Scent Two: Laurel

Bought this on a whim the other day to try out as a new workday fragrance. I’m a handyman with an inconsistent schedule and haven’t really worked much in the intervening days, but I have gotten a chance to know Laurel. For me, it is exactly what I was hoping for. Of course, it must be evaluated on its own standards: that is, as a fresh, aromatic EDT. This is really a reminder to myself, as I gravitate toward heavier, at times more complex, and usually more demanding fragrances. This is not the grave bay forest of JSP’s Serin, but a leaf plucked in passing from an overhanging laurel friend. Laurel really wakes you up on first spray with that typical CDG black pepper blast, accompanied by bracing galbanum. Reviews indicate that this note has been amped up in reformulations, but I can’t complain. It’s just the smack in the face I need first thing in the morning. Soon, the laurel enters the fray, with its characteristic warm/cool herbal glow. I’m reminded of the aromatic opening of Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, a fragrance I adore but couldn’t make work for me in a mild Californian climate. I’m relieved to know I can open that spice cabinet once more in a way that fits much better into my wardrobe. The drydown moves through a cedar and then violet leaf (not flower) phase, but the aromatics never leave. The violet leaf seemed to come out of nowhere on my first wear, but I’ve come to appreciate its cooling presence as a kind of gentle echo of the camphorous bay leaf deep into the drydown. This is a clever little fragrance, and remains an exploration of the laurel note even if it isn’t always at the fore. You can pick out other ingredients but the laurel still provides a kind of compositional logic. The galbanum suggests its indefatigable stiffness, the pepper enhances its spiciness, and the wood and violet notes attest to its sylvan provenance. Performance is good for an EDT, especially if applied generously, which tends to enhance the cooler side of the scent. Cost is a little high given the 50 mL bottle, but low enough that I’m more than happy to live with my impulse buy.

Obsessed with green scents, this classes it up with fresh vetiver spice and smoldering incense charcoal. Dry, musky wood and dense herbs add depth. Bitter lime zest lends a touch of citrus brightness. Intoxicatingly well blended nature that's brisk, warm, and classy - without being too formal. Stylish folks having fun foraging on a rainy estate. Greens can feel less appropriate for high end occasions and this is the best solution. Smooth while still complex and high society. Skin brings out warm spice and incense while clothes project deep green twigs/grassy soil. Best of both worlds. Unique and likable while standing out from the crowd. May be the best, most exquisitely rounded green. Instantly bottle worthy. 1ST REVIEW: Rainy garden bursts with fresh green briskness. Gently sweet wood pairs flawlessly with moss; adds welcome depth. Bay leaf and basil with zero sweetness serves complicated herbal/earthiness that’s mature/classy, not gourmand. Classy gentleman pushing through a garden while the smell of plants lingers on his suit. Mild patchouli provides immaculate spice. Impressive projection. The most gorgeous balance of nature and class. Uniquely intoxicating with nothing off-putting. A must own. Wow! Many compare to Frederich Malle's "French Lover" - which is a compliment. Both are gorgeous, but different. They don't replace each other. Try both for similar notes!

Wow wow wow wow wow. I LOVE this! This perfume has two sides. One is a bitter green bay leaf, slightly spicy pepper and a foresty woody foundation. On the other you have a fresh thyme and a blend of lemon with cedar that comes across as... mint?! Wow. People notice the heavier notes first so they're higher up in notes here on Fragrantica but hear this: this perfume is not heavily bitter or smokey -- it's very green and fresh. The great contrast between the heavy and light notes reminds the same dynamic you'd find in Desert Marocian. Perfectly balanced, contrasting and elevating each other higher. The bitter bay leaf gives this perfume a sophistication of sorts as well. It doesn't cater to you *too* much, but it's so incredibly easy to love. This is Excellent. Definitely FBW. Will purchase with my next paycheck :)

I call this one 'The Stew' because of the prominent laurel but also it's crisp and fresh and really quite special. The food association makes it not a daily wear for me but it is indeed one of best smelling scents I know, very well crafted and evocative. Got a sample of 'French Lover' because I've seen the two compared but whilst they start somewhat similar 'French Lover' lost its greenness and freshness after a few minutes and on me dried down to a very synthetic, unpleasant musky generic thing (maybe it used to be better and this is the new formula?). Laurel's dry down is fresher with cinamon and laurel lasting the longest and making it a warm and food-adjacent smell that sticks around for a good while considering it's an EDT.

This is a work of art, those who are levantine and come from Lebanon, syria and Palestine would immediately recognise this scent and appreciate it. This fragrance perfectly recreates the smell of local levantine soap which is made of laurel and olive oil, (Sabūn Baladi), Growing up always using this soap every time I take a bath I was surprised to see a fragrance that recreate the smell of this clean fresh after shower feeling. Love this, truly reminds me of home, however its much sharper and harsher, I wish they added some note that would break the sharpness in it and make it more "soapy" or soft

I love this scent, one of the first perfumes that made me appreciate the art that concerns olfaction. It reminds me of how my dad used to smell from my childhood. I'm looking forward to asking him about it. Angular opening, that settles down into a alluring constant. It's very androgynous smelling with a slight masculine lean I guess, imagine Desire of the Eternals.. Another reviewer classed it as melacholic, which I wholeheartedly agree with and think it lends itself nicely to the London winters. I hope this never goes out of stock.

Laurel is yet another winning offering from the eclectic CDG line. In this case the key note is the Japanese green Laurel. This is skillfully combined with notes of cedar, oak, lemon, cinnamon, thyme and incense to create a fresh and invigorating scent that is serene and very Zen like. Like many CDG offerings sillage and projection is moderate so I usually layer with Molecule 01 for full three dimensional effect. Very understated, refined and elegant, this is a beautiful perfume.

I love this perfume, and would buy it instantly if only the longevity was better! On me it lasts maybe 15 minutes, then its gone. But oh, CdG, I love this. So green and dry, clean and dirty (or maybe just earthy) at the same time. Extremely fresh, with nose-tickling pepper and laurel. It does resemble French Lover, but I wouldn't say its a rip off. First of all, no laurel in FL and the longevity of French Lover, on me, alas, is even shorter. But they're both wonderful.

Coming back to this one after a few years, and it's still great. A fantastic blend of galbanum, spices, with oak and cedar planks wrapped in fine smoke. I agree with gedlive below, this is somewhere in between Eloge du Traite and French Lover, and seems to have been reformulated to a certain degree, as the floral aspects are no longer tangible, and overall feels woodier and denser. At some point, I even get an impression of tobacco. Class in a bottle.

Not as great, nor refined as French Lover, but this is a great alternative. However, Laurel is spicier, woodier, and a bit floral, due to the violets, so it leans unisex. French Lover on the other hand is greener, smokier, and mossy, which gives it a masculine edge. At the end of the day, it’s simply a matter of preference. So if you enjoy French Lover, but can’t afford it, or refuse to pay those Frederic Malle prices, Laurel might be for you.

springtime herbal tonic. bitter, sharp and bracing. softens into incense and oak the whole wear experience feels like stepping out into the shocking cold on a spring morning that softens into a sunny afternoon edit: quickly became one of my favorites of all time. bought a used partial and i'm not sure i could ever not own a bottle now

Smelled all four in Como as I try my best to purchase one on every holiday I go on. This (to me) is incredibly unique, dirty woody forest smell. Bay leaf and dark dense herbs. Beautiful, my favourite of the four in the collection. Was surprised by the uniqueness until I flipped the box and read that it was a CdG collab. Beautiful

Absolutely fantastic scent. The opening is a blast of black pepper, bay leaf and lemon and once it goes into the drydown, there is a woodsy, bay leaf and spice accord that just SCREAMS I am manly. Of all the highly rated scents I have recently tried, this one is the one that best suits my personality. Love it.

It’s an outstanding fragrance. It feels like it beautifully captures a lovely summer day. The blend is so well done that there’s none of that artificial or metallic edge you sometimes get with perfumes. It’s as if a fresh bay laurel tree has been bottled whole into a small flacon. I absolutely love it!!

This is *it*! Great great smelling cologne for men who like it spicy! Of the three Monocle scents, this is definitely the best buy (and smell)! I can picture a newly cut and prepared wooden terrace in the far east with the early morning sun coming up. The smell of zen.

First i got Laurel, then French Lover. No doubt, French Lover is very good and more advanced, but i still like Laurel better, maybe for his freshness.

It reminds me very much of Frederic Malle: French Lover because of the strong and prominent galbanum note and its green character.

A "brother" of French Lover but without that wet plants note - fresh due to green laurel / bay leaf note. I love both.

Super dark aromatic green, extremely masculine. I'm wearing it today as a woman, but I think many women would find this too masculine for them. The bay leaf gives the sappy spiciness of laurel, the oak gives the woodiness of the branches, and the galbanum lends a hyper-realism to the accord. It's not that pleasant just smelling it in the vial (it's a pungent punch of conifer to the nose, like huffing sap), but wearing it all day has given me an appreciation for the nuances in this fragrance. The cedar backs off and allows you to smell the bay (and therefore the actual laurel accord), as well as the amber and the violet. After reading some other reviews, at times I smell cucumber and rain too. It's quite complex, and requires actually wearing it to understand it. I don't think I'll be springing for a full bottle, but I'm glad I spent some time with this scent and learned a thing or two. 7.5/10.

TERRIFYING opening with a fresh and atmospheric drydown. I'm really torn as to whether I 'like' this, but undeniably it made me feel something, and I appreciate that. It's been four or five hours since spraying on my skin and the more it develops, the more I enjoy it. Smells like a clarifying dose of spite. And a very heightened, intensified bay leaf. (A bay leaf, but grant it rage.) Someone further down mentioned the 'purging' qualities of bay. I concur; this is purgative and almost medicinal. I'm probably underselling the fragrance's complexity by overfocusing on the bay leaf aspect, because it is extremely fresh and earthy, as well, but what can I say, it lives up to its name.

A fresh, spicy evergreen scent. The comments comparing it to French Lover and ELDO's Eloge du Traitre are understandable, but Laurel is different enough to stand on its own. It lacks the dirty musk found in the deep dry-down of Eloge du Traitre, and doesn't have the damp vetiver found in French Lover. If either of those are problematic for you, then this fragrance would be a good alternative. It has a very airy dry-down that smells mainly of cedar.

scent two remembers me exactly a shrub that grows in a island in mediterranean sea:Corsica! if you take a walk around stumbling blocks you can smell this lightness luminous sweet aroma between liquorice and tamarind and something grassy and dry.. good enough to try it! 7/10 little update this one seems a copy of French Lover, it isn't. FL is better more extreme in dryness without laurel and to me sounds more natural.

Unexpectedly beautiful. I was prepared for a deep stewed bay but instead was met with a brisk and less woody presentation. There is something coniferous in the background but not entirely astringent. After the first blast settles it reminds me a little of Pimm’s (?!), with that association made it veers towards a wet but warm garden. It’s evocative but remains wearable.

Man i could die covered in these CDG Monocle scents, this is woods finessed to perfection. This one slightly reminds me of French Lover due to galbanum, but it moves on to something smoky, spicy and woody. I would even say this is better than French Lover, it has this beautiful smoke and incense that keep you on your toes, there is nothing wet here. This is magical.

Ok this grew on me. It smells like a cloudy rainy day in the garden. It is very transportive. More masculine definitely. So far out of all the fragrances I’ve tried this is the fragrance that captures petrichor the most. But petrichor plus garden herbs and vegetables. Beautiful and melancholic.

It starts very similar to French Lover but unfortunately for me the Laurel is true to its name as after the first hour is clearly dominating the blend. Laurel has now the center stage. It is also very spicy with loads of black pepper and woods in the background. 6.5/10

i must have really weird skin cause Laurel smells like fresh, crisp salad with lots of juicy paprika in it. Like that big summer dinner party and you are the host. Classy, positive, fresh. Anyone else can smell that or just me (and my friend who smelled the same)?

This is like layering Eau de cartier concentree with OG Fahrenheit..... with EXTRA petrol and i mean extra like in gucci guilty absolute

Smells like a strict uni professor that will fail you for the most minor offense. Pretty good

A green scent with bay leaf. It’s like walking into an old house that has been infused with bay leaf for decades. Gradually, it becomes even greener... ah, it’s that kind of green note I don’t like.

I do have to say that reminds of French Lover ...in a bad way. I'm not enjoying this perfume. It took me time to appreciate French Lover, but it was just me dealing with vetiver and galbanum... I find Monocle scent 2 too aggressive at the beginning. The drydown gets better

For me, I get pencil shavings with an herbal, slightly balsamic green note. I’m not a fan, but if you’re into a masculine graphite accord, this may be for you.

I think there's either a reformulation going on, or a batch variation problem with this scent. I tried it once and I got A LOT of laurel, which I absolutely love, and also frankincense alongside the galbanum. When I bought it, all I could smell was citrus and A LOT of galbanum to the point it smelled SOUR! No laurel, no smokey frankincense, none, nada, wa'lou, rien du tout! I emailed Monocle to ask if the scent was reformulated and they denied(do you think they told the truth? I honestly don't think so!) I can see there are a lot of people who voted for French Lover, but also lots who voted against, maybe that's why! Reformulation? batch variation? I don't care! All I know is that it's not fair for us. I sold my almost full bottle for almost half the price... THANK YOU MONOCLE!!!

I purchased a sample from LuckyScent so take this first impressions with a grain of salt. I simply dabbed a tiny bit on my upper arm and wow is it aromatic! I immediately get the Laurel/Bay Leaf note followed by pepper. At the beginning stages it definitely has similarities to Eloge Du Traitre, same perfumer big shocker there. It is quite herbaceous and green smelling and quite traditionally masculine smelling. As it dries down to a quieter scent, but still persistent, the incense emerges and it becomes incredibly similar to Oscar For Men by Oscar De La Renta. They both share notes of pepper and incense making them related but distant. Oscar For Men for me is almost unwearable due to the strong "pickle" scent it gives off mixed with sweat, which strangely enough isn't bad but not the most attractive scent to those around you; like you got done exercising then spilt some pickles on you by accident from drinking the juice from the jar (for the electrolytes). I will not wear Oscar for Men, but I would wear Laurel. The only woods listed are Oak and Cedar and they are a nice base, but not enough for me to say this is "woody" over the "herbal" category. You could debate between it being more herbal than spicy, but pepper, laurel/bay leaf, and thyme are herbs and the only "spice" is cinnamon. Laurel is more wearable but as Gedlive already mentioned, it is not as complex as Eloge Du Traitre...which sadly is incredibly hard to find in the US at a lower than $100 price point. Laurel is wearable, but to a very specific feel and place. If you're in the mood for a very herbaceous masculine dry scent then give this a try. I think your confidence has to be rather high to pull this off, and definitely wouldn't be considered as a "dumb reach". I haven't smelt French Lover so I cannot say any similarity. Longevity on my skin is good, and sillage for a splash sample is also very good. I will say, it is simplistic in its structure but it feels like it's missing that oomph factor that would cause me to put it ahead of the rest. Emphasizing the note of Laurel/bay leaf for me isn't enough of a wow factor. I think I will stick with Yatagan for my complex masculine herbal scent.

It opens very camphoracious and medecinal, like tea tree oil. A very pleasant bright green opening, with some lemony freshness, but the lemon is well blended to where it's making an accord with the Laural. So the bay leaf Laural is the main player, but then it has some ambery, woody depth. It doesn't have nearly the complexity and sophistication of "French Lover". I like ELdO Eloge du Traitre better, it's my top 5. It is more interesting and complex. This is allmost in the genre of fresh citrusy fragrances, with a very nice twist of herbs and evergreen notes. Maybe a little like Diptyque Eau de Sens. It's a very nice fresh fragrance for Spring and Summer. I would say it's a classy sophisticated fresh fragrance, rather linier, not very exciting, but very pleasant. I would like to have it for warmer days, if I could get a good deal, say well under $100 for 50 ml. It seems way over priced for what you get. It has good quality and performance. I just applied French Lover, and it did remind me right away of the strong laural note here. It is like a cheaper clone of French Lover, and cheapened my experience of wearing French Lover. Rating: 8/10 God bless. John 3:16

I ordered this hoping to replace my favorite Laural fragrance, the discontinued Eloge du Traitre by ELdO. French Lover by FM is closest to Eloge du Traitre. This has grown on me. I was a bit negative at first. It does remind me of French Lover and Eloge du Traitre, 2 favorites. This is different enough to be bottle worthy. I like and respect this for being very natural smelling. The violet goes well, and reminds me of "Dandy" by Guerlain. A woody fragrance with violet. The vintage version was more medicinal and camphorous. This new version may have more galbanum than laural. But it may be better than the vintage. It is not linear, but develops, and gets better and seemingly richer, as it goes on... It's got a great warm spiciness. I am picking up on some smokiness. It just becomes smooth and well blended/ balanced. Rating: 8.75/10 God bless. John 3:16

Galbanum pepper bay and thyme over patchouli and incense I may be entirely off, but i am getting a modern minimalist take on Caron's iconic Yatagan. The way the green galbanum top mixes with the culinary herbs and ultimately patchouli and incense in the base, i immediately thought of yatagan, but without the musty hairy chested castoreum elements and more pepper. There is a similar stewed vegetal effect, but its much more palatable in Laurel, but may still irk those who don't appreciate intense woody herbal notes. There are elements of the musky incensy woody base that remind me a bit of CdG Kyoto, another banger from this house. I really enjoy it actually, its unique, pleasantly retro in theme but modern in structure. Definitely worth checking out and something I may purchase if i find it at a good price.

To put you in context one day I was talking about finding a replacement for Christian Lacroix' Tumulte and some one told me about this fragance and give me a sample to which I didn't pay any attention (shame on me...) then months later I stumbled upon it and decided it to wear it for the office. I must say I'm pleasently surprised, it brings me memories of licorice sticks (actual sticks) I used to buy back in times then after a few minutes I could feel the smell of laurel leafs, but leaving child memories apart, this scent wraps you into a balsamic feeling really calmful and elegant, really worth to give it a try, you'll find yourself enjoying every breath of it. I totally agree with the comments about the zen feeling.

Bay leaves were used for lustration, and the opening here is fittingly punchy, piquant, and purging. Leaps from the skin with urgency at first. Nose hairs needled by cedar, pepper, and pine, the perfume mellows out surprisingly subtly, resolving into an almost creamy wooded melange, viscous and cola, the sense of exhaustion at the end of the rite. Aftershocks unspool from its initial quassations, like the ghost of a glimpse into something hours before.

I used to love this scent, then I got Frederic Malle's French Lover. Tihs is a total rip-off! What a big disappointment. Actually this is a good scent, but compared to Bourdon's masterpiece it turns to be a rougher and kind of incomplete work. If you're into super-dry peppery incense fragrances go with no hesitation for French Lover: It's better and it was released 2 years earlier. Rating: 8/10 if you're not familiar with French Lover, otherwise 6.5/10

-Refined, addictive woody scent. -Linear to my nose. -I can picture a tall, slender, bespectacled individual wearing this. -This would really suit an individual who gravitates towards crisp white tailor-made shirts and impeccably-ironed black slacks. Perhaps, an orchestra conductor. -Fbw if you fit the wearer profile. (+)

Loved this on spray card, but can’t properly review it on skin as it is barely perceptible when first applied and completely disappears from my skin in under 2 minutes... wondering if I got a bad sample or something. I get it’s an edt but it’s seriously the worst performing fragrance (on my skin) I have encountered

Another bitchin' frag by Tony "Cheese Snacks" Maisondoodoo, as he's known within his inner circle. The greenish color of the juice perfectly matches the macho steamed spinach accord in the opening. A perfect fragrance to wear while cleaning out a septic tank.

Aromatic bay leaf plain and simple. It’s good for an EDT wood scent it has some lasting power. Hinoki within this line is better but this is still good. I’m a fan of woody scents and this is unique in my collection. Might be wearable in the heat. We will see.

I like this for: Herbal Comes de garcons interpretation of aromatic spicy (Classic men perfume). It takes out the unnecessary scent, therefore improve main note definitions. This make the classics becomes POP and easy to wear.

Scent - lemon, bay leaf, oak & thyme. Season/Time of Day - I prefer to use this one all year round, during the day. Projection - I did get noticed, I didn't get a compliment. Longevity - I get 12hrs consistently. #26

VERY peppery. Of all the scents in the Monocle collection, this might be the least wearable. It calms itself after 30 minutes or so and is fine enough, but I don’t picture myself reaching for this sample again.

bright, verdant green on me; the dry down takes a bit and in the transition is quite peppery. a bit too sharp for my taste but for someone who likes green scents this would be nice in the summer

Polished,spicy fresh, and green. This could be my signature if I was into that sort of thing. A gem amongst my collection. Displays its best magic in the spring time.

Divinely fresh and bay like...or as my mother in law says: "You smell like a ratatouille" I agree, but I love a good ratatouille and I LOVE this Monocle⭐️