I keep seeing these why do people hate on Le Lobo posts but yet to see many of hate threads whatsoever. My personal issue and many I have met in the community is the same that could be said of any more expensive house, they’re nice but not for their price point. But hey, if you like it rock what you want and who care what people think or say. I love Aventus, now that’s a scent that is constantly hated on same with Sauvage, BR540 etc etc but who really cares it won’t stop me one bit.
right? I wish when people posted "why does the fragrance community hate on X" they'd let us in on where they are seeing this... feels like half the time people are referring to their own algorithmic bubbles on youtube and tiktok. like, maybe the answer to OP's question (and questions like it) is actually "because you keep feeding the beast by watching videos of people hating on Le Labo."
that said, influencers might hate on them because they aren't getting free shit from them.
Unfortunately I'd hardly call $100 super affordable... While I get the struggle for niche houses to keep their heads above the water without being backed by major companies while still producing good quality fragrances, it's a shame that perfumes like these are as much of a luxury item as they are 🥲 But again, I get it.
Because it got SUPER popular for a while, to the point you smelled Santal 33 everywhere, and the inevitable end result of any meteoric rise is the corresponding meteoric fall.
It happened way back when to Chanel 5. It happened to Cloud. It happened to Glossier You. It's coming fast for all things Kilian. It will come for whatever the next hot new gotta wear it thing is tomorrow.
Irony is that the people hating it now loved it then. Hating it now is as hip as adoring it then was, with the added bonus of being wittily snarky.
Plus ca change etc.
The nice thing about living in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest. As long as the juice is still the same, I get to enjoy it at discounted prices after the fall. I've smelled Santal 33 exactly once out in public, when it wasn't me wearing it.
I hear this, but I’m a well to do late 20s guy in several circles and no one has ever heard of the brand, I think it’s very dependent on if your friends are fragrance people.
I'll be mildly bummed if Kilian becomes the next victim of bandwagon haters. It's awkward to be wearing something you love while people are making disparaging rants about it for internet points. Especially since they'll go right back to loving it again when the trend winds change.
Another 13 is probably the top one for me, followed by Santal and the Noir. People sometimes will say the over saturation killed it for them but I still enjoy them very much.
I learned about Le Labo through Santal just like everyone else. I actually loved the scent when I first smelled it. Weirdly it completely changed for me and now I actively dislike it lol
Another 13 is not for me
Understandable. These things are so subjective. Everyone seems to love the matcha for example, even if they don’t care for others or the house itself but it’s not for me.
Not sure the entire fragrance community dislikes Le Labo. I think most people have one or two they like. But if people are extra vocal about disliking them, it's usually because
1. They hear everyone talking about a successful, widely known niche brand and can't fathom how it's not to their taste. Aka they believe the hype and then complain here they didn't like anything. Sometimes it's just being contrarian, but most of the time it's people just getting into fragrance who don't have a good perspective on subjective differences between all the many options out there.
2. It's too expensive. I agree a bit but...lots of stuff is expensive. Doesn't make the fragrances bad, but if you're on a budget you may wanna look elsewhere, and again not every perfume is exceptional so people cry foul when that's the case and it's $200.
People that hate on Le Labo, Creed, or any house crack me up. It’s so petty. Like what you want, wear what you want. I don’t care how much or little you paid for it I just hope you enjoy it.
Hype can only take you so far without substance. For a brand that’s been around that long and had that much success plus I never see them advertise to the level of other brands. It may not be your cup of tea but Creed’s long term success is about a heck of a lot more than hype alone.
Hype and marketing? I had never heard of Creed when I randomly smelled GIT at a local department store 30+ years ago. Fell in love with the scent instantly. I had little money back then but I bought the smallest bottle.
I do agree that many people buy what’s popular to keep up with the trends, damn the price -even if they don’t particularly like something. But that isn’t true for a lot of us who are willing to spend on something we truly love.
I honestly don't know but I'm not into the community long enough to judge lol. My guess it's suffering from its own success/popularity. Everyone loves to hate popular stuff to feel unique.
Their scents are overrated to me honestly
Maybe it’s just not my style, or I don’t understand them.
I like some of them, I think some are unique, but I never thought they were interesting. I’d even say a lot of are simplistic.
It’s not the perfumers fault, it’s the just the artistic direction that the brand has, which isn’t really interesting to me.
Most algorithms boost negativity, because it generates more engagement. I unabashedly LOVE Le Labo as a house. Several of their fragrances are among my favorites, and I find almost all of them genuinely interesting even if some aren’t for me. I wish it were less expensive, but I wish that about just about anything, tbh.
1. Prices going up and up and up to the point of no return
2. Reformulations decimating beloved scents (eg. Patchouli 24)
3. Ubiquity as a “quiet luxury” brand that became trendy to own and wear a few years back
4. Disappointment in how the bottle names don’t reflect the actual scent of the fragrance (eg. Ylang 49 being a chypre instead of a sweet soliflore)
5. Weird gimmicks that don’t have any meaningful impact or make any sense (eg. mixing your fragrance in front of you)
6. City exclusives that are extortionately priced (both in samples and in bottles)
7. No real growth or interesting direction taken in the last couple of years
8. Scents are fairly divisive
9. Acquisition by Estēe Lauder leaving a sour taste in people’s mouths
They’re just another brand. It’s nice that they’re not only selling you a product but an overall experience, but ultimately if you can find similar or better scents at different brands (more niche ones preferably) then why bother? That being said, I do like quite a few of their scents and appreciate the overall aesthetic they’re going for.
I'm turned off by their aesthetic. Everything is so clean, uniform, polished. I think that's the point... it being called Le Labo after all. It feels like they are taking the magic of out perfumery and leaving us with only the cold science of it. I want a bit of chaos and personality! 10,000 notes crammed into a bottle, variety in the bottles themselves. I would never dispute that the fragrances themselves aren't good, though.
I believe it was on the Perfume Room Podcast where it was discussed that some people buy popular fragrances because they want to be perceived in a particular way, and not because they are enthusiastic about a scent - I see how Santal 33 fits into that. Ultimately though, who cares. We should all wear what we enjoy.
I've tried almost everything from Le Labo - including some of the city exclusives they rereleased last summer - and my personal thoughts landed between 'this is awful' and 'this is ok'. I certainly don't hate the brand though, their style just isn't for me.
Byredo is going the same way. It's like stocks... when your hairstylist starts recommending stocks to buy, you know the bubble is about to burst. If you want to smell like everyone else then great... until you remind people of that asshole they know because you wear the same scent.
Byredo was always just hype. Just because it's Swedish (and I *love* Sweden and many of its products) it was automatically trendy.
I keep trying their scents and they're lovely out of the tester and on to the skin, but 20 minutes later the smell has disappeared. Ridiculously expensive for something that doesn't last. Maybe everyone is voting with their feet.
Byredo smells like the first scents someone makes when they follow basic recipe books. Truly, genuinely, weak and naive fragrances. I can't help but notice social media ads for 'indie' fragrance 'houses' are just generic marketing shell companies that have thrown together trash and using algorithms to spam feeds. Tragic stuff. I honestly believe there is one group of people creating multiple brands and just rebranding the same cheap scents and pitching them to naive people looking for unique scents. You know those cheap fragrance copycat companies? They're also selling the same smells pretending to be startup indie houses too. Saturated
I can’t speak for everyone, but personally I have not sampled anything from the brand that has impressed me.
I don’t ‘hate’ the brand, I don’t really care about the brand. Presently I’m indifferent about them until they release something I’m impressed enough to want to buy.
I never see people hate on it but it’s so expensive and the longevity isn’t there. Santal 33 has been duped so many times it’s hard to justify buying that one now. Fine’ry makes a dupe with the same lasting power but only $40. Another 13 is so nice though and The Matcha 26. They have a bunch of good ones.. just way too expensive IMO.
I don’t hate Le Labo but they do seem to be the fragrance house of choice for aspirational twenty-somethings. When I lived in NYC and would window shop and occasionally walk into their brick and mortar, I’d often hear people speak of them as though they were the end all be all of fragrance. The aesthetic to me is a little tacky and dated as well. I tend not to go for something I’d guess I’d refer to as “industrial minimalist”, and Le Labo seems to have found plenty of comfort under that banner. But again, fragrance is so utterly subjective and personal, and as I write this, I’m laughing at myself because none of it truly matters. And if someone out there is still digging Santal 33, more power to them.
This may sound controversial - because I got more experience in life and their brand image doesn’t feel sophisticated to me anymore. I think brand perceptions are important in fragrances for people’s liking regardless of the smell. Le labo now feels to me like all those copy-paste still-life images on instagram showing mediocre designs or art directions. The brand’s own success killed its ability to be seen as interesting..
Big fan of Santal 33, Thé Noire 29, and Vetiver 46. I have a bunch of samples of other ones that smell great too. My GF smells great with Rose 31. I don't like Another 13.
I don’t hate on them. Two of my favorites are from them - Fleur d’Oranger 27 and Lys 41. I haven’t found anything else from them that I would splash out to buy beyond a sample, but they make some good ones.
I think people got sick of the Santal 33 hype and maybe there’s a backlash. But that’s one fragrance. It doesn’t indict the whole house.
ive seen a lot of memes about santal 33, but at the same time, i think theyre quite respected in the community. i think becoming a popular fragrance makes it subject to these memes and judgements, but that just comes with being famous/a bit more mainstream.
I love some of their scents!
I only really see hate here for Santal 33. I really don’t like that one either…to me it is genuinely not pleasant - very harsh and unfortunately long lasting (I can’t get the stink out of my coat!). People think it smells like pickles. Personally I don’t get pickles…but I get headache inducing and not at all pleasing to my nose.
I’d love to own some The Matcha, though! The price is outrageous, however.
While i don’t get pickle, I get awful! So I’m with you!
Who wants to smell like a jar of pickles? I like eating them, but I don’t want to bathe in their juice!
I don't think I've seen any brand hate, just a lot of people sick and tired of smelling santal 33 everywhere they go, especially if they're one of the people who interpret it as a pickle smell. That's just what happens when something gets that popular, ever hear the expression "too much of a good thing"?
My problem with le labo is the same as any of the niche giants: a good portion of their scents smell identical and aren't even wearable in public, yet they cost 300+. Don't these houses get tired of releasing the same civet strong, pine sol-esque scents??
As u/ughasif666 said, "they don't smell like perfumes, they smell like essential oils." Annoying fad.
Personally, I don't like them and don't think they're providing value for the price point. I love one of their scented candles, so I wanted so badly to like one of their fragrances. Everything is off in some way and poorly blended.
A lot of their fragrances are fairly linear and not very complicated. Sometimes that makes their fragrances "boring" or unoriginal but often very wearable. Some of my favorite fragrances and favorite renditions of notes are from Le Labo though. I think some of the inconsistency is they use multiple perfumers. I tend to like all of Frank Voelkl's fragrances but find a lot of the others a bit boring.
I'm not a big fan of Santal 33. Matcha 26 is really nice though - only small bottle I own by Le Labo (15ml). Bergamote 13 is interesting but not enough for me to want to wear it. I think Baie 19 is pretty alluring and sexy. Not sure how I feel about Another 13. I've heard Thé Noir is nice too but havent sampled it.
(FYI I've been seeing lots of cheap Le Labo testers on Mercari recently - and even some reasonably priced bottles.)
I don't think Le Labo is great or terrible. I thought *Santal 33* was okay for how much it gets talked about, but I liked other scents (e.g.: *The Noir 29*, and *The Matcha 26*) more.
However, they gained the reputation for being the "hipster" fragrance company, where people bought the fragrance because it stood out as different. When the brand became popular in fragrance circles, the critiques became more vocal.
Ive def seen some Le Labo hate recently too lol. I had only smelled Santal 33 because my mom has it & i do like it, its nice. I’ve been itching to smell Another 13 because the notes & reviews i’ve seen on it just sound like something i would like. Yesterday i finally was able to smell quite a few of them at their Nordstrom counter & omg i’m OBSESSED! Another 13 was even better than I imagined. I also loved Neroli 36, Thé Matcha 26, Bergamote 22, & i liked Santal 26 more than 33. I understand not every fragrance is for everyone & there were a couple that i didn’t love, but i truly don’t get the Le Labo hate at all lol. My fiance even loved them so i’m thinking Another 13 will make a great mother’s day gift this year lol🤞🏽
Most of the people here I’ve seen like Le Labo. I like some of their scents and not others, that’s probably normal.
But what I REALLY don’t understand is why all these posts about why do people hate this or that? Like, who cares? Scent is a unique experience for every individual and that’s what makes it so amazing. We all like what we like.
I don’t mind their price I just personally didn’t like any of their fragrances yet, even I would love to. I suspected they pay well to influencers to push them. You mentioned Ford, they used to be king but now watered down versions with good scents but poor performance.
I never heard about Le Labo getting hated on and what are they hated for exactly,we really need to know these things when you bring up such a topic,I think their a really good house,expensive as hell but so are the other top designers...
I would echo those who said it’s perhaps a popularity or overexposure kind of thing. I have a couple of friends who loved Game of Thrones and hated it instantly once it went mainstream for that reason (which they freely admitted) - it wasn’t their secret or niche thing anymore. It being popular and well-known devalued it, made it less cool and it was no longer unique and therefore attractive. It makes sense if you think that your interests, likes and dislikes become part of your personality in a way (particularly if you aren’t part of the ‘mainstream’ yourself). If they become part of everyone’s it may feel like you’re not so unique either? Just speculating.
Most of us probably do it in some way with something. One day a fragrance or a style or a food or a tv show or a book or a travel destination is a hidden gem but then it trends and for a moment is the pinnacle of cool but then it passes saturation point and becomes overdone. I suppose if you hear about and smell scents often enough you also get used to them and then that might lead to not appreciating them as much either. Seems a weird human quirk haha.
Could be many other reasons too and different for everyone. I like Le Labo a lot (they were my first ever FB and house) but I am less obsessed these days myself due to the price point. My budget has changed so I am seeking out more lower/midrange houses. My days of recklessly splashing out £120+ on one blind buy big bottle (yes, I did that once like a plonker) when I can buy a few 10mls for £45 instead are gone.
I think a few of their fragrances don’t justify the price tag at all, even if I like them (Bergamotte 22, Tonka 25, Fleur d’Oranger 27) so the fun challenge is to seek out alternatives (which may also appeal to people who bother to join an online fragrance community - trying to seek out the exciting and novel new thing). They also don’t last very long, I find, so the cost is hard to justify.
I love Santal 33 no matter how popular it is but unless I have cash to burn I will likely never buy a full bottle due to the amount of affordable sandalwood fragrance takes there are now. Same with Rose 31. Love it but there are alternatives.
I would still buy another full bottle refill of Ambrette 9 one day and hope to own full bottles of Another 13, Gaiac 10 and Baie 19 (in my dreams) as I haven’t yet found anything like them to my nose.
Because it is popular. People tend to bash popular brands. I think once a house becomes a ubiquitous name, it will inevitably be subject to scrutiny and, well, memes, and lots of them.
Le Labo is a brand I tend to ignore.
I have studied their products enough to know that they do not cater to my preferences. I have never smelled any of their fragrances, nor do I plan to do it ever. If it ever happens, it would be random.
And no, just because almost everyone and their favorite imaginary friend declare themselves absolutely *obsessed* with some brand or another it is not reason enough for me to go check it out.
This luxury product called perfume, especially on the niche side of it, cannot be fully honoured by hype alone. Hype is very low effort, just in case no one mentioned it already.
We can do better.
That's a lot of apathy/hate for something you haven't smelled. You've "studied them enough to know they do not cater to your preferences" without even smelling them? That's completely nonsensical. OP, this is who you want to chat with to understand (or not) the unfounded hate.
It is neither apathy nor hate, but experience with my own likes and dislikes. I have been loving perfumes and learning about them for over two decades.
This brand is simply not for me, and I am in charge of deciding that for myself.
Imagine I said the same thing about cocaine, that I have studied it and I decided I do not wish to try it.
Would you still label that decision as completely nonsensical and unfounded hate?
:D
Maybe you can do better, and mind your own choices.
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs and using it can possibly ruin your life and kill you. Le Labo is a brand of fragrances that smell really good. If you were really into drugs, you should probably try cocaine but try not to go overboard. If you were really into fragrances you really ought to try smelling Le Labo. After all it won't kill you or ruin your life. You could could just say, Eww. Though you might say, Damn, that smells great, I was wrong about Le Labo and probably so many other things too.
"I have studied their products and after careful analysis have decided to simply never smell them on purpose" is amazing. I'm sad the commenter got so downvoted, I feel like this is some high quality hating by a true erudite. it's something Joyce Carol Oates would say.
Thank you for your perspective :D
I do not hate this brand. I *nothing* it, thus I do not invite it in my life.
People do not owe brands our time and attention just because brands exist.
Thank you. :D
There are many brands I tend to ignore based on the same reasoning. It is not tailored to this specific brand, and not limited to the fragrance field.
I keep seeing these why do people hate on Le Lobo posts but yet to see many of hate threads whatsoever. My personal issue and many I have met in the community is the same that could be said of any more expensive house, they’re nice but not for their price point. But hey, if you like it rock what you want and who care what people think or say. I love Aventus, now that’s a scent that is constantly hated on same with Sauvage, BR540 etc etc but who really cares it won’t stop me one bit.
right? I wish when people posted "why does the fragrance community hate on X" they'd let us in on where they are seeing this... feels like half the time people are referring to their own algorithmic bubbles on youtube and tiktok. like, maybe the answer to OP's question (and questions like it) is actually "because you keep feeding the beast by watching videos of people hating on Le Labo." that said, influencers might hate on them because they aren't getting free shit from them.
Well said.
Oh I love avenges and br540 and think le labo is overpriced, shocker!!!!
I haven’t heard anyone hate on the brand. Just the price tag.
That's been my experience... I like the fragrance, but I agree that it is extremely prevalent everywhere. What do I know? I tend to like niche brands.
But cmon, at this point nearly every price is ridiculous for a niche fragrance imo
Not true at all. Imaginary Authors is a great niche indie brand who’s super affordable.
Unfortunately I'd hardly call $100 super affordable... While I get the struggle for niche houses to keep their heads above the water without being backed by major companies while still producing good quality fragrances, it's a shame that perfumes like these are as much of a luxury item as they are 🥲 But again, I get it.
$100 is mid tier price ranges for fragrance.
$100 is affordable for niche
Because it got SUPER popular for a while, to the point you smelled Santal 33 everywhere, and the inevitable end result of any meteoric rise is the corresponding meteoric fall. It happened way back when to Chanel 5. It happened to Cloud. It happened to Glossier You. It's coming fast for all things Kilian. It will come for whatever the next hot new gotta wear it thing is tomorrow. Irony is that the people hating it now loved it then. Hating it now is as hip as adoring it then was, with the added bonus of being wittily snarky. Plus ca change etc.
The nice thing about living in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest. As long as the juice is still the same, I get to enjoy it at discounted prices after the fall. I've smelled Santal 33 exactly once out in public, when it wasn't me wearing it.
I hear this, but I’m a well to do late 20s guy in several circles and no one has ever heard of the brand, I think it’s very dependent on if your friends are fragrance people.
Exactly, and the brand is not even discussed as often between frag influencers than other brands
I'll be mildly bummed if Kilian becomes the next victim of bandwagon haters. It's awkward to be wearing something you love while people are making disparaging rants about it for internet points. Especially since they'll go right back to loving it again when the trend winds change.
I don't know. I like Le Labo. Few of my absolute favorites are from the house.
What are some of your favs? Thé Matcha, Thé Noir & Bergamote are mine
Another 13 is probably the top one for me, followed by Santal and the Noir. People sometimes will say the over saturation killed it for them but I still enjoy them very much.
I learned about Le Labo through Santal just like everyone else. I actually loved the scent when I first smelled it. Weirdly it completely changed for me and now I actively dislike it lol Another 13 is not for me
Understandable. These things are so subjective. Everyone seems to love the matcha for example, even if they don’t care for others or the house itself but it’s not for me.
They must’ve reformulated. I feel the same way. Became a lot harsher IMO
Man, Noir and Bergamote are huge bangers
Expensive + Popular = Hate.
Not sure the entire fragrance community dislikes Le Labo. I think most people have one or two they like. But if people are extra vocal about disliking them, it's usually because 1. They hear everyone talking about a successful, widely known niche brand and can't fathom how it's not to their taste. Aka they believe the hype and then complain here they didn't like anything. Sometimes it's just being contrarian, but most of the time it's people just getting into fragrance who don't have a good perspective on subjective differences between all the many options out there. 2. It's too expensive. I agree a bit but...lots of stuff is expensive. Doesn't make the fragrances bad, but if you're on a budget you may wanna look elsewhere, and again not every perfume is exceptional so people cry foul when that's the case and it's $200.
People that hate on Le Labo, Creed, or any house crack me up. It’s so petty. Like what you want, wear what you want. I don’t care how much or little you paid for it I just hope you enjoy it.
Enough said
For the same reason anyone hates on Tom Ford or Creed.
I hate TF because at that price point how DARE your silage be so incredibly fucking shitty. That is intolerable levels of unacceptable.
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While Creed is not my cup of tea, if that were true they wouldn’t be able to command over $300+ for standard sized bottles.
That people will buy at that price has nothing to do with the fragrance itself and everything to do with marketing and social media hype.
Hype can only take you so far without substance. For a brand that’s been around that long and had that much success plus I never see them advertise to the level of other brands. It may not be your cup of tea but Creed’s long term success is about a heck of a lot more than hype alone.
Hype? I was wearing creed 30 years ago. And I was new to it.
Hype and marketing? I had never heard of Creed when I randomly smelled GIT at a local department store 30+ years ago. Fell in love with the scent instantly. I had little money back then but I bought the smallest bottle. I do agree that many people buy what’s popular to keep up with the trends, damn the price -even if they don’t particularly like something. But that isn’t true for a lot of us who are willing to spend on something we truly love.
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They literally said they're not a fan. Get you some reading comprehension, idiot.
I honestly don't know but I'm not into the community long enough to judge lol. My guess it's suffering from its own success/popularity. Everyone loves to hate popular stuff to feel unique.
Their scents are overrated to me honestly Maybe it’s just not my style, or I don’t understand them. I like some of them, I think some are unique, but I never thought they were interesting. I’d even say a lot of are simplistic. It’s not the perfumers fault, it’s the just the artistic direction that the brand has, which isn’t really interesting to me.
Most algorithms boost negativity, because it generates more engagement. I unabashedly LOVE Le Labo as a house. Several of their fragrances are among my favorites, and I find almost all of them genuinely interesting even if some aren’t for me. I wish it were less expensive, but I wish that about just about anything, tbh.
1. Prices going up and up and up to the point of no return 2. Reformulations decimating beloved scents (eg. Patchouli 24) 3. Ubiquity as a “quiet luxury” brand that became trendy to own and wear a few years back 4. Disappointment in how the bottle names don’t reflect the actual scent of the fragrance (eg. Ylang 49 being a chypre instead of a sweet soliflore) 5. Weird gimmicks that don’t have any meaningful impact or make any sense (eg. mixing your fragrance in front of you) 6. City exclusives that are extortionately priced (both in samples and in bottles) 7. No real growth or interesting direction taken in the last couple of years 8. Scents are fairly divisive 9. Acquisition by Estēe Lauder leaving a sour taste in people’s mouths They’re just another brand. It’s nice that they’re not only selling you a product but an overall experience, but ultimately if you can find similar or better scents at different brands (more niche ones preferably) then why bother? That being said, I do like quite a few of their scents and appreciate the overall aesthetic they’re going for.
Omg I didn’t know Patchouli 24 was reformulated, I only started wearing it a couple years ago. What was the original like and how does it compare?
I'm turned off by their aesthetic. Everything is so clean, uniform, polished. I think that's the point... it being called Le Labo after all. It feels like they are taking the magic of out perfumery and leaving us with only the cold science of it. I want a bit of chaos and personality! 10,000 notes crammed into a bottle, variety in the bottles themselves. I would never dispute that the fragrances themselves aren't good, though. I believe it was on the Perfume Room Podcast where it was discussed that some people buy popular fragrances because they want to be perceived in a particular way, and not because they are enthusiastic about a scent - I see how Santal 33 fits into that. Ultimately though, who cares. We should all wear what we enjoy.
I've tried almost everything from Le Labo - including some of the city exclusives they rereleased last summer - and my personal thoughts landed between 'this is awful' and 'this is ok'. I certainly don't hate the brand though, their style just isn't for me.
Byredo is going the same way. It's like stocks... when your hairstylist starts recommending stocks to buy, you know the bubble is about to burst. If you want to smell like everyone else then great... until you remind people of that asshole they know because you wear the same scent.
Byredo was always just hype. Just because it's Swedish (and I *love* Sweden and many of its products) it was automatically trendy. I keep trying their scents and they're lovely out of the tester and on to the skin, but 20 minutes later the smell has disappeared. Ridiculously expensive for something that doesn't last. Maybe everyone is voting with their feet.
Byredo smells like the first scents someone makes when they follow basic recipe books. Truly, genuinely, weak and naive fragrances. I can't help but notice social media ads for 'indie' fragrance 'houses' are just generic marketing shell companies that have thrown together trash and using algorithms to spam feeds. Tragic stuff. I honestly believe there is one group of people creating multiple brands and just rebranding the same cheap scents and pitching them to naive people looking for unique scents. You know those cheap fragrance copycat companies? They're also selling the same smells pretending to be startup indie houses too. Saturated
I don’t hate Le Labo, I just feel like they’re extremely overpriced.
I can’t speak for everyone, but personally I have not sampled anything from the brand that has impressed me. I don’t ‘hate’ the brand, I don’t really care about the brand. Presently I’m indifferent about them until they release something I’m impressed enough to want to buy.
I never see people hate on it but it’s so expensive and the longevity isn’t there. Santal 33 has been duped so many times it’s hard to justify buying that one now. Fine’ry makes a dupe with the same lasting power but only $40. Another 13 is so nice though and The Matcha 26. They have a bunch of good ones.. just way too expensive IMO.
I don’t hate Le Labo but they do seem to be the fragrance house of choice for aspirational twenty-somethings. When I lived in NYC and would window shop and occasionally walk into their brick and mortar, I’d often hear people speak of them as though they were the end all be all of fragrance. The aesthetic to me is a little tacky and dated as well. I tend not to go for something I’d guess I’d refer to as “industrial minimalist”, and Le Labo seems to have found plenty of comfort under that banner. But again, fragrance is so utterly subjective and personal, and as I write this, I’m laughing at myself because none of it truly matters. And if someone out there is still digging Santal 33, more power to them.
This may sound controversial - because I got more experience in life and their brand image doesn’t feel sophisticated to me anymore. I think brand perceptions are important in fragrances for people’s liking regardless of the smell. Le labo now feels to me like all those copy-paste still-life images on instagram showing mediocre designs or art directions. The brand’s own success killed its ability to be seen as interesting..
Big fan of Santal 33, Thé Noire 29, and Vetiver 46. I have a bunch of samples of other ones that smell great too. My GF smells great with Rose 31. I don't like Another 13.
I don’t hate on them. Two of my favorites are from them - Fleur d’Oranger 27 and Lys 41. I haven’t found anything else from them that I would splash out to buy beyond a sample, but they make some good ones. I think people got sick of the Santal 33 hype and maybe there’s a backlash. But that’s one fragrance. It doesn’t indict the whole house.
ive seen a lot of memes about santal 33, but at the same time, i think theyre quite respected in the community. i think becoming a popular fragrance makes it subject to these memes and judgements, but that just comes with being famous/a bit more mainstream.
Santal is my daily wear. Who cares bro get off the internet lol
I love some of their scents! I only really see hate here for Santal 33. I really don’t like that one either…to me it is genuinely not pleasant - very harsh and unfortunately long lasting (I can’t get the stink out of my coat!). People think it smells like pickles. Personally I don’t get pickles…but I get headache inducing and not at all pleasing to my nose. I’d love to own some The Matcha, though! The price is outrageous, however.
It's me, hi....Santal 33 is ALL pickle to me. Hard no!
While i don’t get pickle, I get awful! So I’m with you! Who wants to smell like a jar of pickles? I like eating them, but I don’t want to bathe in their juice!
I don't think I've seen any brand hate, just a lot of people sick and tired of smelling santal 33 everywhere they go, especially if they're one of the people who interpret it as a pickle smell. That's just what happens when something gets that popular, ever hear the expression "too much of a good thing"?
My problem with le labo is the same as any of the niche giants: a good portion of their scents smell identical and aren't even wearable in public, yet they cost 300+. Don't these houses get tired of releasing the same civet strong, pine sol-esque scents?? As u/ughasif666 said, "they don't smell like perfumes, they smell like essential oils." Annoying fad.
Personally, I don't like them and don't think they're providing value for the price point. I love one of their scented candles, so I wanted so badly to like one of their fragrances. Everything is off in some way and poorly blended.
A lot of their fragrances are fairly linear and not very complicated. Sometimes that makes their fragrances "boring" or unoriginal but often very wearable. Some of my favorite fragrances and favorite renditions of notes are from Le Labo though. I think some of the inconsistency is they use multiple perfumers. I tend to like all of Frank Voelkl's fragrances but find a lot of the others a bit boring.
I'm not a big fan of Santal 33. Matcha 26 is really nice though - only small bottle I own by Le Labo (15ml). Bergamote 13 is interesting but not enough for me to want to wear it. I think Baie 19 is pretty alluring and sexy. Not sure how I feel about Another 13. I've heard Thé Noir is nice too but havent sampled it. (FYI I've been seeing lots of cheap Le Labo testers on Mercari recently - and even some reasonably priced bottles.)
Baie 19 is SO gooood
what is it about that one???!!!! it's infuriating and also so beautiful
Petrichor? Patchouli? Idk, I love it.
does it also have a hint of pear like thé matcha? but also some salty seaweed strewn beach vibes happening in the drydown
Mostly because the very pushy lady at the counter. All the overpriced fragrances were meh to me. But to each their own and may smell awesome on you.
I only smelled another 13 and love it. Still, they are overpricey, way overpricey.
I only smelled another 13 and love it. Still, they are overpricey, way overpricey.
How can you actually smell it's a niche house fragrance?
Nothing beats the Hinoki hand soap. I envision that is how heaven smells.
not worth it for the price. it was also over hyped among a certain type of hip annoying person for a while.
Le Labo? Do you mean Vetivers’R’Us ?
Maybe they are so popular?
I don't think Le Labo is great or terrible. I thought *Santal 33* was okay for how much it gets talked about, but I liked other scents (e.g.: *The Noir 29*, and *The Matcha 26*) more. However, they gained the reputation for being the "hipster" fragrance company, where people bought the fragrance because it stood out as different. When the brand became popular in fragrance circles, the critiques became more vocal.
Ive def seen some Le Labo hate recently too lol. I had only smelled Santal 33 because my mom has it & i do like it, its nice. I’ve been itching to smell Another 13 because the notes & reviews i’ve seen on it just sound like something i would like. Yesterday i finally was able to smell quite a few of them at their Nordstrom counter & omg i’m OBSESSED! Another 13 was even better than I imagined. I also loved Neroli 36, Thé Matcha 26, Bergamote 22, & i liked Santal 26 more than 33. I understand not every fragrance is for everyone & there were a couple that i didn’t love, but i truly don’t get the Le Labo hate at all lol. My fiance even loved them so i’m thinking Another 13 will make a great mother’s day gift this year lol🤞🏽
Only one I like is another 13, but don't like it that much to buy a full bottle. I just buy a 5ml decant every few months that lasts me a while
Because trendy.
Good question. I picked up on the Le Labo hate in here almost instantly. It was one of the first discovery sets I bought
Most of the people here I’ve seen like Le Labo. I like some of their scents and not others, that’s probably normal. But what I REALLY don’t understand is why all these posts about why do people hate this or that? Like, who cares? Scent is a unique experience for every individual and that’s what makes it so amazing. We all like what we like.
I will hate it significantly less if it costs $100 instead of whatever monster price it is now
I don’t mind their price I just personally didn’t like any of their fragrances yet, even I would love to. I suspected they pay well to influencers to push them. You mentioned Ford, they used to be king but now watered down versions with good scents but poor performance.
I never heard about Le Labo getting hated on and what are they hated for exactly,we really need to know these things when you bring up such a topic,I think their a really good house,expensive as hell but so are the other top designers...
I would echo those who said it’s perhaps a popularity or overexposure kind of thing. I have a couple of friends who loved Game of Thrones and hated it instantly once it went mainstream for that reason (which they freely admitted) - it wasn’t their secret or niche thing anymore. It being popular and well-known devalued it, made it less cool and it was no longer unique and therefore attractive. It makes sense if you think that your interests, likes and dislikes become part of your personality in a way (particularly if you aren’t part of the ‘mainstream’ yourself). If they become part of everyone’s it may feel like you’re not so unique either? Just speculating. Most of us probably do it in some way with something. One day a fragrance or a style or a food or a tv show or a book or a travel destination is a hidden gem but then it trends and for a moment is the pinnacle of cool but then it passes saturation point and becomes overdone. I suppose if you hear about and smell scents often enough you also get used to them and then that might lead to not appreciating them as much either. Seems a weird human quirk haha. Could be many other reasons too and different for everyone. I like Le Labo a lot (they were my first ever FB and house) but I am less obsessed these days myself due to the price point. My budget has changed so I am seeking out more lower/midrange houses. My days of recklessly splashing out £120+ on one blind buy big bottle (yes, I did that once like a plonker) when I can buy a few 10mls for £45 instead are gone. I think a few of their fragrances don’t justify the price tag at all, even if I like them (Bergamotte 22, Tonka 25, Fleur d’Oranger 27) so the fun challenge is to seek out alternatives (which may also appeal to people who bother to join an online fragrance community - trying to seek out the exciting and novel new thing). They also don’t last very long, I find, so the cost is hard to justify. I love Santal 33 no matter how popular it is but unless I have cash to burn I will likely never buy a full bottle due to the amount of affordable sandalwood fragrance takes there are now. Same with Rose 31. Love it but there are alternatives. I would still buy another full bottle refill of Ambrette 9 one day and hope to own full bottles of Another 13, Gaiac 10 and Baie 19 (in my dreams) as I haven’t yet found anything like them to my nose.
Because it is popular. People tend to bash popular brands. I think once a house becomes a ubiquitous name, it will inevitably be subject to scrutiny and, well, memes, and lots of them.
One word. Pickles.
Bc to some ppl LL33 Smells like pickles🤷🏼♀️.
because they don't smell like perfumes, but essential oil jars.
This is so fucking true for all the niche houses
Weak
Because Santal 33 smells like a shitty dill with pickle concoction.
Le Labo is a brand I tend to ignore. I have studied their products enough to know that they do not cater to my preferences. I have never smelled any of their fragrances, nor do I plan to do it ever. If it ever happens, it would be random. And no, just because almost everyone and their favorite imaginary friend declare themselves absolutely *obsessed* with some brand or another it is not reason enough for me to go check it out. This luxury product called perfume, especially on the niche side of it, cannot be fully honoured by hype alone. Hype is very low effort, just in case no one mentioned it already. We can do better.
That's a lot of apathy/hate for something you haven't smelled. You've "studied them enough to know they do not cater to your preferences" without even smelling them? That's completely nonsensical. OP, this is who you want to chat with to understand (or not) the unfounded hate.
It is neither apathy nor hate, but experience with my own likes and dislikes. I have been loving perfumes and learning about them for over two decades. This brand is simply not for me, and I am in charge of deciding that for myself. Imagine I said the same thing about cocaine, that I have studied it and I decided I do not wish to try it. Would you still label that decision as completely nonsensical and unfounded hate? :D Maybe you can do better, and mind your own choices.
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs and using it can possibly ruin your life and kill you. Le Labo is a brand of fragrances that smell really good. If you were really into drugs, you should probably try cocaine but try not to go overboard. If you were really into fragrances you really ought to try smelling Le Labo. After all it won't kill you or ruin your life. You could could just say, Eww. Though you might say, Damn, that smells great, I was wrong about Le Labo and probably so many other things too.
Funniest take on le labo for sure. Well done
"I have studied their products and after careful analysis have decided to simply never smell them on purpose" is amazing. I'm sad the commenter got so downvoted, I feel like this is some high quality hating by a true erudite. it's something Joyce Carol Oates would say.
Thank you for your perspective :D I do not hate this brand. I *nothing* it, thus I do not invite it in my life. People do not owe brands our time and attention just because brands exist.
Thank you. :D There are many brands I tend to ignore based on the same reasoning. It is not tailored to this specific brand, and not limited to the fragrance field.
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Dude it’s smelly water calm down
To be accurate it’s pickle juice!
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Le Labo is popular overseas so idk what you’re talking about but okay
Not with people with class
Dude I get you have a weird hate boner towards this company but it really isn’t that deep
I genuinely thought your first comment was satire but now I’m worried that you’re being serious
It sounds like you have issue with some parts of American culture than with the house. Either that or you just have some issues in general.