Jo Malone’s new Sweet Lime & Cedar cologne was reportedly inspired by Thai food — the notes include sweet lime, jasmine, ylang ylang, coconut, tonka bean, pandanus leaf, tamarind, cardamom and cedar — and that’s fine with me: I love Thai food.
The opening is strong citrus with lots of greenery, and for a few seconds, it reminded me very much of Jo Malone’s Lime Basil & Mandarin, a popular scent that I understand is one of their bestsellers, but which I find unforgivably brash (apologies to its fans). Happily, Sweet Lime & Cedar softens rapidly, and then it’s just right: a mild, summer-y blend of citrus and woods. It isn’t a spice-fest and I don’t think I would have thought of Thai food on my own: the coconut is hardly noticeable, and the overall character isn’t really foody anyway. Still, the pandanus leaf (not a note I am familiar with, but it’s said to have nutty and hay-like accents, and both are present here) and tamarind add slightly exotic elements…
There are six 
This month,