Le Labo’s ‘steampunk apothecary’ aesthetic permeates its austerely chic perfume boutiques, with their distressed concrete walls and wabi-sabi shelving. This Industrial Revolution redux finds fullest expression in Le Labo’s fragrances, which are sturdy slabs of smell bolted together to withstand nuance and electrical fires.
One of the most robust ones is its worldwide bestseller Santal 33, a figgy-woody musk bomb that wears like a weighted blanket and emanates from every fifth hipster. A victim of its (deserved) success, Santal 33 is now so wrung out/sung out that it’s lost its hard-on.
Fortunately, Le Labo brings sexy back with another chunky number, Poivre 23, which offers the all-bass-no-treble atmos of Santal minus the overfamiliarity. True to its name, Poivre opens on a dynamic salvo of black pepper but quickly downshifts into a mediaeval version of chill with its smoky hum of incense and buttery wood. The drydown is resinous and warm, amber kissed by vanilla.
The best part? Poivre 23 is a city exclusive for London only, bestowing connoisseur cred while ensuring you’ll smell fabulous, not flaccid.
