Gaiac 10 (2008)
by Le Labo

Um, .... Meh ! (*shrugs shoulders*) ...
Wishy-washy woods, over wishy-washy incense and detergent musks. Whilst certainly pleasant enough, especially for those who prefer fragrances that whisper rather than shout, it is absolutely nowhere near worth it's lofty, and quite frankly ridiculous, price tag. It's basically the ultimate fragrance for those with more money than sense. (Although paradoxically not for those who need to show off they can afford it, for no one else will be able to smell it on you.) Purely a private indulgence.
Plus, guaranteed you will be able to find something that will smell very similar (even better !) for much, much, MUCH less !

19th November, 2011.

In the same way that Vetiver 46 is modeled on CdG Man 2, this seems like it's Visit, but with higher quality ingredients. I like it a lot, but with a full bottle of Visit on the shelf, it would be redundant to buy this one.

15th October, 2011.

I can't get too excited about this stuff and certainly wouldn't spend a fortune to own it. It smells like something but I can't recall what, another fragrance, I mean. Somewhere out there there's somethin' a lot cheaper you could be wearing instead and smelling pretty much the same. I just can't put my finger on what it is

23rd May, 2011.

Gaiac and musk - lots of musk. I don't have longevity issues at all. In fact, over a day later I can smell this at the spot of application on the skin or clothes. My guess is that many folks are anosmic to one or more of the musks in the base, leading to perceived longevity issues for some. My understanding is that these musks are the most likely chemicals to go undetected by many. [FWIW, for me, they always stand out, usually a bit too much, so it's possible that I'm a little hyper-sensitive to the smell of these. That might explain why I avoid scented laundry detergents and tend to think everyone in the US smells like cheap detergent.]

Anyway, what's it smell like? Bright wood and clean musk. The musk softens the wood element, and in my opinion, somewhat drowns it out. One thing this reminds me of, a bit anyway, is Gucci Rush for Men. It's not "the same," but there are some shared notes and elements, and I think, the overall feel or effect is similar. Also, Kyoto from CdG. Again, it's not 100% the same, but it's in the same ballpark. Kyoto might be a little more complex than this. I'd probably take either of those over this. All-in-all, Gaiac 10 features lots of bright, twangy wood, lots of synthetic, clean musky elements, and something of a generic "incense" - though not frankincense - vibe. It's not bad, but for the money I expected more.

9th May, 2011.

Annick Ménardo's second Le Labo creation, a Tokyo exclusive, is just a little different from her Patchouli 24; read Baudelaire's 'Correspondances' to find what strikes me as a contrasting of the pair.

Gaiac 10 is an uncomplicated, diaphanous scent of woods, olibanum and musks. It is reserved to the point of self-effacement, yet endures for days. While very much in the vein of Mark Buxton's compositions for Comme des Garçons, it is probably closest to Antoine Lie's Wonderwood for the Japanese line – a kind of Wonderwood soaked in milk. It sweetens as it dries, with occasional murmurs of the oily and the floral, and it comes to smell like the sweetly musky halo of a newborn. Tender, affecting, and as innocent as its exclusivity is cruel.

14th April, 2011.

Gaiac 10 is a minimalistic, transparent woody-incense with a clean musky undertone. Think about that cool incense in Kyoto by Comme des Garcons, but obviously with the use of much better notes. Although, Gaiac 10 is a very stripped-down, bare scent in terms of composition, the incense is tranquil, soothing and very calming. I love to wear Gaiac 10 if I'm in an introspective mood, when my day requires a lot of concentration, and I don't want to wear anything heavy to distract me. I wore this when I was doing my entrance exam for graduate school, and I love to wear it when I'm at the art gallery staring at the abstract paintings for hours.

As much as I like Gaiac 10, it seems like the type of scent for people who hate wearing perfumes. Although, it lasts for hours, it has little to no projection off the skin. Something about it reminds me of that smell you'd get from sniffing an unscented anti-perspirant gel from Mitchum. It's an exclusive scent for the city of Japan, and if you're ever in Tokyo, you'll most likely not smell a scent on anyone. Gaiac 10 is meant to be very quiet, strictly for those meditative occasions. An interesting fragrance, that probably deserves a thumbs-up, but overall based on my definition of a perfume, I feel neutral about it.

8th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 9th March, 2011.)