le labo

Think of Le Labo as a workshop that immerses consumers in the experience of the perfumer’s lab (hence the name). Each scent is mixed before the client’s very eyes; candles are hand-dipped and bottles are personalized on site. The brainchild of Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi, Le Labo unveiled its first boutique in New York City in 2006 with 10 scents. Each formula is named after its principal essence, plus a number denoting how many ingredients it’s composed of, an effort to demystify the olfactory process.

Case in point: Santal 26 is one of Le Labo’s most beloved offerings both in its candle and room spray forms. This aristocratic aroma has a distinct smell of smoke and leather, which is meant to evoke a nostalgic, intimate vibe. The scent is perhaps the ultimate holiday gift; indeed, according to Penot, the effect is everything. “The notes don’t really matter,” he says. “But the feelings do. Ones of warm nostalgia, of well-being, of feeling intimately special and elevated.”

OLFACTIVE FAMILY: Woody

NOTES: Amber, coconut, vanilla, cedar, spices, musk, and sandalwood

While snuggling with your man in front of a nonworking fireplace in your New York City apartment or place beside your marble bathtub and inhale deeply

October 31, 2016