Year: 2006
Notes: cinnamon, cistus labdanum, birch tar, patchouli, tonka bean, vanilla, gurjum balsam, civet, castoreum, musk aubepine
Cistus labdanum is a very popular component in perfumery. However, with Maurice Roucel on board, it appears that both the perfumer and Le Labo have opted for the laziest option in which to explore this accord.
Formerly known as Ciste 18, Labdanum 18 is a calculating cross between Frédéric Malle's Musc Ravageur and Helmet Lang's Eau de Cologne (both created by Maurice Roucel, interestingly enough). Furthermore, the same pre-requisite boxes for Musc Ravageur have been ticked: sweet but not overwhelmingly so, some warm spices, the addition of non-intrusive animalic musks (further diluted by a synthetic musk component), a powdery amber and vanilla core, and a resultant olfactory association with Guerlain's Shalimar.
Of course, in contrast to Musc Ravageur, there are minute differences – the union of gurjum balsam, vanilla and tonka bean imparts occasional gentle whiffs of opopanax, the patchouli (substituting the subdued guaiac wood, cedar and sandalwood in Frédéric Malle's creation) emits intriguing chocolate nuances, and there's much more emphasis on the ambery aspect of the composition than the vanillic (as naturally expected).
Even though one regards Labdanum 18 easier to wear than Musc Ravageur, it still remains that this house was obviously aiming for a potential hit and Maurice Roucel just nonchalantly phoned it in. While it's just as refined and well-executed as the Frédéric Malle equivalent, its lethargic performance further highlights just how gravely disappointing this contrived oriental is.
If it later surfaced that Labdanum 18 was originally an early prototype of Musc Ravageur, one wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.
Formerly known as Ciste 18, Labdanum 18 is a calculating cross between Frédéric Malle's Musc Ravageur and Helmet Lang's Eau de Cologne (both created by Maurice Roucel, interestingly enough). Furthermore, the same pre-requisite boxes for Musc Ravageur have been ticked: sweet but not overwhelmingly so, some warm spices, the addition of non-intrusive animalic musks (further diluted by a synthetic musk component), a powdery amber and vanilla core, and a resultant olfactory association with Guerlain's Shalimar.
Of course, in contrast to Musc Ravageur, there are minute differences – the union of gurjum balsam, vanilla and tonka bean imparts occasional gentle whiffs of opopanax, the patchouli (substituting the subdued guaiac wood, cedar and sandalwood in Frédéric Malle's creation) emits intriguing chocolate nuances, and there's much more emphasis on the ambery aspect of the composition than the vanillic (as naturally expected).
Even though one regards Labdanum 18 easier to wear than Musc Ravageur, it still remains that this house was obviously aiming for a potential hit and Maurice Roucel just nonchalantly phoned it in. While it's just as refined and well-executed as the Frédéric Malle equivalent, its lethargic performance further highlights just how gravely disappointing this contrived oriental is.
If it later surfaced that Labdanum 18 was originally an early prototype of Musc Ravageur, one wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.
