Nectarine Blossom & Honey is the latest fragrance release from Jo Malone, who established her line of perfumes in London in 1994. She remained with the brand as Creative Director even after it was sold to Estee Lauder in 1999, but has recently announced that she is moving on to pursue other goals. There are no plans to discontinue the line, but unless another fragrance was already in the works under her guidance, Nectarine Blossom & Honey, which was released in the UK last year and is only recently available in the US, may be the last real "Jo Malone" fragrance we see.
The Nectarine Blossom & Honey fragrance was said to have been inspired by the "delicate flavour of peach sorbet", and the notes are clementine, peach, nectarine, blackcurrant, plum, vetiver and honey. It starts with very sweet citrus and fruits, and I found the top notes uncomfortably close to peach slices in syrup. As it settles, there is a hint of blackcurrant and a light honey note; the honey intensifies as it dries down, but the end result is not at all overly sweet — just honeyed — and while it stays fruity, it is subtle and close to the skin. There is a bit of warmth in the dry down that might be vetiver, or perhaps something lightly musky-woody.
It is in keeping with the style of Jo Malone's Lime Blossom and Orange Blossom fragrances: light, simple, summer-y, pleasant, although it is fruitier and has a less of a "fresh" finish than those two fragrances. Still, lovers of those fragrances might well adore this one. It is rare that something this fruity appeals to me, and I didn't like it nearly as well as I liked the last two releases from Jo Malone, Vintage Gardenia and Pomegranate Noir.
Like the others in the Jo Malone line, it is a cologne, but the lasting power is better than some of the the others. For buying information, see the listing for Jo Malone under Perfume Houses.
Note: image via Jo Malone website.
It sounds nice, but I am holding out to try the Pom Noir first.
Happy 1st Birthday, NST! Thanks for such a wonderful board, R, I really do enjoy coming here every day to learn more about fragrance.
Thanks Kim! I liked Pom Noir better, but this one is a more typical Jo Malone scent, if that makes any sense.
Yes, that one was so uninspiring that I was not even tempted to ask for a sample. Canned peaches is what I smelled in it too.
Happy Birthday NST!! Thank you again for a fantastic blog.
Not a Jo M fan so will skip my comments.
Have a super day!
V, it does get much better on the dry down, but you won't love it anyway 😉
That is very polite of you N, LOL! And thanks for the B-day wishes. Hope all is well with you…
See dear R – I can be super polite! ;D
Things are fine – chilling out a bit. Hope you are very well too!
Hey–What's wrong with canned peaches in heavy syrup? I grew up on 'em, yuck, yuck!!
But seriously, the only fragrance of hers that I really loved was French Lime Blossom. And, I hated PomNoir, simply hated it.
That said, I do plan to test this. My teenager loves Peau de Peche, and I do too, so I simply must try a spritz. I have a sneaking suspicion that you will tell me that PdeP is a much better fragrance…How did I know that?
On another note: Happy, Happy Birthday NST! I am wearing Chocolovers in your honor today.
Hugs!
R, thank you so much for the review, I was very curious about this one. And, even though I don't really like very fruity scents, now that you mentioned peach, my lemming has grown stronger. I have been longing for a peach scent for the longest time, and the only thing that comes close to satisfying that longing is a humble Yves Rocher Peach shower gel. 🙂
PS. Ah, almost forgot – Happy Birthday, Now Smell This!
Happy birthday, NST!
Great review–I'm looking forward to trying this one. I find JM's fragrances to be very easy to wear. Undemanding, uncomplicated, inoffensive … if a JM fragrance were a man he'd be no one I'd be likely to fall madly in love with, but he'd be a pleasant person with whom to pass the time. And sometimes that's all I'm looking for, KWIM?
The honey intrigues me, but the fruity part doesn't. I just recently received a decant of Black Vetyver Cafe, which I absolutely adore. Today I'm wearing Montale's Sweet Oriental Dream, which is pure honey, and I love it. It's also a man-magnet, I've recently discoved. Thank you, another great review!!
This one might be worth a try, however I already own Benefit's Maybe Baby, which is predominantly peach/apricot blossom. I probably wouldn't feel the need to own another (I didn't purchase Nina Ricci's Love in Paris for the same reason).
Too bad the JM's are cologne-strength only.
Happy Birthday, but the gifts have all been mine. I became an addict very quickly after I began reading here, and now am enjoying a veritable binge of fragrance testing. (I had to try to catch up a little.)
What a blast. Don't ever stop writing.
R, hey, I love canned peaches in heavy syrup! They are sort of like canned asparagus, which I also love, in that there is no sense in comparing them to the “real thing” — they are just a different food altogether.
And I don't want to disappoint you, so yes, PdP is a better fragrance 😉
But NB&H might actually be more likely to satisfy someone looking for a fruity scent.
M, you don't like the Keiko Mecheri?
Actually, I still think the Peche de Vigne by Cote Bastide is about as good a peach as I've found.
Thank you!
Hey, that is a perfect description of the Jo Malone line! Hope you will like the Nectarine Blossom 🙂
BVC is easily my favorite JM scent, and I do wish it lasted longer on me. I may end up buying it anyway one of these days.
SOD was just too sweet & powdery for me, but I know everyone else loves it!
I still haven't tried that Benefit Maybe Baby! Is it very sweet?
Hey, thanks so much for the very nice compliment, you made my day!
SOD turns to pure, smoky honey on me, not so much of the powdery, which is good. I can see why you wouldn't like it, it can be a bit much…there's only certain times I can wear it. I've noticed the scents men seem to like are the sweet, foodier ones. Though I've had great response from Avignon, too, which is not that at all.
BVC is delicious and has decent lasting power on me. Got a good sized decant from ebay, not sure if I'd buy the full size. I've had such great experiences buying samples and decants on ebay.
That sounds rather nice as I'm a sucker for fragrances with peach or apricot in them. I'm not too crazy about the other JM fragrances but fell head over heels with Pomegranate Noir.
Happy Birthday NST! Thank you for all that you've created here. It's great. I am tempted by Jo Malone in spite of the light formula. I really want to try Vintage Gardenia, though. It sounds creamy and spicy and that's hard to beat.
Maybe Baby is actually quite a nice fragrance. I'm not a fan of super sweet cloying fruity perfumes, so I was surprised when I first tried this and really liked it. Its kind of addictive actually.
There are peachy/apricot overtones, but its mixed with light florals. The overall effect is soft, fresh & flirty rather than sickly sweet. I've heard others compare it to Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie, but I find the two quite different (AG smells much more like pear to me).
Adorable bottle too. I think the company did a great job with this one. This, along with Nini Ricci's Love in Paris are great ones for peach fiends to try.
A very happy, if somewhat belated, birthday to NST!I just want to join the chorus of thanks for what you have created here! Like others, I deeply appreciate and admire it!
On Jo Malone–None of her scents have really moved me (even PN, which everyone seems to adore, was too fruity for me), and I doubt that this would be an exception. Oh, well! There are many other lines in which I seem to like practically everything!
Well written review for a rather unoriginal fragrance. For what the JMs are – I find them too expensive. That said – Congrats NST on your first year. What a fantastic job you have done.
You are so lucky that BVC lasts on you! I wish it did on me 🙁
Ok, you've convinced me I need to try it! I really love all of Benefit's packaging, they know what they're doing in terms of marketing. They are the only company that has induced me to buy overpriced makeup bags, LOL…
S, The Pomegranate Noir is so different from the rest of the line. I would love to know what noses JM uses!
C, I really like the Vintage Gardenia, although I wish it were just a bit less sweet than it is.
Thank you J!
I rather doubt you will like this one if you don't like the rest of the line…but as you say, more $$$ for other things 😉
Thank you F! It must be a big occasion if it has dragged you out of hiding 😉
Happy Birthday, NowSmell This! I look forward to reading your blog every day. Thank you for all the fun, er, work!
Even though it's easy to sniff Jo Malone scents in L.A., I've never been inspired to except for Pomegrante Noir. When I'm at a fragrance counter, there are always other more appealing fragrances. Though I've noticed that Jo Malones are quite popular.
Thanks I!
Do try Black Vetyver Cafe, unless that combination of notes doesn't appeal. I still say it is their best, even if it doesn't last on me at all.
Hi Robin, and Happy Birthday to NST. I love reading your blog each day, and have learnt so much from you and your friends!
Thank you so much Susan!
Maybe Baby smells like Antonia's Flowers Floret, which I just ordered samples of, but many MUA reviewers think Floret is more refined.
Happy birthday. How long did the Nectarine Blossom last on you? I sampled it at Saks in Chicago on the morning they rec'd their first tester. Similar to your recent lament on JM, I thought the top notes were lovely but the drydown smelled very generically drugstore or body products fruity to me. With my limited budget, I've come to think that when I'm buying fragrance, I'm buying the drydown. Too bad, because I wanted to love this.
Ah, now I remember that being brought up when I reviewed Tiempe Passate. Will have to try them both together, thanks!
Thank you! The lasting power was good for a cologne, but have to admit I didn't actually time it. I know it was still noticeable after a few hours, but it is very soft after 30 minutes.
OH NO! I missed it! Well, a very happy and very belated birthday/happy anniversary to NST from me: it has been a wonderful year, and a real pleasure to see how your site has grown and found such a wonderfully wide audience. Shoot – I'd even bake you a cake if I could only figure out how to fold one up into an envelope 😉
Thanks so much K! Will take a virtual cake 🙂
This fragrance smells good enough to eat, without being overly sweet. It's fresh, fruity and evocative of a summer day in an orchard. Lasts well, remaining subtle, yet noticeable, for hours.
Glad you love it 🙂
Afew years ago I bought this cologne on a whim. I really liked the scent. It quickly became my favorite scent. I cannot tell you how many people compliment me on it. I've had people come up to me on the street, in restaurants, shopping. You name it. My boyfriend absolutely loves every aspect of this fragrance. My one complaint is that same as others here – the fragrance really does not last that long. For the price, it should be a bit stronger. Dana Vigilante
I don't know why JM doesn't come out with stronger concentrations, but they don't seem interested, and I guess they must sell as they are.
Dana Vigilante writes – I agree. But my guess is that when a fragrance is as popular at the Jo Malone fragrances are – the company doesn't feel that they have to change the concentrationn level. It's really too bad. I do love this fragrance, but I can easily go through a large bottle )ver $100.00) in one month.
Wow, that is a lot! Do try layering it over a rich but non-scented body cream, that might help the longevity.
My first comment on NST! First off, let me say what a brilliant and invaluable resource this web site is – I have been an avid reader/stalker for many months now and have just finally gotten around to registering.
Just a minor note of contention: Jo Malone Colognes are *not* colognes in terms of concentration, but rather EDTs. With the exception of 154, which is an EDP, *all* Jo Malone Colognes are of EDT concentration. Jo Malone simply chose the term 'Cologne' because she wanted her fragrances to appeal to both genders, and it shouldn't be confused with their concentration. From memory (I may be wrong), 154 contains 15% essential oils and the rest 8-10%.
Keep up the good work!
Hi and welcome! From my memory (and I may also be wrong!) there is no law restricting manufacturers from using whatever term they wish. Also, EdCs and EdTs can actually overlap in terms of concentration, as can EdTs and EdPs. So they're not discrete terms anyway, and since JM uses the term Cologne (not only in her descriptions, but also on her packaging), so do we 🙂
Hi all,
I recently received a bottle of the NBH and its ok. I myself wishing for more of an effervescent “sparkly” quality. It is kind of flat.
I haven't had a problem with staying power, it stays on until the next day, but I confess that I liked Pom Noir much better and wear it more.
Agree it is not a sparkling scent, and found the top notes sweeter than I like. I'd take Pom Noir over this one too, although don't adore that one either.
This is my favourite Jo Malone fragrance. I think it is such a wonderful casual, carefree summer day's fragrance. It make me think of biting into some peach melba or sorbet – delectable!
Glad you love it 🙂
Dana Vigilante writes – It's so funny that you mention peaches in this fragrance. The other day I was hugging my six year old niece and she told me that I smelled like peaches. I will say, my boyfriend absolutely loves this fragrance. He is absolutely all over my neck whenever I wear it. I get a ton of comments on it and it is by far my favorite Jo Malone fragrance
Dana, have you tried the bath oils? They're great, and help the give depth to the frag. I wear JM Nectarine Blossom & Honey with the Orange Blossom Body oil or the Jasmine & Mint body oil. Quite a lovely mixture. It can be used in the bath or directly on the body.
I guess I am part of the minority when it comes to this fragrance. This is my signatre fragrance. I love Jo Malone perfumes. She has a customer for life. I get soooo many compliments on this fragrance from men and women. I have to say, I like to smell clean and fruity and this fragrance does that for me. Scent from Above:)