The limited-edition Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit cologne is my very first grown-up fragrance, and I’m really excited to tell you all about it!

Before this, I only had celebrity perfumes in my collection. There’s nothing wrong with them. (My signature everyday fragrance is actually Britney Spears Fantasy.) But I feel really privileged to have a Jo Malone perfume in my rotation.

Although Jo Malone fragrances come in such elegant packaging, when I wore this incredibly intoxicating scent, I was overjoyed that it made me feel like I had rubbed a ginger cookie all over my body. It’s the kid in me – I love smelling edible! (I think I was a frosted cupcake in my previous life.) 😉

I only heard about Jo Malone fragrances recently when I hung out with two amazing fellow Canadian bloggers of My Numerous Diversions and Sparkled Beauty. (However, apparently there’s a lot of chatter about Jo Malone in beauty circles, and you can even layer the scents to customize the perfume experience. This brand totally flew under my radar until now!)

We went to eat Thai food and, in true beauty-blogger form, we hit up the stores. (My wallet was shivering a bit. But I did pull it aside a few days prior to the event and prepare it for the atrocities that might follow.) 😉

Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit Pictures

Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit Ingredients

Claims: TRUSTED, but Product: HOLY GRAIL STATUS

• Just-baked biscuit (Yes)
• Ginger (Yes)
• Nutmeg (Yes)
• Cinnamon (Yes)
• Caramel (Yes)
• Hazelnut (Yes)
• Tonka Bean (Yes)
• Vanilla (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit Cologne
• Collection: Jo Malone Sugar & Spice Collection 2013
• Fragrances in the Jo Malone Sugar & Spice Collection: Ginger Biscuit, Lemon Tart, Redcurrant & Cream, Elderflower & Gooseberry & Bitter Orange & Chocolate
• Amount: 30 mL 
• What I Paid: Nothing! (This was a surprise gift from the guy I’ve been dating! I feel so spoiled!)
• Where to Buy: Jo Malone counter at Holt Renfrew (It seems to already be sold out on the Jo Malone website.)
• Limited Edition? Yes!

Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit Review

First, a Little Background

I’m so picky when it comes to scents because a lot of times, fragrances give me a bad headache. Also, I have an ‘immature’ scent preference because I gravitate toward perfumes that smell like cupcakes, cake batter, and sugar.

Basically, all the perfumes I wear make me smell edible. (I hope that I never run into the troll under the bridge like in the Three Billy Goats Gruff fairytale because I don’t think using the excuse to wait for my smelly brother to come along will quite work in this case.) 😉

So there I was sniffing a bunch of new-to-me Jo Malone fragrances with fellow bloggers, thinking that nothing would ‘hit the spot’. I was wrong! I made the ‘mistake’ of smelling Ginger Biscuit. I couldn’t stop sniffing the paper tester I sprayed the perfume on. Literally, I was breathing in so hard that the paper began to curl towards my nose and touch it!

The hefty $70 CAD price tag for the 30 mL limited-edition bottle was literally the only thing that made me hesitant to run to the cashier, salivating like a dog catching a whiff of bacon. (Woof!)

I had been gushing about the scent to the guy I’ve been dating, and not long after, what did Prince Charming do? *Gasp* He surprised me with it! I couldn’t believe it!

The second I opened it, I sprayed it on my wrist and then dabbed my wrist onto my neck. It’s incredible (hehe, it got his approval, too). This seriously is now competing with my all-time favourite perfume, which is Britney Spears Fantasy.

Fragrance

The Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit cologne is definitely a warm, cozy type of scent that I like to call a “Cuddler”. I call it this because its projection doesn’t hit you over the head with a brick like some loud-and-proud types. Ginger Biscuit lies close to the skin, so when people hug you, they smell it.

Sure, other people can detect it on you, but it’s more a personal fragrance, I find. Really, I wear fragrances for myself, not to attract other people. Wearing perfume is a source of comfort for me, and I feel like even if I’m having a bad day, when I catch a whiff of a good perfume, it’s enough to make me a little happier.

Ginger Biscuit smells like real ginger cookies to me. Seriously, when I smell it, I want to eat the perfume! (But, at $70 CAD a pop, that would be the most expensive cookie to devour. Haha!)

It’s undeniably a sweet fragrance, but more in the way of a fancy gourmand scent instead of a teeny-bopper candy kind. (As you know, bakery scents are my favourite, especially when they’re laced with sugar, vanilla, and caramel! My sweet tooth liaises with my ‘sweet nose’, apparently!) 😉

What I especially appreciate is that the ginger in this is mild. You notice it quite easily, but it’s not too sharp or dominating. In fact, it’s a team player, and it meshes well with the creaminess of the other scents.

Vanilla is what gives Ginger Biscuit its soft creaminess, and the very faint touch of hazelnut adds to the warmth.

The caramel note adds the sweetness that makes this a feminine scent. Then, with a sprinkling of other spices, you get a fragrance that is so much more than a simple sugary experience.

With all the notes, you get the girly scent you love, but I feel like the spiciness makes it less girly and more womanly without feeling too mature. It’s the perfect step up from what I’m used to wearing, but it’s not a ‘serious’ type of perfume along the lines of Burberry or Chanel.

In a nutshell, Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit is perfect for people like me who love warm, sugary scents, but who want to try a more grown-up version.

This is soft enough to be appropriate to wear in the warmer months, but because of the warmth and creaminess, I feel like it’s still fine to wear in the colder months.

Scent Evolution

Upon first spray, I could smell the sweet notes and the spiciness. After about an hour, they blend together more, and on me, the sweeter notes remain the most prominent. I love how the dry down and the base that lasts for me is caramel and vanilla! But even at the end of the day, I can mildly detect the ginger.

Lasting Power

I use two sprays – one on each wrist. Then I dab my wrists together before dabbing my wrists on the sides of my neck.

From the morning all the way until I came home late at night after hanging out with friends, I could still smell the fragrance, so, yes, it has good lasting power!

Of course, when I first sprayed it, it’s the strongest. By noon, it softened a little, and then at night, it mellows out a bit more.

If you’re looking for a scent that holds its maximum strength all day and night, this isn’t it. This is the type that gradually softens throughout the time you wear it. It’s what I’m going to call a ‘Lullaby Scent’ because it gradually drifts off to sleep.

Packaging

Jo Malone perfumes have elegant and minimalist packaging, which makes them look like they’re indeed for a classy woman.

The glass bottle has a thin, tall, rectangular silhouette, and the labels are made out of textured paper.

The box it came in is textured, too, and the cream colour looks fancy with the black contrast trim details.

And when my guy got this scent from the Jo Malone counter at Holt Renfrew, they wrapped a thin, satiny brown bow around the box. (Haha, we both tried to wrap it back up so that I could snap a photo of it, but we couldn’t get it to look the same. It takes wrapping skill!) 😉

Also, the gift bag it was in even had a special brown ribbon that was cut in-store and ‘bow-tied’ at the cash register. Very nice service and attention to detail! These kind of things make the shopping experience feel more special.

Price

Money doesn’t grow on trees. But, one time, I planted a $20 bill in hopes of growing a tree that blossomed with Canadian currency. When it sprouted, I didn’t see any money, but I did notice a squirrel who had been eyeing my tree carrying a stack of large Skippy Peanut Butter bottles home! Perhaps he harvested my money.

Hehe, okay, so maybe none of that happened. 😉

Back to the review! I can’t talk about Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit without mentioning the exorbitant price. For many, that could be a major deal breaker.

I work full-time, but spending $70 for 30 mL of perfume takes a lot of internal convincing. It was my luck that during the days I was trying to do some serious internal convincing, my guy beat me to the punch! 😉

This is a splurge fragrance. Even though I would really want to buy a back-up of this limited-edition fragrance in case they don’t bring it back, I can’t afford it.

Sadly, because of the price tag and the fact that it has already sold out online, it won’t be accessible to many people.

If your finances allow you to splurge, and you love sweet, warm, bakery-type scents, this is one I think you will fall in lust with!

Pros Smells delicious with notes of ginger, vanilla, caramel, hazelnut & spices Long-lasting “Cuddler” scent that lies close to the skin & isn’t overwhelming Scent evolves, but always remains sweet “Lullaby” scent that gradually fades Elegant packaging (Great attention to detail!)

Cons Limited-edition scent that’s selling out fast Very expensive Only available in the 30 mL size

Final Verdict: 10/10

Ginger Biscuit by Jo Malone is my soulmate in perfume form. Sure, I still love my Britney Spears Fantasy, but Ginger Biscuit eclipses it because Ginger Biscuit is more complex and interesting because of the ginger.

I’ll still wear Fantasy happily, but it’s nice to have Ginger Biscuit in the mix! I’m wearing it sparingly since this 30 mL bottle is so precious! (“My Preciousssssss!”) 😉

What perfume have you splurged on? Have you tried any Jo Malone fragrances? What scents would you recommend I try?