SRPLS FRGRNC 01

FRGRNC 01 is back at Zara (February 2026)! It has the same bottle design as before. This time it’s available in the women’s section, but only online, so I blind bought it. I haven’t had the chance to smell Le Labo - Gaiac 10, I only own the Dossier clone Musky Gaiac. Compared to the latter, FRGRNC 01 smells so much better. It doesn’t have that strong barbecue note that the Dossier has. The pepper is clearly noticeable, but it feels fresh and not nose-stingy. And then there’s that soft, slightly smoky, creamy guaiac wood. So far, I’m really enjoying it! The scent sits close to the skin, but it seems to be long lasting. UPDATE: I finally got my hands on a sample of Gaiac 10, and I can confirm - FRGRNC 01 is very similar to it! The only real difference is the pink pepper in FRGRNC 01, which makes it a bit fresher (you get a hint of spice and a slightly citrusy touch). My final verdict: even though Gaiac 10 is beautiful, I actually prefer FRGRNC 01. 🙂

Blind purchase via Zara sale. This is a bit of a belter - completely unisex, although online via Women’s perfumes. This is a gentle spiced, comforting, creamy amber scent, with a musky backbone. Smells significantly smoother and more elegant than its price point would suggest. Decent dry down and silage. This feels like a fairly versatile scent for use across the seasons.

This is Gaiac 10 literally. I couldn’t believe it and the slightly more peppery opening makes this even better.

After doing a side by side sniff between Zara's SRPLS and Le Labo's Gaiac 10 here are my thoughts: - They do smell very similar. Way too similar to justify the price of Gaiac 10, which is a city exclusive, making it even more expensive than LL's classic line. That being said, they both smell great. They are both airy, woody, and musky with a little pepper that tickles your nose. SRPLS is a little pepperier, imo. Both are incredibly unisex and could probably be worn by most people. Safe blind buys IMO. - It seems SRPLS has more strength and longevity. SRPLS still doesn't last that long though, even when I douse myself. I'll update this later if I feel as though that changes. - I can't stress enough the price situation here... On the companys' respective websites as of Aug 2022, a 100ml bottle of SRPLS costs $45.90 USD and a 100ml bottle of Gaiac 10 costs $510.00 USD.... Jaw on the floor, shocked, offended, horrified. - I think if you are really dedicated to G10, you should grab a small bottle of G10 to use on your wrists and neck, and also pick up SRPLS so you can douse your clothes and decant some for travel use.

This new baby from Zara, with a vowel-less name, smells good, but looks a bit weak in terms of projection. The first time I tried this fragrance I suspected of some olfactory boredom, but the surrounding people confirmed that the projection was kind of faint. Scentwise it's a natural pleaser with a short-lived, earthy and rosy spicy opening, that gains smoky and tar-like facets later on. Before the drydown, fragrance evolutes to a musky warm background frame with a strong, sweet and resinous amber tone, without loosing some of the smoke and earlier spiciness. It's a very safe Oriental perfume to wear, and probably a crowd pleasing base for Zara to develop future flankers. Keep your scent high!