Jo Malone London is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most-loved perfume brands around. With fragrances such as Wild Bluebell (which perfectly captures the English countryside in spring), and Lime, Basil and Mandarin, (which has become a scent synonymous with the brand), JML is quintessentially British.
While Jo Malone, the original founder of Jo Malone London, has since left and gone on to create a new brand Jo Loves (as well as some collaborations with high street brand Zara, more on those below), her legacy as a legend of the perfume world has continued with Jo Malone’s line of best-selling fragrances.
Which is the best Jo Malone fragrance?
Ask anyone about their favourite Jo Malone London fragrance, and the chances are that they’ll have an immediate answer for you. Certain scents from the brand have a loyal celebrity following, from Sofia Richie Grainge who recently shared her love of Wood Sage & Sea Salt, to The Duchess of Cambridge who wears one of the fragrances in this round-up.
More on fragrance:
- This is Harry Style’s favourite perfume, plus the other fragrances A-Listers really wear
- The best perfumes of all time, according to beauty insiders
- These 10 designer fragrance dupes are the high street’s best-kept perfume secret
While I do genuinely believe Jo Malone’s fragrances are worth the investment, you might want to try a more affordable alternative before you commit (there’s nothing worse than buying an expensive perfume and getting sick of it in a week) or keep your JML stashed for special occasion and use a similar scent for every day.
If that’s you, then you’ve come to the right place, because I’ve sniffed out the best Jo Malone fragrance dupes across candles and perfume to keep you and your home smelling sweet for less.
Dupe for Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Candle: Muji Sea Salt and Sage 1 Wick Candle
One of my absolute favourite scents from the brand (also a fave of Meghan Markle and Sofia Richie, FYI), Wood Sage and Sea Salt is a tranquil aquatic and aromatic scent. A refreshing blend of sea salt, sage, grapefruit, ambrette and seaweed conjures up walks along sandy dunes with sea spray and driftwood. The OG coastal scent, this offers an invigorating fragrance for both men and women and smells divine as a home fragrance, too.
The original: Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Candle, £55
Coming in with a similar scent that’s over £40 less than the original, Muji’s Sea Salt and Sage isn’t hiding anything when it comes to its inspiration. As well as notes of sea salt and sage, this candle features black pepper and cedarwood for a slightly more earthy vibe.
The dupe: Muji Sea Salt and Sage 1 Wick Candle, £9.95
The burn time of Muji’s candle is around 40 hours compared to JML’s 45, so you’re getting a very decent lifespan for under £10. However, I find that if you leave the lid off a Jo Malone candle, you can still smell the scent in the room without having to light it, which I see as a bonus, while I don’t find Muji’s to be that strong.
Dupe for Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Candle: Aldi Lime, Basil & Mandarin Candle
As I said earlier, Lime Basil and Mandarin is one of the brand’s top-selling fragrances. It’s gone on to inspire so many other ‘dupes’ by other fragrance and homeware brands that you’ve probably smelled this scent without even realising. It’s the ideal home fragrance, filling your space with clean citrus aromatic, green accords.
The original: Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Candle, £55
Aldi has become almost as known as JML for its Lime, Basil and Mandarin candle. There’s no beating around the bush with this one; the old packaging even made it hard to tell them apart at a quick glance, but they’ve since changed it.
I’ve had both of these burning in my home and can attest that JML’s version has an extremely strong scent throw that will fill a whole room within a few minutes of burning, meaning this can last you a long long time if you eek it out.
The dupe: Aldi Lime, Basil & Mandarin Candle, £3.49
If you’re lighting the candle for the look of it rather than the fragrance, definitely stock up on the Aldi version, which has nailed a lighter version of the scent. It won’t fill your home with fragrance as quickly as JML, however, at under £4, you can afford to burn this one all night (responsibly, of course).
Dupe for Jo Malone London Orange Blossom Cologne: Zara Fleur D’Oranger
With notes of orange and tangerine blossom, lilac, iris and vetiver, Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom is a complex yet delicate citrus floral fragrance. It’s rumoured to be the favourite perfume of the Duchess of Cambridge, and is another one of the bestselling fragrances from the brand.
The original: Jo Malone London Orange Blossom Cologne, £110
Here’s the tea: Jo Malone actually went on to create a line of fragrances with Zara, and one of her own creations with the retailer, Fleur D’Oranger, smells like a very close match to the original JML Orange Blossom. Its main accords are also citrus and white floral, although the latter is definitely the stronger out of the two.
The dupe: Zara Fleur D’Oranger, £25.99
Zara’s perfumes have pretty good longevity for high street perfumes in general, but this scent wears especially well throughout the day.
Dupe for Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir: Aldi No.3 Pomegranate Eau de Parfum
I’ve only started to wear Pomegranate Noir in the last couple of years, as it’s what I class as a ‘grown up’ scent. Not at all what I expected, this fragrance is less typically ‘sweet fruity’ than the Pomegranate suggests, taking more inspiration from the ‘Noir’ for a heavier, sophisticated and sultry scent with woody and warm spicy accords. It’s a seriously complex blend, with notes ranging from pomegranate, plum and raspberry to clove and pink pepper, with a dry down to musk, amber and patchouli.
The original: Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Cologne, £78
In terms of similarities, Aldi’s No.3 Pomegranate is similar to Pomegranate Noir, but it definitely lacks the complexity of notes of JML’s version. There’s also a noticeable difference in the strength and longevity between the two. Jo Malone’s fragrances are known for their potency and a couple of spritzes will see you through the day without having to top up, and I’ve been able to smell Pomegranate Noir for days, even weeks after if I’ve sprayed it on clothes.
The dupe: Aldi No.3 Pomegranate Eau de Parfum, £6.99
While you can smell Aldi’s version immediately upon spraying, this does fade on the skin pretty quickly and won’t last for more than a few hours before needing another spritz. Obviously, at £6.99 you can afford to apply Aldi’s a lot more liberally, but if you don’t want to have to worry about reapplication, Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir is well worth the investment.
Dupe for Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede: Zara Lightly Bloom
A romantic and feminine scent, Peony & Blush Suede is a floral leading fragrance, featuring peony, rose and red apple. I thought this would be a sweet fruity scent but it’s quite the opposite due to the suede base notes, which give it a more mature, chic dry-down. The blend of suede and peony bouquet makes it a popular choice for brides-to-be on their wedding day.
Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede, £110
It’s Zara that offers up another dupe for Peony & Blush Suede with its Lightly Bloom fragrance. It’s reminiscent of a fresh floral arrangement, with soft and notes of peony and lotus and a base note of musk. At £17.99 for 100ml, it’s an expensive-smelling floral fragrance that won’t break the bank.
Zara Lightly Bloom, £17.99
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