I’ve been dying to smell the Le Labo fragrances ever since I had a missed opportunity in Sydney, and sadly, Nashville doesn’t have a true store. They’re sold at Nordstrom, but the idea of dealing with a sales associate when I knew I wouldn’t be buying more than a sample was terrifying. And, as far as I know, Nordstrom doesn’t sell the small Discovery Set which is what I was most interested in purchasing to try the brand out.
Lo and behold, Nashville was picked again this year for the Le Labo On Wheels trailer to be open for a month in the 12 South neighborhood! This was my chance! I texted my friend who lives in the neighborhood and asked if she wanted to join me for a Sunday afternoon of smelling perfumes. She was in.
Le Labo On Wheels Nashville Location
When we got to the trailer (located in the Imogene + willie parking lot), there was a makeshift line. It was odd, because my friend said they normally have the garage door open, and people can go freely in and out. But they had it shut, and a line was formed. There was only one employee which might be why, and he was letting in one group at a time to look at the products and smell fragrances while he checked out the previous group.
While the wait was kind of annoying, I actually appreciated it a lot when we were in the little store. We were able to slowly and repeatedly smell every single perfume which was already pre-sprayed onto strips. You could also spray a fresh strip yourself, but I didn’t really feel the need. The only one I did was Ambrette, because I couldn’t smell it on the provided paper – though I think it’s just a very faint scent to begin with.
Which Le Labo Perfumes I Liked
Call me basic, but my top 4 scents were part of the Classic Collection 5-pack Discovery Set.
I immediately loved The Noir 29 and The Matcha 26. The Noir 26 was dark, sexy, classic, and smelled like wealth. The Matcha 26 was light, fresh, and sweet but not too sweet. I think I was drawn to it because it subtlety reminded me of my favorite perfume – Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche (my typical signature scent).
Next, I was drawn to Rose 31. And I normally hate Rose smells in perfumes and fragrances. But Rose 31 was different. It was classically floral, but not in an artificial way. Sweetly feminine and dainty, yet mature and crisp. I’ve already worn it around and love it even more!
Lastly, I liked Santal 33, though this is one I need to smell more and wear before I make any decisions on it.
The last one I received from getting the small Discovery Set was Another 13. This is a friend’s favorite scent that she owns and wears, but I found it a little too masculine for my personal taste. But of course, I’ll try it since I have the sample!
Honestly, every scent smelled great, and there’s a probably a match for everyone. The only one I recall disliking was Bergamotte 22. I remember liking Tonka 25, Fleur D’Oranger 27, Lavande 31, Jasmine 17, Vetiver 46, and Ambrette 9. And I’m sure I’m forgetting others I liked, but oh well, can’t go wrong.
I personally think the Discovery Set or buying individual 1.5 mL samples online is the way to go before buying a full-size bottle. You might think something smells great, but then realize it doesn’t mix with your natural scent the right way. That’s an expensive mistake. I’d much rather try out a few different scents for a few days and pick the right one! Also, if you can get to store and smell all the fragrances before choosing your samples – even better!
One cool thing about the store – the employee was hand mixing the full-size bottles people ordered in store. They also print out personalized labels for the bottles and even for the Discovery Set box! I love that it has my name on it!
Farewell Thoughts
I’m so happy I could go smell all the fragrances in a chill, low-stress environment. It confirmed that the Discovery set was the right choice for me, while also allowing me to see if I was obsessed with any that weren’t in the smaller set I bought. I’m super excited to continue trying out and wearing my different perfumes, and I’ll hopefully be ordering a larger bottle or two soon 🙂
Let me know if you use Le Labo or have been to a store – in the comments or over on Instagram! If you liked this quick review of Le Labo On Wheels Nashville, I’d love for you to share this post!
