So, what corpus delicti do we have this time? A new perfume in the drugstore? Never heard of this brand. Information about it on a well-known video platform and various other forums is scarce. Well, it’s time to file a report again. Company:
It’s called “COmmon” (eng. “together”) and “LABOratory” (eng. “laboratory”), which initially evokes associations with synthetic mixtures. However, the manufacturer claims to work with nature and use natural extracts. And indeed, the packaging advertises environmentally conscious production. No cellophane over the box, very commendable. Even 90% of the ingredients are said to be natural. And the other 10 percent? These are necessarily derived from synthetic components, as stated on the homepage. And let’s be honest: Certain production possibilities cannot be guaranteed otherwise. This honesty can be viewed favorably. It’s always nice when smaller independent fragrance houses dare to compete against the “big ones” with good concepts. Where is this company actually based? Oh, it says here: in the Polish Grudziądz... sounds familiar, but more on that later. Bottle:
Naysayers would certainly wrinkle their noses at the boring design. For all other normal people, the cubic shape with the wooden cap would be a reason to place the thing on the perfume shelf. However, I ask you not to lift the perfume with the cap on, as it does come off easily. This may also be related to the sleeve in the cap, which is made of plastic. Well, so be it. Scent:
Unisex with a slight lean towards the masculine direction. The main categories could be classified as “spicy-woody” with hints of the “earthy,” although everything is in a lighter variant. I noticed a small inconsistency in the fragrance notes: Both on Parfumo and on the company homepage, the notes of cedarwood from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, patchouli from Indonesia, cardamom from Guatemala, and mugwort from Morocco are listed. The packaging omits the mugwort, instead listing guaiac wood from Paraguay. However, I can’t detect any olfactory difference whether one ingredient or the other has been swapped. Maybe one of you scent hounds can figure it out. ;-) Longevity/Sillage:
It lasts on my skin between 4 and 4.5 hours, a bit longer on clothing. After that, nothing is perceivable. Reapplying is necessary, which in this price category (the retail price ranges from 10 to 20 euros depending on the drugstore chain) does not pose too great a financial risk. Mariusz S. Szymula - the empire strikes back:
I must now reveal a secret to you: Colabo as a company does not exist. Rather, it is a brand, with the true producer already indicated on the packaging as LCC BRANDS Sp. z o.o. Those of you who research the company’s headquarters using a route planner from a well-known search engine will find La Rive SA in Grudziądz - also a manufacturer of drugstore fragrances. The respective addresses are merely 1.9 km apart. A pure coincidence?
According to internet data from the Polish commercial register, LCC BRANDS Sp. z o.o. (Sp. z o.o. = GmbH) was only registered on March 26, 2021. The organizational chart reveals connections to La Rive SA (SA = AG), and right in the middle is a Mr. Mariusz Stanislaw Szymula. He is the chairman of the board for both companies and also on the board of other companies. A hot lead or even a conspiracy? Well, most likely they just wanted to establish a distinction from La Rive, whose fragrances have been very “strongly inspired” by well-known perfumes. And with Colabo, they aim to reach an environmentally conscious target group.
Such an approach is not tragic in itself. Another example in the perfume sector is a company called Lifestyle Distribution GmbH from Hamburg. This company distributes well-known brands like Câline, Maddox & Mills, or Spirit Of, etc., under one roof. But enough educational duty for today, the next research will follow soon.
Great!