I tried Le Labo's city-exclusive fragrances and ranked them from worst to best. One left me tempted to splurge $398 on a bottle.
Le Labo sells select fragrances exclusively in the cities that inspired them, like Paris and Tokyo. Occasionally, you can also buy them online.
A sign outside a Le Labo store displays various scents, indicating the luxury fragrance brand's exclusivity, even though some scents are available online. I tried five city-exclusive fragrances, ranking them from worst to best, having never visited the five cities represented: Beijing, Berlin, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo.
The Los Angeles-inspired scent, Musc 25, turned out to be musky and powdery, failing to capture the city's bright and magnetic ambiance. Similarly, Beijing's Shiu 25 had strong iris, frankincense, and Shiu wood notes, despite initially smelling like pickle juice. Tokyo's Gaiac 10, subtle and leafy, worked better but still lacked extended wear.
Berlin's Cedrat 37, however, stood out with its spicy, musky, and ginger notes, evolving into a rich and romantic scent perfect for transitioning into fall. Paris' Vanille 44, a gourmand blend with citrus, wood, and amber, proved to be the best of the kit, romantic, nostalgic, and long-lasting, despite not being a straightforward vanilla fragrance. This scent is so appealing, in fact, that I might consider purchasing a full bottle for $398.
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