Joe Smooth

Joe Smooth is the coffee gourmand in the range and it handles the material better than most fragrances at this price. Arabica coffee leads, and it is the roasted, slightly bitter reading of coffee rather than the milky, syrupy one, which matters because the sweet version of this note turns sickly quickly. Jasmine and orange blossom sit underneath it, and their job is structural: the white florals give the coffee something to sit on and add a faintly soapy lift that keeps the whole thing from reading as a dessert. Vanilla takes the base alone and does turn it sweet, but by that stage the coffee has established the character and the vanilla reads as the milk rather than the sugar. The balance holds for most of its wear, which is the achievement here. It is one of the more assertive scents in the range, projecting well for the first couple of hours before settling closer. Autumn and winter suit it best and it is at its most natural in the evening. Office wear is possible but it is a noticeable fragrance, so apply lightly.