Wood Sage & Sea Salt

Wood Sage & Sea Salt takes on one of Jo Malone's most beloved coastal colognes, built around the same salty-citrus idea that made the original a modern classic. The opening keeps a bright, zesty grapefruit at the front, pushed louder here than in the delicate designer version to make an immediate impression in a budget spray. A mineral, salt-crusted accord follows, doing the job of evoking a windswept beach walk, though it reads a touch more synthetic and less airy than Jo Malone's famously restrained blend. Sage sits in the background rather than announcing itself, and the ambrette-and-musk base that made the original feel like clean skin rather than perfume is compressed into a simpler, flatter musk that fades quickly. There's little of the subtlety collectors prize in the real thing, and projection drops off within a couple of hours. What remains is a recognisable, inoffensive coastal-fresh scent for everyday wear, best suited to anyone who wants the vibe of the original without expecting it to last.