It’s that time of year again when Le Labo makes its entire line of City Exclusive scents available to everyone. It truly feels like Christmas comes early for every hipster each September. I jest, of course; Le Labo appeals to more than just the trend-conscious. Santal 33 will always be a classic, and scents like their ylang, patchouli, and tea are among the best in their category. Make no mistake, though: your matcha-drinking, Labubu-loving comrade will likely be donning a few spritzes of Shiu 25 (Beijing exclusive) when you see them next. The fragrance itself is fine. But I believe your friend could do better. Let me explain.
I visited the Le Labo boutique to try the new fragrance, but I only sprayed it on a card. So instead of going back and trying it properly, I got lazy and bought a sample online. It arrived a few days ago, and I’ve worn it a couple of times as my scent of the day. Le Labo lists the following notes in their fragrance pyramid:
Frankincense, white blossom, camphor wood, iris, pink pepper.
The opening note I detect is iris. It’s not a heavy or glamorous iris scent; rather, it’s a light, papery, and waxy interpretation of the note. While “thin” isn’t quite the right word, Shiu 25 comes across as sheer and aligns with the floaty, meditative marketing concept. As the iris begins to fade (and it goes away rapidly), Shiu wood (camphor), which comes from the Cinnamomum camphora tree (specifically the linaloolifera variety), becomes more prominent.
However, it never takes on a medicinal or minty character like eucalyptus, which I had expected. Instead, it has a spa-like and calming quality. Shiu wood contains a high concentration of the natural compound linalool, which contributes to the light, woody temperament of Shiu 25. The tactful olibanum note also keeps the fragrance from feeling heavy. Overall, the scent is very discreet and polite. The listed white blossom note might be hedione, and I detect some Iso E in the base to add depth.
However, we’ve had this style of scent from Le Labo quite a bit recently, and over the years. Its papery floral iris notes resemble Violette 30 from earlier this year, while the cedary camphorous woody finish mimics Eucalyptus 20 from last year. If you’re onto a good thing, stick to it, huh? It’s the ultimate embodiment of a Le Labo. Indeed, Shiu 25 feels like the Le Labo minimalist final boss. Surely they can’t take this will-o’-the-wisp weightlessness any further? I suppose they could start selling us air.
There’s no need to spend the big bucks on this stuff. I suggest that your Labubu-loving friend (or should that be Jellycats now?) check out brands like Escentric Molecules, Comme des Garçons, and Aesop. Shiu 25 slightly reminds me of the iris scent from Escentric Molecules, while its very light woody notes evoke the minimalist aesthetics associated with Aesop. However, they might already know these brands. In that case, I’d go with something from the lesser-known Miller et Bertaux. Their woody scents capture the clean, tranquil theme better than most.
You might assume that I dislike the scent, but that’s not the case. There’s very little to dislike about Shiu 25. It doesn’t have any super ambers lurking menacingly in the base. However, at this price point, one would expect something more original, rather than a familiar Le Labo riff. Shiu 25 fades as quickly as your bank balance if you end up liking one of these City Exclusives. By around the 4-hour mark, it collapses into musky monotony. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if next year’s Le Labo is called Punxsutawney 93.
Note: Bottle image from Le Labo. All other images are my own.