Look, I'll be the first to admit that Le Labo's iconic Santal 33 scent smells really good. In addition to owning a bottle myself, the fragrance has become so wildly popular over the years that it's basically a calling card for in-the-know millennials. Basically, if you know, you know. But the Brooklyn-based perfume brand has so much more to offer in the way of its oil-based unisex scents beyond just its best seller, and I'm here to walk you through where to even begin.
It's easy to see why the brand has become so popular.
Each of the fragrances is layered with an intoxicating medley of notes, and since they're oil based, one spritz can last you all day. I know they can be pricey, but in my opinion, the cost per wear makes it well worth the spend. For my own fragrance mission (and yours too), I asked Le Labo to send me samples of its best-selling scents, and the brand kindly shared its Discovery Kit filled with 17 sample-size spritzes. Over the past few weeks, I've been switching up my scent on a daily basis, mostly because I like putting on perfume even if I don't leave the house just to feel something, but also because I wanted to give you my honest reviews of the best Le Labo perfumes.
Since fragrance reviews tend to be hard to decipher with their technical descriptions of all the layered notes in a scent, I approached each of these with what I think is a more user-friendly description of perfumes.
Here's my opinion on how wearing each of these fragrances made me feel, what mood they put me in, and what occasion I would wear them for. Keep scrolling if you're intrigued, and be sure to head all the way to the bottom for what I think is the best Le Labo fragrance.
Fragrance Family: Floral. Key Notes: Rose, musk, mandarin orange. My first impression of Neroli 36 was how utterly sophisticated it made me feel.
This is the kind of soft and delicate floral fragrance I can imagine myself wearing as the ultimate put-together older version of myself, you know? It's a lovely floral that's clean, light, and a bit sweet, but it's certainly not overpowering. Customer Review: "Such a lovely scent. When first applied the aroma smells like a floral clean scent.
As the day wears on the scent changes & warms up & moves into a more fruity scent. Really enjoying this fragrance."
Fragrance Family: Floral. Key Notes: Jasmine, musk, sandalwood, vanilla. I'm not normally drawn to floral scents, as they don't feel very "me." That being said, I was instantly drawn to Jasmin 17.
It offers something more complex than your basic floral scent thanks to notes like sandalwood and musk while still being really light and lovely—overall a well-balanced scent. This would be a perfect spring fragrance, and it makes me want to throw on my favorite puff-sleeve dress and sandals for a walk. Customer Review: "I love this scent. It’s so smoothly floral, very light yet fragrant enough to notice.
It’s sweet and youthful."
Fragrance Family: Floral. Key Notes: Bergamot, petitgrain, lemon. Okay, I know I said florals weren't typically my thing (I'm more drawn to musk scents), but wow, Fleur d'Oranger 27 is delightful. It's a true orange blossom scent that's rich and creamy and, to my surprise, was one of the longest-lasting scents of the florals I tested.
It only began to fade after about eight hours of wear, which definitely impressed me. Customer Review: "Le Labo's Fleur D'Oranger 27 is elegant. I can only describe this fragrance Fleur d’Oranger 27 includes notes of orange blossom, musk, bergamot, petit grain and lemon. Naturally, you must adore orange blossom."
Fragrance Family: Aromatic.
Key Notes: Ambrette seed, citrus. It's hard to describe this fragrance since it's such a light, delicate scent, but it really pulls you in. The best way I can describe it is this: Think of someone you know who just always smells really good, but it's not like they're wearing a fragrance—they naturally smell good. That's Ambrette 9 in a nutshell.
It's sort of like that fresh, clean feeling you get when you step out of the shower. It's an immediate yes from me. Customer Review: "Lovely bottle and fragrance; Light, natural, soft scent. Great for times when you don't want to wear a strong perfume but still something pretty."
Fragrance Family: Citrus.
Key Notes: Bergamot, amber, musk, grapefruit, vetiver, petitgrain, vanilla, orange blossom, cedar. Bergamote 22 is the perfect fragrance for the dead of summer. It's a cooling citrus scent that's like a freshly squeezed cocktail of bergamot and grapefruit that jolts you out of the heat slump. Customer Review: "This perfume stays on all day long!
I get compliments every time I wear any Le Labo product! I mean; I have 11 hour days and by mid night I still smell as if I'm ready for a night out. Love it!"
Fragrance Family: Fresh. Key Notes: Patchouli, juniper berry, ozonic notes, musk, green leaves, ambroxan.
Fresh and clean with hints of spice, this would be a great everyday scent to wear, as it felt ultra versatile. Customer Review: "A very classy and clean scent. Has a feminine touch to it. Will wear it to work and a casual night out.
Very nice!"
Fragrance Family: Musk. Key Notes: Ambergris, ambrette, musk, pear, amyl salicylate. I may be biased because this is actually a scent I've been wearing for a few years now, but I will say it's not for everyone. It's the brainchild of Le Labo and Another Mag, but unlike the brand's city-exclusive scents, this one was adopted into its permanent line, making it widely available throughout the year.
My mom sniffed it once and told me she thought it smelled bad. Although that might be on purpose, as others have classified the fragrance's simplistic scent profile as "industrial." It's one of those unisex fragrances that will surely earn you compliments if you can pull it off. Customer Review: "Le Labo's AnOther 13 is a very lovely, delicate floral scent that has an extraordinarily lasting presence on your skin. I've discovered my signature scent!
Thank you Le Labo."
Fragrance Family: Floral. Key Notes: Rose, cumin, vetiver, cedar, oud, musk, guaiac wood, olibanum, labdanum. Rose 31 is a deep, earthy rose, so I was surprised I like it so much. It's a departure from the overly sweet and girly perfumes of my teenage years.
It's the type of fragrance you want to keep sniffing every five seconds. It's just that good. Customer Review: I cannot day enough about Rose 31. I get so many compliments and I wear it all the time.
I admit I am a scent snob and have other fragrances however this is my go to. It’s the perfect scent and worth it price.
Fragrance Family: Woody. Key Notes: Bergamot, fig, bay leaf, cedar, vetiver, hay, tobacco. I first caught a whiff of this scent on my friend Sam, who is one of those people who is cool without trying, and I think it describes the scent perfectly.
It has this deep intensity to it that's a bit intoxicating in the same way that Santal 33 is. It's distinctive and sophisticated. I would say this reads like a really alluring scent to wear on a date or out to dinner, as it strikes me as being perfect for going out at night. Customer Review: "[Thé] Noir 9 has such a complex woody yet fresh scent that I can’t describe besides saying it smells like I’m having dinner at sunset on the beach during early autumn.
That’s it. It’s that good."
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.
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