Rose 31 by Le Labo · Brotherhood Of Scent

Rose 31 by Le Labo

This weekend, I finally had the chance to try travel size bottle of Rose 31 by Le Labo, and I wanted to share my thoughts after wearing it for a couple of days.

The initial opening is quite pleasant, featuring a mildly sweet rose aroma that’s beautifully complemented by woody notes. This combination of the woods makes it unisex and entirely wearable for men. However, after a few minutes, I noticed the scent took on a slightly soapy quality—think of a luxurious rose-scented soap you might find in a high-end hotel. Around the 30-minute mark, the fragrance transitioned into a spicier and muskier rose, which intrigued me. Once I discovered the spice was cumin, it made more sense the direction the aroma took. While the cumin adds a unique muskiness, it thankfully doesn’t evoke the body odor connotation that it can sometimes carry.

As the scent settles, it becomes more subdued, revealing a predominantly woody rose that’s closer to the skin. The projection is quite good for the first half-hour, but it becomes more intimate after that, lasting just over five hours in total. To enhance its longevity, I layered it with a base of iso-e-super, which helped significantly—both in durability and in keeping the scent from becoming overly soapy.

Overall, I find Rose 31 to be a decent interpretation of a rose scent. Le Labo certainly succeeded in creating a modern and unisex fragrance. However, if you're looking for something with a similar profile but with better performance and a more masculine edge, I would suggest checking out Much Ado About the Duke by Penhaligon's instead.

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