Over the years I've read some very mixed reviews of Labdanum 18. There seem to be, broadly speaking, two camps. The first love it and praise its warm, cozy, cuddliness. The other abhors its sweet, fluffy powderiness.
Having worn the perfume a few times, I can say that I understand how one could fall into one of the above camps. In many ways Labdanum 18 is sweet, powdery, warm and cozy. Fortunately, for me at least, the fragrance wears a bit dryer on my skin, which suits me just fine.
I wore Labdanum 18 today for the first time in quite a while, on a frigidly cold spring day. As an aside, I can't wait for this winter to end. It has been the coldest for some time and I am sick to death of it. Anyway, I think the cold today made the perfume feel more austere than usual, which is saying a lot, as I doubt many people would describe Labdanum 18 thus. Perhaps I should rather use the term 'pared down'. Most reviews will mention Shalimar as a reference point and I can see similarities, albeit the Le Labo being a far more modern interpretation of the style. However, to my nose Labdanum 18 bears far more of a resemblance to Musc Ravageur, which is probably no coincidence considering that the two perfumes share a common creator, the great Maurice Roucel. However, Musc Ravageur is far more sensual and animalic, with a greater musky kick, in other words a bit more growl and claws.
