The dreamy Jo Malone Advent Calendar is finally on sale—full review, contents, and value for money

The Jo Malone Advent Calendar is finally here! There are few holiday hallmarks we look forward to, but besides gorging on Ferrero Rocher and champagne, The Jo Malone Advent Calendar is the main event—and we couldn't be more excited about this year's offering.

Gone are the days when 24 doors of off-brand chocolate would suffice in stirring up the Christmas spirit. These days beauty advent calendars brimming with miniature delights have become the ultimate holiday hero, and for good reason. 

Whether you’re looking for a fresh contender for the best foundation or trying to find a new signature scent, beauty calendars offer the recipient a chance to try out the hero products a brand has to offer before committing to a full-size, repeat purchase. What started out as somewhat niche has become mainstream, with a myriad of beauty brands bringing their own 24-day countdown to the Christmas table. But if we had to play favorites, the Jo Malone London Advent Calendar would be top of our list for Father Christmas. 

Allow us to give you a guided tour behind each of the 24 doors and answer the most common questions about this very desirable product...

Jo Malone Advent Calendar 2021 review

What's inside the Jo Malone Advent Calendar?

For the first time ever the Jo Malone advent calendar contents includes a full-size cologne, as well as 13 mini colognes, 4 small candles, 2 soaps, 2 hand and body washes, 1 hand cream, and 1 body cream. The products are as follows:

1. Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne 9ml
2. Pine & Eucalyptus Mini Candle 35g
3. Vetiver & Golden Vanilla Cologne Intense 9ml
4. English Pear & Freesia Shaped Soap
5. Peony & Blush Suede Hand Cream 15ml
6. Orange Bitters Cologne 9ml
7. Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense 9ml
8. Wood Sage & Sea Salt Body & Hand Wash 30ml
9. Poppy & Barley Cologne 9ml
10. Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense 9ml
11. Grapefruit Mini Candle 35g
12. Wild Bluebell Cologne 9ml
13. Blackberry & Bay Body Crème 50ml
14. Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne 9ml
15. Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense 9ml
16. Lime Basil & Mandarin Shaped Soap
17. Fig & Lotus Flower Cologne 9ml
18. English Pear & Freesia Mini Candle 35g
19. Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense 9ml
20. Cypress & Grapevine Cologne 9ml
21. Pomegranate Noir Mini Candle 35g
22. Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne 9ml
23. Peony & Blush Suede Body & Hand Wash 30ml
24. English Pear & Freesia Cologne 30ml

The new full-size 30ml cologne just so happens to be the new season English Pear & Freesia scent. It’s crisp, fresh and elegant—the sort of fragrance that transcends seasonality (and a contender for becoming one of the most popular Jo Malone fragrances). 

There are four mini candles in the collection, including one of the brand’s best-selling scents Pomegranate Noir, each with a 9 hour burn time, so you can enjoy their cocooning ambience over the festive period and beyond. It’s also worth noting that many of the fragrances within the calendar are unisex so your partner can enjoy washing with the Wood Sage & Sea Salt Body & Hand Wash or Lime Basil & Mandarin Soap.

What's the design like?

This is a new style for the brand this year and appears more mindful of the need to minimise waste. The lift-up, pull-out style trunk is designed to be reused, refilled, and repurposed. We think it would make a rather handy jewellery box, make-up vanity or stylish way to store your favourite fragrances—practical, too, given that perfumes wear better in dark, cool environments. 

Aesthetically speaking it is classic Jo Malone, with 24 crisp, cream boxes adorned with striking black numbers and ribbon pull handles to reveal the little luxuries that lie within. Advent calendars don't get much more elegant than this. 

How much does it cost?

The Jo Malone Advent calendar price is not cheap. At £325 you’ll definitely need to make sure you’re on the ‘nice’ list for this early Christmas gift. 

That figure buys you a lot of products that are entirely unique to the calendar, such as the shaped miniature soaps or the new Fig & Lotus Flower scent. So if you indulge you can enjoy the exclusivity of smelling like nobody else (bar those lucky few who also bagged the advent calendar!). 

Is the Jo Malone calendar good value?

If you are planning on treating yourself (or spoiling someone very special to you), this is fair value for Jo Malone fans. For example, a 30ml fragrance retails for £52 on its own. However, it's worth noting that because all but one of the products have been made especially for the calendar, there's not a discernible saving.

The w&h verdict

If you're a die-hard Jo Malone fan you should invest. You're going to love the combination of cult favorites (Pomegranate Noir and Lime Basil & Mandarin, we're looking at you!) and new, intriguing aromas, such as Fig & Lotus Flower.

We also recommend splurging on this if you're looking to incentivize your own (or a loved one's) self-care routine. The decadent treats behind the 24 doors aren't just something to open gleefully each morning on the run-up to the Big Day, but a nudge to make space for essential 'me time'. Most of us find ourselves a little short on time and with a little too much stress on the run-up to Christmas but the bath and body gifts in the Jo Malone London advent calendar provide the perfect excuse to spend a few well-earned minutes hibernating in the bathroom.

How quickly does the Jo Malone Advent calendar sell out?

You'll need to be quick off the mark, as we're predicting this will fly off the virtual shelves. Last year the calendar sold out within a month so if you want to get your hands on this year’s version you’ll need to be quick off the mark. 

The Jo Malone advent calendar is available to buy online and in stores now.

London Advent Calendar at Jo Malone | £325

A beautiful beauty advent calendar featuring 24 products, including a full-size cologne.