Le Labo

New York fragrance company Le Labo have just opened their first UK store, just off Marylebone High Street in London. Until now you could only get hold of their carefully edited collection of scents from hip stores such as Liberty’s, Colette in Paris and Barneys New York. I was first drawn to the brand in Colette: there’s something appealing about the scientific-looking little glass bottles with plain labels in a market that’s saturated with fancy flacons and flashy names. There are just ten key scents, from a heady, complex Rose to the more manly Vetiver. I’m always drawn to jasmine scents; I find the sultry yet sweet A La Nuit by Serge Lutens as close to perfect as a perfume gets. And Le Labo’s Jasmin 17 (the number tells you how many ingredients the scent contains) is just as intoxicating. Though these little bottles are not cheap (from £70 for 50ml), a little lasts a long time – must be the high quality of the essential oils which come direct from Grasse. I do hate the idea of Ambrette 9, the ‘most precious baby formula in the world’, though: the release rhapsodises about ‘A baby perfumed by Le Labo… How cool can you get?’ This kind of guff makes me feel a mug for falling for any beauty product, ever. And yet. Jasmin 17 is addictive, sensual and different. The body oils are a less pricey way of enjoying these beautiful scents (around £30). A store worth sniffing out.

28a Devonshire Street, London, W1, 020 3441 1535, www.lelabofragrances.com