Lys 41 Le Labo 2013 Eau de Parfum

Winter in New York City. Between the high-rise buildings on Madison Avenue, snowflakes are reflected in the glittering facades of the shop windows. A woman, wrapped in a short black fur jacket, a casual Marc Jacobs bag in her hand, her blonde hair perfectly styled despite the wind, walks purposefully along the street. Perhaps she's on her way to an art opening in Soho or an aperitif in a bar. A true New Yorker. As we stop next to each other at the traffic lights, I am suddenly surrounded by a fabulously creamy, sweet and woody scent. It's as if she's just returned from vacation and still has the scent of the sun, a luxurious hotel lobby and the finest suntan lotion. I am fascinated and can't concentrate on anything else but this fragrance.

She seems to be following the same route as us, heading towards Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center. With every block we walk together, the scent unfolds more. I notice white flowers, first and foremost the beguiling sweetness of jasmine, paired with a beautiful lily note. Underneath lies a bright, radiant vanilla note. Heavy and radiant at the same time, individual and incredibly elegant.

That winter evening in New York was actually the first time I asked a complete stranger on the street about her scent. A little surprised, but friendly, she told me: Le Labo Lys 41. As I unfortunately don't have the budget of a New York It Girl at my disposal, I quickly put it in the "just dreaming, but better forget it very quickly" category. I sprayed myself a little wistfully at the Le Labo counter in every upmarket department store in New York and decided to forget about the fragrance back in Germany. Which wasn't difficult, as it wasn't available to test anywhere.

So I was all the more delighted when my boyfriend gave me the fragrance for my birthday six months later. Even though I hadn't spoken about it once since then! But he also thought the fragrance was simply stunning and said that I needed it... (what would a true perfumer like to hear more than that ;)) I've loved the perfume ever since, I don't really wear anything else on special occasions because it's simply addictive - and probably also because I associate it with such wonderful vacation memories. Incidentally, the longevity and silage are well above average, which also puts the price into perspective.