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nijna01 – :
This is definitely a winter citrus, more masculine than feminine. Actually, it perfectly encapsulates the smell of the cocktail Old Fashioned, complete with orange rind and all.
ibizzza – :
Tried the re-release yesterday.
Starts with a blast of bitter-sweet oranges. I’m from the Mediterranean, give me a true-to-real orangey/citrus blossomy scent and I’m a happy girl any day. But I was not sure the orange in this alone would justify coughing up the money for a JM cologne.
The oranges were pretty quickly worn out – in about an hour or so. It instantly evolved into a warmer woody spicy skin scent. I thought it wouldn’t last very long after that but it stayed on like this for 4 or so more hours. Whenever I thought it was not there and took a sniff off my wrist I realised the powdery sandalwood base was still there… Very very close to skin.
Overall it’s a scent I can see myself wearing alone or layered with other fragrances (the first one that comes to mind is JM orange blossom). But with that many citrus fragrances on the market I’m not sure if it’s worth the high price. I don’t mind the quiet sillage as I usually prefer more subtle scents but the longevity definitely is not ideal. I think I’ll try it a few more times before making my mind up.
I absolutely regret not getting a full bottle of this last month when my local JM had a shop-wide 25% discount.
hns433speagoessenda – :
Definitely not like it as it just smells like oranges to me. To be accurate a blast of oranges if merely ‘oranges’ is not enough. I would never consider wearing this and wrapping myself up as an orange. Can’t even imagine what would that situation be. Disaster.
shurik_maik – :
This wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but I really love it anyway!
With the name Orange Bitters I was thinking of tart orange peel, an acrid, dry citrus, backed up with a deep dark plummy jam, giving it a hint of earth.
Instead, while this is a definite orange fragrance, I get no plum whatsoever. The orange isn’t sweet, but nor is it quite bitter. It’s well-rounded and even a bit juicy and sits atop a really gorgeous spiced sandalwood, which can easily veer masculine. This fragrance is like some kind of fantasy orange and sandalwood cream, both of these bold notes have been softened about the edges and whipped together in a cosy and bright scent that – while not very complex or even very original really – is just a delight to wear. It’s very unisex I think, and I personally enjoy the sandalwood which makes me think of an expensive men’s shaving soap. This is a great non-gourmand comfort scent and I hope they keep bringing it back.
If you’re really looking for a fragrance which would suit the name of ‘Orange Bitters’, I’d recommend Tokyo Milk Dark Everything & Nothing.
mr.jaka – :
Intial blast of zingy orange but then dries quickly into a warm slightly spicy citrus scent, to me, this is a skin scent and doesn’t last very long but it is very nice and glad I tested it, to me it smells along the lines of Bois r argent, balsamic,powdery and woodsy. Nice scent but nothing special
Mura1982 – :
Inoffensive bitter orange. It’s bright at first and dries down very warm. Mixes very well with other scents in and out of the JM line.
WSELENAIA – :
Extremely orange, check. Extremely bitter, check. Nothing more, nothing less.
tkachenko-ei – :
Well, it smells like…oranges! Not a big shocker there. There is juicy fresh orange in the opening, complemented by a slightly spicy sandalwood that appears quickly on my skin. Is this a very special scent? No. There’s nothing about it that really says “wow, what is she wearing?!” Nonetheless, it’s nice enough. It would be a good daily wear for fall or winter if you like heavier warm scents. Personally I do not get a holiday feel from this and would direct you to try Jo Malone’s recently re-released Ginger Biscuit if a holiday scent is your goal.
Other reviewers have compared this to Hermes. I personally like neither Orange Bitters nor Eau des Merveilles for my wardrobe, but this scent lacks the ultra-syrupy amber that I find to be unpleasant in the Hermes. If you’re looking for a less amber-y alternative to that scent, this may be for you.
Overall I’m not a fan of this limited edition fragrance and will not be purchasing a full bottle. I strongly recommend testing before purchasing.
luljacha – :
I love the sandalwood, but the amber and orange don’t sit easily on my skin. The opening is lovely, however I prefer Hermes citrus 9 times out of 10.
If there was a “meh” button between like and dislike I would choose that one. As it is, I chose dislike because the amber and orange are outputting to me. I mean, I can’t stop smelling it, but I don’t enjoy it. Not the reaction I look for in my scent, lol
asap – :
I did not like it at first (too simple, not a wow factor, just plain orangy) but then to my surprise, it deepened into something else and surrounded me with sweetness and warmth and pleasant feeling, as if I could touch it. And it was a blind buy for me online (at that time Nordstrom had a Jo Malone promotion of purchase with gift. This item was in back order. And I was more interested in the gift set with two new scents of Jo Malone colognes: the English Oak & Redcurrant and the English Oak & Hazelnut).
I’m glad that I chose this Orange Bitters over the Tuberose & Angelica as my initial purchase for the gift set.
валерия – :
Blind purchase and did not like it. The notes all sound like things I would like but on my skin there was no orange or citrus at all after the initial spray. All I get is a faint powdery woody scent. I live in the tropics so according to a previous review I was definitely hoping for it to be a more fruity scent. I find it kind of boring.
kitaywolf – :
I own a bottle of this fragrance and can safely say that it is not for me. It starts smelling like flat orange soda, and it dries almost aftershave-like – too woodsy and masculine for me. It’s very warm, but it stays fresh at the same time. It’s an elegant scent and, if you can pull it off, then more power to you. I can’t. EDIT: fast-forward 10 months and I now enjoy it. I bought this in the fall and did not like it back then. I sprayed it again in the height of the Summer and changed my mind about it. The heat and humidity brought out the beauty of this juice, and I now wear it often. I now get mostly sweet orange, plums and something sparkly, akin to a carbonated drink. The woodsy notes are still here, but sitting quietly in the background. Glad I tried it again!
Sanchezzz777 – :
I thought Orange Bitters would not show up at my local Jo Malone counter, but today it surprisingly did. And I’m glad I was able to test it, because I now know that I don’t need it. It’s an okay fragrance. 90% orange and faint warm base notes. I don’t get a christmas vibe from this and I think it’s a bit boring. Too light for winter, too warm for summer and gone quite quickly, even on my skin that holds fragrances very well.
XoJIoDok – :
I’ve just bought a bottle of bitter orange essential oil. I can confirm that there is a lot of that in here. I love the smell of oranges so that’s fine with me. There is quite a bit of amber surfacing after a while. This a tour de force for the orange note and a perfectly unisex fragrance. I find it quite fresh, not very sweet and yes, a touch bitter. Sandalwood becomes much more evident after an hour. I can see me wearing this on a warm summers evening. Good longevity for a JM and also for a citrus fragrance.
tpd390elipseskism – :
Christmas in a bottle .. Love
ssshark – :
Orange Bitters is a precious gift from Jo Malone in 2016. It is one of the best citrus fragrance in winter, fresh and warm in the sametime. The amber in this perfume makes it’s longevity lasting. However, I would like to try the former scent which blends with chocolate as limited edition in 2013 because I could not collect and test it in those time. I have just been a JM fc since last year. T_T
Overall for this gem, I rated at 5 stars.
RuScooters – :
I just reviewed this on my youtube channel Scent Land. Its a warm, juicy, spicy, cozy, yummy holiday fragrance for fall & winter. Anyone who only gets orange, need to get their nose checked, because the amber, sandalwood and plum aspects are more then obvious in this juice. Performance is very good, with the “next day” effect on your hair and clothes. High quality stuff from Jo Malone! Happy Holidays!
KILLER666 – :
A little underwhelming. It really is just orange.
fAR – :
Basically impossible to purchase in Australia due to low numbers being supplied. As of 19/11/16 it has disappeared from the Jo Malone website – so it is a huge fail as a Christmas promotion. Indeed all of the stores emailed out a big promotion telling us to come in and have Christmas nibbles and wine, and to test Orange Bitters – and they didn’t have any stock on the night. The poor girls just shrugged and claimed they had no idea what went wrong.
The fragrance itself is OK. It pretty much smells as it reads – orange, with a touch of bitter orange and an amber dry down. I probably would have purchased a bottle as the bottle itself is lovely and I quite like bitter orange and amber.
Vutsdrarirets – :
Beautiful Amber orange, spicy and sweet. Ideal for Christmas with it’s spiced, warming vibe and all year around in my opinion. Unisex I feel, long lasting, different and full bottle worthy, it’s a shame that it’s a limited edition.
oprosnikov2201 – :
I love this one as it’s a warm citrus with sandalwood and amber. I am more drawn to those kind of orange scents then to fresh cold ones. I think it’s very strong and long lasting. I love it and may consider a bottle. It’s one that works all year around not just in the summer , it’s thick , and has body, like an ambery orange.
hz001 – :
Smelled this in late October and resisted – was only about $85 with the GBP/USD rate and now regretting my choice not to buy.
This smells like CHRISTMAS! Imagine a juicy orange studded with cloves and tied with a cinnamon stick. It’s not that per se – it is the subtly scented orange juice that runs from the orange when it’s pierced with the clove. It’s warm but still fresh, neither feminine nor masculine, it is joyful and bright like this season is meant to be! Can’t comment on longevity as I only did a casual wrist spray but seemed to linger for a few hours.
So gorgeous, will probably capitulate…
мойша72 – :
Blind buy. It starts with a burst of oranges which I am not sure how much I like, almost gives me headache but it calms down and becomes warmer and a bit more quiet. It stays close to skin. It is like nothing else in the Malone line or anything else I have ever smelled. Interesting scent. Definitely more masculine than feminine.
edit- after wearing it for couple of weeks I noticed that i constantly reach for it beside having tons of other fragrance. it simply makes me happy.
baron_parik – :
This smells amazing…… starts off a bit zesty and then you smell the smooth and creamy sandalwood and Amber. I truly hope this is released in the permanent line for everyone to enjoy always.
There was extremely limited stock when this came out in very disappointing numbers of bottles available. I only hope this was a ‘teaser’ and Jo Malone will release it in permanent line or re release it in another limited edition collection…..with MORE stock to meet demand!!!!!!
acidtimik – :
This is really good. Far more interesting scent comparing to the regular line. Different from those regular citrus scents, It starts with an bitter orange note with powdery feeling to create a bitter-powdery scene without being juicy or watery. And it turns to drydown like around 30mins (i applied 1 spray only). the dry down is sweet and powdery, and surprisingly the drydown reminds me of hypnotic poison, i didnt know why but thats the case. The drydown projects well and kept around 4 hours on my skin. Actually I was very disappointed when i first sprayed this, but i was wrong, its a very unique, delightful, winter-ish type of citrus, highly recommended to anyone to try no matter if you interested in those notes or not 😀
Dont be fooled by the name, its a totally fall/winter scent.
Scent: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Sillage: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
antec – :
Orange Bitters starts with a blast of oranges, not so juicy, more like orange rinds, fresh, bright, but it goes fast to a woodsy balsamic undertone,, with a rich plummy liquorish note…I find it rather unisex. it is a different Malone here, if you like citrus scents and are looking for something a bit unique, I would say go for it..,as for me, I don’t care for citrus perfumes, and I don’t like the woodsy balsamic edge on fruits…it gives the scent a dry masculine undertone…interesting fragrance, not my taste. Longevity isn’t great, it turns rather fast in a skin scent..
eddbell – :
This smells fantastic! Kind of an ambery-orange.. You definitely get the orange, but it’s warmed up with all the spices and fruit.. When paired with pomegranate noir, it’s very holiday-like! The bottle is beautiful too..
However; I do have to give a negative to the sillage and longevity. 2 sprays just isn’t enough to be able to smell it, and I’m usually a 1-2 spray person.. I literally have to stick my nose to wherever I sprayed it to catch a whiff.. After a couple of hours, I have a hard time smelling it at all..
For me, still a good buy!! I love Jo Malone, and I collect them.. This is special to me, and I will use it (with more sprays).. However, I’m guessing that many people will say it’s not worth the high price because it’s just pretty weak.. Try it on your own skin, though. It may be stronger and last longer??
aberieles – :
This is a really nice “holiday” (or fall/winter) scent. It’s spicy and sweet, and warm. I think it’s one of the better Jo Malone’s that has come out recently. Definitely give it a try! The packaging is cute too this year for holiday Jo Malone products!