There’s rarely a day that goes by when walking through London’s Underground, passing someone on the street or strolling through the lobby of ES HQ without catching a whiff of one of Le Labo’s hugely coveted aromas.
Founded in New York in 2006, the brand has gone on to worldwide domination, turning the traditional gendered fragrance industry on its head with its unique, unisex, and now ubiquitous collection of artisanal perfumes. A status symbol in its own right, a bottle of Le Labo on a bathroom shelf says a lot about a person; elegance, sophistication and class. When you purchase one of these scents, it is formulated by hand in a specialised lab with custom-printed labels and the option to refill for a discount.
The fragrance house almost needs no introduction for its meticulously crafted eau de parfums - you will have likely smelled each and every one, whether that’s by design or not. The most popular, Santal 33 has an immediately recognisable and unmissable musky, smoked wood leather and spice combination, while Thé Noir 29 sets black tea with the fresh and fruity notes of fig and bay, before anchoring with a cedar wood, vetiver and musk base.
The notes of Another 13 turn all preconceived notions of musk on their head with a pairing of jasmine and moss, while Rose 31 is a floral unlike any other rose scent on the market. Bergamote 22 is surprisingly warm for a floral opening of petitgrain due to the concoction of amber, vetiver and musks that follow and Lys 41 sets sweet Madagascan vanilla as a counterpart to floral notes. What unites the 20-strong line-up is depth, intrigue and soul.
But so well known is the label that you may just find yourself struggling to find a more personalised perfume - you know the ones where everyone wants to know what you are wearing, rather than already know. That’s where these dupes come in. The collection of fragrances below sample elements from Le Labo’s collection but put their own twist on it - and more often than not, at a more purse-friendly price tag.
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PHLUR Sandara eau de parfum 50ml
Dupe of: Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum (50ml, £157)
This fragrance makes a convincing case for one of Le Labo’s most instantly recognisable aromas yet with a less smokey, warmer feel. It comes from PHLUR, a brand that may not be the easiest to pronounce (it’s like fleur) but is making a name for itself among the TikTok set. The most popular, Missing Person went viral for its nostalgic aroma that was igniting tears among content creators on first whiff.
Sandara is the kind of scent to garner compliments from all, no matter their fragrance preferences. As someone who typically prefers lighter, fresher aromas, I was surprised to be so enraptured by this woody blend. This is a testament to its fresher take on a seductive scent where the spice of Timur pepper is balanced by velvety violet before drying down with sandalwood and patchouli.
Our new signature scent.
Buy now £96.00, Selfridges
MALIN + GOETZ Leather Eau de Parfum
Dupe of: Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum (50ml, £157)
Rivalling the heady intensity of Le Labo’s Santal is Malin + Goetz’s bestselling Leather aroma that you’ll be pleased to learn comes as an eau de parfum, potent perfume oil and in candle form too so you can infuse your home with its soft worn-leather notes too. The two New York fragrance houses spotlight sensual sandalwood which is to thank for their similarity, but Malin + Goetz pairs it in such a way as to replicate the scent associated with artisanal leather goods.
Top notes of clove, pepper and lotus flower and a heart of green violet, orchid, iris wood and muguet bring a fresh, clean aroma but overall it’s masculine leaning (but still very much wearable by all). This is due to the base notes that remain with the combination of the aforementioned sandalwood with cedarwood, cashmere musk, leather, amber and incense.
Buy now £82.00, Cult Beauty
Commodity Book Expressive
Dupe of: Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum (50ml, £157)
It may not save you a whole lot on the RRP of Santal 33 but if you subscribe to the motto that every little helps or you want to prove a know-it-all fragrance guesser wrong, Book should be on your radar.
It comes from Commodity, a unique fragrance brand that puts the concentration of its scents under your control. As such, the aroma comes in three different potencies; Personal, Expressive and Bold. The Expressive is the most akin to Le Labo’s bestseller with its notes of cedarwood and sandalwood.
What’s more, it comes in a handy 10ml travel size so if you want to get your scent on when you’re jet-setting, add that to basket too.
Buy now £130.00, Commodity
Glossier You
Dupe of: Le Labo Another 13 Eau De Parfum (50ml, £157)
The magic of Glossier’s You fragrance is that it enhances the wearer’s natural scent to create an entirely personalised aroma that is different for each person - a feat also achieved by Another 13. It is formulated with some similar notes, namely ambrox that is combined with a similar freshness element of a white flower. Both fragrances have an understated but somehow still statement scent that is alluring and fresh.
Buy now £49.00, Glossier
Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume eau de parfum
Dupe of: Le Labo Another 13 Eau De Parfum (50ml, £157)
While Another 13 takes a woody, musk approach, this fragrance is lighter. This means that it may not have the longevity or the scent trail that the Le Labo scent offers in spades but Juliette Has a Gun’s Not a Perfume still has the same pure, clean and crisp feeling, all while remaining allergen-free as it is formulated with cetalox that can be irritating for those with sensitivities.
Buy now £95.00, Selfridges
Who is Elijah Her
Dupe of: Le Labo Bergamote 22 eau de parfum (50ml, £157)
Another label turning the fragrance industry on its head, Who is Elijah is known for clean cruelty-free fragrances offering modern aromas that don’t adhere to gender stereotypes. Despite what the name may suggest, this is in fact a unisex scent that combines vibrant notes of citrus, bergamot, grapefruit and vetiver with cedarwood, musk and orange blossom.
Buy now £80.00, Beauty Bay
Dossier Citrus Tea
Dupe of: Le Labo Thé Noir 29 Eau De Parfum (50ml, £157)
Making the rounds on TikTok, Dossier presents its Citrus Tea as a fragrance inspired by Thé Noir 29 with a very different price tag. The wearable scent is a balance of contrasts with fresh notes of bergamot, tea leaf, bay leaf, fig and jasmine offset by wood, incense and hay.
Buy now £39.00, Dossier
Ssaint Cosmic Bang
Dupe of: Le Labo Thé Noir 29 Eau De Parfum (50ml, £157)
This Aussie label has got content creators around the world extolling its similarities to one of Le Labo’s bestselling scents. This is no doubt due to the top note of black tea and deeper heart and base of musk, hay and tobacco.
Note that the price tag is more than Thé Noir 29 so this perfume will be reserved for those looking for a twist on the scent, rather than a more bank balance-friendly option.
Buy now £169.00, Ssaint
