Le Labo The Noir 29 and Laurier 62

Hey, this week we’ll cover two things – Le Labo The Noir 39 and Le Labo Laurier 62.  Sorry about flaking last week.  I was in Costa Rica, told I’d have internet, but — eek!! — that was not internet.

Yeah, that was my view from the front porch for a week – The Osa is magical in every way, and I never tire of being there.

After a week in paradise beachside in 85-degree weather playing with monkeys and macaws, I came home to snow.  But also was Le Labo The Noir and Le Labo Laurier 62 (room spray, just to make sure you aren’t trying to figure out what you missed in new release’ville).  They are both super cozy and great for fall/winter fragrances.

Le Labo The Noir, in keeping with all of their names, has almost nothing to do with tea, so just stop thinking that.  If you don’t get it out of your head, you’ll be disappointed, and I didn’t find Le Labo The Noir disappointing at all.

Notes of black pepper, amber and black rose make up The Noir and then some vague reference to something resembling tea accord.  It reminds me of a somewhat figgish Rose 31, and that’s not a bad thing since I adore Rose 31.  What it adds to Rose 31 is a very distinctive soft hay note.  It winks around tea a lot, putting together some of the components, and I get some smoke from it, but not huffing black smoke. More like soft puffy charcoal smoke.  It is warm and cozy and is like tea wafting from another room, or what you think could be tea.  I do love it, but I think I would have a different opinion if I was counting on a black, black, smoke-chuffing tea.  It won’t whack you over the head like some others in the Le Labo line. If you want that, just pair with Patchouli 24, and then it really starts rocking.

Le Labo Laurier 62 is a room spray. Whatever.  It has 62 different notes in it, focused more on eucalyptus, rosemary, laurel, thyme, cumin, clove, amber, patchouli, and sandalwood.  If that doesn’t get your attention, you are D.E.A.D.    Wearing it on the skin is tricky on the open, you get blasted with the eucalyptus and laurel and about a pound of cumin.  Nope, not a bad thing, just not always what I want my skin to smell like.  I paired this with The Noir, and these two together also rock.  So give it time or spray it in the air like you should or on clothes or linens. My first pick is linens.  The drydown on this is exquisite.  Slightly dirty clove with some somewhat filthy green aspects are completely enchanting. It’s a mess for sure, but a mess I’m pretty crazy about.

I wanted to talk about another scent today, but that’s just stuffing too much in. I’ve got so many things to try starting this week – those new YSL Vestiaires that we think Slimane did (please, please, please YSL, make good life choices on those perfumes), the Cartier Les Heures Oud series, etc.  But there is a special treasure in there too – Amouage Fate extrait. OMG, srsly, it is amazing.  More later.

BTW, the decluttering was on hold while I was gone, but it’s back in full swing again.  I’ve given away my gigantic dining room table, rearranged my dining room into a cute thing with a small little bar table I love, completely emptied one bookcase, moved my television to a wall mount, halfway emptied two other big bookcases, and I have a designer coming in today to talk about master bath design.  Oh, squeee, I’m so excited.  I am partly crediting the energy I’ve had for this monstrously big project to these amazing vitamins I’ve been taking.   But as things start disappearing, it’s like I’m sculpting my house – taking away the things that don’t really belong so the things that should be here give it the shape it wants to be.

Oh, sorry, meandered for a sec.  Yes, let’s give away some samples of the Le Labos!  Four lucky commenters will get a set of both to try.  What are you thinking on those new YSL Vestiaire things?  Hedi Slimane or no?  Tragic or amazing?  Did you get snow this week too?