Jo Malone London’s Incense & Cedrat arrived in 2015 as part of the Cologne Intense line, composed by Marie Salamagne and inspired by Omani frankincense. It earned a reputation as one of the house’s most interesting releases, then quietly disappeared from regular retail. That combination of quality and scarcity is exactly why people still hunt for it, and why knowing what you are buying matters before paying collector prices.
What Does Jo Malone London Incense Smell Like?
The opening is the surprise. Instead of smoke, you get a bright, almost gin-and-tonic lift from cedrat, lemon and pink pepper. Cedrat is a thick-skinned, slightly bitter citron, so the citrus here reads drier and more textured than a standard lemon. Reviewers since launch have described this phase as zesty and refreshing, lasting around half an hour to an hour.
As the citrus burns off, the incense arrives. Frankincense and elemi give it a dusty, grey, slightly ash-like character, but the citrus keeps pulling it away from solemn church territory. Some noses pick up an old-school masculine cologne echo in this stage, a nod to classic chypres and aromatic fougères. The drydown is where it softens: benzoin brings a gentle sweetness, labdanum adds warm amber depth, and patchouli grounds everything. By the end it reads as a smooth, balsamic resin scent sitting close to the skin.
The accords tell the story plainly: amber, warm spice, citrus and resin. It is an accessible, polished incense, not a challenging one.
Performance
Performance is the main complaint, and it is a fair one. Consensus lands between 4 and 8 hours depending on skin, weather, and application. The first hour projects moderately, then it drops to a skin scent within two to three hours. In mild or cold conditions it holds its shape better; in heat it either fades fast or turns more diffusive and thin. For a fragrance that retailed near 180 dollars for 100ml, many buyers felt shortchanged, and some point to that weak wear as a reason it was discontinued.
Practical advice: apply generously to fabric as well as skin, and expect to reapply if you need presence beyond an evening. On clothing it clings considerably longer.
Best Clone Or Alternative
Dua Fragrances sells Citrus Incense as an explicit inspiration on Incense & Cedrat, priced at 36 dollars for 34ml of extrait de parfum. Its note list mirrors the original nearly note for note: Sicilian lemon, pepper, elemi resin, frankincense, labdanum and benzoin. Because it runs at extrait concentration, it often outlasts the Jo Malone, which addresses the original’s biggest weakness. The tradeoff is refinement. Dua’s rendition is a touch coarser in texture and lacks some of the airy elegance in the citrus opening. Availability also fluctuates, so check stock before planning a purchase. For most buyers priced out of a discontinued original, it is the sensible route.
When To Wear It
This is a cool-weather fragrance. Fall, winter and early spring suit it best, when the resinous base has room to glow instead of turning sharp. Occasion-wise it leans evening and formal, but its restraint makes it office-safe in cooler months too. It layers well, in true Jo Malone fashion; pairing it with a rose or woody companion deepens the amber side.
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if you want a refined, wearable incense that never smells like head shop smoke, and you find a bottle at a reasonable price. It suits people who enjoy resins and ambers but want something lighter than Avignon-style frankincense soliflores. Fans of Gucci pour Homme or classic leathery orientals will recognize the family resemblance in the base.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if longevity drives your purchasing decisions. At secondary market prices, paying 180 dollars or more for a scent that fades to skin within three hours is hard to defend. If you simply want the smell, the Dua extrait covers it for a fraction of the cost. Also skip it if you dislike pepper or bitter citrus in openings; that brightness defines the first hour.
Final Verdict
Incense & Cedrat is a beautiful composition undermined by modest performance and complicated by discontinuation. As a scent, it deserves its reputation as one of Jo Malone’s boldest ideas: citrus-lit frankincense melting into sweet amber resins. As a purchase, the math rarely works unless you find it cheap or crave the original bottle. Dua’s Citrus Incense captures the structure at extrait strength for about 36 dollars, making it the practical answer for anyone who missed the window. Score the original a solid 6 overall: great bones, frustrating wear.