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City Exclusive Collection

Poivre 23 Le Labo 2008

7.5 / 10 68 Ratings

A perfume by Le Labo for women, released in 2008. The scent is spicy-woody. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Resinous

Sweet

Oriental

Fragrance Notes

Bourbon pepper

Frankincense Styrax

Styrax

Vanilla absolute

Australian sandalwood

Gaiac wood

Indonesian patchouli

Labdanum

Perfumer

Nathalie Lorson

Ratings

Scent

7.568 Ratings

Longevity

7.852 Ratings

Sillage

7.050 Ratings

Bottle

6.858 Ratings

Value for money

5.525 Ratings

Submitted by TVC15 · last update on 10/12/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

This fragrance is available in London.

The fragrance is part of the City Exclusive Collection collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Fahrenheit Absolute

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/28/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Top Review 7

Perfect pepper

One of the nicest Le Labo fragrances I have ever tried. And basically the first pepper fragrance I’ve ever liked. Rich but simple, realistic, straightforward, clean but dark, bold and unique despite featuring some really common notes ( “the devil is in the details”...).Basically, as the name suggests, it is a peppery fragrance, but an extremely clever, balanced and pleasant one. Pepper is quite tricky in fragrances; some tend to be really loud (Villoresi’s Piper Nigrum), some cheap or screechy, some are just boringly, artificially “woody-peppery”, or sometimes they’re just a monotone pepper litany. Well, Poivre 23 isn’t any of that. It brilliantly manages to keep pepper as the central note, yet with some really pleasant and enjoyable nuances that give some colour, some evolution and some vibrancy to the scent – both “bright” and “dark” nuances (or better say, warm-sweet and cold-balsamic). The palette of “colours” of Poivre 23 is quite nondescript actually, it’s just a really vibrant and shimmering fragrance which doesn’t smell like pretty much anything else. I get a lot of “curry” smell, especially initially; some subtle vanillic amber, maybe even something greenish-floral and slightly resinous.

The evolution gets eventually drier, a bit muskier, earthier, still with a perfectly detectable warm-ambery labdanum note, at the same time slightly more balsamic and green (in a dark, “fougère-like” meaning). And with a really pleasant whiff of crisp laundry musk. It feels like a “pepper soliflore” with distant, light echoes of other fragrances – from Etro Ambra to Le Labo Labdanum to many musk-vanilla scents, to (obviously) pepper fragrances like the abovementioned, and inferior, Piper Nigrum, finally almost reaching some really classic green-floral Chanel or Laroche scents – not sure why but I thought of both vintage Laroche’s Fidji and Chanel’s Cristalle at some point. I am not saying I smell them here, rather that their faint green-musky chypresque ghosts lightly “float” around on the background thanks to some really well-put subtle nuances that seem to recall them. Probably one of the most “dynamic” scents I’ve smelled recently, brilliantly keeping it consistent around pepper and cumin. I can’t explain myself better – it’s just a really catchy, fascinating and refined pepper-resinous-green scent, unique and vibrant, extremely enjoyable to wear. And that’s it. Bravi!

8/10

09/22/2013

8Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Flavorite
240 Reviews

Flavorite

Helpful Review 5

An Meditative Incense Pepper with Roxy Music Style, Never Mind The Sex Pistols

Poivre 23, Le Labo's London City exclusive is nothing like what I was expecting. I had envisioned a bracing gutsy slick scent to go along with London- sharp. Spiked hair and Sid Vicious. Hip. Sassy. Instead Poivre 23 opens with a deep and soulful incense note provided by sweet gum resin blended with an understated dose of come hither (or at least, follow me to the bar to ask my name)gaiac wood and a retrained pinch of Labdanum. I feel myself floating through a Japanese Garden into a peaceful Zen-like trance. I hear the faint song of a Balinese Gamelan instrument in the distance, I perceive the barometric pressure increasing and the impending release of a long and cleansing downpour of rain is assured. Poivre 23 is not without a touch of sultry vanilla and natural smelling Sandalwood planks. I am aware of a black pepper/pink pepper but there is not sneeze to follow, not one bit of irritation; is that a Curry house around the corner?

There is just a gentle slightly sweet melancholy and languid sensuality of temple incense, rain, damp wood, and dry vanilla. Is this my HG incense/spice scent? I think not, personally I love and then ignore Vanilla based scents with the phases of the moon- I guess, it's called fragrance A.D.D.; none-the-less, Poivre 23 is quite intriguing. This is very modern, unisex, slightly mystical and very calming- I can see this working as a year round signature scent on the right bloke or bird. It fades into a skin scent after about 30 minutes, but lingers in that state for 7-8 hours of earthy, woody, spicy lusciousness.

If you like the idea of pepper but find Lanvin's "Oxygen" (I find both the Men's and Women's version to be sneeze inducing)or Molton Brown's "Black Pepper" too biting and harsh...give this one a try, it's a kinder, gentler pepper with plenty of soft smooth jazz groove substance and depth under the umbrella.

11/03/2013

9Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Ergoproxy
1130 Reviews

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Ergoproxy

Very helpful Review 10

Baby, baby pepper me

After my testing disaster with Another 13, I dread each new sample I want to test, fearing another abomination. Therefore, the surprise and excitement are all the greater when the respective test candidate develops as Poivre 23 does.

Those who cannot tolerate pepper in perfumes can confidently skip testing this Le Labo, as pepper plays a significant role all the way into the base of the fragrance.

The pepper note used here is pleasantly spicy, and although it almost single-handedly carries the entire opening, it lacks the sneezing-inducing sharpness that is usually rather bothersome in perfumes.

From time to time, a sweet, powdery accord joins the pepper note, giving the fragrance an unusual counterbalance and at the same time a touch of elegance, which increases slightly with the base accord.

The pepper note then almost completely merges into what I find to be a very elegant, earthy woody accord, and although no flowers are listed here, the final accord has a certain floral undertone.

Le Labo has skillfully implemented the theme of pepper with this perfume, comparable to J.C. Ellena in Hermessence Poivre Samarcande or B. Duchaufour Poivre Piquant for L'Artisan.

Now I am torn between which scent I prefer, the rose or the pepper.

By the way, today I happened to hear the song "Sugar me" by Lindsey de Paul, which I would need to slightly rephrase for Poivre 23 to make it fit for me.

02/04/2014

6Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Seerose
775 Reviews

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Seerose

Helpful Review

The list of fragrance notes is longer

than the events during the course of "Poivre 23". I mean, "Poivre 23" is an easily graspable scent with a very direct short progression. The full-bodied and imaginative ingredients are supposed to evoke something suggestive?
Of course, I didn't check at first. That's why I missed this fantasy journey.
"Poivre 23" starts quite authentically with a fresh pepper blend. I can smell something like this from my pepper mill too. I like it, also because they have refrained from recreating the truly authentic smell of dried white pepper. I had feared something like that. It stinks like manure from a pigsty. When I once complained about this regarding an eco-pepper I had freshly bought, I was told that this smell was real and occurred during the fermentation of the peppercorns and the river water used.
However, it only smells aromatic and peppery for a short time. That's fine, I don't want to smell like a pepper mill. A nice wood blend mixes in, gradually eliminating the pepper scent and smelling nice for a while.
Then a friendly incense scent develops, warm and spicy like from the best resins. Not at all sacred but still a bit woody. This incense-dominated blend with wood and a bit of resin stays on my skin quite a long time; I can only remove it by washing, but it's bearable.
Because otherwise, nothing else happens for me. The vanilla has probably been absorbed by the strictness of the pepper. For "Poivre 23", you have to like incense. However, would I choose this scent at that price?

10/30/2018

3.5Scent 10Longevity 9Sillage

Cloeed
10 Reviews

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Cloeed

1

Probably the Worst Since White Linen

I was quite happy when the City Exclusives from Le Labo arrived. Alongside the highlights, there is also Poivre 23. Generally, every fragrance ends up on a tissue; I found it strong, sweet but "interesting" and wanted to give it a chance. Whatever possessed me that morning, I sprayed a bit on my neck and smelled it so intensely even with a headwind.. it was vacation time, an autumn day, and the temperatures allowed for breakfast outside. I made two attempts to wash the scent off in the restroom; I had my food packed up because I couldn't get it off.. the next stop was a French pharmacy, where I tried to explain to the saleswoman that I needed something with a lot of alcohol to get rid of the stuff. Alcohol-soaked disinfectant wipes were then the salvation, and it became considerably more bearable. Pepper: yes. Unfortunately paired with this intrusive sweetness. Not for the faint-hearted..