We’ll be visiting Le Labo to premiere the City Exclusive Collection. These special scents are only in town for the month of November, and Sniffapalooza’s getting the first sniff!
Tubereuse 40 (New York)
The Tubereuse 40, like most of our other scents, barely deserves its name. It is of course full of tuberose (absolute and nothing less) but what hits you from the go is a wave of bergamote, tangerine, and orange flower that yields that surprising eau de cologne effect (despite its concentration of 30% which transforms this perfume into an extract). The first pschitt is hence pure well-being. The Tubereuse 40 then slowly develops to the woody / floral heart that gives it unique character and comfort. You smell the white florals where the tuberose finally has its say and the woods (cedar and sandalwood) sing along oak moss, muscs, and ambrette absolute to rock you into a state of intensity, pureness and bliss. As long as there is light there is life. As long as there is NY, there will be Tubereuse 40.
Notes: Ambrette absolute, bergamote, cedar, jasmin absolute, orange blossom absolute, mimosa absolute, oak moss absolute, petit grain, centifolis rose, absolute tuberose.
Musc 25 (Los Angeles)
Why L.A you ask ? Because genderless angels have to be tempted into the smell of life. Musc 25 is white, angelic, very musky and aldehydic, and so intensely luminous that you will need to wear shades to approach it. Yet, despite all this heavenly white, its core is somber, devilishly dark, so much so that it wakes up your inner demons that are anchored in sin and in animalic notes that are sensual, sexual, and decadent. Its alter is made of vetiver, ambergris, more musk, more civet of the devil itself. Enjoy the ride of L.A 25, oops, we meant Musc 25.
Notes: Aldehyde, ambergris, musk, lily of the valley, patchouli, rose absolute, cedar, vetiver.
Baie Rose 26 (Chicago)
The main story behind this fragrance refers to music, jazz music in particular. There is a direct correlation between the sharp pepper and some of the more upbeat sounds of jazz, the soft back representing the simpler, soothing side of the music. Either way, the uplifting effect of the music seems to carry you away, the same way the music of the spices, aldehyde and musk playing with the pink pepper, brings your spirit away. In pure Le Labo style, the new Chicago exclusive scent reinvents pink pepper (baie rose in French) to knock you off with straight elegance, an endless wake and unique signature. Pink pepper is reinforced with clove, winking left and right to some cedar and aldehyde, while walking up the aisle to get married with the eternal rose absolute from Grasse. The result sits on musks and ambrox. It is pure refinement, personality and memorability.
Notes: narcissus, neroli, jasmin sambac, tuberose, vanilla absolute, ambrettolide, muscs, aldehydes
Poivre 23 (London)
Poivre 23 translates into Pepper 23 and it’s Le Labo’s pepper statement, developed in partnership with Nathalie Lorson, and only available as an Extrait de Parfum. Why pepper ? (and we’re talking true Bourbon Pepper, the Rolls of peppers) Because it’s the spice of all spices, widely used in perfumery, and we wanted pepper to finally get what it deserves: the limelight. It is very warm, ultra spicy, truly oriental and it is only for London.
Notes: Cistus Labdanum, Incense, Patchouli Indonesia, Gaiac wood, Pepper bourbon, Australian sandalwood, vanilla absolute, styrax resin
Gaiac 10 (Tokyo)
Gaiac is a very hard greenish wood that isn’t as dry as cedar and that is subtle, profound, and stable. Le Labo’s Gaiac 10, a perfume extract that has been developed in partnership with perfumer Annick Menardo, is a tense formula built on gaiac wood and surrounded by musks (4 different types in all), with hints of cedar and olibanum (incense). Don’t expect this woody musk to leave a perfuming trail from where you are to Hokkaido (unless you already are in Hokkaido), but it will stick on you and with you, despite your mood, for days and days, nights and nights…
Notes: Olibanum, gaiac wood, cedar absolute, musks
Vanille 44 (Paris)
We all know that Paris is the city of love (and hence sex). But Paris is also the city of Vanille 44! We also know by now that our Rose 31 does not smell of only rose, that our Iris 39 does not smell of just iris, and that the number is as important (if not more) than the name of ingredient to the left of it (I am not a number !) Well our Vanille 44 does not smell of just Vanilla. We could say that this theme is a subtle ambery incensy woody sexy note that once acquainted with your premium pashmina sweater will release the finest of the vanilla bourbons that you’ve experienced. It’s vanilla disguised. Some will say that it is scandalous to release this theme in Paris only and only in Colette’s Paris. Other will say that it is already too much and will try to ban it in the name of normality, where vanillas smell of vanilla. Now tell me, who is normal these days ?
Notes: Natural bergamot, incense, mandarine, gaiac, vanille bourbon, muscenone, pipol, hedione
Aldehyde 44 (Dallas)
Aldehyde 44 is usually only available in Dallas (Texas that is).
Aldehyde 44 is a small wonder that sits tight between an aldehyde overdose, that gives this scent a unique cleanliness to it, a sublime floral composition that is built around Narcissus, Jasmin, and Tuberose (all Absolute in case you wondered) and a bed of musks tied with a hint of vanilla. The result is esthetically admirable and unique. You should know that we receive numerous hate mail from perfume lovers that have somehow put their nose on some Aldehyde 44 and that are now considering vacationing in Dallas. Our bad?
Notes: narcissus, neroli, jasmin sambac, tuberose, vanilla absolute, ambrettolide, muscs, aldehydes
