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Jo Malone’s beauty advent calendar is every fragrance-lover’s dream

This classic-looking box can be reused for years to come  (iStock/The Independent)
This classic-looking box can be reused for years to come (iStock/The Independent)

Despite being barely into autumn, Christmas shopping is already on our minds. As the festive season isn’t far off, beauty advent calendars are back on the agenda, and this year it seems as if there’s a new launch almost every day.

For 2022, beauty retailers and big-name brands, both across the high street and luxury labels, including The Body Shop and Charlotte Tilbury, have kicked off the Christmas countdown with skincare, make-up and haircare treats.

Jo Malone London is the latest, with a luxury cream-and-black box bursting with 25 goodies for fragrance fans.

Available from 28 September, it doesn’t come cheap, but is a rare opportunity to sample a selection of the brand’s extensive range, spanning perfume, body care and candles.

As it carries a hefty price tag of £335, we were keen to find out if it’s worth its weight in gold. We’ve already put Asos and Selfridges to the test, so how does this olfactory extravagance compare?

Read more:

How we tested

We’ve looked behind every door – don’t worry we won’t spoil all the surprises – and looked at its design, value for money, and what’s inside to give our verdict. Keep reading to find out if we think you should be opening the Jo Malone London advent calendar 2022 throughout the festive season.

Jo Malone London advent calendar 2022: £335, Jomalone.co.uk

 (Louise Whitbread)
(Louise Whitbread)
  • Rating: 4/5

  • Price: £335

  • Numberof days: 25

  • Products: 25

  • Product sizes: One full-size, 24 miniatures

  • Product highlights: English pear and freesia 30ml cologne, peony and blush suede body and hand lotion 30ml​, English pear and freesia body and hand wash 50ml​

  • Available: 28 September 2022

Packaging

 (Louise Whitbread)
(Louise Whitbread)

Inspired by a classic jewellery box, this beauty advent calendar is housed in an elegant cream box with black ribbon detailing on its 25 doors. It’s narrower and smaller than many of the more luxurious advent calendars, but it’s more of a compact size that won’t take up too much space.

When you open the lid, you’re presented with two sections, with the bottom part being a pull-out drawer – it’s similar to the gifting boxes you receive in store, if you’ve ever purchased the brand’s full-sized fragrances.

Its design is a safe bet, with no Christmas imagery or embellishments, but it does stay true to the product packaging in Jo Malone London’s core range, and doesn’t feature any 2022 branding, so is sure not to become outdated too quickly.

The 25 boxes vary in size, some are much smaller to accommodate miniature products, while others are larger – although these bigger ones are a bit unnecessarily large for the size of the products you’ll find within them.

What’s inside the Jo Malone London advent calendar for 2022?

While we won’t spoil the surprise by listing every fragranced product here, we can reveal it contains 15 perfume sprays, three mini travel candles, one soap, two body creams, two hand and body washes, a key ring and a snow globe.

 (Louise Whitbread)
(Louise Whitbread)

Despite it having 25 drawers, only one product is full size – an English pear and freesia cologne in 30ml (£55, Jomalone.co.uk). You’ll also find a pine and eucalyptus travel candle, which you can’t buy anymore, but it previously retailed for £25. The two others are a myrrh and tonka mini candle,​ and a lime basil and mandarin mini candle​.

Within the Chrismas selection is a mix of seasonal favourites, such as a mini white moss and snowdrop cologne 9ml, which is also no longer available to buy – as well as cult favourites, including the brand’s famous lime basil and mandarin scent, which comes in a mini candle, 9ml cologne, as well as a hand and body wash.

Alongside this, the advent calendar contains a selection of its more potent, intense colognes, including velvet rose and oud, myrrh and tonka, jasmin sambac and marigold, and dark amber and ginger lily, which we find to be richer, headier, longer-lasting fragrances. They’re particularly good if fresh and citrus-based fragrances aren’t your favourite.

Value

If you’re a Jo Malone London fan, with some of its iconic glass bottles already on your Christmas list, or better yet, not versed in its olfactory offerings, this 25-piece collection enables you to explore some of its most popular scents.

It also contains miniatures of fragrances no longer available to buy, which gives it a more exclusive, luxury feel.

 (Louise Whitbread)
(Louise Whitbread)

However, we would have liked to have seen more full-sized fragrances to make this really worthwhile, as one £55 30ml bottle and three £25 mini candles doesn’t quite meet our expectations – especially since some of the larger drawers suggest bigger products will be hiding inside.

The inclusion of a snow globe and key ring feels like a wasted opportunity to promote its newly launched skincare line too, which includes a luxury gel cleanser, face oil and face cream. But, if you’re a loyal fan of the brand, the calendar does contain its bestsellers, if you want a top-up without committing to full-size products.

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The verdict: Jo Malone London advent calendar

Beauty advent calendars can be a great opportunity to access an extensive range of a brand’s products, and while the packaging is pretty and compact, with little waste, what’s inside the Jo Malone London advent calendar didn’t bowl us over, as it lacks enough full-size products to make it cost-effective.

If you’re a fan of the brand, this will delight, but if you’re looking for bang for your buck, consider splurging on a full-size candle or perfume from Jo Malone London instead – here’s our guide to the best Jo Malone London fragrances to help you out.

Voucher codes

For all the latest discounts on beauty and other fashion offers, try the links below:

Read more about the best beauty advent calendars for 2022:

Beauty advent calendars 2022 – our ultimate guide to this year’s Christmas treats from Liberty, Cult Beauty, M&S and more

The Body Shop beauty advent calendar – this year’s calendar features the brand’s cult classics and newcomers alike

Lookfantastic beauty advent calendar – brimming with skincare, haircare, make-up, and bath treats from all the best brands

The White Company beauty advent calendar – a selection of indulgent products to help you unwind during the festive season

Asos beauty advent calendar – the 25-box delight will leave you feeling glam this Christmas

Diptyque beauty advent calendar – choc-full of divine fragrances and scented candles

Selfridges beauty advent calendar – a beauty bounty worth more than £800