The Matcha 26

I think the name of a fragrance should be an introduction to how you would IMAGINE a scent. The bitterness comes from the citrus skin, the sweetness comes from a lactonic note, and the grassy feeling comes from the vetiver. Nothing is matcha but everything reminds me what matcha tastes like. Bitter and herbaceous when taking the first sip, but it leaves a sweet and fresh trace when you swallow it. Thé Noir 29, on the other hand, is deep and smokey, with a gourmand dry fruit touch. I've smelled many tea fragrances that actually smell like mate, whereas matcha effuses a young, light-weight, and herbal aroma, which is a completely different olfactive impression from mate. If scent had a color, Thé Matcha 26 is a light wash of muted wasabi green. It opens with crisp citrus, which is reminiscent of Bergamot 22 if you smelled it from a blotter. After a few minutes, the fig-sesame accord floats to the rim of your "teacup". The nuttiness is an interesting take of the fig, quite unusual among many fig-dominated fragrances. So, the performance of the first 10 minutes is more like a cologne. But with the scent developing on the skin, the creamy matcha latte accord appears and it is indeed long-lasting. It brings me back to the culture I grew up in. A culture where tea is served in a simple way, without syrup, whipped cream, or any Starbucks toppings. Even if "matcha" is a marketing jargon or an attempt to cater to Asian aesthetics, I totally buy it. From the purchase in October last year, I have been reaching this fragrance the most among my collection. This is beyond falling in love at first sight. This is a commitment.

As someone who leans more "intimate" in scent selection, this is equally inoffensive as it is interesting. After having purchased Another 13 for my wife some time ago (her sig scent), I was looking for something similar for daily wear— soft enough as to not fill a room, but noticeable enough to get hit (or rather, kissed) with the scent every now and again throughout the day. I first tried this in store, sprayed it on my wrist, and was shocked that nearly two days later I could still smell it clinging to the cuffs of my puffer jacket. Side note: I also sprayed Another 13 on my opposite wrist to see how they would pair, and BOTH scents cling to clothes much much longer than their longevity on skin would have you believe. It's subtle, but it lasts an incredibly long time. So if you're the kind of person who sprays on your clothes, do so conservatively with this, especially if you like to switch up your fragrances day to day. In my experience this hasn't been as overpowering in a room as some people have experienced. It's one of those fragrances that sort of floats around without rhyme or reason, coming and going throughout the day. Similar to Another 13, it tends to show up just as you've almost forgotten about it. In terms of the scnent profile, "Matcha" is less a descriptor of dominant note, and more so a way to describe the overall sum of its parts. This doesn't smell like matcha tea, BUT like ever good cup of matcha, it's noticeably green and earthy, creamy, and warm. Make of that what you will. It's become my most frequently complimented scent and I reach for it 9/10 times.

This is the most photorealistic interpretation of matcha powder I have ever smelled. It is soft, green and slightly creamy. There's a beautiful fig presence right from the start, and to me it's more like a dewy natural sweetness more than fruity. What is also fascinating is how the notes all seem to arrive at once rather than unfolding traditionally. It wears more like an atmosphere rather than a pyramid. Though as it settles, the composition becomes more intimate. On my skin, the dry down is more so like a damp towel that has been used a few times after coming out of the shower. It is clean and slightly mineral, not a soapy or laundry-esque type scent but definitely humid. It is the scent of being freshly bathed rather than being freshly perfumed. The more I wear this, the more I realize how much I love it. It hits this rare sweet spot inside of me, it is not quiet nor loud, but definitely present. What makes me really love it most is that it doesn't feel like costume or aspiration. It doesn't turn me into someone else, it just feels like this clearer, more distilled version of me. More than anything, it makes me feel like I'm living the brutalist chic life that I've chased for so long. Cool concrete and soft daylight, minimal but not cold. It just amplifies what already feels true to me. Overall, this scent is incredibly addictive, and I never thought I'd fall in love with it, especially this deeply. This scent now stays with me and feels impossible to replace. Overall a 10/10 fragrance.

Thé Matcha 26 feels like sunlight on your skin. This is one of my seasonal favorites, especially for spring and summer. When the air gets softer, the grass smells greener, and the sun finally starts doing its job again, this is the scent I reach for. The fig note is the real star here. It’s creamy, slightly green, slightly milky smooth without being sweet. If you don’t like figs, this will not be for you. But if you do? It’s addictive. The matcha adds a subtle, almost airy bitterness that keeps the fragrance from becoming too soft or sugary. It doesn’t scream “tea,” but it gives structure and calmness. Together with cedarwood in the base, it creates something warm, slightly woody, and very refined. Projection is moderate. You won’t fill a room, but people within a meter will definitely catch it. It’s elegant, not loud. Office-safe. School-safe. Park-walk-safe. Date-safe. It’s effortless. Longevity on my skin is around 6–8 hours. Not beast mode, especially not for the €300 price tag for 100ml, but respectable. Is it expensive? Absolutely. Does it hurt? Yes. Would I refill it? Also yes. That’s the thing, it’s overpriced, but it’s also genuinely beautiful. It’s completely unisex. Some people say it leans slightly feminine, but I disagree. A well-dressed man wearing this? Very attractive. Refined. Confident without trying too hard. This is not a loud, attention-seeking fragrance. It’s subtle luxury. Rating: 9/10 Overpriced? Yes. Worth it? Unfortunately... also yes.

My wife bought this while we were dating a few years ago and I still remember her excitement to buy this. She initially smelt this perfume from somebody else as they were walking by and the distinct fresh, clean, creamy scent trail left her stunned. No other perfume could even compete at that time for her. This perfume is fantastic, it has a great scent profile. It opens extremely fresh, but not like the usual freshies on the market. It smells like freshly washed laundry, but not soapy at all. It then dries down into a creamy woodsy scent. It is very heavy on fig, where the creaminess of this scent is driven, and the remaining woody notes are pleasant vetiver and cedar with an underlying matcha tea smell throughout the scent's duration. This easily lasts 6-10 hours depending on weather and skin type. Personally, on my skin it leans towards the 6-hour mark, but on my wife's it lasts 10 hours easily, and on clothes it will last until it is washed. This fragrance has a high projection within the first 5 hours of being sprayed. Afterwards, it has a medium projection, and past the 10-hour mark, it has a soft projection just off the skin. This is a masterpiece fragrance that is super versatile and smells uniquely fresh. It is an awesome signature scent and for its price, it has good value. I must admit that this fragrance does require a level of maceration before its true scent profile comes out, but once it has macerated it is a beast!

If you're a MATCHA lover like me, debating whether or not you should buy this perfume. I say go for it. I'm talking to the REAL matcha lovers, not the basic kind that think you can only have it with oat milk. This is a beautiful, fresh, clean matcha perfume. Nothing in your face. It's being out on the country on a nice chilly day, no wind, just perfect. Sitting around an open flame, your better half putting a pot of water to boil while you just watch.. It's ready, he grabs an enamel steel mug and pours in some hot water. He opens up a packet of green tea, adds honey and lets it steep while he mixes matcha in a separate mug. Grabs ice from his YETI cooler, puts some in a mason jar, pours in the green tea, then matcha, a bit of cinnamon, a lice of orange, and stirs. He hands it to you, along with fresh cut figs, and a kiss. "Thank you baby" You say to him, smiling in admiration. That's what it smells like to me. Fresh figs & an iced matcha green tea with honey, an orange slice and cinnamon. On a bright chilly day. It's refreshing, energetic but warm at the same time. I love it alone during the day, if I go out at night, I do layer with coconut. (It performs better, in my opinion) Turning it into an iced matcha coconut latte with cinnamon. But much more sophisticated, cozy, and incredibly sexy! One of my favorites from Le Labo. BISOUS

The best introduction to a fragrance house yet! Thé Matcha 26, as of now, is my favorite scent for its clean, creamy tea profile. Its calming aspect, inoffensive sillage, and distinct scent make this a continuous reach for me. I enjoy how the matcha and green notes stay consistent throughout and actually perform. I didn't expect this fragrance to be as strong as it is, with the scent sticking around my clothes and even after showering. I expected it to be lighter, but was pleasantly surprised after noticing its presence, which I feel isn't as common in tea/green scents. Although described as a skin scent, it definitely is not(or at least for me). I would say I constantly want to smell the scent on my wrists in public, but the scent bubble is predominant, but not harsh. Walking around, I get pleasant wafts of the scent, but it is not overly apparent. A couple of sprays does the job. Overall, Thé Matcha 26 by Le Labo is a calming, creamy-tea fragrance infused with a green background that can perform. It is the perfect scent for anyone looking for a calming, unique fragrance. Its price is steep, but the scent is definitely worth it.

I remember getting this scent during my trip to Taiwan last year. The smell always paints a picture in my mind of the tiny hotel where my whole family and I had to share, with everyone asking me to spray their wrists with this fragrance. The scent is very airy, and woody fig fills the surrounding atmosphere- everything that is up my alley. Le Labo is my signature house, all because of the uniqueness that they hold. A fragrance's function shouldn't be on if it gets you any b*tches or how fast it can fill a subway car; the function of a fragrance is to complement your outfit or mood, it should be YOUR fragrance. The Matcha (excuse me for not including the accent mark) is extremely unique in its own way. I wouldn't recommend getting it if you expect one spray to last 8 hours or if you are a basic white (fe)male who's hopping on the matcha craze and thinks that this fragrance is solely matcha. Perfect to cuddle yourself on the couch and relax or just laze around. One of Le Labo's best fragrances of all time.

my sweet signature scent. oh how in love i am with this perfume. i first ever tried this at a friend’s apartment the night before moving across country. the arm i sprayed became so addictive to smell to the point where my friend gave me his sample. i wore it on the flight the next day and it lasted until i showered that night when i arrived. throughout the flight i found myself sniffing my sweater as this scent is so uniquely calming and refreshing while being cozy and having lovely projection, so i got wifi on this damn plane and bought a 50ml. when it came to my new home, i felt so satisfied with this purchase and soon it became my signature scent. i have the lotion, hand cream, and the body gel and i can’t describe just how happy i am with the experience of this fragrance without typing a whole paragraph so thank u for reading if u did lol. i have tried and i own a good amount of perfumes and finding this one felt like finding your soulmate amongst all the people in the world. 🤍

I like matcha. I really do. I love the earthy, fresh, and bittersweet tea scent that lingers after you've whisked it. This is not that. The only "tea" I get in this at all is reminiscent of throwing a lukewarm mug of green tea onto a tree trunk. It's hiding in the background, behind the heavy fig and vetiver. This is not 'The Matcha,' it is 'The Fig Tree,' but this is my first Le Labo and I've heard they tend to have misleading names. I've been dunking on it for lacking the matcha element but it is actually really nice regardless of that. Like I said, it is mostly woody, but the citrus and fig peek through enough that it is a very pleasant and perfectly unisex woodiness. I don't know if I love it *enough* to justify buying a bottle, especially considering Le Labo's outrageous prices, but it is very beautiful and I can see why it is popular amongst so many.

I purchased this as a sample because I love matcha and I liked all the notes listed. I'm going through my sample at incredible speed, and I'm so gutted because Le Labo is quite expensive. But first things first: this doesn't really smell like matcha tea. It is more of a matcha latte, or a vanilla/ fig latte with a vegan milk. My cousin said I smelled like a specialty coffee shop, those with nice decor and a curated playlist (compliment). It opens more green and fresh, but the dry down smells vanilla-y to me although I don't think it's listed (not a sweet way, but in a woody vanilla way). I love the fig in this, all the other notes blend beautifully around it. I WILL buy the full size, but I'll wait until its my birthday or something. update: after going through 3 samples I ended up biting the bullet and buying the 50ml (it wasn't my birthday)

This is the go-to I reach to when I just want to smell what I would consider nice. It was love at first wear for me, and so far nothing comes close. It doesn't change much as it sits on me, it opens a bit citrusy and very green, slightly spicy, and earthy, the mix of cedar of vetiver. As it settles in a creamy milkiness comes up, not really sweet but not dry, and balances the green notes and spiciness creating something warm, rich, and creamy, with slight fruitiness from the fig. The matcha is there as well, in the green notes, drawing it back a bit with a touch of bitterness, lightly. Welcoming, soft, projects more than they claim (a bit laughable to call it a skin scent) but his green wood and milky concoction is very comforting and nice just about any time. For me, an ideal scent. Anytime. Warm, smooth, welcoming.

I am fascinated by the fact that the perception and performance of a fragrance can vary so much from person to person. I bought this perfume recently and wow is it a performer! I always spray in my bathroom instead of my closet and this will last for days in there, after a single spritz. For that reason, I prefer The Matcha for cooler weather. Today was the first day that felt fall-like, so I went for it and enjoyed it more so than I have on warmer days. To me, the fig is very present. I can smell the almost dirty, earthy notes, and the citrus takes a back seat. It's funny that having said that, I'd describe it as a very clean scent. Probably because I consider it unisex, and that is how I characterize "clean", as opposed to scents that are sweet, floral or powdery. But, to my nose, this is a powerful scent.

God damn it. I should not have ordered a sample of this. In the back of my mind I was like if you love it you will be so sad because you cannot and will never afford it. Hyperfixating on perfume as a poor person is going to kill me. I am so jealous of people who have like 50 bottles just sitting on shelves. This perfume is what I imagine a way cooler version of me in her 30's would wear. She lives in a cool apartment and works multiple jobs but she has a sense of contentment and doesnt feel the need to over exert herself in any area of life. She is single but surrounded by diverse friends and throws dinner parties and has niche hobbies that she is consistent about. If you were expecting me to tell you what this *literally* smells like I am not about to.

I got to know about Le labo with The Noir, but ended up settling with The Matcha. I already used a bottle, and it's my spring-summer season favorite. The matcha note isn't that significant(it does exist though), but it doesn't really matter because the other notes are so good. The opening is very fresh and creamy fig(which lasts until the drydown) with a little hint of oranges(fades very quickly) over the underlying Matcha notes. The drydown is pretty much simillar with the opening, but the woody notes(with a bit of earthy notes) get stronger and stronger. It somehow smells like fig leaves. Its totally artistic, makes me think of a young warrior with years of training, drinking matcha and meditating deep inside the forest filled with fig trees.

I picked up a sample of this and went back and forth on whether or not it was full bottle worthy because of the longevity. Maybe it was the way it was decanted that messed with the juice, because I did end up deciding to get this at the full size 3.4oz bottle for my birthday and I applied it at 7pm and here it is 4:30am and I can still smell it almost as strong as when I applied it (on my clothes, on skin it has mostly disappeared) It’s a nice, clean, unisex smooth tea fragrance that’s just an easy reach on the days that you’re wanting something inoffensive and clean. I am very happy to have this in my collection and will likely always have it in my collection, right next to my dearest signature scent; Another 13

During a trip to NYC in June my friend and I discovered Le Lebo at Bloomingdale’s. You could tell my friend enjoyed it a lot... a lot more than I did. We left with the tester strip and nothing else. Fast forward to Christmas 2025, and this was one of the gifts I gave him. He lit up and immediately opened it and over-sprayed it everywhere... I have no idea how long this lasts, but what I do know is I loved it on him. Youthful. Crisp. Fresh. Clean. You know that rich and sometimes almost overpowering smell you get when you walk into a boutique hotel? That’s is the immediate impression I got from this scent. I love it a lot and will probably buy myself a bottle at a later time.

It has been a very surprising encounter. I have considered Le Labo as a gen Z influencer’s favourite, overpriced and totally not interesting brand. Also a matcha fragrance - omg no, just an IG trendy thing (I am a hard core vanilla/amber/leather fragrances lover). Haha. But now I have bought a full bottle of this. Yes, it is linear, it is masculine leaning, it is not much about a matcha. But this is extremely comforting scent, it calms me down and helps me to go through the day, it is a balm to my nerves and to my tired nose (from all the gourmands, ouds and orientals :)). It LASTS several days & PROJECTS well (people will notice and compliment). So very unexpected love.

Love this perfume, I bought the smallest size and once I run out I will 100% be going back for a full bottle! I disagree with the commenters stating that there is no matcha/green tea notes in this scent, its more in the background but it is still definitely there. I would describe this scent as a creamy and slightly powdery scent, very herbal and the fig def comes through! I love it so much as well because its extremely long lasting, has good silage, and is extremely inoffensive in my opinion! 8.5/10 in my collection (side note: this scent pairs sooo well with a sweeter perfume lightly layered with it! especially a milkier vanilla, def gives more matcha when paired)

Ive been very on the fence with Le Labo. Ive been pretty unimpressed with their more popular Santal 33 and after visiting their store in Chicago, I decided to give them one more chance by buying their discovery kit. I remembered The Matcha was one of the scents I really didnt mind too much so I decided to throw it on and my goodness do I actually really like this scent. The spray was pretty intense, very powdery and talcum-y, but as I let it dry down, its very very clean and bright. The next morning before I showered I could still smell it on me, which is something I havent found in many fragrances yet. 8.5/10 Im a sucker for clean scents.