Baie 19

Having concluded my extensive exploration of Acqua di Parma, I now pivot my attention back to the distinct American house of Le Labo, ready to review one of their less-discussed offerings: Baie 19. I first stumbled upon this fragrance during a specific search for "best petrichor fragrances" some time ago. Given that petrichor isn't a vast olfactive category like, say, vanilla-centric scents, the options that truly fit the bill were somewhat limited. However, Baie 19 consistently surfaced across multiple sources during my research, prompting me to acquire a sample for a personal experience. Let's get into it and ascertain if it truly stands among the finest petrichor fragrances available. Opening: The opening is an enveloping embrace of ozonic freshness, rich earthiness, and deep woody tones. The primary notes that immediately register are patchouli, ozonic notes, juniper berries, and green leaves. Patchouli and ozonic notes are the commanding presences. The patchouli immediately greets my nose with an intense burst of earthy and woody facets. While I'm accustomed to patchouli often playing a supporting role, its prominent position here in the opening is strikingly bold, yet it’s delivered appealingly. Trailing closely behind are the ozonic notes; they unfurl as fresh and aquatic, carrying a distinct petrichor accord that vividly evokes the crisp, clean aroma of fresh rain. Next, juniper berries and green leaves join the composition. The juniper berries introduce a woody and subtly piney spiciness, underpinned by a delicate citrus whisper. Lastly, the green leaves add a subtle touch of verdant freshness in the background, like the vibrant foliage after a downpour. All of these elements beautifully coalesce, painting a photo-realistic olfactory portrait of a rainstorm unfolding within a lush forest. Dry Down: The dry down continues its atmospheric narrative, remaining steadfastly ozonic, deeply earthy, and confidently woody. The primary notes I continue to discern are patchouli, ozonic notes, juniper berries, and musk. Patchouli and ozonic notes retain their dominant positions. The dry down is remarkably similar to the opening, with the only notable difference being the subtle exchange of the green leaves note for a gentle layer of musk, which lends a clean freshness to the base of the fragrance. Beyond this minor shift, the fragrance maintains a steady linearity throughout its progression. Performance: The initial projection is remarkably strong, effortlessly extending beyond six feet. Sillage mirrors this intensity, leaving an airy yet unmistakable scent trail. After approximately three to four hours, the projection remained impressive, still reaching about five to six feet, and the scent trail was easily perceptible. Even at the seven-to-eight-hour mark, the projection held on remarkably well, around four to five feet, with the scent trail remaining noticeable, albeit slightly lighter. The fragrance ultimately receded to a skin scent around the nine to ten-hour mark, demonstrating exceptional longevity for its light and airy nature. When to Wear: Baie 19 reveals itself as a wonderfully versatile fragrance, capable of being worn year-round, day or night. Its unique character makes it an appropriate choice for virtually anything casual, and it performs admirably in an office environment, offering something distinctive without being overpowering. However, due to its distinctly fresh and airy scent profile, I would not typically select this fragrance for a formal occasion. Blind Buy: Baie 19 isn't necessarily what I would categorize as a universally safe blind buy. While smelling like a fresh rainstorm is undoubtedly pleasant, and most individuals would agree it offers a nice aroma, it's not inherently a scent profile everyone wishes to wear personally. However, if petrichor accords are what captivates you, this stands as one of the finest, most authentic examples available. Final Verdict: As I noted at the outset of this review, Baie 19 is widely considered by many to be among the very best petrichor fragrances one can acquire. Having now experienced it firsthand, I can confidently echo that sentiment. A common pitfall for many petrichor fragrances is that the distinctive note often proves fleeting, lingering only through the opening, or the overall performance of the fragrance itself is subpar. Baie 19, however, elegantly sidesteps both of these issues. From its captivating opening through to its graceful dry down, the petrichor accord remains the undeniable highlight of the show, and its performance is nothing short of extraordinary for a fragrance of such an ethereal character. While its price tag of $340 for 100ml certainly places it in the luxury tier, making it feel overpriced at full retail, I can envision myself acquiring this from a discounter at some point. Bottom line: if you desire to embody the pristine aroma of fresh rain falling upon a forest floor, Baie 19 is, without a doubt, where you want to be. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: High Mass Appeal: High Gender: Unisex Value: Overpriced

I received a sample of this today with an online order. I was hoping for a sample of another fragrance, however when I saw I’d received Baie 19 I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve been researching a lot of perfumes lately due to lockdown boredom and this scent had been on my mind as something I thought was cool and hoped I could pull off. The tiny vial didn’t come with an atomizer, so I was only able to dab a small amount onto my wrist. My oh my, am I surprised. Speechless, even. This scent is powerful even in small doses. From the first sniff, I loved it. I’m assuming I detected a strong whiff of juniper berry, however I’m unsure what the exact notes were. I adore perfume, but I’m yet to learn the individual scents by name. But putting this scent into words is even difficult. From reading through other reviews, I agree with a lot of what I’ve read. Petrichor is likely a perfect description of this scent, which I have to admit my former tumblr addict self is excited about. It feels cold, bold, but enticing. I envisage the modern day “ice queen” that appears flawless and impossible to penetrate unless she allows you into her secret circle. The kind of woman that many men fantasise about, wishing they could claim her. Ironically this is also the kind of woman that I am completely opposite from, yet somehow still have a desire to be like at times. I feel like this is the kind of scent to wear when you want to be left alone. A kind of loud announcement making yourself impossible to be unnoticed, yet with a strong message of “don’t bother me”. It definitely feels powerful to me. Yet on the other hand, the petrichor resemblance leaves me with a totally different vibe. Yes it is cold, but not emotionally so, at least not deliberately. Perhaps it’s the scent of being alone, but being quite content with it. This is the imagery I get, after having it on me for 30-45 minutes: It’s raining, but you decide you want to be alone with the woods and so you head out without an umbrella, somewhat brooding. You’re the one who left their home city, bustling with people and sunshine, to move across the world. The dreary town you now call home rains more than it shines, which is evident by the lush green foliage peeping across your bay window. People tend to keep to themselves, which suits you just fine. You want to become this person, alone with yourself, delving deep into the waters of your own soul so you can create life-altering art. You expose yourself to the elements so you can really feel. You stay on walking through the wet grass, slippery twigs and dripping trees until you’re so cold you can only just feel your toes. You then return home to create, full to the brim with emotion from just experiencing life. It’s safe to say, I now have to have this fragrance.

My life is awash with examples of snap judgments turning out wrong with more information or exposure to a subject. Baie 19 is an example of a fragrance where my initial impression and the conclusion I drew based on limited exposure was wrong. This scent is structured around the odd ozonic note of petrichor, the heady, earthy smell of ground after a rain. The novelty of using petrichor in fragrance was something of a minor trend in 2019-2020. Fragrances like this one, Petrichor Plains from Mihan Aromatics and My Most Meaningful Relationships by Filigree & Shadow, are all examples. But whereas the latter two scents focus on a fairly linear presentation of petrichor with rosewood, Baie 19 presents a more variegated composition with a green, slightly medicinal patchouli weaving its way in and around the pertichor. There is also a sharp, medicinal green herbal note and some cool, bitter juniper in the mix here. This is a surprisingly sharp, occasionally camphorous and oddly watery experience with ambroxan boosted longevity and even a bit of musky, ambrette seed like, animalic tones later in the progression to lend an unexpected note to the base. All-in-all, Baie 19 is a blend of smells that is at once familiar and yet novel. And it is polarizing. Many folks will dislike it and the first time I smelled it, I found it off-putting. Later, I found myself drawn to the spot where I had tested it on skin. The attraction was persistent and it grew stronger. Eventually, I bought a large bottle and have come to really love this unusual fragrance. If you get a chance, sample it over time, on skin, with a willingness to forgive what may initially strike you as a scent you dislike. Over time, with repeated sniffs and some reflection, the beauty in the totality of this moderately projecting, unique patchouli fragrance may just win your olfactory heart as it has mine. Oftentimes the most rewarding things start off as difficult and the experience of Baie 19 is one of those things.

Aside from the ones named for specific collaborators (Another 13, the Colette ones), this is the only Le Labo fragrance I know of that isn’t named for an ingredient, which makes sense given how abstract it feels—to me, anyway. Baie 19 implies a bay of water, and it does make me think of the still, reflective surface of a cold mountain lake, with rocky, mossy shores under a silver sky. Rather than the moist earth of petrichor, it calls up damp stones. I get mineral, medicinal juniper and a combination of metallic, ozonic, herbal, green, and synthetic, almost latex-ish notes, and then some earthy musk as it settles down. It’s the natural world in vivid detail, but as if you were seeing it in VR, or a dream. It’s disorienting and magnetic, very subtle but continuously surprising—“What am I smelling?” I keep asking myself. I imagine this being what a mirror would smell like if it had a smell—the scent seems to arrive in my nose as if it was getting refracted through a lens, bent or inverted, like rays of light. Unlike a lot of other “molecular”-type skin scents, this one also lasts, though it doesn’t really project. I’m deeply intrigued by it. Maybe my favourite Le Labo fragrance? Certainly one of their weirdest. Expensive, of course, and it also suggests a mood I might only occasionally want to inhabit, so not an easy purchase. Incidentally, the first time I tried this, I also sampled Aesop’s Eremia, Tacit, and Ouranon, which I think aim for similar territory: understated, meditative, herbal, earthy, abstracted...and overpriced. Those three are all interesting and cool in their own ways, but if I was going to spend over $200 on 50ml, I think Baie 19 delivers more.

This is one of those fragrances that is hard to describe because it does not smell like a traditional perfume to me. It smells more like a change in the air. It is wet, ozonic, mineral, green, musky, earthy, and atmospheric, with that petrichor quality that makes it feel like rain has just hit cold ground. The opening is very ozonic and damp, It smells like wet fresh air, wet leaves, and rainwater soaking into pavement or soil. There is a crispness to it, but it is not sharp, nothing here is sharp; everything is expertly balanced. It feels more like humidity, mineral air, and that charged clean smell outside after a storm. The green notes are definitely there; crushed leaves, damp stems, and cold green air. The juniper gives it a cool, slightly aromatic lift, while the hint of patchouli adds that earthy cast, the damp-ground quality underneath. I think that patchouli is a big part of why it smells like actual rain hitting earth instead of just a clean aquatic accord. As it dries down, the ambroxan and musks become more noticeable. They give it this smooth, airy, skin-like base that keeps the fragrance subtle and diffusive. It does not sit heavily on the skin. It kind of floats around you like a weather system. The muskiness is clean and refreshing, it is transparent and atmospheric, almost like the scent of cold air clinging to skin and fabric. There is something very subtle about Baie 19, but not weak exactly. It is subtle in the way weather is subtle. I do not smell one loud note, it paints an environment. It has this quiet, damp, green-mineral quality that makes it feel understated but still very present.

An extremely slept on Le Labo. My best way to describe Baie 19 is that it's essentially a green, watery patchouli, with a contrasting ambery backbone that kinda reminds me of hot iron. It's cold, damp and somewhat sour but also warm, chalky and slightly spicy, it manages to be feel both naturalistic and industrial at the same time, it's like a rainy thunderstorm that comes after a sandstorm, it's a bit flat, quite bizzare and difficult to explain. I would almost categorize it as one of those "molecular" scents. After the strong initial punch dies down, it becomes quite light and airy, but it's still deceptively powerful and very easy to go nose blind to. It performs a similar trick to Another 13 in the sense that it presents something that feels familiar but in quite a surreal, uncanny way, however, while Another 13 goes for a lived in, musky scent that conjures images of old offices and mundane life, this is more of a walk in the park that's in the middle of a busy futuristic city on a rainy day. But if I'm being perfectly honest, I don't find it quite as convincing as Another 13, this is definitely closer to a traditional fragrance, an aquatic one at that, however, it's still unique, it's beautiful in the air and it's definitely worth your time if you want something fresh, easygoing but intriguing and a little off beat.

love this so much, starting to become one of my personal favorites out of all the fragrances le labo has. it had to grow on me at first though, i had sprayed it on a strip and it had smelt very strongly and almost pungent of patchouli which turned me off a lot. but i was really trying hard to find that petrichor quality that this scent is supposed to have so i bought a sample, sprayed on skin and let it sit for a little. and holy crap did it turn out sooooo much better. the drydown turns the herby patchouli medicinal smell to a calm, musky, aromatic, mossy and earthy perfection. i'm not sure if it was just my skin but it performed beautifully, and the ambroxan giving it a delicate faint sweetness topped everything off. while i wouldn't necessarily say that this fragrance accurately embodies petrichor and that "fresh rain" persona, it still withholds those traits of an ozonic, green, slightly aquatic earthy scent. the scent is somewhat light and intimate yet noticeable, in the way that if i had smelt this on someone else before while hugging them it would be hard for me to let go. the more time passes by the more i seem to love it. i see a full bottle of this for myself in the springtime

At first I didn’t like it at all because of this very strong and overwhelming start and I started to complain even before it revealed the middle and base notes. Then I actually realized it is not that bad. I couldn’t understand what it smells of, and only knew that it reminds me of Santal 33, not because of the notes, but because of the vibe. But my friend saw the pyramid and immediately said that it smells of rain and after that everything matched. We started to unpack the other notes and associations then. My final association is with wet soil or forest or even swamp near the seaside. Chatgpt also said that it is not the smell of the salt itself, but rather the body after swimming, which again matched very well in my head. My friend had an association with some kind of berries and we were wondering if it has anything to do with the name, which, as far as we could translate from French, can mean both berries and bay. Anyway, the smell is very interesting, and even if it is not conventionally pleasant, it still has something deep in it, and paired with the right outfit and occasion can be very impressive and maybe even sexy. It also stays really long on hair, like for days

Like Le Labo says: nothing smells like it. I fully agree, but I will try to put it into words. Baie 19 smells like returning from a long walk. You know, "you smell like outside". That. It's clean and abstract but has this earthy cast to it. Although it does evoke a feeling, it's pretty cold and apathic. No warming or uplifting notes here, but that's what makes this so good. As with most Le Labo fragrances, this is 100% linear. It also lasts for weeks on clothing. Sillage is good, perfect for this kind of scent. Think of it as a grown up version of Santal 33. Santal 33 is like a Gucci belt and Balenciaga sneakers. Baie 19 is a The Row jacket. Now, this is not for an inexperienced nose. Reviews here are very mixed. You won't like this if you're unfamiliar with these more 'raw' fragraces. That being said, this does smell great on someone else. (And would be irresistible on that sweatshirt you stole from your lover.)

When I wear this, it feels like a deep, wet green forest just after the storm. Rain soaked earth, moss clinging to dark tree trunks, bark breathing humidity. The air is cold, mineral, almost electric like the moment right after lightning disappears but the ground still hums. From far away, there’s a soft lemony breeze, not sharp or citrusy, more like light filtering through clouds. Everything is dewy, clean, and alive. It smells of fresh soil, petrichor, and crushed leaves, with that quiet metallic freshness rain leaves behind. It’s early morning mist and calm rainy nights at the same time introspective, grounding, a little mysterious. Not cozy in a sweet way, but serene, meditative, and elemental. The kind of scent that makes you breathe slower. Baie 19 doesn’t try to be pretty. It smells like nature remembering itself.

Cold, hug me, metal that is cold, syrupy gin that is frosty, little patchouli, little bit of air, a very good martini, and I don’t even drink those. Flash of mint, stones, the forest going through puberty; it pulls refreshing, biting, menthol, ginny, on my skin. Imagine a snowglobe but instead of a snowman with a carrot nose and coal eyes, with fake flakes of blueish snow, think of a dirt globe. Soil globe, instead of a snow man there is a dirt man, it’s still cold and there are water droplets on the glass, there are pebbles and dirt instead of snow. To me it smells very good and I feel earthy, vegetal, but like a bottle of fancy gin right out the freezer. It doesn’t freeze because it’s alcohol, the juniper makes sharp chilly liquid that isn’t ice but it’s so close to it.

I picked up a sample and liked this immediately, but because I'm a bit smitten with Santal 33 I kind of brushed it aside. But I've continued to sample it again today and I'm starting to think this really has a place in my collection. I've always struggled to wear citruses and "shower gel" types of fragrances. They smell fine but just don't really feel like me. But a fresh patchouli?? Wearable in Australian summer?? I'm interested. I'm going to compare to Malin + Goetz Cannabis as I still want S33, but would like something similar to Baie from a different house. EDIT: This beats M+G Cannabis. Too much citrus and what I think is vetiver in the aforementioned. Baie has a better and more unique backbone. I got a compliment each time I wore it in public.

I haven't had a signature scent since my youth (Amour Amour, Anais Anais, Ysatis). Im 65 yo now and think Baie 19 may be it. I can't pick out notes . . . yet . . . but Baie 19 did make me remember feeling wet rained-on lawn between my toes, wet green plants, and rolly-pollys crawling out from under leaves and dead branches, but there was no wet dirt. It also reminded me of coming out of the suburban pool water, after being in it almost all day, and my shoulder being both wet and sun-warmed as well as b-r-r-r-r in the growing afternoon coolness and my mom would wrap me in a big swim towel and I felt cozy, loved, and protected. It lasted about 12 hours on me with the last few being a skin scent. Oh, but what a glorious way for my skin to smell

This was an unexpected love for me. I have a soft spot for earthy, mineralic, ozonic fragrances. This one straddles the line between dry minerals (Ganymede-esque) and aromatic/aquatic. I kinda vibe with the marketing describing this one smelling like water, but it's not literally water or aquatic-smelling - honestly it's hard to describe. It evokes the feeling of hiking through a dry pine forest next to a waterfall on a granite cliff. There is something a little sweet in this one too, but just barely. The performance is pretty solid, 6-8 hours. For the first 1-2 hours it projects pretty significantly, like 5 feet away for me. I will say that I've had some mixed reactions from other people to this fragrance, it is not mass appealing.

I'm (32M) about halfway through my bottle and have enjoyed having this. I've reviewed before but wanted to come back and share an experience. I'm currently working with a new team of people, and yesterday I wore this to the office. One of the new-team members mentioned she loved my scent and that it was light, smooth, and fresh. This must have triggered others to speak up because suddenly nearly the entire team were in agreement, and that it was filling the room in a pleasant way. I'm thankful for those remarks because I had found myself bored/questioning my relationship with Baie 19. But now I feel renewed! I'd still like to add Santal 33 and Eucalyptus 20 to my collection but I don't regret choosing Baie 19 as my first Le Labo.

I am so glad I gave this a chance and let it sit after the first spray, as it can be sharp and medicinal at first. But it becomes a warm, earthy patchouli that's done the way I like it. I do not get an ounce of petrichor or wet soil, but that's fine by me, as I am not a fan of those notes. Very comforting, but still unusual. Can be worn daily. Also, as a city dweller who smells Santal 33 on everyone, I never smell anyone wearing Baie, so it still feels like a little secret to me. This is my favorite Le Labo scent, and I know they are overpriced or whatever, but their scents are top quality and I appreciate that they offer a smaller sized bottle.

I am not the biggest fan of pachouli, but this is done so right here. I have never experienced a fragrance that captures rain and water like this one does. This is the first fragrance to transport me to a place I have longed to revisit: a marina in Barcelona, the wind blowing from the Irish sea on a blustery afternoon in Ireland, coming out of the Mediterranean Sea on a warm afternoon, a breeze coming through the window of a cabin in Geirangerfjord... a waterfall, a stream, a river...It somehow captures all forms of water, the deep sea, the rain that lingers on the cobble stone streets of a seaside village. What an experience. A masterpiece!

reminds me of trimming weed with my father during a cold spring afternoon. nearly identical to the smells in the early spring, rain, damp wet mud, and sweet sweet winds that push their way through the leaves. somehow reminds me of living in portland, just the way it so effortless takes me back makes this so incredible worth the high price. the patchouli is not truly that strong, and rather has an almost more muddy quality. one of my favorite smells ever and the nose behind the perfume comes in strong here. hopelessly in love with this fragrance, very fond of the memories behind it, and looking forward to those to come. buy it.

This is my signature scent. It reminds me chilly morning walk along portuguese coastline near Praia da Ursa in january after a few rainy days. I can smell wet soil (petrichor, patchouli) and freshly fallen tree bark lying on the ground (juniper) with hint of gentle oceanic breeze (ozonic notes). After a few hours after drydown the volatile compounds of this disappear and only clean musky smell stays sticked to my skin. However I can catch a few petrichor hints on my pulse points or clothes even after many hours. Everytime I smell this I come back to this coast, never been captivated by a perfume so much...

The girl at Le Labo had a line-up of dried test strips and explained some of the concepts to me. This was supposed to be the exact smell of the ground after it rains and boy was that on the money. It mimics that smell very closely. It was also my favorite out of all Le Labo fragrances. It's very green but not in an artificial way. It is truly reminiscent of a forest at dawn in Fall. I'd like to spray it on myself before I make a purchase this expensive and see what the lasting power is on skin, but it's a truly beautiful fragrance and I don't think I've ever smelled anything quite like it.