Sitting at my desk with a cat on my lap, I slowly typed each credit card number into Le Labo’s website.
Buying a sample of the brand’s Santal 33 fragrance made me feel like I was entering a club I’ve long been an outsider to. The perfume, which can cost up to $1,095 for a bottle, is favored by celebrities, businesspeople, and other fragrance fans.
I was reminded of the scent — and the fact that I’d never smelled it — while interviewing successful men about their favorite colognes. Many of them mentioned Le Labo.
To feed my growing curiosity, I tried the brand’s most popular scent. While I was at it, I figured I’d also experiment with a potential dupe: Jungle Santal by Target’s fragrance brand Fine’ry.
Quickly, I realized that Le Labo fans might want to switch to the cheaper alternative.
Santal 33: a fragrant and expensive status symbol
I ordered my Santal 33 sample — which cost $12.79 with shipping and tax — on a Thursday morning, and it was delivered to my doorstep the following day.
Despite its minuscule size, the sample embodied Le Labo’s understated aesthetic. The glass tube was wrapped in cardboard, and a yellow sticker displayed its ingredients and origin.
I’ve heard many fans say that Santal 33 is “refreshing” and “smells expensive.” One social-media user said the scent reminded them of a pricey hotel in New York City.
Though I originally expected something light, almost like a spa scent, I altered my expectations after reading the perfume’s description on Le Labo’s website.
With notes of iris, violet, sandalwood, and leather, maybe it would smell sharp but floral, with a lingering musk.
I didn’t expect the perfume to smell like pickle juice — a comparison that social media has shown is common among Santal 33 critics and fans alike.
Cat Chen, the founder of the fragrance brand Skylar, previously told Business Insider that the reason perfumes can smell bad to you and great to others is likely related to your body chemistry — or, more specifically, your skin type and pH balance.
In my experience, the fragrance first smelled deeply earthy with a floral touch. As it settled, the musk kicked in, creating a mixture that reminded me of a spice cabinet and, again, an open jar of pickles.
I found it unpleasant and overpowering. Ultimately, it was not for me.
Once the perfume was on, its odor could not be ignored. So, I put my distaste aside and tested the scent’s lasting power.
It was most fragrant in my hair, where I could smell it strongly for the first two hours I wore it. Four hours after application, the scent had nearly vanished from my skin.
I even asked friends and family if they noticed my perfume. They said they only smelled it faintly when we hugged.
The quick fade in scent surprised me. If I had spent $107 on the smallest bottle of Santal 33 or $1,095 on the largest, I’d savor every spray.
Purchasing the sample also did not include a coupon to save a few dollars on a larger bottle — a fairly standard practice in the perfume industry. Representatives for Le Labo did not respond to a request for comment.
Target’s version isn’t exactly the same — but it’s close enough
Fine’ry doesn’t claim to make dupes, as it told Fast Company in April. The brand aims to bring luxury scent trends to consumers shopping at a lower price point.
Still, on “PerfumeTok” — the fragrance-obsessed side of TikTok — numerous fragrance fans have said the brand’s Jungle Santal perfume, sold at Target as a $29.99 perfume and $14.99 body mist, matched Le Labo’s Santal 33.
I ordered the more expensive bottle on the same Thursday I ordered my Le Labo sample, and it arrived by Sunday morning.
I was quickly impressed. The perfume, packaged in a plastic-wrapped box with a modern design, looked more high-end than expected from a big-box chain.
One spray proved that the Jungle Santal perfume isn’t an exact dupe for Santal 33 — but they’re similar. Both scents feature notes of cardamom and wood and are equally strong and musky.
While Le Labo’s perfume quickly reminded me of pickles, Fine’ry’s initially smelled more masculine with a stronger spice. Still, when the two fragrances settled on my skin, they were almost indistinguishable.
One thing I preferred about Fine’ry’s scent is that the perfume features a note of black oolong tea, which I felt calmed the fragrance.
Most noticeably, they lasted the same amount of time, about four hours, on my skin.
The Fine’ry perfume did seem to fade more dramatically. Whereas Le Labo’s perfume slowly drifted away, the more inexpensive fragrance seemed to lose a large chunk of its scent every half hour.
Representatives for Fine’ry did not respond to a request for comment.
Money versus fragrance
What’s considered a good perfume will always be a matter of personal preference. While I like sweet gourmand scents, others despise anything in the category.
So, I can’t say I enjoyed wearing either fragrance simply because I’m not a fan of musky, spicy scents.
However, based on lasting power, price, and aesthetics, it’s hard to see why fans wouldn’t swap Le Labo’s pricey perfume for the Fine’ry option.
It lasted as long as the more expensive fragrance, was packaged in a pretty and minimalistic bottle, and cost significantly less than the designer option.
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