Labdanum 18 / Ciste 18 (2006)
by Le Labo

This one reminds me an awful lot of Lutens Ambre Sultan. It has that oriental amber/vanilla thing going for it. It gets a bit powdery after the resinous top wears through and overall just doesn’t do a lot for me. Definitely left me wanting more and I don’t find this one all that great.

8th February, 2012.

This starts out deep, sweet, smoky & slightly medicinal on my skin, with the animalic growl of castoreum lending it a confident & sexy swagger. Over the first hour it slowly becomes sweeter, more powdery & ambery, but that delightful smokiness remains. 3-4 hours in, there's a sweet, musky vanilla, & 5 hours in it's faded to a very Guerlinade-like skin scent. The sillage is moderate for most of it's duration.
l was compelled to try this after reading the comparisons to Shalimar, & l can see the similarities in the drydown. lt also reminds me of Solange Azagury-Partridge's Stoned, but l think l prefer Stoned; it has more complexity, greater sillage & a much more prominent labdanum note to my nose. l adore the first hour or so of Labdanum 18, but after a promising start it seems to lose it's power; rather like a big cat that turns out to be a little pussycat underneath. lt's a nice comfort scent though, & very cozy to wear on a cold winter's night.

29th January, 2012.

Maurice Roucel is a genius. I own his Frederic Malle fragrances, Musc Ravageur and Dans Tes Bras, and they are among the most complex yet delightfully wearable scents I've ever encountered. Labdanum 18 is baby powder for grown-ups. Love it.

11th January, 2012.

Roucel's interpretation of the labdanum is an average quality amber/vanilla with some spices on top and an almost imperceptible civet note. It sits somewhere bewteen Musc Ravageur and Ambre Sultan but lacks the brilliance of the former and the majesty of the latter. Nice but nowhere close being exciting or distinctive.

Surely not a standout.

25th December, 2011.

I ordered 5 samples from Le Labo`s website last week.

I tried Labdanum 18 as the first of them today...

This scent is a true oriental...I fully agree with Mimi Gardenia in that the whole experience feels like a smoother version of Shalimar...beautiful suave experience with lots of vanilla notes...warm cosy scent for autumn/winter days where you are in the mood for coffee, chocolate, reading a book, listening to your favourite music, writing poetry or painting a picture...

Incredible longevity after only 3 tiny spritzs on my chest...and as they say in Le Labo`s website... this scent is personal, delicate and intimate for those who like to perfume themselves for themselves..

Big thumbs up...

11th October, 2011.

What do you know -- Le Labo have actually represented pretty well within the fragrance the name on the bottle. That resinous amber note softened by vanilla is very nice indeed. I can't smell a single trace of birch tar either -- it's not a leather scent. Rich and heady -- I love it.

6th September, 2011.