In true Le Labo style, Eucalyptus 20 doesn’t smell much like eucalyptus. Indeed, there’s a camphoraceous, medicinal character to Eucalyptus 20 for some brief moments. But, as is true for many scents from the New York brand, the moniker on the bottle merely serves as a marketing label. Supposedly, though, the brand names its fragrances based on the primary ingredient in the formula. The number after the name denotes the total number of ingredients in the perfume. So, Eucalyptus 20 it is!
Curiously, from a marketing perspective, Le Labo titled their perfume after such a divisive note. Based on the strength of the ingredients, the more appropriate names here might be Incense 20, Cypress 20, or even Cedar 20. All three are probably more popular materials than eucalyptus. There’s no point in getting hung up on it. We all know how Le Labo works, and the important thing is, do I enjoy the perfume? And I do. I’m guessing quite a few folks familiar with Le Labo products might like it, too.
I’ll be interested to see how it sells. After a short period, Eucalyptus 20 begins rather closely to resemble the brand’s popular hinoki-scented body and hair range. I’ve read Le Labo has received a lot of requests to replicate that range in perfume form. Yes, that line is a tad more creamy and peppery, but it’s near enough that if you like that line, you’ll enjoy Eucalyptus 20.
Eucalyptus 20 smells dry, smoky, and woody. Its combination of hinoki woods, incense smoke, resinous herbal notes, and cedary materials creates an image of a Buddhist temple in a cool Japanese forest rather than a humid Australian forest lined with eucalyptus. It’s linear throughout before trailing off into a tranquil woody smoke. But it remains pretty muted and never as grand as a Buddhist temple. So perhaps a quaint bonsai garden might be the more appropriate depiction. If I’d never smelled Le Labo’s body products and tried the scent blindly, I might have guessed it was a collaboration between Comme des Garçons (CdG) and Aesop.
Compared to other similar profiles, Eucalyptus 20 smells sparser and drier than the damp Monocle Scent One: Hinoki from CdG and more aromatic and less earthy than anything from Aesop. However, If you enjoy those houses or woody fragrances like Gaiac 10, Santal 33, or Vetiver 46 from Le Labo, you may like Eucalyptus 20. My final verdict is a thumbs up. However, I doubt I need a bottle. The hair and body range is far cheaper and possesses a powerful sillage. Additionally, other woody scents may be more compelling than Eucalyptus 20. And as if I need to underline the point, don’t go in thinking you’ll get a prominent eucalyptus note with this Le Labo; you’ll be barking up the wrong tree.
Are you a fan of eucalyptus fragrances or Le Labo’s hair and body range? Have you tried this perfume?
Note: Images are my own—sample purchased by the author.
