Myrrh & Tonka by Jo Malone London

Beautiful if you’re obsessed with spicy, sweet, and resinous notes. A luxury composition, period.

What a rich fragrance! Super warm, but a warmth that feels like a hug, with lots of lavender and sweet myrrh. My first Jo Malone and definitely one of my favorites.

I had a sample we tested today. I showed it to my boyfriend, and he didn’t like it much; he said it smelled like car air freshener 😅. He gave it a 4.8. To me, it smells more masculine, and to be honest, I think it’s an improved version of the ‘unpleasant’ smell from the Geronimo Stilton book. In conclusion, it didn’t excite me 😂.

We didn’t click. It’s simple, nothing memorable, lacks power and personality, and has a terrible dry-down on my skin. I see it as much more feminine than masculine. I wish I had tried it long before buying it.

I bought it two years ago. It smells of quality, sweet, powdery; you can tell the myrrh with the sweetness of the tonka. It’s sweet by definition, but smoky, mysterious, and sexy. I’ve received few compliments, but people have stopped me on the street; a lady asked what perfume was so delicious. The sillage is incredible: if you walk behind, you’ll smell something you’ll love; I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it. But to my misfortune, I don’t feel it’s masculine, or not as much as expected. I see it as more feminine, so much so that I left it with my wife and it suits her perfectly, elegant, sophisticated, and distinctive. I love smelling it, it seems tremendously sexy. In conclusion, an exquisite aroma that smells delicious from the first spray, not like an oud that takes time to appreciate. This is rich, delicious, but in my opinion, it leans feminine.

To me, this smells like an elderly lady: stockings, fur coat, deathly high heels, dead hair, and heavy makeup. It doesn’t smell bad, but that’s the image I get when I smell it, at least in the dry-down; the opening did please me.

After autumn and winter, this gem is my absolute happiness. Sweet, powdery, and creamy, it makes me feel cozy by the fireplace, reading in peace. In fact, when I was nervous, I’d wear it and I’d relax instantly; I’m sure it’s lavender and myrrh with vanilla. It’s a well-rounded perfume, and the more I learn about scents, the more I realize that simple-note fragrances are the best. I tried wearing it in summer, and for the life of me, it didn’t work: it’s too warm and balsamic, definitely for cold weather. It lasts a long time on skin, but it doesn’t project much, which is a shame because if it did, it would be perfect.

I like unisex fragrances, and androgynous scents interest me more (I haven’t found a single pink bottle I like, and I’m not disgusted by pink itself, but in perfumes, it’s a no for me), but I think I like this one more on a man than on myself. The opening has the typical fresh lavender profile of men’s colognes, but with a sophisticated creamy touch that makes it intense and powerful, yet at the same time ‘soft’ and intimate (the kind where you lean in or I lean in). It confused me not to find any coffee, vanilla, or typical notes; it’s greener than expected without actually being green. After more than 3 hours in the middle of a heatwave, a delicious and addictive vanilla emerged on a man, that’s xD, or at least those are the images my mind sends; this stuff about smells is very subjective. For someone looking for amber and white florals, I’m finally finding what I expected. It’s a unisex vanilla with ‘masculine’ lavender and a touch of myrrh, perhaps as the more ‘yin’ element. For those who can’t stand incense, I don’t feel it’s smoky; the myrrh gives it a special sophisticated touch, otherwise it would be very flat. I don’t feel it dense like other orientals, nor is it light; it has a touch that makes it interesting without overwhelming me in summer. I think out of all the Jo Malone scents, this has the best longevity, even though most I’ve tried from this house perform well on me (or I’m not too obsessed with drowning the people in front of me in perfume). It’s very versatile: it doesn’t offend, it’s welcoming, but it has something sensual and enigmatic for a date. But don’t buy it blindly, I think.

This perfume is a marvel. I like sweet/gourmand aromas and was looking for one for autumn-winter (in spring-summer, my favorite is Dolce Garden by D&G). On my skin, it lasts quite a bit without being heavy (even until the next day, you know how it depends on each person), and I’ve received compliments, which implies good projection and pleasant to those around me. It’s quite unique; although unisex, it seems a bit more feminine to me, with a difficult-to-compare mix. The only problem is that it’s expensive (though everything is expensive in Chile, haha), so it’s better to buy it when you’re 100% sure. For me, it’s undoubtedly my favorite for cold seasons; I will definitely buy it again.

Interestingly, I barely smell it up close. I detect a slightly sweet scent, probably tonka or almond with resins, but without that typical balsamic power of myrrh. It reminds me a bit of Wood Sage & Sea Salt. Another quirk: after six hours, it seemed to get stronger. Based on what I heard, it felt unisex and versatile, enhancing your natural scent. Since it’s warm, I see it working better in cold or mild weather. I was doubting if the bottle was good because my experience didn’t match other reviews. Edit: I tried it again in autumn, without extreme cold, and it totally won me over. It’s a unisex all-rounder for cold weather, perfect as a signature for any occasion. The opening has lots of myrrh, but it quickly settles into a skin scent sweetened by tonka. Lavender and almond are noticeable but soft. The heart phase is incredibly sexy, like the scent of an attractive person walking by who makes you turn around, completely mesmerized. In the dry-down, it loses a bit of magic because it gets very almond-y, but it remains pleasant. It projects well for about two hours, then stays close to the skin until you shower. Unisex, cold-weather, versatile. Pleasant: 8/10, Interesting: 8/10, Versatile: 8/10, Original: 8/10

It’s a resinous perfume, but not those deep and dense ones, but a sweet and creamy one thanks to the tonka bean. If anyone has ever lit some pine wood, this fragrance smells like that, just a bit more subtle and without the smoky part. It also reminds me of palo santo. It lasts about 10 hours, projecting in the beginning and close to the body for the rest, but not close to the skin; you can feel it when you move or when air hits you. Very welcoming and beautiful.

I dove into the world of Jo Malone after getting close to and recognizing the exceptional work of Zara’s new ‘Emotions’ line. It’s true that not all of them please me, though I can appreciate in them a message and the motivation behind each creation, and that’s what I was looking for. In this way, I came across this one. It’s a very special perfume, with a raw and pure scent in the sweetness of the tonka bean. The myrrh makes its presence felt soon to curb the rush towards cloying sweetness and transform it into a mysterious and magical accord. The comparison by Kari Dil with the metaphor of a Harry Potter potion was spot on; I loved it for being accurate, as it draws the scent to perception. I don’t smell the lavender, if at all in the first few seconds; the rest of the ingredients are there, but as if their integration had been measured to the millimeter to contribute without standing out, especially the vanilla and almonds. Unisex in its entirety, I think it wins on female skin for how sensual its coupling must be. Magnificent longevity, one of the best from Jo Malone; and a huge, intense sillage for at least the first 3 hours. For the bold, I don’t recommend blind buying. But if you like it, it will drive you more and more crazy the more you use it. A hug to all fragrance lovers!!!

This fragrance is a masterpiece. Generally, I’m not a huge fan of Jo Malone because, while I acknowledge the quality of the ingredients, they tend to be too light and don’t last long on my skin. However, I love this one and it clings to my skin with all its might, lasting hours, albeit with a lower intensity… it’s more for enjoying in intimacy. The aroma is sweet and balsamic, which promises so much! Totally unisex, and I hope it’s in my collection soon. Scent: 9.5. Longevity: 8. Sillage: 6. Value for money: 6. Versatility: 8. Originality: 8. Overall: 8.5.