Le Labo Iris 39

I might have said it before, but although I like the concept of Le Lebo (poncy ultra-exclusive nothwithstanding), many of their fragrances leave me feeling slightly short-changed. I know this house has many fans, and I do enjoy Oud 27, but there are not many that have truly blown my socks off. The notes for Iris 39 include Iris, patchouli, rose, ylang-ylang, musk, violet, ginger, cardamom and civet.

Iris 39 opens with a strong, earthy, even carroty iris accord and stays like this for quite a long time. Its not a powdery iris and not particularly feminine either. It never becomes sweet, and is fairly spicy, almost incense-like at one point. I can't really detect the spices individually, such as the ginger and cardamon, and the rose and ylang-ylang are even more elusive to my nose. However the sum of all these notes creates a type of zingy buzz for a time. As the fragrance progresses, the focus stays on iris and the civet, if it is in here, embellishes the other notes, rather than taking over, which is as it should be.

I find this a well-blended fragrance, like a lot of the Le Labos. The only note that really stands out is iris; at least, I think so. Its a good unisex iris and never becomes too powdery, despite the iris and violet combination. As iris fragrances go, this tends towards being rooty and earthy, rather than powdery or woody and never comes across as too cold or austere, as iris-dominated fragrances often can be.

Do  I like Iris 39? Yes, I actually do. Again though, its another of the Le Labos that doesn't quite blow me away; I don't necessarily need to be blown away, but at this price point, one would hope for a few more fireworks. Having said that, this is well-crafted, elegant. sophisticated and perfect for both sexes. It is interesting enough to warrant attention, yet could be worn to the office or on a night out. 

Le Labo Patchouli 24

Patchouli 24 by niche house Le Labo seems to garner much praise on many blog websites, Basenotes, etc. I came to the Le Labo party quite late and to be honest, with the exception of Oud 27, none of the line has impressed me all that much. They all seem quite good, but lack inspiration, certainly to my nose.

The notes for Patchouli 24 are listed (not officially, as I don't think Le Labo likes to do that sort of thing) as patchouli, styrax, birch and vanilla. The comparisons with Bulgari Black are inevitable, as at first glance they seem quite similar. The opening starts quite brightly, with a brief burst of citrus, but within seconds a smokiness wells up quite strongly. The birch note is immediately apparent and the fragrance takes on a smoky leatheriness that lasts throughout most of the heart and early dry down. This is quite a sweet scent though and its not long before the smokiness becomes tempered by the vanilla note. At this point the comparison with Bulgari Black would seem most obvious. I can see why some people would think this, but for starters Patchouli 24 never has that rubber note that Black has, nor the tea accord. The smokiness is also far more pronounced in Patchouli 24. If anything, that hardcore birch tar note recalls Tauer Lonestar memories, at least for me, but less smoked-meat-and-leather. 


The dry down continues on the smoky, tarry, vanillic theme, rather sweet,  but it never becomes cloying, as the fragrance is well balanced and the edges do smooth somewhat later on. Overall this is an intense perfume, almost certainly the most masculine of the Le Labo line that I've tried. I can see this as a polarising scent - some will love it, others will despise it. I think after Oud 27 this is my second favourite of the line and I think fans of Bulgari Black or Lonestar Memories will like it too.

Le Labo Rose 31 and Oud 27

I am a relative newcomer to Le Labo. Although I have known about the line for some time, it is quite hard to access in the UK, unless you happen to be in London, where their line is carried at Liberty. I understand their flagship store has recently opened here too.

I ordered some Le Labo samples from Luckyscent a while back, and two that I've tried a couple of times now are Rose 31 and Oud 27.

Created by Daphne Bugey and released in 2006, Rose 31 has received a lot of favourable reviews. I am a fan of rose scents, but like them quite dark and broody. I went through a phase last year of trying lots of rose dominant scents, including Un Rose by Frederic Malle, Voleur de Roses by L'artisan, Amouage Lyric, Dark Rose by Czech and Speak and Rose Poivre by The Different Company. You get the picture - roses and then again some. Rose 31 opens with a quick blast of citrus and a faint rose smell, more like a crushed stem (but not green) rather than the flower. It soon becomes a lot more rose-focused, reminding me slightly of Voleur de Roses. As the rose note strengthens, it loses that initial freshness and sweetens up, becoming richer. At this point I am reminded a little of Malle's Un Rose, with its truffly richness, but only briefly, because then it veers off on an interesting path as it becomes spicier, when I start to notice the cumin. Cumin is not a deal-breaker for me and I've always associated the note with cooking rather than the dreaded body odour. In any event, it is so well blended here that it never becomes overwhelming. I do get a hint of pepper in the mid-phase and the spiciness is appealing as the scent loses some of the sweetness and becomes dryer and dustier to my nose. I wish this lasted longer because soon the scent becomes quite linear and the rose returns, brighter than before and stays like this for the duration of the drydown. I do get little wafts of cumin weaving in and out from time to time but by this stage it has become a skin scent and is mild and pleasant. I think it is a good scent; I'm just not blown away by it, but its well-constructed and well-executed, just not terribly daring in my opinion. 

What about Oud 27? Released in 2009, I find its opening surprisingly dry, with only a hint of sweetness, which I interpret as a honeyed note. If you like your oud accords to lash your senses with Montale-like ferocity, then you will be disappointed. I don't get that medicinal/band aid note and I'm glad. There is a slight synthetic feel to the opening, reminding me for some reason of new plastic, like the dashboard of a new car. After a few minutes the scent darkens and becomes woodier, plusher and more oppulent. The honeyed note fades and I get more of the oud accord. I have read other reviews that describe the oud note here like wood that is charred on the outside but still raw and sappy inside. I don't know if I quite interpret it like that, but I sort of know what is meant. The scent does become more resinous in the middle and then in the drydown stays woody and then sweetens, not cloyingly, but enough to keep it feeling quite rich, yet in a close-to-the-skin type of way. For some reason the overall feel of Oud 27 reminds me of polished wood - not the actual smell of polish, but the shininess of old wood that has that sheen of polish. Its hard to explain, but that is the mood it evokes for me. Of the two scents, I find Oud 27 a bit more daring and interesting. Its not an oud accord I've personally encountered before and definitely is not in the same mould as the Montales, M7 or the By Kilians, Pure Oud and Cruel Intentions.

Would I buy a bottle of either of these two? I'm not sure - at these price points a perfume has to pretty much knock my socks off. Rose 31 is nice, but doesn't really move me. Oud 27 comes a lot closer - it is interesting and it is different. Perhaps time will tell.