Patchouli 24

Patchouli 24, inspired by Le Labo Patchouli 24 (2006)

Despite the name, birch tar sets the tone: smoky, tarry and a little rubbery, closer to a smouldering campfire than to a patchouli leaf. Leather and burning wood follow, with a dry, tobacco-like quality underneath. Styrax, a balsamic resin, gives the heart a sticky depth that keeps the smoke going. Later the fire dies down and vanilla takes over, still carrying a trace of char.

About the original

Annick Menardo composed Patchouli 24, which launched in March 2006 among Le Labo's first ten fragrances. It sits in the permanent Classic Collection and exists only as an eau de parfum. Le Labo sums it up as smoke and leather and publishes no note list, so the notes here come from launch reviews and fragrance databases.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Le Labo stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Lovers of smoky leathers and tarry woods are the natural audience. It is dense and dark rather than fresh, and the vanilla in the base is boozy, not sugary. Buyers expecting a classic earthy patchouli will be surprised, because the smoke dominates throughout.

Related scents

• Le Labo Tabac 28
• Le Labo Santal 26
• Le Labo Vanille 44 Paris

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Top notes: Patchouli

Heart notes: Birch, Styrax

Base notes: Vanilla, Animal Notes

The opening is mostly smoke: birch with a tarry, rubbery twist, and a thin thread of patchouli behind it.

Styrax carries the heart, resinous and balsamic, keeping the smoke alive and giving it a leathery body.

The drydown turns to vanilla with a slightly animalic edge, still wrapped in smoke.

Does Patchouli 24 actually smell of patchouli?

Only faintly. Patchouli is listed in the opening, but birch tar smoke, leather and vanilla are what most people notice.

Is Patchouli 24 sweet?

The base turns to vanilla, so there is some sweetness late on, but it is boozy and smoky rather than gourmand.

Which Le Labo edition is this based on?

Patchouli 24 Eau de Parfum from the Classic Collection, the only concentration Le Labo makes of it.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Le Labo and Patchouli 24 are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Le Labo in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.