When it comes to the fragrance world, few brands have been able to claim that coveted cult status. Le Labo is in that small field of elite perfumers, perhaps most well-known for the scent Santal 33 (if you don’t know it by name, you’d definitely recognize the leather-y sandalwood-heavy smell). The brand was founded in 2006 by L’Oréal alums Fabrice Penot and Eddie Roschi – their first collection launched with 10 fragrances and one candle (which would later become the inspiration for the Santal 33 perfume).
Hand-blended perfumes that are individually mixed in the shops for each customer and personalized labels with the date and place of the formulation set the brand apart, as does a cute message written by the customer. Even after being acquired by beauty behemoth The Estée Lauder Companies in 2014, Le Labo has managed to hang on to its old-world, small-batch mentality – along with some damn good-smelling perfumes.
That being said, stepping into one of the stores (and choosing a signature scent in general) can be a tad overwhelming, so I did the down-and-dirty job of smelling for you. And I even went so far as to match each scent with a personality type or vibe you may be trying to capture. Ready? Read on for my review of all 17 scents from the current Le Labo Classic Collection.
Note: You may notice that Iris 39 and Oud 27 are not on this list. They are currently out of stock, and the brand does not have plans to restock at the moment.
