LE LABO
CORIANDRE 39
2024
lime
coriander leaf
watery notes
green flowers
musk
Coriandre 39 is a Mexican City exclusive. The Le Labo City Exclusives are available in all the Le Labo boutiques every year in August & September.
‘Cilantro: the most controversial of all herbs? Some of us can wax poetic about those lacy leaves. And some of us fervently disagree. Need we say more? Yes, actually. We’re pretty sure CORIANDRE 39 will surprise you. With the first spritz, a zing of spicy lime and aldehydic cilantro leaves (coriandre in French) set the stage for quieter crisp watery notes to peek through. Fresh, green florals enter, then stick around for an intoxicating musky dry down. It’s a sensory experience that teeters between tranquil and vibrant. Think forest bathing in El Bosque de Chapultepec – a peace enriched by call-and-repeat birdsong – or sipping mezcal in the shade at a humming café in La Condesa.’ – Le Labo
Coriandre 39 is 2024’s addition to Le Labo’s City Exclusives, representing Mexico City. Per concept of this collection, it will be available every year in the other boutiques and online during the months of August & September. I live about an hour from a Le Labo boutique, so I stopped by to pick it up as soon as it launched (at €12 a sample… the things I do for you guys).
Which leads me to arguably the main issue with these City Exclusives: While many are fine and I enjoy the concept, they’re hardly worth the price hike versus the regular Le Labo line, which already isn’t the cheapest. This is also the case for Coriandre 39 (retailing at a simply overpriced €330/50ml or €475/100ml).
Coriander in perfumes usually refers to coriander seed, but here it refers to the leaves (cilantro). And I was expecting something a tad more unique. It was obviously going to be quite green and not really up my alley, but while I ended up enjoying it moderately, it didn’t wow me.
Lime stands out in the opening. And for the most part, Coriandre 39 smells like herbal/aromatic lime fragrances. It’s citrussy, green, fresh and quite sharp.
There’s a soapy element (I do not mean to insult cilantro lovers here, but yes, it not only tastes like soap, it also smells like it). Sort of reminiscent to the green soapy tinges of fresh vetiver scents, but a bit sweeter; which in turn reminds me of Essential Parfums Bois Imperial a bit. Scent wise, I’d argue that lime keeps standing out most.
On paper, it seemed overly citrussy and cleaner; like a watery green tea. On skin however, there is a much stronger bitter, even spicy edge to Coriandre 39, that in my experience takes away some of the refreshing quality.
Overall, this is pleasant. Solid for Summer and I think people who are more in tune with green fragrance will enjoy it more. It’s definitely not one of my favorites from Le Labo though and I would be surprised if a lot of people find it exciting enough for its price point.