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- Le Labo, a luxury fragrance brand founded in New York, is known for its attention-getting scents.
- I tried six of the brand’s most popular perfumes and ranked them from worst to best.
- Santal 33 is overrated, in my opinion, while Lavande 31 deserves more hype.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a celebrity, a successful businessman, or an everyday fragrance fanatic. It seems like everyone loves Le Labo.
The New York City brand was founded by friends Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi in 2006 and grew so popular that it was purchased by Estée Lauder Companies in 2014.
It’s known for creating memorable, luxurious scents that smell unlike anything else. Bottles retail between $107 and $1,095.
I first tried the brand at the end of last year, testing Santal 33 against a Target dupe. Though I wasn’t a fan of that fragrance, I was intrigued. I’d never smelled anything like it before.
So, I bought a few more samples (.05 fluid-ounce bottles for $7 each) of Le Labo’s most popular scents and wore a different one each day over the course of two weeks.
I took notes on what I liked and disliked, asked friends and family for their thoughts, and watched the clock to see which scents lasted on my skin all day and which evaporated into thin air.
Here’s how I’d rank them from worst to best.
Santal 33 doesn’t deserve the hype it gets — sorry.
Santal 33 might be Le Labo’s most famous fragrance, but it was also my least favorite of the scents I tried.
It had a strong, earthy scent with a heavy spice that, unfortunately, smelled like pickle juice to me. Many Le Labo fans and critics have also made this comparison.
After four short hours on the skin, the fragrance quickly went from overpowering to almost nonexistent, making it tough to justify the expensive price.
For those reasons, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the appeal of Santal 33’s cult following.
Another 13 was nearly perfect, but not quite.
Whenever Santal 33 is mentioned, someone is bound to argue that Another 13 is better.
The fragrance was created in collaboration with An0ther Magazine and is now one of the brand’s core scents. Le Labo describes it as a hypnotizing and “addictive dirty potion.”
I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I’d say it feels accurate. Every time I sniffed Another 13, I wanted more. It faded into a blend that smelled like jasmine, citrus, vanilla, and musk — which I loved.
So, I wish I could say that the fragrance made my top three.
Unfortunately, when first sprayed, the fragrance smelled strongly of alcohol. Sometimes, it took nearly an hour to fade into the latter scent that I preferred. Other fragrance fans said they couldn’t smell anything else, no matter how much time passed.
It’s also not the strongest fragrance I’ve tried from Le Labo’s roster. After two hours or so, I almost forgot I was wearing it.
Rose 31 had a classic scent but ultimately didn’t stand out.
With a name like Rose 31, I figured this perfume would be straightforward.
It started with strong whiffs of grass and spice, initially distracting from the rose. Once the main note took over, however, I smelled of florals and powder, which reminded me of a classic French perfume.
I can absolutely see why people might enjoy this perfume, and I did, too.
Ultimately, though, it was a little too simple for me. If I’m buying Le Labo, I want something that stands out.
Thé Noir 29 was captivating and masculine, yet anyone could wear it.
Thé Noir 29 is the Le Labo fragrance that surprised me the most.
I expected a musky cologne but got a masculine-leaning scent that smelled like black licorice. There was also a subtle trace of tobacco as it settled and a consistent note of cedarwood.
One of my favorite elements was that the scent lasted all day without being too strong.
My only gripe — a small one — was that it only felt appropriate to wear in the evening. I couldn’t see myself wearing this during the day.
Everyone should have Lavande 31 in their fragrance rotation.
After being underwhelmed by Rose 31, I worried I might feel the same about Lavande 31.
However, Le Labo says on its website that this fragrance “knocks all preconceived notions of lavender on its head” — and I completely agree.
The fragrance smelled refreshing and sophisticated, with a mix of lavender, moss, musk, and even a citrus zest. I could easily see this becoming my signature scent, especially in the spring and summer.
What I really loved, though, was the product’s concept. Sometimes, you just want a perfume full of your favorite classic notes but with an interesting twist.
Lavande 31 fit that bill and exceeded expectations.
Thé Matcha 26 is probably the best and most underrated of Le Labo’s popular scents.
I was most excited to try Thé Matcha 26 for two reasons. First, I enjoy the scent of the drink this fragrance is named after.
Second, Le Labo’s description of the perfume caught my attention. It’s said to be “introverted and deep by nature” and is meant to be smelled only by “those individuals lucky enough to be very close to the wearer.”
Not only was that an accurate description, but the perfume’s notes were also phenomenal, in my opinion. It’s scented with fig, vetiver, and orange, which creates a soft, alluring, and calm fragrance.
If I were only going to buy one Le Labo product, it would be a bottle of Thé Matcha 26 without question.
