Le Labo Labdanum 18

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.

A brief look at Shalimar

I'm not intending to write about Shalimar in any great detail, suffice to say that I have enjoyed it for a number of years, having bought the eau de parfum for my wife. I wear Shalimar regularly and don't find it overtly feminine. I love its combination of rich, sumptuous vanilla, smoky oppoponax and zingy citrus. Today I came across the eau de toilette at Boots and without really thinking gave myself a spritz. What struck me most was how different the opening is to the eau de parfum. It starts much lighter and with a much fresher and modern citrus. It was not until about half an hour later that I started to properly recognise it as Shalimar. Opinions differ, but many people seem to think the parfum extrait is the best concentration of Shalimar, while some mention the cologne. I haven't tried either, or any vintage versions, so can't comment. However I definitely prefer my eau de parfum concentration to the eau de toilette. 

What versions of Shalimar have you tried, and which is your favourite?

Image credit - http://www.punmiris.com/