tldr; Smoky tea leaves, fig, and vetiver. Cozy sophistication without sweetness. The drydown justifies the Le Labo price tag.
Check pricesScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Le Labo Thé Noir 29
“As someone who's borderline obsessed with smelling like a vampire, this is my time to shine! I don't think that there is one trait that makes a fragrance give me that vibe, although there are a few things that could take a scent into that direction such as notes of incense, earhiness, dark green notes, baroqueness and a general sense of darkness. Le Labo The Noir 29 - an expensive one, but totally worth it. It's dark, witchy, brooding and a little poisonous, but soft at the core and infinitely chic. It's a bit of a chameleon in the sense that there are many different ways to interpret it, it's essentially a fig & tea scent with vanilla in the base, but it's also tangy, tannic, bitter and caphoraceous. Kinda like drinking dry red wine in the middle of the forest. CDG Rouge - beetroot with churchy frankincense and soapy, mineralic aldehydes. Yup. Beets. Agricultural, vegetal but also sweet, warm and slightly bloody. Everything about this scents smells red, and it's definitely gothic, but it's also very classy and wearable. Lalique Encre Indigo - damp, earthy vetiver, tea and ink. Pretty self explanatory, highly underrated and definitely unisex despite being labeled as a men's scent on fragrantica. The original Encre Noir is a bit more challenging but it's definitely worth checking out as well. You might also want to check some offerings from Serge Lutens, it's an extremely highly regarded house for a very good reason and many of their offerings have this dark, slightly gothic vibe despite being extremely pretty and wearable, I recommend Iris Silver Mist, Fille En Aiguilles, Ecrin De Fumee, De Profundis, L'Orpheline, Feminite Du Bois, Cuir Mauresque, Chergui and Ambre Sultan, maybe Muscs Koublai Khan if you're feeling particularly daring. Some other perfumes you might want to try are Celine's Reptile, Portrait Of A Lady, Tom Ford Black Orchid, SHL777 Mortal Skin, Montale Patchouli Leaves, Jovoy Psychadelique, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, ELDO Hermann, Chanel Sycomore, Byredo Bibliotheque, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue & Vol De Nuit (I can't overstate how much I recommend trying these classic Guerlains!)”
“this really depends on the type of fragrance you're using. \- if you're using a body spray/mist, spray all you want and re-apply every couple of hours because the longevity of these fragrances aren't the strongest. the good thing tho is body mists are safe to spray on clothes \- for EDTs (especially for freshies), i tend to spray 4-5 times (1 on each shoulders, one on each wrist, and one at the nape of my neck). then reapply after 4 hours depending on my mood and the season. if it's hot af (i live in a scorching hot tropical country so reapplying fresh fragrances is a good thing to do), i'd reapply 1-2 sprays: 1 on the back of my shirt/collar and one on my wrist to dab behind my ears and wrists \- EDPs are a different thing. since these are more potent, i only do 3 sprays: 1 on each shoulders and one on the wrist to dab on. most of the EDPs and parfums I own last for at least 6 hours and mix with my natural scent so i'd rather not overspray to not make it smell pungent. for respraying, 1 spray at the nape is enough; sometimes, a small spray on the wrist to dab is good too, especially if it's a fragrant concoction (i usually do this with Le Labo The Noir 29) Sidenote: I *always* put on moisturizer or lotion before wearing fragrance. i've noticed that a clean, moist skin is more effective in locking in fragrance. i also avoid spraying on my neck as i've recently had eczema flares there and my dermatologist isn't happy with my fragrance habits... so spraying on my shoulders is the way to go for now hope these tips help!”
259 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026