What does Abu Dhabi smell like? We’re thinking kebabs, petrol and possibly even camels, but we put the question to Edouard Roschi, co-founder of Le Labo, the capital’s newest perfumery. ‘For an Abu Dhabi scent,’ he ponders, ‘off the top of my head, I would be inspired by the smell of hot sand.’ Then, getting a little carried away, he looks off into the distance and continues dreamily, ‘You know, that smell… sand so hot it’s melting, burning…. sand turning into glass…’
Le Labo perfume is extremely expensive for a number of reasons that set it apart from other premium brands. For a start, the scent is handmade right there on the spot in an in-store laboratory, so you get to watch the perfumers weigh the ingredients, bottle them, and – as a final flourish – add your name to the label. The idea is that the fragrance should be as fresh as possible, and it also adds that distinctive whiff of anti-mass production exclusivity to the brand. The brown paper packaging is edgy and urban, and the concept has been a massive hit in trendy metropolises across the globe – think New York, Tokyo, Paris and London. Abu Dhabi’s branch is the latest.
‘This region has a deep-rooted tradition and genuine understanding of perfumery,’ says Edouard. ‘People like to add drops of their own favourite oils to their fragrances and personalise them.’ The range of 11 scents sold here (which are not designed to be layered or added to) includes two that have very Middle Eastern notes – the dusky Rose 31, Le Labo’s bestseller, and the Oud 27. Fragrances are all named after their primary essence and the number of ingredients used altogether. Six others are made exclusively for their respective cities, designed to capture the character of their surroundings. The Abu Dhabi scent won’t be available for a while, but the Dubai version, which Edouard says will have ‘leathery, musky notes’, will be in stores in December.
All Le Labo perfumes are unisex, although some are naturally more masculine or feminine. The Rose 31, for example, is surprisingly woody and spicy, and worn more often by men. Edouard dismisses the idea of a fragrance being only suitable for a man or a woman, partly because the way the scent combines with your body chemistry alters its smell dramatically, and partly because the essences used are rarely in themselves masculine or feminine, but depend on your personal taste. ‘I wore Chanel No. 5 for months,’ says Edouard. ‘Nobody said “Oh, you’re wearing a woman’s fragrance.” It’s simply such a classic, incredible smell.’
The perfumes have something of a cult following – not just the fanatic perfume bloggers who rave about smelling ‘wet, dirty irises’, ‘candied tenderness’ and notes that are ‘intensely animalistic ’, but a list of celebrities including Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez. We don’t doubt Abu Dhabi’s most aromatic ladies and gents will all be queuing up for a spritz too.
100ml bottle of Le Labo scent, Dhs895. Le Labo, Paris Gallery, Marina Mall (02 681 6662).
Pick out your perfect scent
• All perfumes have three notes
• The top note evaporates first, the middle note develops a little later and finally the base is the longest-lasting scent. So wait for the perfume to fully develop before making up your mind.
• Don’t try more than two scents at a time as this will make it harder to make a judgment.
• Don’t rub your wrists together after you’ve spritzed as this spoils the perfume’s composition.
