Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense Spray (Originally Without Box) 100ml/3.3oz

My First Sweet and Rosy Cologne from Jo Malone
I have been trying different brands of fragrance for a while and thought this would be a nice opportunity for me to give Jo Malone a try in my collection. First, I have to admit this Fragrance is quite pricy. Not as bad as top of the line Tom Ford, but still took me a while to make this commitment. Scent wise, my first impression is sweet, rosy and very gender neutral. To be perfectly honest, if someone were to tell me this is actually a lady’s perfume, I would get sold. Therefore, if you are looking for a more masculine smell, this is NOT the right one. As it dries down, the sweet bit begins to fade but the rose part remains noticeable. Longevity wise, it is OKAY for its price: effective for about 6-10hrs depending on weather and activity. Projection is good for the first 1-2hrs and weakens afterwards, but still quite nice throughout the day.There is no fragrance in my collection that resembles it but there are a few that are somewhat similar. For the rosy part, I think the Burberry Brit does possess a similar but weaker smell. However, the rosy scent in the Brit is more peppery and powdery whereas the Rose Velvet smells more like dried rose flower. For the sweet part, I feel the CK Euphoria (Lady’s Version) which I have smelled once at a department does resemble this Malone quite a bit.Overall, I think it is a decent fragrance, but it does not have that “OMG” element which one would reasonably expect from such an expensive bottle, and thus the four star (more like three and half). It however is quite unique and feminine for a men’s fragrance and I would heavily suggest anyone who wants to buy this to try before making a purchase. Hopefully this review is informative for those who have this fragrance in mind.