Story & heritage

Lavender? Perhaps you conjured up an image of your grandmother’s wall-papered bathroom, with a bar of purple soap sitting next to the sink. Or an old-fashioned barbershop, with whiffs of lavender mixed with oak-moss floating in the air. In true Le Labo form, LAVANDE 31 knocks all preconceived notions of lavender on its head. Its bergamote and neroli essential oils give it a fresh lift-off to reveal a lavender of the greatest purity, where only the flower buds are distilled, giving the creation verticality and richness. Its foundation is pure Le Labo: ambery, dirty, and musky notes, blended with notes of tonka to give this perfume a regressive classic style that is both clean and dirty, recognizable yet truly unique. Nope, this isn’t the lavender you thought you knew. Welcome to a new reality.

Le Labo (French: the lab) is a slow perfumery brand born in Grasse, France, based in New York City and owned by Estée Lauder. Le Labo was founded in 2006 in New York City by two friends. It was purchased by Estée Lauder Companies in 2014. Le Labo fragrances are named after the principal scent note and the total number of ingredients combined to make them.

Materials & craft

The composition leans on bergamot, musk, moss and finishes through lavender, neroli, tonka for a citrus trail that stays present without feeling heavy.

How to choose & style

Wear it for daytime clarity; it reads especially well with clean tailoring and light layers.