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prefekt23 – :
Anyone want to sell a decant, message me pls.
mgd817intitytek – :
Scent – a watered down rendition of serge luten’s ambre sultan.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the colder months, during the day.
Projection – I didn’t get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 12hrs consistently.
xpom0190 – :
I love Le Labo, and some fragrances are really unique, but sorry, this is a ‘deja vu’: EMBERS by Rouge Bunny Rouge is the same fragrance (just a bit bitter in the drydown).
moc0000 – :
this made to order scent from le labos city exclusive line has to be its show stopper if you ask me
its main downside is that its only around for one month out of the year with the exception of Moscow and that it commands a hefty price but once your able to acquire it those two points also make this a scent worth having
Benjoin 19 opens with fizzy sort of cola vibe followed by the smooth creaminess of soft cedar and benjoin which reminds me a lot of oud wood in the opening its hint of incense lingers in the background and it doesn’t take a commanding roll which makes this a pleasure to wear
unfortunately the opening and middle notes are short lived and start to fade some what quickly and by the middle to dry down your mainly left with cedar and musk
longevity and projection are weak but that may change if you work that trigger finger more then usual
like many scents that are not easily obtainable it comes down to how willing you are to track it down and the more work thats put into it the more this scent may shine even with some of its shortcomings le labo – benjoin 19 is a personal pleasure scent and not exactly one that you wear for others or to stand out
on to the next
olegk83 – :
I’m kind of surprised by the lukewarm reception that seems to be proffered for Le Labo’s Moscow exclusive Benjoin 19. I guess in a way, one could level some criticism for it being perceivably ‘pedestrian’ to an extent, and whilst it might be argued that this is true, it is also far more than that!
Benjoin is a wonderful take on the increasingly crowded resin theme. Frankincense and Benjoin are expertly entwined in delicious balance, sweetened slightly by a kind of vanillic amber accord that smoulders away and helps mitigate the austerity of the incense. A coniferous cedar note serves to provide a lovely ‘outdoorsy’, natural feel, which prevents the scent from developing a liturgical feel.
This seems more a holiday in a forest cabin with some hipster friends than an alter boy tending his duties in the cathedral. It seems to finally mellow nicely into a soft, musky base with the amber becoming more dominant and this occurs over 3-4hrs, but the dry down certainly continues to abide far longer than that. Initially this stuff billows and rolls to your nose nicely, but after a couple of hours on me, it retreats to the skin and wafts around gently, so it’s polite enough to wear in most company. Suited to the colder months, I find Le Labo Benjoin 19 delightfully comforting, versatile and undeniably classy. Shame about the astronomic pricing! I say keep an eye out for decants. You won’t be disappointed!
ZIGE-74 – :
Benjoin 19 Moscow is another cold weather-leaning entry in the Le Labo City Exclusive line and much like its closest friend in the group, Poivre 23 London, it is a powerful fragrance with a decent overall composition. I’m not an authority on resins, but the combination of benzoin and olibanum is a powerful combination that seems to be at the forefront of the fragrance from start to finish—it’s a resin-dominant experience. The drydown is mainly sweet amber—a pleasant, slight departure from the resinous opening.
I started off thinking this was complex like Poivre 23 but it ultimately was simplified in the manner described above—resin and amber. The projection and longevity are both above average, even for the EDP, but as with the other works in the City Exclusive line, the most damning aspect of the fragrance is the price, at (when Luckyscent offered it in September) a steep $290 for 50ml. And I’ve come to the same conclusion as with other fragrances in the line—it’s not worth the price. At a lower price, I might consider it since I certainly like (not love) Benjoin 19 as a winter option. It feels appropriate for this time of year. An interesting entry, for sure.
8 out of 10
b0sas – :
BACKGROUND: I just got the 2015 sample set of the exclusives from Luckscent and will wear one a day with a review for each – from a male perspective.
Today I’m wearing Benjoin 19 to the office.
SCENT: Opening with a buttery punch of Benzoin and Olibanum, first impressions are positive and get better over the next hour as the fragrance smooths out and picks up a surprisingly fizzy edge from what I think is (unlisted) Labdanum, of all things. Ularewolf – you said below that is smells immediately like the dry down of something else. I know what it is – this is the dry down of Sahara Noir by Tom Ford. Like, exactly that is what it is.
OFFICE READY? Very much so. I walked into the office this morning to compliments from my colleagues, who were pleased that I wasn’t strutting around in a billow of Musc 25 like I was yesterday. Benjoin 19 has a perfect sillage for the office – very mild, but it still has presence thanks to the vanillic warmth of benzoin and the dark intelligence of olibanum.
NIGHT OUT READY? You won’t stand out in a crowd thanks to the mild sillage, but up close you’ll smell bed-ready. This is a lovely skin scent and it begs a nuzzle and a little intimacy.
BETTER THAN THE REGULARS? No, not a better composition or something more ‘special’ than Santal 33, Patchouli 24 or Vetiver 46.
WORTH THE $440 (AU $600)? No. Lovely as it is, Benjoin 19 really is just a more socially acceptable Sahara Noir that is (like SN) very unisex but without the forceful front of SN. There’s no way you’ll smell like you’re wearing $440 with this. You will smell like $150-$250 tops.
WORTH $240? Yes, but I wouldn’t buy it if it became a non-exclusive. It is lovely, but it’s nothing really brilliant. It would make a good every day fragrance for people who would like olibanum without drawing too much ire from colleagues.
HIGHLIGHTS: This cuddles you all day. It might not get in people’s faces, but it does stick around – warm and close. It’s a smell that’s been ‘done’ but its familiarity is comforting – the composition not brilliant, but (pleasingly) linear and long lasting.
Syr27 – :
Benjoin 19 is pleasant, but uninspiring. It’s little more than vanilla and frankincense—notes that are cast rich and deep, probably as the result of layering and folding different extractions over the top of each other. There’s also a slight musk (it’s pretty much ambroxan) and possible something a little floral (jasmine? lavender?), both of which are buried so deep into the vanilla that you’d be hard pressed to spot them. Benzoin is vanillic by nature, and I don’t doubt that there’s plenty of the real stuff in this scent (it’s not like it’s a precious material), but make no bones about it: this is benzoin spun as vanilla ice cream. And that’s it. They’re charging over $400 for this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the production cost of the compound (per bottle) doesn’t even crack 40c. Pleasant enough if you want a linear, semi-sweet vanilla perfume — and I really do enjoy it for what it is — but the pricing is silly.
gss416 – :
i love this! i really REALLY do. it’s a resin overload, but in saying that, it’s REALLY good. REEAAALLLYYY good. sorta kinda reminds me of amouage’s “interlude (woman)”, with that sweet and resiney note. i love the benzoin in this, earhty and sweet. definite winner…
(_HOMA_) – :
Tried this at Barney’s today and LOVE it. It is definetely sheer with very low sillage, but the quality and composition make up for it. It is a very smooth, enjoyable amberous resin note but perfectly balanced and not super sweet as ambers tend to be. This is an intensely natural take on Benjoin that blends the cedar and woods into a light, creamy resin.
I especially like the mental pictures the City Exclusives conjure when sniffing them. This does remind me of being in a forest in winter and connects with the Russian theme. And being a fan of Russian art and culture I always connect thick ambers and benjoin with Russia. This is perfect for fitting with Moscow.
Bagerdegleply – :
I agree with ularewolf 100%. This is officially the softest projecting scent, I’ve ever sampled. I’ve dumped the entire vial from LS on my chest and still no projection. I smell Benzoin yes indeed, as well as Frankincense and Cedar but it smells like the end of a dry down and I just applied it!!!
To be honest I’m pretty disappointed being a fan a Le Labo and all. I expected more, maybe due to the fact that I’m half Ukrainian. If I’m shelling out this kind of coin I should get 2-3 wears from a vial sample plain and simple.
alexander1962 – :
First impressions of Benjoin are not good. It smells like a base of something I’ve smelled before. The price it’s being charged for is ludicrous, not to mention minus one month a year you’d have to go to Moscow for it.
I get that it smells like benzoin, a favorite note of mine, but Le Labo is usually not literal, and for the price I wish they weren’t. If it’s a soliflore I would just buy an essential oil, some perfumer alcohol, mix it and I would save a crap load of cash.
I was really hoping this would have knocked my socks off, but Amber Oud is far better than this and even cheaper.
Coeloathoth – :
Wow, I really like this one! Of course, being a city exclusive it’s not available too often but had I smelled this first, I may have bought this and not Wonderwood by Comme des Garcons. They smell very similar but Wonderwood doesn’t have the smoky vibe that I don’t like, so in that way, I prefer Wonderwood. Still, I do like Benjoin 19..so I guess I’m ok about not having a bottle of this one ….yet….
I think if I get some money to burn I’ll pick up a bottle but if not, oh well…I have my beloved Wonderwood….and my Gaiac 10 which also bears a small resemblance to this one….but only small.
Bottom line- if you have anything similar, take a pass. If you love woods, get Wonderwood.
Update: I don’t think this smells like Wonderwood or Gaiac 10 anymore. I have sampled it 4 times now and I don’t care for it anymore…it just reminds me too much of those 80’s perfumes I’d wear like Fendi or Magic Noire which at the time I liked, but not anymore. To each her own though–younger women may love this because they don’t have the 80’s association.
777Vip – :
I liked it from the start, but thought what other reviewers think: nice, but does not stand out. However, by the third wearing I find that this perfume grows on me. It is all about resins and woods. It is a smooth coniferous scent, warm and cosy.
Vitaly Nsk – :
Really, not one of the Le Labo Highlights, but at least it smells like the name implies, but doesn’t go beyond it. A standard cozy/sweet/ambery benzoin fragrance with musk and something incensed. Nothing that you really need to know.
EDIT: Wore it again, and curiosly the amber/benzoin main notes got at the background on my second wear and what was the main part was the incense and cool frankincense aroma and cedar woodiness. The musk used in this gives it a faint oud impression after hours on skin. I still makes me think that is a great base for a even greater perfume.
Timur-95 – :
I just tested a sample of this and although nice, it doesn’t stand out from all the other amber musks on the market. The drydown is all cedar. I think this is more masculine than feminine.