Jo Malone’s holiday chaos is back, and I’m not mad about it

If one more holiday advert tries to tuck me in with cocoa and clichés, I might trade my scarf for a blindfold. Then Jo Malone London releases its festive film, Merry, Mischief and Mayhem, and suddenly the ribbon-tied restraint cracks open. It is cheeky, a bit unruly, and exactly the jolt a pared-back brand needs when December becomes a carousel of sameness.

A glossy video is nice, but I care about what hits skin. The title telegraphs sparkle, spice, and a little trouble, which in Jo Malone language often means a return to the best of their winter bench. If you’re new to the ritual, here are the bottles that earn their place in the cold:

• Orange Bitters: The city’s party trick in cologne form. Bitter orange peel, a memory of sweet liqueur, and a cedar drydown that’s cleaner than it sounds. I wear it with wool and lipstick. It cuts through crowded rooms and never feels sticky.

• Ginger Biscuit: Jo Malone at its naughtiest. Warm ginger, toasted hazelnut, soft vanilla. This is dessert escaping the kitchen. One spray on knitwear and you’re basically a hug with ankles.

• Pomegranate Noir: Moody garnet silk. Spiced fruit, smoky edges, a shadow that reads festive without jingling bells. If minimalism had a secret, it would smell like this.

• Pine & Eucalyptus: If you crave tree-sap realism over sugar cookies, this is fresh-air therapy. Layer it with Orange Bitters and you get tinsel with bite.

• White Moss & Snowdrop: Frosted light, clean and slightly dewy. Office safe, but not boring. I use it to cool down sweeter things.

• For after-hours: Midnight Musk & Amber. It’s the twinkle after midnight, soft musk over ambered warmth. A quiet way to end an evening without smelling like everyone else.

Do you need the video to buy a bottle? No. But the mischief matters. The brand that built a temple to beige is letting a little lipstick hit the gift wrap, and the scents wear better for it. My pick for the first party: Orange Bitters over Pine & Eucalyptus, a crisp cocktail with a fresh wreath chaser. If that’s too bright, switch to Ginger Biscuit and watch the room lean in.

Holiday campaigns come and go. The perfumes you actually reach for when the taxi is outside are the point. This year, mischief wins.