Labdanum 18 by Le Labo

I picked up a decant of this at a Le Labo store in London. In the end, instead of what I intended to buy, I went for Labdanum 18, a real treat. Smelling it straight from the bottle reminded me of Loewe’s Gala. My mother had a lovely blue and gold bottle of it that she’d been given; she used it as a room freshener because ‘it smelled dirty’, but to me it was an absolute gem and she’d always sneak it onto me. The 18 smells a bit like that: dirty, old, like dry urine but in a kind, sweet way. I loved it. It doesn’t last long on the skin, less than one might expect for the price, but it lingers much longer on clothes. That’s all.

Seven hours later… The nappy aspect has vanished, the fragrance is still holding on the skin, noticeable but with less punch. Now it’s a delicious musky part resting on a soft, rich vanilla, with barely any amber detectable. I’d use it as a personal treat; I can’t see myself wearing it in a specific context because it’s animalic, though it may just be my lack of experience with this type of scent, I’m not sure. On paper, it’s neat, elegant and subtle. I recommend it if you want to explore more Le Labo proposals, as they’re not just Santal 33 and The Noir 29. I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10.

A fragrance of classic, substantial complexity, with old-school nuances but a very rich modern oriental. The spiced opening with cinnamon prevents the dessert that follows from being overwhelming; the sweet patchouli mixed with balsams wraps everything. Then smoky musks and warm animalic notes emerge, giving it character and depth, with no room for freshness or florals. It’s all dense. Labdanum heats everything up like an oven at maximum to stop it from becoming gourmand. Vanilla sweetens it like a five-storey wedding cake filled with meringue. In the end, rich powdery musks, like clouds of icing sugar floating over that cake. If you like well-made animalic fragrances, this is excellent, one of my favourites. Rating: 9.2.