If you haven't heard of Le Labo, you're not alone. Created in 2006 on Elizabeth Street, the company had two people: Fabrice Penot and Eddie Roschi. Previously, they had both worked at lots of other fragrance houses, and hated the idea of what these brands stood for in terms of what fragrances should be rather than just a marketing tool that serves the larger brands. They wanted it to go back to its original idea; and formed an entire brand that stands for just that.
The Bottle
Every bottle you order of Le Labo is made by hand. If you order it online, it's usually done in their NYC location. Each label is printed at the time of packaging with your name on it, and each fragrance name has the exact details you want. They use the simple formula of (Dominant Note + # of Ingredients) = Name. It's pretty simple, and works well to help sell something to the consumer who wants nothing more than the fragrance itself.
Santal 33: The Footnote of Le Labo
Santal 33 is Le Labo's most popular fragrance that they sell. It is also infamously known as the 'Patagonia vest' choice for fragrances. This was Le Labo's biggest success, and somehow also the exact converse of what the company's identity is. The idea of this brand is built on a certain level of individuality, which was made to diverge themselves against the rest of the fragrance market. Individualism expression in just a scent is something they had captured, but with the rise of their most popular scent overtaking Wall Street, they had a new question: how do we acknowledge this?
Their solution: we don't. They continued to just not acknowledge the idea that their brand doesn't have the individuality it previously did, and in a brilliant move, added many more fragrances to their lineup in quick suit to attract a more diverse group of people who had only heard of Santal or wanted more to divest into their own scents. Quick favorites, such as the Noir 29, and The Matcha 26 became instant classics.
Estée Lauder and Equinox
In 2014, Estée Lauder acquired Le Labo and the indie brand had gone full blown corporate. Has the product or brand identity changed to the public? Not in any way you'd notice at first glance. The stores still have the same feel as if you're in a chemistry lab, and the branding of the label and fragrance names hasn't changed a bit. However, when you know the truth behind the company's parent, you take a step back and think about it. Estée Lauder is known for owning Tom Ford, MAC, and Clinique - the individuality starts taking a pause.
Now, in 2026 Equinox has partnered with Le Labo to bring the brand into every locker room of theirs. The exclusivity that Equinox shares with Le Labo as it's cherry on top. the toiletries being kept on the high shelf, making you feel as if you're unique when you go to take a shower, the idea that the brand itself passes through this is a fallacy. The more that a brand like Le Labo is known for partnerships and deals, the less it feels like a boutique and "slow perfumery" product and more like one of just another brand.
Conclusion
however despite all of that, Le Labo will forever be a scent that I cannot forget. I currently have the Baie 19 (a summertime favorite of mine) and The Lavande 31. I highly encourage you if fragrances interest you to head to a store nearby and try one of them.
NFA - (Not Fragrance Advice)
Thanks for reading!
Keshav