Can an AI sell you a scent you can’t smell? Jo Malone London’s bot says yes

I didn’t expect to be charmed by a chatbot. Perfume is skin, memory, mood. A machine can’t smell me. Yet the new AI that Estée Lauder Companies built for Jo Malone London is quietly doing the impossible. It is turning indecision into checkout, nearly doubling conversion for those who use it. That is not a cute metric. That is a seismic retail moment.

Here is why it works. Jo Malone’s universe is legible to an algorithm. Clear note pyramids. Minimalist structures. Built for layering. Tell the bot you want airy but not sweet, or coastal without sunscreen, and it knows where to steer you. In my quick run, it triangulated my “salty citrus, low sugar” brief to Lime Basil & Mandarin and Wood Sage & Sea Salt. Safe picks, sure, but on-brand accurate. Ask for date-night warmth without vanilla overload and it nudges toward Myrrh & Tonka or Oud & Bergamot. Gift for someone who “likes peonies and cashmere sweaters”? Of course it offers Peony & Blush Suede. For all the AI mystique, this is basically a well-trained sales associate that never runs out of patience.

Is it perfect? No. If your taste veers feral, smoky, skanky, it will retreat to the Jo Malone core. That is the limitation of any single-brand advisor. But for real-world online shopping, it solves the problem that kills most carts: fear of choosing wrong. It talks in feelings and occasions, not corporate note dumps. It suggests layering with a confidence that invites play, like pairing English Pear & Freesia with Wood Sage & Sea Salt for a breezy orchard effect.

There is also a subtle consumer win. Fewer blind-buy regrets. Better gifting when you only know “she wears florals” or “he hates sweetness.” And yes, top-line growth is cute, but what I care about is time saved and returns avoided. On that front, the bot is quietly ruthless.

A final thought for the skeptical noses: this is not art. It is a compass. If you already love the brand’s clean British aesthetic, the AI just removes friction. If you don’t, it won’t convert you. But when a tool makes it easier to land the right bottle from Jo Malone London, I am happy to let the robot shortlist while my skin makes the final call.