There’s a reason this one shows up on almost every “best Jo Malone scent” list. Myrrh & Tonka has a cult following that spans genders, seasons (mostly), and even people who normally find Jo Malone’s lighter colognes a bit too fleeting. It’s the brand’s richest, warmest offering, and after wearing it through a few different settings, I get why it’s become a signature scent for so many people. Here’s the breakdown.

Price and Quantity

Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense comes in four sizes: a 9 mL travel spray, 30 mL, a 50 mL bottle priced at $160 or Rs 9600, and a 100 mL bottle for those ready to commit. Like most of Jo Malone’s “Cologne Intense” line (their more concentrated, longer-lasting tier compared to the standard colognes), this sits at the higher end of the designer/niche-adjacent price bracket. You are paying for the brand, the ingredients, and that unmistakable matte black-and-gold bottle as much as the juice inside.

If you’re not ready to drop that kind of money on a full bottle, the 9 mL travel size is a smart way to live with it for a while before deciding whether it’s “the one.”

Fragrance Profile

This is a warm, ambery, resinous scent built around three main notes:

• Top: Lavender — a brief, slightly herbal, almost soapy-clean opening with hints of camphor and hay. It doesn’t stick around long.
• Heart: Omumbiri Myrrh — the real star. Warm, balsamic, smoky-sweet, and resinous, this is what gives the fragrance its “incense in a cozy room” character.
• Base: Tonka Bean — rounds everything out with warm almond, vanilla, and a faint tobacco-like sweetness that lingers for hours.

The opening lavender fades within minutes, giving way to the myrrh and tonka duo that defines the rest of the wear. On skin, it reads as warm and comforting. It is more “fireplace and cashmere” than “fresh and citrusy,” which sets it apart from a lot of Jo Malone’s typical fruity-floral catalog. Longevity is genuinely better than most Jo Malone colognes (a known weak point for the brand). It stays easily for 8 hours of wear and moderate sillage.

Is It Unisex, Men’s, or Women’s?

Myrrh & Tonka is marketed and sold as a unisex fragrance, true to Jo Malone’s house style, none of their colognes are formally gendered. That said, it does lean a touch more “masculine-coded” in how people describe it compared to Jo Malone’s fruitier, fresher releases. The warm amber-woody character reads close to scents like Tom Ford’s oud-driven offerings or other unisex amber colognes. In practice, plenty of women wear it and plenty of men wear it, and it’s frequently recommended as a couple’s “his and hers” bottle to share. My husband and I do the same 😀

My Take

Myrrh & Tonka earns its reputation as one of Jo Malone’s standout scents. It’s cozy without tipping into heavy or old-fashioned, and it has more depth and staying power than the brand’s reputation for “nice but forgettable” colognes would suggest. It’s an excellent cold-weather, evening, or date-night scent. I wouldn’t reach for it on a hot summer day, since the warmth and richness can feel like a lot in the heat.

The one thing to watch for: this is a love-it-or-hate-it fragrance for some noses. So, it’s worth testing on skin (not just paper) before committing to a full bottle, since it can shift depending on your individual chemistry.

Bottom line: if you like warm, ambery, slightly sweet scents and want something with more longevity than Jo Malone usually delivers, Myrrh & Tonka is well worth a sample. Just don’t skip the skin test. This is a fragrance where personal chemistry really matters.