SOTD: Le Labo Osmanthus 19 (Kyoto) 🌸

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Kicking off the first of five City Exclusives from the sampler I picked up yesterday (others to come: Poivre 23 [London], Myrrhe 55 [Shanghai], Mousse de Chêne 30 [Amsterdam], and Cédrat 37 [Berlin]).

Opening (application): sweet, deep, warm — osmanthus’ fruity floral character came through right away, with spices hiding in the background and an incense undertone.

30–60 min in: incense has stepped forward, shimmering more prominently. The sweetness is still present but now feels like the dance partner instead of the lead. I’m also catching a mild leather quality and a distinct resin nuance.

Projection: on the low side so far — obvious when I bring my arm to my nose, but I’m not catching random wafts in the air.

Le Labo describes Osmanthus 19 as opening with incense and lavender, with the osmanthus flower blooming next (creamy, uplifting), rounded out by woody, resinous tonalities. The Kyoto inspiration is clear: a nuanced scent for a city where ancient temples stand just steps away from neon lights and video game arcades.

On a personal note, I had the pleasure of visiting Kyoto in my 20s. I remember touring its historic temples and can now imagine being enveloped by the scent of incense lingering among the monks. That’s exactly the vibe this fragrance is evoking for me right now — calm, meditative, and slightly mysterious.

PSA: thanks to

@Ben E

for flagging — for August only you can build a 5×1.5ml City Exclusive sampler for $65 (choose whichever five you want). In September, full bottles are available. After Sept 30, they’ll revert to being sold only in their “home” cities.

I’ll post again tonight or tomorrow with dry-down impressions as it continues to develop.

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