What Do You Think Of Le Labo Overall?

[Joe_Frances]

I really like Rose 31, but the others are not too great. They were the "flavor of the year" at one time, but I think those days may have passed. But I hope Rose 31 continues to be made.

 

[Opiate]

Le labo just came to our city and I got to sample them for the first time yesterday.

-Patchouli 24 was far and away my favorite. I liked it so much I plan on getting a full bottle of it (which rarely happens). I spent last night comparing it to Histories 1740, and prefer Patchouli 24(I like the dryness & simplicity of it).

-Bergamotte 22 was nice but you can make your own with some bergamot/citrus oils, perfumers alcohol & water.

-Santal 33 smelled like a cheaper, more synthetic version of Gucci Rush (my signature scent for almost a decade) + scratch n sniff pickle stickers(for those who grew up in the 80’s).

-The Oud one reminded me of a loud 80’s women’s chyphre. A big, brash, animalic “fuck you” type fragrance. Not what I was expecting or to my liking but pretty cool.

-The iris one reminded me a bit of L’heure bleue.

-the Noir & Ylang Ones were nice, albeit quite feminine.

I have a sample of the vetiver one but I haven’t tried it yet. I don’t love vetiver as a main note but was told it’s got a good bit of frankincense in there, which is why I got a sample.

 

[Franco65]

I dig them, even though are a bit overpriced...

 

[Nastka]

Three words: Good but overpriced. A sentiment which seems to be shared by a lot of people here. It's very similar to Byredo in this sense at least.

I have a sizeable decant of Rose 31, and think Labdanum 18 is also pretty damn good. I also liked Bergamotte 22 and Vetiver 46, but not at those price points. I'd happily sample more of the range if they were stocked nearby, which they unfortunately aren't.

 

[morrison74]

Loved a few of them - Rose 31, Vanille 44, Vetiver 46, Gaiac 10, The Noir 29 and Poivre 23. But they are overpriced for what they are in my opinion. I got healthy decants of Rose, Vanille and Gaiac but I could never pay the full bottle price, especially for the City Exclusives.

 

[Kotori]

I’m a big fan of Labdanum 18, which I own, and is currently my most-worn winter fragrance. Iris 39 is also really nice. The others are ok.

 

[Beck]

Didn’t click with me. Santal 33 is nice. Maybe a should give them another try, but I don’t think they would worth their price to me. There are way better frags for a little fraction of their prices.

 

[Foamywax]

I smelled santal 33 on a friend recently and had to ask what it was. Similar to Bulgari black but with great projection and sillage. Le labo are not sold in Greece.

 

[GoldWineMemories]

I haven't tried any of the exclusives, and I think Patchouli 24, Oud 27, & Labdanum whatever are fantastic.

 

[The Fuzz]

Pretty decent house. Rose 31, Poivre 23, Bergamote 22, and Noir 29 are all rather good.

 

[cheapimitation]

I've been reassessing Le Labo lately, and I've concluded it gets a bad rap.

I almost think they were ahead of the curve dosing their fragrances with high performing aroma chemicals that gave them impressive (or "mysterious" disappear/reappear) performance that impressed average consumers but annoyed fragheads. Now I feel like this trend has been pushed even further by the likes of MFK, Nishane, and others that when I revisit Le Labo, they seem quite tasteful and natural by comparison.

I can think of several examples but a couple that come to mind:
Another 13 (2010) seems downright refined and much more interesting take on an ambrox bomb when compared to MFK sickly sweet and overpowering Baccarat Rouge (2015).

LV Orage (2018) reminds me a lot of Gaiac 10 (2008), both create a wet woods effect mostly comprised of ISO E, but whereas the LV grates with it's scratchy dry down, the Le Labo stays transparent and has added interest of incense.

Compared to Frederic Malle, Chanel, Hermes, they do fall short and can seem screechy in comparison. But, after having tested so many other houses since, I come back to Le Labo and still think they are better than 90% of what is out there.

Anyway, in summary, Le Labo has actually aged well and comes out on top of many newer entrants into the niche or designer exclusive category imo.

 

[StylinLA]

Part of their bad rap comes from their quasi gimmicky roots.

Basenoters are pretty straight forward. See bottle. Sample. Like sample. Buy bottle.

LE LABO introduced this whole "blend it right in front of you" schtick with a custom label. Originally, they put a bogus expiration date on the label, and I think the online communities pretty much shamed them out of that. This is kind of stuff likely causes a lot of eye rolling by Basenoters.

I've only tried a few of their scents and they are mostly quite distinctive and off beat.

Basenoter opinions aside, they must be doing pretty darn well with someone. They've got NINE stores in Los Angeles. I'd wager they have a higher profile among non fragheads than most of the niche brands.

 

[Nom de Guerre]

I have and like Patchouli 24, Another 13 and Labdanum 18. Would like to have Bergamote 22 and Gaiac 10.

 

[Diva D]

I love Rose 31. Don't have much experience with the rest of the house but always feel like I missed something when I'm reminded that so many people have a grudge against them. As far as marketing/package gimmicks go, there's much worse out there IMO.

 

[Trebor]

Super synthetic, overpriced, underwhelming.

Yes. For the most part, uninspired and overpriced crap.

 

[bibo]

Yes. For the most part, uninspired and overpriced crap.

like 85% of the whole bunch!

 

[Trebor]

like 85% of the whole bunch!

For me, at least 90% but, yes, roughly in that ballpark.

 

[deltasun]

Just like any house, some good offerings and some not so. And just like any higher end priced offerings, will get a crapped on quite a bit for being overpriced. I did finally pick up AnOther 13 this year and would like Bergamote 22 at some point. They used to make the fragrance in front of you when you purchase, but was told they had since stopped that because of inconsistencies. Not sure if this is everywhere, but I can see that being a concern.

 

[TheAntagonist]

I personally own a bit of Le Labo. Some offerings are hyped up (santal 33). But overall, price not withstanding, are good options.

 

[jkonick]

Their store in Seattle is pretty small, although it's right in the middle of the uber-hipster neighborhood (fun fact: it was also within the CHOP/CHAZ boundaries last summer). They also have a big footprint in the flagship Nordstrom downtown.

I recently got a decant of Oud 27, which was definitely my favorite when I smelled the whole lineup. I liked them, but for the price it's just not worth it. Someone else mentioned Byredo, which I feel like is another good example of a house that prices their fragrances a tier above what they're worth, even if they're good. I mean, Oud 27 is a great, funky, cheesy animalic oud that lasts and lasts. I don't even know what current retail is, but whatever it is, I'm not paying it haha. Likewise, I've found that Goodwill often has Rose 31 lotion/shampoo/etc hotel minis, and I had a huge stash of that for a while that cost me no more than $10. It was great. But retail? Never.

 

[Jack Hunter]

Super synthetic, overpriced, underwhelming.

+1.....

 

[satyen]

My wife loves bergamot, i kinda like the rose and another 13. Worth the price? Probably not. But neither is the rolex!

Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk

 

[Hobbes]

Bergamote 22 has one of my favorite openings of all time, but then it disappears into nothingness

abysmal performance on me

 

[akadem]

As others said, hit or miss. City line is much better than the regular one.
I only own Mousse de Chine and it is outstanding. Plaid full price, worth every penny. Do not care for others.

 

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

Bergamote 22 has one of my favorite openings of all time, but then it disappears into nothingness

I almost wish it disappeared into nothingness. Once that amazing opening fades, the rest of the scent is just a pale harsh fake wood that's left lingering on skin for hours and hours. It's soft, but it goes on and on for ages. Atelier Cologne's Bergamote Soleil does the same thing, but with a different base - an equally synthetic base though. Bummer.

I realize it's hard to extend the life of citrus notes, but I hate when scents leave behind a chemical funk smell on skin. I'm surprised more folks here don't mind that too. It seems like all people care about these days is top notes.

 

[deltasun]

I almost wish it disappeared into nothingness. Once that amazing opening fades, the rest of the scent is just a pale harsh fake wood that's left lingering on skin for hours and hours. It's soft, but it goes on and on for ages. Atelier Cologne's Bergamote Soleil does the same thing, but with a different base - an equally synthetic base though. Bummer.

I realize it's hard to extend the life of citrus notes, but I hate when scents leave behind a chemical funk smell on skin. I'm surprised more folks here don't mind that too. It seems like all people care about these days is top notes.

Or they're not smelling what you're smelling. I certainly don't. We all have different skin chemistry.

 

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

Or they're not smelling what you're smelling. I certainly don't. We all have different skin chemistry.

I smell it on paper too. Bergamot 22 is a very simple scent. It's a wonderful bergamot/citrus blend with a bit of something to sweeten it up (but not make it "sweet" per se) over a base they label as vetiver, cedar & musk, but it smells more like one aroma chemical. Spray paper. Set it aside for 6 to 8 hours. That's the part of the scent I'm talking about.

 

[deltasun]

I smell it on paper too. Bergamot 22 is a very simple scent. It's a wonderful bergamot/citrus blend with a bit of something to sweeten it up (but not make it "sweet" per se) over a base they label as vetiver, cedar & musk, but it smells more like one aroma chemical. Spray paper. Set it aside for 6 to 8 hours. That's the part of the scent I'm talking about.

I think 6 to 8 hours it's gone. lol I'll try it out though. I'm just saying that on my skin, I don't get that chemical (thank goodness) and perhaps those who enjoy, don't either.

Sent from my P00I using Tapatalk

 

[ultravisitor]

I smell it on paper too. Bergamot 22 is a very simple scent. It's a wonderful bergamot/citrus blend with a bit of something to sweeten it up (but not make it "sweet" per se) over a base they label as vetiver, cedar & musk, but it smells more like one aroma chemical. Spray paper. Set it aside for 6 to 8 hours. That's the part of the scent I'm talking about.

I think I know what you mean. Many Le Labos seem to share an aromachemical in their base that I find to be a turn off. The Le Labos I like don't seem to have it--if they do, it's not prominent--but so many of the popular ones, like Rose 31 and Vetiver 46, just end up smelling like the same chemical to me after a few hours.

 

[Foamywax]

I never understood the whole facade of "rare woods" used in a fragrance . Is the use of real wood that cost prohibitive ?.. The new philipp plein no limits fragrance uses "high tech laser woods". What the hell is a high tech laser wood?

 

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

I never understood the whole facade of "rare woods" used in a fragrance . Is the use of real wood that cost prohibitive ?...

It's about fixatives - and possibly also cheapness, but especially for performance. Some synthetics do a particularly good job of extending the life of fleeting notes. The beastmode-bros of this era demand a priority on performance over how a scent actually smells. That's part of the reason why most scents these days don't actually have heart notes, though houses still list them. Instead, most modern scents are an opening blast married to a harsh base whose only job is to extend the opening. And since so many buyers only seem to care about the smell in the air, not noticing the chemical funk smell up close on skin, houses keep pumping out harsher and harsher scents. And hey, for $20 a bottle, I wouldn't blame them. But for anything priced higher than that, there's no excuse for a harshly synthetic base. It's like buying a pizza with bad crust.

The new philipp plein no limits fragrance uses "high tech laser woods". What the hell is a high tech laser wood?

It's nonsensical marketing B.S. meant for suckers.

 

[Foamywax]

So I guess that's why iso e super is used so often??
A good example would be dsquared he wood which uses a huge amount of the ingredient. At least it smells like wood and real wood is used on the bottle haha..
But seriously I would like to know when a fragrance uses real wood and not synthetic. The fragrance companies should be more honest as well. Iso e super is not "precious woods"..

 

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

So I guess that's why iso e super is used so often??

Sort of, but not quite. Iso E Super is an aroma chemical that has a diffusive quality to it - it seems light and airy, and it bonds with other ingredients well, helping them to project. Fahrenheit is a great example of a scent that uses Iso E Super well.

But seriously I would like to know when a fragrance uses real wood and not synthetic.

It's rarely an either-or. Even when houses use naturals, they usually use synthetics too. And that's fine. Again, using Bergamot 22 as an example, there's no possible way that bergamot note is 100% natural. I doubt it's even 50% natural. But it doesn't matter since it smells so good. In fact, it might even smell better than the real thing, at least in terms of a scent meant to be worn. The bergamot note in Atelier Cologne's Bergamote Soleil is probably mostly synthetic too. It has a richness and roundness that can't be created without synthetics, but it's awesome, so who cares if synthetics were used? But the base is harsh and that's a bummer. The base is harsh because they're using harsh synthetics in order to extend the life of the citrus. So, it lasts longer thanks to synthetics, but once the bergamot fades, it's chemical junk. I suspect a lot of people are anosmic to some synth woods because they (synth woods) are like white noise. It's monotonous, so people get used to it & after a while don't even notice it.

I'm not anti-synthetics. Almost all fragrances use a ton of them. I'm anti-harshness.

 

[rollzst]

I am generally not a fan of the house but I own and love (from the city exclusives) Guaic 10 and Benzoin 27. I think those are the correct names. The Tokyo and Moscow ones. They are very original and outstanding fragrances. I also am thinking about picking up a bottle of the London one at some point. The rest I can live without and would rather spend my money on other brands.

As far as the bottles and packaging go, I love them. The bottles are of high quality with decent heavy caps and great sprayers. I like the lap look as well and the fact you can have your name on them.

 

[Foamywax]

Sort of, but not quite. Iso E Super is an aroma chemical that has a diffusive quality to it - it seems light and airy, and it bonds with other ingredients well, helping them to project. Fahrenheit is a great example of a scent that uses Iso E Super well.



It's rarely an either-or. Even when houses use naturals, they usually use synthetics too. And that's fine. Again, using Bergamot 22 as an example, there's no possible way that bergamot note is 100% natural. I doubt it's even 50% natural. But it doesn't matter since it smells so good. In fact, it might even smell better than the real thing, at least in terms of a scent meant to be worn. The bergamot note in Atelier Cologne's Bergamote Soleil is probably mostly synthetic too. It has a richness and roundness that can't be created without synthetics, but it's awesome, so who cares if synthetics were used? But the base is harsh and that's a bummer. The base is harsh because they're using harsh synthetics in order to extend the life of the citrus. So, it lasts longer thanks to synthetics, but once the bergamot fades, it's chemical junk. I suspect a lot of people are anosmic to some synth woods because they (synth woods) are like white noise. It's monotonous, so people get used to it & after a while don't even notice it.

I'm not anti-synthetics. Almost all fragrances use a ton of them. I'm anti-harshness.

I agree with what you are saying . I have no problem with synthetics either if something smells nice I'm ok with that even if it's not natural. What I'm not ok with is fake woods being named "rare" or "precious" when in reality it's a synthetic molecule that you are smelling. I'm not ok with that because it's misleading.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

I own a few large splits:

- Oud 27 is great, but TdC Oud Shamash is similar and does it better imo for half the price
- Vetiver 46 is also great, but CdG 2 Man is similar for a quarter of the price (even if a step lower in terms of quality)
- Patchouli 24 is a hate for me (way too sweet), but I can see a woman wearing it

For a woman, I would find The Noir 29, Another 13 and Lys 41 very nice, and Santal 33 is hard not to like - even if a bit boring.

In a nutshell: they are good to great in terms of scents, imo, the main problem being the price (bad bang-for-the-buck).


As for marketing: I only care about the juices, not about bottle and packaging. Their "lab" marketing is borderline ridiculous, but apparently some boogie rich asses like that.

This is pretty much how I feel too, although I do like The Noir 29.

 

[heavy black heart]

they currently have all city exclusives available for purchase in every store

I tried a number of them & they were all good

the highlight was the mousse de chene which surprisingly reminded me of Jubilation 25! not as complex & with a bit of that Le Labo DNA & while obviously not on the same level it was still quite nice

the aldehyde one was cool too but a bit too soapy for me at least on the strip

 

[mr. reasonable]

Overpriced and arrogant.

 

[heavy black heart]

how is a perfume arrogant?

 

[Nom de Guerre]

Aside from their marketing and pricing tactics (I don't care actually, there are worse examples out there), I really like Patchouli 24, Bergamote 22 and Labdanum 18. Another 13 is a strong and synthetic like. I'd like to try their City Exclusives – Gaiac 10 (just to see if I hate it as much as the cheap dupe, Azzaro Visit), Poivre 23, Musc 25, oh well – I'd like to sniff all of them. The pricing is ridiculous, of course. I've heard people describe most of their scents as "unfinished" and "butch", I can agree but I wouldn't take it against them – sometimes I crave "non-perfumey" perfume, haha.