I’ve been curious about Le Labo for a few years now but since we don’t have a counter close to us I wasn’t able to smell the different options so I just stuck with my standard Jo Malone scents (BlackBerry & Bay, Mimosa & Cardamom, Wood sage & Sea Salt are my go-to's). Then for Christmas my mom got me the Discovery Set which is a sample size of all the scents for you to test and choose your favorite. If you buy it at Nordstrom it doesn’t come with a voucher towards a full size bottle but if you get it from the Le Labo store it does! Mine didn’t. Anyhow, I tested a few and found one that I liked so my husband and I took a drive to the Domain Nordstrom so I could purchase it.
When we got there Joey, the Le Labo expert at the counter, was so nice and extremely knowledgeable which I appreciated since my purchase is a luxury item and I really felt better learning why it costs so much if I’m honest. She asked me some questions about notes I prefer and let me test a few more on cards that had had time to dry down before I selected the one. I chose Another 13 for its subtle but sexy everyday scent. Le Labo describes it as, "addictive dirty potion blended with twelve other ingredients such as jasmine, moss and ambrette seeds absolute - which gives it spike and shine" From what she said they used to pour them in-store so they were super fresh and super custom but due to lack of staffing at that location, now they ship them in from the main store and finish the experience at the counter with the customer. Even though they don’t pour them onsite, they’re still super fresh batches each week since there are no preservatives, they must do it that way. Next, she asked what I wanted my bottle to say, stamped the label and sprayed the tissue inside of my box then sealed it with a certificate and authenticity sticker. It felt very fancy to me and made the fragrance that much more special. Here is the number for the Le Labo counter at the Domain Nordstrom: 512-605-4900 ext.1410
I’ve had it for about six weeks now and have worn it every day since! I have received about a dozen compliments while wearing it which is about 11 more than I’ve gotten with previous fragrances. I also notice that it lingers 'til the next day and if I’ve gotten it on my shirt, the next time I wear it, it still smells amazing. I will definitely repurchase this, especially since they offer refills to reduce waste and at a discounted price. As for the other scents, after smelling THEM ALL, I didn’t find another one that spoke to me but they release new scents periodically so I’ll give them a try. I encourage you to test a few and don’t be discouraged that there’s only one scent that I loved because I really am quite picky about scents... many perfumes give me a wicked headache or they’re too strong or they give me a skin irritation on my wrist where I spray them so I would say I’m more limited than most. Even if you don't want to buy the whole Discovery Set, I found on their website that you can order individual samples - genius if you ask me since not all of us live near a Le Labo counter. If you’re looking for your signature scent and wanting to treat yourself, I think Le Labo is a great way to do it!