OliveEyes@oliveeyes94
· Edited
It's been a City Exclusives kind of day
Le LaboGaiac 10 Tokyo4.4101 ratingsModus Operandi: sniff the cards, choose a few, spray each on skin, and get along with your day. Here are my thoughts 10 hours in:
Benjoin 19: A fizzy, altar-wine resin that reminds me of both Avignon and Musk Deer. The notes say frankincense, but the cola scent suggests myrrh. As the fizziness softens, it settles into a sweet, suede-like musk. It's missing the deeply resinous, vanillic purr I love most about benzoin, and compared to the golden warmth Benjoin Bohème shrouds me in, this feels rather lacklustre. 6.5/10
Gaiac 10: I'd tried this years ago. It's a love. The pinnacle of ethereal: glassy, crystallized incense and clean, transparent wood. Pure, white, and angelic. Think CdG Kyoto without the green, but even more magical. Faint, but far from fleeting. I'll be needing 5ml. 9.25/10
Mousse de Chene 30: A bright, lime-infused, herbaceous moss. It smells like the olfactive equivalent of tennis-ball yellow. It warms up and gets woody, but maintains a fresh, mossy character, with a touch of bitter earthiness. Unfortunately, this goes a bit cleaning-product on my skin. 4/10
Shiu 25: Ancient wood, brushed clean, infused with resinous sweetness and floral softness. More serene Asian temple than austere Catholic church. It brings to mind Gypsy Water, whose candy-sweet incense rubbed me the wrong way. Shiu is more resinous and less sickly, but also reminds me of earwax, so there's that. Far from unpleasant, but an unfortunate association. 7/10
Tabac 28: A thick, woody pipe tobacco that feels like stepping into a humidor. It reminds me of cherry blunt wraps, but with more boozy richness than damp fruitiness. It dries down to dry, timeworn wood, spicy-smoky tobacco and a subtle earthy sweetness. Surprisingly lovely. 8.25/10
Vanille 44: A fluffy, powdery, marshmallow vanilla that smells light, airy, and cloud-like. It reminds me of vanilla custard powder, but perhaps the elusive woods and incense keep it from feeling too edible. Nice, but as dull as dishwater. 6/10
Wore it on September 5, 2026
- Afternoon
- Rainy
- Humid
- Warm
