Le Labo perfume is a cult favourite. Its woody aromatic fragrance, Santal 33 ($1590 for 50 ml; $2290 100ml), attracts both sexes, with celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Alexa Chung, and Justin Bieber as its regular patrons. Born in Grasse and established in New York, Le Labo opened their first store in Hong Kong in 2014 and now has several branches in the city, including the recently opened Gough Street location. In 2019 they launched Hong Kong's very own city exclusive scent called Bigarade 18 ($2590 for 50ml; $3975 for 100ml) – inspired by the fragrant lily and citrus tree found in the hallways of Repulse Bay Hotel in the 80s, where the brand's founder, Eddie Roschi, lived as a child. Each bottle of perfume you buy from their store carries their signature minimal typewriter-font label, which you can personalise to add your name or any message if you are purchasing the perfume as a gift. Our personal favourite is the unisex scent, The Noir 29 ($1770/50ml ; $2550/100ml), it has top notes of fig and bay leaf that gradually turns into musk and earthy notes of tobacco and hay - it lasts all day and lingers even after you shower.
Try to catch the Le Labo’s City Exclusive Collection, only available worldwide every September. This year, the collection introduced a new scent for Shanghai called Myrrhe 55 ($2800/50ml; $4200/100ml). Its dark and punchy essence is composed of alluring notes of incense, ambergris, and musk, with an added touch of jasmine and patchouli that will leave you spellbound.