Reviews of Labdanum 18 / Ciste 18 (2006)
by Le Labo

So where’s the labdanum? Oh, I’m sure there’s some in there, but anyone expecting a labdanum-centered fragrance will be sorely disappointed here. Labdanum 18 is actually nothing other than an attenuated Musc Ravageur: Musc Ravageur “Lite,” if you like, composed by the same Maurice Roucel who did the superb original for Frederic Malle. Labdanum 18 is thus not only unoriginal, but conceptually misguided as well. As I see it, the whole point of Musc Ravageur is its over-the-top extravagance, its unabashed sensuality, and yes, an certain perverse gaudiness. To defang it as Roucel has done here is to render it pointless. There are plenty of other great spicy-sweet oriental fragrances out there at less than half Le Labo’s price. Without thinking about it I can name at least a half a dozen: Eau Lente, Shalimar, Jaïpur Homme, Maharanih, Shaal Nur, L’Air du Desert Marocain, and let's not forget, Musc Ravageur!

Why bother?

Simply put, Le Labo's Labdanum 18 smells like an expensive sweet-ish amber baby powder from top note to base note. It is is similar smell-wise Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs and just as horribly cloying and awful. Le Labo makes so many wonderful, original perfumes and I am perplexed that Labdanum 18 is one of theirs.

From what I can find, here are the notes for Labdanum 18: "labdanum (cistus) with a slightly animalic notes".