval. None of it's qualities are lost in the drydown. I bought it for my sweetheart as a gift and I wear it myself - it's a true unisex that somehow manages to adapt to both the feminine and the masculine without compromising either or loosing edge. Longevity is very fine - I can still smell it lingering in my hair at night after spraying in the morning. Projection is weak-moderate, closer to weak, but that is also one of the things I like about it: it doesn't need to push itself into other peoples spheres or anyone's attention to feel good about itself. I think that's one of the things that makes it cool. Wear it because the scent pleases you and do your thing.

I think there is something in this fragrance that makes it difficult for some to smell. The first time I wore this was to work (I like to live life on the edge). I was so upset that it very quickly became a skin scent and then disappeared almost entirely after an hour. At the end of the work day, a colleague of mine pulled me aside and said "Please tell me what you're wearing. You smell absolutely beautiful! It's a little bit unusual and I'm addicted." I was a little shocked as I could no longer detect any trace of it. All I could say in response was "Wait, you can smell it!?" She laughed and said "All day long I've been getting wiffs!" I stopped wearing it for a while because the most important thing for me with fragrance is that I need to enjoy it and it's hard to enjoy a fragrance that I can only smell for an hour at most. I recently tried it again and I don't know what changed, but it feels so much stronger now and I can smell it all day long! I will be wearing this much more regularly for that slightly funky, sweet, tart and woody vibe.

I own several high end fragrances but have shied away from Jo Malone. 7 years ago before I got married I had smelled a Jo Malone fragrance that was in my ex girlfriends bathroom. She didn’t wear cologne and explained that it was a female friend of hers that had spent the night and left it.( oh it was a friends but he wasn’t female🤣) I was not impressed by the fragrance. I don’t know which one it was but it smelled like a urinal cake and bad choices. Fast forward 7 years and my wife and I were shopping and she smelled this fragrance and asked me to put it on. She sprayed some on me and we continued to shop. We could not get enough of this fragrance so we turned around and bought the last bottle the store had which is a good sign. It is the next day and I can still smell this on my skin. As with all fragrances test them on your skin first and give it at least 30-45 minutes before you buy it. When my wife first sprayed this on me my first reaction was aww hell naw. After 30 minutes it turned into a classy oh hell yes😁

I didn't like it at first when I tested at the Jo Malone store, it just was too sweet an opening. However I was given a sample and bought home to test on my arm, because why not? I slowly got addicted to the woody smell, it smells very natural to me and no matter how long I smell my arms, it does not induce headaches which i'm prone to. I think its a scent that is very quickly evolving at the start. It starts off very sweet and a little citrus. It quickly settles down to a delightful sweet and woody scent. Now, there's a ton of woody scents out there, but none smelling quite as natural as this. The smell is quite projecting at the start, but it is cologne and become skin-scent after 2 to 3hrs. I suggest to go generous with this if u want it longer lasting, spray on clothes and hair if u want a longer longevity. imo the delight sweetness and natural wood scent make it appealing in general, there's no need to be afraid that it would be offensive, and I think this statement applies to most Jo Malone fragrances.

Oud & Bergamot is restraint done beautifully. This is not an oud that dominates—it’s an oud that behaves. The fragrance opens with smooth, refined bergamot—clean and luminous, never sharp. It sets a polished tone that feels immediately composed. As it develops, the oud reveals itself quietly: woody, airy, and impeccably groomed. There’s no animalic weight here, just depth and elegance. Cedarwood supports the composition, adding structure and dryness, keeping everything linear and sophisticated. The result is a fragrance that feels calm, confident, and thoughtfully put together. Longevity is solid for this style, especially on skin and fabric, with projection that stays close and personal. This is a scent meant to be discovered, not announced. Best seasons: Spring, fall, mild winter days Occasions: Office, formal settings, business meetings, quiet evenings, tailored outfits A refined interpretation of oud through the minimalist lens of Jo Malone London—perfect for those who value elegance over excess. 9/10

I dare to say this is my favorite Jo Malone fragrance in the intense line (Hinoki being a close second). Fresh bergamot, orange zest and candy lemon mixed with smoky cedar and oud. It has a lot of character, good for everything. Citrus notes shine in warm while in winter it becomes darker, richer and more intense with the cedar-oud combo. If you are a fan of woody fragrances in general you will love this one. This actually lasts longer than Myrrh Tonka on my skin. It lasts about 7 hours in winter and 5-6 on summer, but projection is above average. Parameters are surely above Jo Malone standarts (Not including Hinoki, that one was pretty intense on my skin) I got compliments when I used my 5ml decant. I currently do not need this in my collection, but I would want to puchase this sometime. God, only if there was a beast-mode version of this...