Labdanum 18

Update: Having this for a while and loving woody fragrances: The Gurjam balsam, is a fantastic fresh, spicy, and woody note here. I have both Musc Ravageur and Labdanum 18. So I will make some comparisons. The opening of MR is more aggressive, dark and masculine. Lab 18 has a smoother opening. In the mid they become most similar. Lab 18 is less gourmand than MR. Lab 18 is a spicy, peppery "like", Labdanum; with the nice anamalics. The musc is about the same in both, more understated, especially in the opening of Lab 18. Lab 18 is modern. I appreciate that it's unusual for a Labdanum fragrance. The Labdanum is in a spicy fragrance accord, so it doesn't really smell like any Labdanums, of the many I have tried. I enjoy the smooth castoreum. It makes it exciting, adding a piquant note. It's in some of my favorite Winter orientals, Tom Ford "London", and TF "Tobacco Oud Intense". This is overall very smooth and conforting. It's not heavy, so it can work for any season, except very hot Summer days. The soft baby powder smell balances the peppery spiciness. The best fragrances balance contrast really well. Lab 18 does it beautifully. The projection is softly moderate, some call it a skin scent. The opening 30 minutes it's louder, then when it began to fade, I thought it was going to disappear and just have poor longevity; But no, the longevity is pretty good, it just gets soft for a long time. It has nice gourmand aspects, with the cinnamon, tonka and vanilla, giving it a bit of a gingerbread cake smell. The spices, musc and Labdanum keep things in a nice enjoyable balance. I have 4 Le Labo now, Santal 33 still being my favorite, and this would be my #2. This has the least synthetics/ aldehydes of any Le Labo; Mostly good natural notes and original modern blending here. Rating 9/10 God bless. John 3:16

I purchased a bunch of factory samples from Le Labo and the fragrance that I thought I would like the least I wound up liking the most. I've never smelled Musc Ravageur, so I couldn't compare it to that. But on first spray, and throughout the dry down, this strongly reminded me of 3 perfumes I already have. On first spray this smelled just like Moschino Moschino to me, with its sweet, resinous, spicy opening. It then morphs into a lighter Le Lion, with the same labdanum I love but with a much softer profile, more feminine, and a barely there leather note. The heavy amber aspect also reminds me of Shalimar to a degree too. Even though birch is listed in the notes, it doesn't smell like the typical birch tar leather note that is in a fragrance like Le Lion. What it smells like is castoreum, as I've smelled that same type of leather note in a vintage bottle of Floris's Edwardian Bouquet. Castoreum has an animalic oiliness to me, almost like oiled leather or the oiliness of the coat of a wild animal, and this has that same note to my nose. On final dry down it reminds me of softer Fendi Asja, with its ambery, balsamic, lightly sweet powdery vanilla musk. Pretty good silage and longevity too. I might just purchase one of the smaller bottles in the future.

I first tried this one 4-5 years ago and loved, but I'd sort of forgotten about it until recently trying it again at Le Labo, and I fell in love with it all over again. I recently purchased a bottle of this one from a trusted seller on Mercari. I chose it over Musc Ravageur, and although I like that one too, the newer formula doesn't feel dirty enough. I also tested Le Lion but my skin amplifies the smoke into the stratosphere with that one. This is an old fashioned elegant perfume in the same vein as Shalimar but less woody, and despite the old world powdered feeling, reads more like a masculine dandy perfume with my skin chemistry. There's a big dose of benzoin that smells creamy and delicious along with a bit of cinnamon and banana that combined with the musk and animalic notes, make this one a show stopper. It starts dirty and progressively gets ckeaner as time goes on. I have to be very careful in warmer temps as it becomes extremely animalic, moreso than Musc Ravageur. Old world charm, and a joy to wear. ------------------------------------------------------------- Scent 98/100 Performance 80/100

One of the best oriental fragrances I've ever tried. I was tempted to buy this, but I want to compare this with musc ravageur first before deciding on which one to get. After all, musc ravageur is by the same perfumer and he made it before he made labdanum 18; also the former is much more successful and well-known. So about why this is one of my favourite orientals. Firstly, you can never go wrong with labdanum, vanilla, amber, and tonka bean. It's just one of those combinations that you cannot dislike unless you hate vanilla and amber (unlucky you, you're missing out). Secondly, I love how the labdanum is blended with the civet and castoreum; the animal facets aren't overbearing, but are noticeably there. Thirdly (and lastly), this oriental masterpiece reminds me of my grandparents' apartment (they live in China so of course their apartment smells oriental) and triggers my nostalgia like crazy. My only complaint for this fragrance is that the opening smells like Chinese food, but not in a gourmand way, in a strangely strange way.

I left a review for this when I first got a bunch of Le Labo samples. I wound up buying one of the 15ml. bottles. I don't need more than that now because once on, you have to wash it off to remove it. So, performance is spectacular. Every time I wear this, I get something else out of it, and I love it more and more. On me it opens with a lot of birch and leathery castoreum which sticks around for quite some time. Slowly it evolves into a spicy, vanilla, ambery, labdanum elixir that I really love. I'm surprised that I like the vanilla here, because I am so done with that note, and even though the vanilla is strong it's lightly spicy from the cinnamon, so I am having an easier time with it than I do with most dominate vanilla perfumes. The longer this wears on, the more it reminds me of Shalimar extrait with a dusting of cinnamon and also Fragonard's Grain de Soleil. It shares many of same notes of both. It's really a great fragrance that smells wonderful on these cold winter days.

MASSIVE LOVE!!! Nice soft, powdery MUSK/tonka/vanilla fragrance. Labdanum 18 has some similarity to Musc Ravageur and Shalimar (Roucel said Shalimar was a bit of a muse for this one). Beautifully blended and doesn't evolve a whole lot, it is fairly linear. But in a very good way. Very musky and sexy yet also soft and clean. Like grown up baby powder. If you love the dry down of Musc Ravageur but don't care much for the massive opening, this is a great happy medium. Maurice Roucel created both Labdanum 18 and also MR and his signature on both is clearly apparent. While both are unique, they share some similarities. This is a fragrance that will draw a lot of compliments. It doesn't announce itself but can not be missed when someone is close. I hugged 3 people today and all three commented very enthusiastically about how good I smell. Labdanum 18 is one of my favorites musky powdery fragrances of all time. I can not imagine ever tiring of it.

This is certainly one of my favourite fragrances to come out of the LeLabo house. The dance between the labdanum, vanilla, and amber makes for a warm hug of a fragrance that simply calms my nerves. Its my comfort fragrance that brings back memories of good times with the people I love. It also has this almost melancholy quality to it that reminds me of a rainy day after a fight with someone you love. The memories and feelings this invokes within me makes it something that will be a forever staple of my collection, and I will assuredly be buying a larger bottle once i run through the one i bought the last time I was in-person at the LeLabo Boutique in Chicago. This fragrance makes me happy, and I love it. Though I prefer fragrances that mingle in the "feminine" quality that society imposes on smells, this has a slight masculine edge that feels like something my dear grandfather would wear on a nice occasion, like christmas or thanksgiving.

Labdanum 18 is really jeopardizing. When I thought I'd be done with Le Labo's Labdanum 18 forever, I had a sample...and it got to me. It is no love-hate: I just did not find newer formulas performed really well on various occasions during various seasons. I did love the original formula though! Strange as it gets: I have previously been smelling the new formula as fecal play dough and too moderate to deserve its spot in the higher niche rankings. However, Labdanum 18 recently got me compliments, I noticed other accords and my appreciation tends to gravitate towards love. I wish Labdanum was less linear, play-dough like. I can comprehend why Labdanum is regarded an incomplicated, toned down reminiscent of Musc Ravageur. However, Labdanum is a notable clean musc, whereas the dirty musc in MR is much more distinctive. Musc Ravageur is enigmatic. But when mixing Labdanum 18 with Musc Ravageur, I found that these scents fill each other in.

You either love it or hate it. My bottle is very animalic and I love the juxtaposition of musk, castoreum, and civet contrasted with the warm and powdery amber, vanilla, cinnamon and tonka. The resins and birtch tar add to the depth. I love raw musks, and Le Labo executes it amazingly in Labdanum 18, Musc 25, and Tonka 25. When I first freshly spray this on a cold autumn or winter morning, it makes my eyes roll back in my head. It also makes me want to go back to bed because it's so relaxing. It's also sexy and a very carnal experience. I've tried all the competitors, and this one is perfect for my taste. I've never paid retail for it, but it's one of the few that is actually worth the steep niche price imo. ××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× Scent 99/100 Performance 80/100 ××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× P.S. Be careful in the heat. I accidentally wore this in the heat and it was brutal🦝

A praise for softness, it's not gourmand nor sugary at all, really elegant and comfortable; Maurice Roucel is a master for vanilla-amber scents, and here again he proved it. The animalic notes mixed with a hint of spices and leather, are perfectly balanced by a clean musc (I bet Velvione, as in Helmut Lang EDP) and a huge amount of creamy / balsamic / resinous vanilla. When I wear it sometimes I have the same feeling as if, coming from outside drenched by a storm, I wrapped myself in a super soft wool blanket, surrounded by Nordic blond wood furniture. I can't deny the baby powder side, but it so much more than that. And yes, it may belong to the Shalimar - Musc Ravageur family, but it clearly stands by its own... I really love it and It became my signature, (along with MR and Helmut Lang, created by the same M. Roucel btw, I'm a fan I guess...)

I really love how this performs in cooler weather. As many say, it is similar to MR by FM. Someone said the drydown was similar to MR, and the opening was different, but I disagree. To me, it's the opposite. The openings are similar, but the drydown in MR is more musky and more gourmand with its clove and cinnamon, whereas this one is more powdery and smells like an expensive French powder. I love them both and wear them both, but MR is what led me to buy this one. I find that this one is an easy reach for me, whereas I don't wear MR if I am having an average day in which I am around other people because MR is one of my most comforting scents, and seems more personal. This one is also comforting, but isn't as personal to me as MR. They both have their place in my collection and are used mainly in fall and winter.

My very first sample from this house and I absolutely love it. I have just ordered a full size bottle. And more samples of other perfumes they have. It’s rare for me to fall in love so fast with a scent but this one just grabbed me. I can’t stop sniffing my wrist . I am treasuring the 5ml sample til i get my bottle in . Hey Initio, you can take a lesson in perfume making from a house like Le Labo. Ughh Initio and their crap overpriced full of chemicals “perfumes”. Never believe the hype. I’m starting to think Initio is paying ppl to leave rave fake reviews. They do it on YouTube all the time. Give a Youtube reviewer a free vacation and a bunch of your free crap perfumes and watch him lie his ass off and just praise how each one is just sooo wonderful...yeah ok. Right Sebastian? Wink wink. We all know now.

I have no experience with Le Labo at all. I was walking through the Lagaurdia airport and saw their store so just randomly chose two scents and sprayed them on different wrists. One was the noir, which I’ll write a seperate review on. The other was labdanum 19 or whatever this is called. It’s such beautiful scent, but it’s way more animalic than I was expecting. My brother thinks it smells like poop, but I disagree, although the civet and castoreum are challenging. This smells like a sweeter and more wearable version of Zoologists Hyrax. This is musky, rubbery, animalic, a tad smoky, and very well blended. I’m happy with this, although the plane may not me 😬 This is such a gorgeous perfume, and definitely squashes the myth that Le labo makes boring clean and mass appealing scents only

I am madly in love with this fragrance! I bought Le Labo's full sampler and redeemed my full size for this one. A lot of the fragrances were just fine but this one... I cannot stop pining for it. It starts out very powdery, animalic, and a littttttle hint of maybe smoke? It ends like creamy milk. I'm not usually into powdery fragrances but this one is stunning. It's similar to Shalimar, but this is everything I hoped Shalimar would be. Shalimar smells like citric animals and powder. I don't get any off putting dirty diaper smells a lot of people are reporting, so I only hope people in my vicinity aren't thinking I smell like poop. Lasts all day, mild sillage, definitely unisex. Perfect for warm evenings, or any time during colder weather.

From my previous reviews it is obvious that I have been disappointed by the new formula of Labdanum 18 before. It is not a full hate-love affair, but Labdanum just left me with a bland sense bordering between love and blankness. Last year I finally ordered an example of Labdanum 18. Someone entering the room was stunned by the scent after its drydown. She asked me what fragrance I was wearing. I showed her the bottle and she immediately referred to positive online reviews on Labdanum she had watched on YT. I said "Just try it!" and she applied a couple of drops. Like her, I have heard from other people that they find this fragrance delicious. Also when a loose whiff lingers in the room.

Oh no! I sampled this one again, on my skin as well as on a cotton cloth. Lately my interest for this fragrance was evoked again. I want to love Labdanum, even though she lacks exciting notes as she mostly smells after play dough and is the epitome of a linear fragrance. There is something comforting about Labdanum, which doesn't even resemble genuine Labdanum. But my last experience with Labdanum felt off-putting. Instead of a comforting musky, gourmand-noted association, she gave me an impression of cat shit. I cannot unthink the fecal note again. What has been smelled, cannot be unsmelled- I wish L18 was like I remembered her!

I thought I couldn't love a powdery "animalic" musk more than I do (err, did?) Musc Ravageur. But this... This is incredible. It is a softer, more fur-lined, fluffier, sweeter, more feminine version of M.R. Pronounced labdanum and soft woods, more and sweeter resins, less spices. I found myself "softening" M.R with Glossier "You" to tone the lavender, tobacco, and cinnamon down. Labdanum 18 is perfection, no feminization necessary. L 18 will surround you with warm, clean, floofy and cute ragdoll kittens for 8+ hours. A cozy, familiar, comforting and delightful fragrance.

I agree that the perfume is very intense. I do smell light animalic notes. It's beautiful though. Amber, labdanum and vanilla are the most pronounced and strongest notes for me. The perfume is very intense, warm, cozy, fall-inspired. It's a bit too intense for my liking. I do like strong perfume, but I am not a huge fan of strong incense-like perfumes. This definitely has some incense accords, even though they are hidden in the background. I do recommend it as a masculine perfume for fall, to those who prefer great silage, longevity and intense aura.

This fragrance changes a lot depending on the wearer's skin chemistry. It simply doesn't work on my own skin, but the most wonderful powdery, musky, cottony notes emerge when my husband wears it for example. Having been at home all day, snuggled up in your woollen blanket, you thought the weather outside was just harsh. But then you smell Labdanum 18 in the comforting embrace of a loved one who's just come in from the snowy cold, and you understand it's actually a dreamlike winter wonderland out there.

I sold my musc ravageur. And was one of my favorite fragrances. I love it, but that clove was a little to much sometimes.. Then i tried this.. it got all the elements of MR, but softer and no clove😁 Only thing is the lasting power, not that strong or long lasting. Its Kindle of soft after 4 hours now. But i have been to the gym as well. Edit. The one i tried in store lastet 10+hours with soft projection. The one i bought is super weak. Last 5 hours! Edit. Now after some months it last at least 10 hours

I own full bottles of both MR and L18. I bought MR first, then I bought L18 as they are different enough to own both, for me. L18 is easier to wear and it has quickly become my go to daytime scent. This is less complex, but comfort in a bottle. Edit : I get compliments when I wear this but not MR. I think it’s because this projects more than MR. L18 probably smells more similar to MR before the reformulation as it has a stronger musk/civet base. I would say MR is more feminine and L18 more masculine.

Magnificent fragrance however WAY TOO expensive, im not paying hyper price for the house that looks like and packages their fragrances like they are from 1920s. It has similarities with Musc ravageur however it takes its own path, its less sweet and more kind of minty/camphorous (its the labdanum). And big minus is, you cant get it at the discounters, i mean who do they think they are, the arrogance... Edit: reading other comments, it does actually smell similar to baby powder, its very pleasant

Labdanum 18 by Le Labo hit me like a warm memory I didn’t know I had, like flipping through an old book on a snowy day. This scent is pure art, tugging at your heart with every whiff. It’s cozy, addictive, and simple in the best way—not plain, but soulful. It reminds me of a soft cashmere scarf, clean and comforting, catching snowflakes as you walk. I haven’t checked how long it lasts, but it’s one of the most beautiful smells I’ve ever come across. Le Labo nailed it with this one, hands down.

I don’t smell anything animalic, the moment I sprayed this on I became an angelic baby floating on a cloud made of clean beautiful powder. It is powder paradise. Powder perfection. Someone hugged me and said I smelled like baby powder. It’s good to me. It is very similar to Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle to me, and every time it tries to start going there, there is not enough spice for it to morph. It’s staying beautiful baby and has me glazed over smelling my wrist without shame.

I have a 100ml bottle for sale, I blind bought it and it’s too masculine for me. DM me if you’re interested. Update : Never mind I’m keeping it. I love this perfume. Took me a while to appreciate it but yeah I do get Musc Ravageour and Le Lion mixed . And those two are in my top 20 favorite perfumes of all time. So yeah it’s a keeper . My bottle is from 2018. Maybe the maceration helped make it much stronger and more desirable to me.... I love it 😻 so happy it didn’t sell .....

It's giving sepia-toned, 1940's Hollywood golden age GLAMOUR. I'm talking Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, starched shirts, kid gloves, hair pomade, and menthol cigarettes. There's also something there which is a bit Chinese Apothecary - mystical herbs and spices in jars with labels you can't read. Medicinal, warm-spicy. Lacquered woods. Warm, furry musks that never go skanky. Vanilla that cycles through boozy, airy, and powdery facets but is never gourmand. Incredible. 5/5

I adore this, if you love MR by FM this one is the SON. I love them both and I have them both, they are not a one fragrance at all, there is some differences and if you have them both you will easily notice these differences. Labdanum 18 is more powdery and there is no citruses in it while MR have mandarine and bergamot, also labdanum 18 have some shalimary vibes. MR is a classic super sexy scent and labdanum 18 is a modern version of it. Thanks Maurice Roucel.

As my first Le Labo purchase I couldn’t be happier :) this perfume is so beautiful when I smell it I wanna jump inside of it :p no but actually it smells like the most beautiful blend of pressed flower, baby powder, and musk. The animalistic note is something I was unaware of until I saw the notes on here which is is a good sign as it didn’t stick out as being animalistic. Loves it this is gonna be my gateway to hella weird niche perfumes can feel it....

My #1 animalic (but not too animalic) fragrance. Similar to the masterpiece Shalimar but not as woody. Many would consider it blasphemy to say this is better than Frederic Malle (modern formula) Musc Ravageur, and Chanel Le Lion, but that's how I feel. One of the most underrated from the house. Vintage opulence, lots of powder and animalic facets. Very animalic in warm temps. ---------------------------------------------- Scent 98/100 Performance 90/100

Baby civet powder. Civet baby powder. Civet powder, baby. Maurice Roucel could sell the (virtually) same formula to lots of houses and make them a hit in every line it was released. If I could pick up the best iterations, I would choose Musc Ravageur, Helmut Lang EDC and Labdanum 18. They all work well on skin, except in the summertime (or maybe even in summer). Is Maurice Roucel THE salesman or not? In the same “salesman league” as Pierre Bourdon.

FMilan, now that you mentioned it! A reformulation must be the reason why I suddenly felt so immensely repulsed when Labdanum sank into my skin. I mean, in the fairly quick drydown it came across as fecal. Previously, it was more like play dough during the drydown, but not like poop. I seriously think it's a shame! There was that 'something' in L18 that was very comfortable and warm, but now it's lost.

I hate Estée Lauder, they ruin every perfume they get their hands on. Greedy disgusting company. I need to boycott them and never ever give them my money. I wish everyone would do that. The only way these greedy companies learn is if we hit them where it hurts. In the pocketbook. They ruined yet another one of my favorites. I’m disgusted beyond words. Oh wait, I already voiced my opinion...lol

This is rich and warm, with deep amber vibes without being overpowering. There’s a resinous sweetness that’s cozy and timeless. Labdanum 18 is non-linear, the dry down is very different from the top notes. The dry down gives me a subtle Shalimar-like warmth and softness, very classic but modernized. It’s not exactly the same, but the vibe is there in a smooth, comforting way. Love it. 👍👍👍

The new formulation is a freaking joke. Estée Lauder is taking us for clowns. The scent is about the same: slightly animalic musky powdery, comforting. Opens like a tamed version of Musc Ravageur, dries down like Shalimar edp (the current formulation). But it’s as fleeting as an edc. Skin scent in less than an hour and totally gone in 3h or so). Scent: 9.5/10 Performance: joke/joke

the opening of this is ROUGH but settles into the most beautiful powdery ambery animalic as it dries down. this is quite a mature scent though and in that way its kinda a guilty pleasure for me T_T it's giving grandma, but in the best way possible! i don't know if i have the confidence to wear this out but i will appreciate and love the rest of my 2ml sample <3

I'm sorry but downplaying something so peculiar and beautiful and complex as... baby wipes? The civet here simply tickles. It alivens. Its powdery, yes, and innocent, yes. But it's also very elegant, and unique, with a vintage, and timless edge. Very comforting. I really, really enjoy this. Can easily see it as beautiful signature scent.

I honestly think this is the best Le Labo fragrance. It is beautiful powdery, sweet and leathery at the same time, but overpriced. Le labo is pricing itself on the same level as Tom Ford private line and Zoologist etc. And I don't think they are at that level. More around the £80 - £100 price range for 50ml to 100ml for me I am afraid.

My 2015 bottle smells even better now. This is a classic powdery musk fragrance.No flowers! Just pure muskiness. It’s not overly animalic - just right - and has that musc ravageur vibe - although they’re not exactly the same. The performance is ridiculously good. Recommend if you’re a fan of old-school powdery musky fragrances.

A Le Labo opened up near me, so I went to visit. I knew I had every intention of picking up The Noir 29 (and I still did) - but I walked out smelling my arm like crazy with this on it. A sleeper hit for me for sure, and definitely my next Le Labo purchase. The coolest sweet musk that boarders on gothic incense. Obsessed.

Labdanum 18 evokes old Hollywood glam vibes. It’s powdery, semi sweet, soft, linear amber fragrance that makes its presence known. I feel luxurious, classy, and exude high confidence when I wear Labdanum 18. If you found MFK Grand Soir and FM Musc Ravageur too resinous, loud and sweet Labdanum 18 will be your speed.

Today I tested Labdanum on one wrist against Shalimar on the other. I was surprised how similar they were! Both gorgeous! I was even more surprised that my daughter thought Labdanum was 'fresher' and much stronger than the Shalimar after 6 hours of wear! At the 8 hr mark both are faintly discernable as skin scents.

First impression: Mesmerizing. Captivating. Stunning. This one is a show stopper. I only has a chance to smell it off of a tester strip but I was dumbfounded at it's beauty. Le Labo has some real masterpieces in this house. S33, Noir and now this. I'll be getting a sample of this tomorrow. This is a 10/10 smell

The dry down is powdery and thats what I love about this perfume, smells clean and cozy on me. This is my second favorite but took me sometime to invest in a full bottle, I tried a sample first and it took time to grow on me, now I cant imagine not having this perfume in my collection. Not a blind buy for sure.

Surprised not to see MFK Grand Soir as a highly ranked similar fragrance, I'm testing this right now and it reminds me of it very much as another labdanum-heavy amber fragrance. Very heavenly scent that juxtaposes soft and rough notes. The labdanum in this is clear but cushioned by vanilla and musk.

this smells like hugging a friend three years away. its soft and nostalgic and beautiful and sits nicely on my skin. reminds me of walking in the snow through toronto on my trip there (where i bought the sample). i love this surprisingly much despite usually liking green and powdery scents.

Labdanum forever!!! There is nothing negative, for me, about this fragrance. It's my perfect autumn and winter perfume...cozy, warm, sexy. Unisex, but still feminine. Wrap me in a soft turtleneck sweater and lounging pants, or dress me up and take me out. It fits the bill anytime.

Does anyone else recommend Musc Ravageur? I sometimes literally crave a fragrance with notes that are present in Labdanum 18, but then with longevity and a better sillage. I need something animalistic but not faecal like the present edition of Labdanum 18.

is it me or does this smell similar to shalimar millesime tonka? quite tonka powdery and a bit animalic but in the softest way. yes, kind of does smell similar to chanel le lion and musc ravageur, but more powdery less musky and less vintage.

This reminds me of MR but this is way warmer, creamier. I love the amber/vanilla notes and soft leather accord. This has a has a slight animalic vibe, but it’s very very toned down and inoffensive. It’s very comforting.

Powdery, slightly sweet and perfectly resinous. Smells very light and pleasant but is still a strong fragrance with some complexity. It has a very warm and comforting effect. My favorite from le labo. 7.5/10