Jo Malone Holiday Fragrances 2025 Review: New Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot, Orange Bitters & Fir & Artemisia

In this review, I’ll explore three festive Jo Malone fragrances — the new Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot, as well as Orange Bitters and Fir & Artemisia — all of which beautifully evoke the atmosphere of Christmas. In the new release, Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot, the apricot seems to have run away, leaving behind just a whisper of sweetness, while Fir & Artemisia is a delightful surprise, reminiscent of the charm of a flower shop before Christmas.

Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot — Jo Malone London’s 2025 Holiday Release

Advent, the pre-Christmas period in Christian tradition, begins four Sundays before the joyful holiday of Christmas. It marks not only the start of spiritual preparation but also the beginning of the season’s pleasant hustle and bustle: choosing gifts, seeing the first lights appear on the streets, and savoring that magical feeling of anticipation — sometimes the anticipation itself is even more delightful than the holiday.

The Advent calendar is a symbol of this countdown: each little cherished window represents a day and is meant to be opened once per day. Traditionally, it may contain treats or small tasks — little challenges like visiting loved ones, donating to children, or going skiing.

The Advent wreath is another classic element, decorated with four candles. One candle is lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas, so all four glow on the holiday itself.

Christmas markets are perhaps the most iconic and beloved part of the festive season worldwide. My personal favorites are in the Alps, where you can sip fragrant mulled wine and enjoy caramel apples while gazing at snow-covered mountains. These markets have a unique atmosphere, where the festive buzz blends with the serene silence of the surrounding nature — in the mountains there is only the sound of silence and snow.

All around are cozy wooden stalls, adorned with intricate carvings and twinkling lights, offering regional delicacies, hand-made gifts, and ornaments. If you’re lucky, you might share a cup of hot wine with someone you love by an open fire under a gentle snowfall. The air is infused with the scents of spiced wine, pastries, and cotton candy.

This festive ambiance is exactly what Jo Malone sought to capture with their limited edition Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot — the 2025 holiday release.

Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot — Jo Malone’s Christmas perfume 2025

Jo Malone’s new Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot Cologne immerses you in the feeling of a Christmas market. With spicy apricot in the top notes, it hints at the aroma of mulled wine and festive bustle. It’s important to note: this is apricot, not peach — less aromatic and subtle in this composition. Think of it as a sweet, spiced holiday trail in the air, a hint of a warm festive drink nearby. Don’t expect apricot juice or bright fruity pulp — if you do, this fragrance may disappoint!

At its heart, warm and gentle sandalwood unfolds, wrapping the skin like a creamy lotion, while the vanilla in the base adds a soft, skincare-like sensation.

Honestly, Sandalwood & Spiced Apricot could almost be called “Spiced Sandalwood,” as the creamy sandalwood and soft spices dominate over apricot. It’s also not particularly long-lasting, fading from my skin fairly quickly.

Every year, Jo Malone delights us with festive Christmas limited editions. However, for me, Orange Bitters and Fir & Artemisia — released earlier — still remain their best holiday fragrances.

Jo Malone Orange Bitters — a Festive Citrus Scent for Advent

Orange Bitters is a bright citrus fragrance with good longevity. It gave me an instant nostalgic flashback from childhood, when we would bury our noses in gift bags filled with mandarins, chocolates, and gingerbread cookies, trying to capture that magical Christmas scent.

Orange Bitters smells like the holiday itself: sparkling Christmas citrus mixed with soft sweet undertones of cookies. It’s a great choice for anyone looking for a winter citrus perfume.

Jo Malone Fir & Artemisia: Nostalgic Christmas Tree Aroma

Fir & Artemisia is my favorite not only among this Jo Malone's trio but among all pine, evergreen, and winter perfumes. It recreates the most beloved, nostalgic, and emotionally precious scent — the aroma of a live Christmas tree in all its festive glory.

Although modern trees often lack a strong fragrance (I hope I’m not the only one who finds this sad), many still remember the real smell of a holiday tree. At the same time, Fir & Artemisia is not a straightforward pine fragrance: there is no sharp pine or balsam note here. Instead, it’s delicately crafted, soft, and layered. Upon opening, it evokes the scent of a flower shop before Christmas, where fir branches and festive wreaths mingle among flower bouquets.

Fir & Artemisia is truly special — a refined, delicate aroma of pine and the cozy, floral ambiance of a flower shop. (Seriously, walk into a flower shop and compare!) In my olfactory memory, it touched something very close and dear to the heart during the season of holiday anticipation.

Which fragrance are you choosing for the 2025 holidays?

Which Jo Malone perfumes are your favorites?

Disclaimer: All images were licensed from Canva and serve representative purposes only.