Le Labo Bergamote 22 has been on my wishlist for more than a year - there was always something else I wanted/needed/had to pay for so I've been delaying this purchase.

For those not familiar with Le Labo, the fragrances are mixed fresh in front of you in the 'lab'.




I love the packaging - the very masculine and industrial feel/look of the box and the bottle.  The box has rather cheeky messages too.


I picked this up from the Le Labo counter at Liberty London.  There is a discount offer on right now until the end of the Olympics - you get a £20 discount off a £100 spend.  Now is the time if you want to pick up something from the Liberty Beauty Hall (unless you want to hold out for their GWP beauty bag, usually in September).


The very photogenic Robert mixed my perfume for me, and happily let me take photos while he was working away.  Somehow I had this idea in my head that Le Labo measures out every ingredient in the perfume (in Bergamote 22's case, 22 different oils) and mix it at the counter.  However I was disappointed to find the perfume is mixed from a "here's one we prepared earlier" concoction.  So Robert basically measured out this concoction in a mini beaker on the scale and added alcohol to it.  It's then sealed into the bottle and mixed properly in the shaker machine thing (very technical with the techniques and names here).


Then we get to the next USP of Le Labo.  Each bottle is personalised with your name and where it was mixed.  I think this makes for a great gift - providing you know which perfume the lucky gift receiver likes.  According to Robert, all the perfumes are popular in their own way, but the most popular are Santal 33, Rose 31 and Bergamote 22.


I'm terrible at describing fragrances so I'll let Le Labo's website do the work:

This dazzling bergamot combines freshness, sweetness and sensuality with acrobatic talent. All these qualities were encompassed in the perfume’s initial code name: “Fire Cologne”… It’s the delicate floral character of petit grain, the bitterness of grapefruit, as well as the flamboyant sweetness of amber and musk with a viril touch of vetiver, which gives Bergamot 22 its unique personality…

I prefer non-cloying, clean and fresh smelling perfumes - and Bergamote 22 is definitely one of those.  When I got home I realised it's labelled "homme" but I think it can be worn by men or women (I actually wear men fragrances sometimes, so maybe I gravitate towards that kind of smell?)


More cheekiness.  I wonder what happens if I write to both emails? :)