SCENT BAR, LE LABO & CREDO BEAUTY QUICK IMPRESSIONS

5/7/2023

I've mentioned Lucky Scents, a website that sells perfume decants, on my blog several times and often purchase from them. Today, I finally visited their NYC store Scent Bar. I've been dying to go because I can sniff perfumes to my heart's content without buying and committing to the decants and hear what the sales associates think about the brand/the scent. 

My impressions of the store: 

I like to shop by brands rather than fragrance families, so I was overwhelmed by all the different brands in each family and the "lack of order." That's just personal preference and habits from online shopping. Because of the grouping of products, I didn't want to shop there long. On an unrelated note, there's a 20-minute shopping limit.

When you enter the tiny store (maximum of 6 customers at a time), you see a wall of favorites on your immediate left. I remember seeing COMME des GARÇONS and Escentric Molecules. There were some candles and incense, but I wasn't here for home fragrances. I was more interested in the wall on the right. 

Sadly, there's a counter partitioning the walkway and the glorious fragrance shelf. Despite wearing my glasses, I couldn't make out most of the brands on the shelf. You should go in with scents you want to try because the layout isn't conducive to perusing for hours. It's not the easiest way to discover new brands unless you ask, and I do not feel comfortable talking to people. 

The sales associates are friendly and knowledgeable. 

Comparing Scent Bar to Aedes Perfumery: 

I prefer Scent Bar because it's brighter and slightly more spacious. Aedes has a moody, lux atmosphere, which I also like. You can physically test and see more perfumes in Scent Bar, so your chances of discovering new things are higher here. The last time I went to Aedes, I had to ask one associate to try the perfumes because no samples were out. Both are great and have an extensive collection of popular and niche fragrances. From my experience, Aedes has a more comprehensive selection for each brand. 

Ex. I saw two Montale fragrances at Scent Bar, whereas I saw a dedicated shelf in Aedes. Then again, after looking at the notes of all the perfumes: if you've smelled one Montale, you've smelled all. Lots of rose, oud, and gourmand scents. Very repetitive!

What I tried and quick impressions:

1. ELDO You Or Someone Like You: very fresh, minty, and rosy.
2. NISHANE Hacivat: pineapple
3. THE NUE CO. Forest Lungs: smells like you're in the forest. I didn't feel the advertised calming effects.
4. BORNTOSTANDOUT Dirty Rice: sadly, the sample was used up. I sniffed the bottle like a weirdo. 

LE LABO

Every time I see a Le Labo, I have to go in. To my surprise, I've been to the Elizabeth Street location twice (?) I was convinced I thought I'd been to three stores, but now Google Maps tells me I've only gone to two. SoHo and Brooklyn. The SoHo one looks much different than I remember; it's smaller and brighter. It looks more like a pop-up than a store. 

Before, there was a large dark counter, and each perfume was on a stand, like busts in a museum. Now, it's a wooden chest in the middle of the store. The pictures on Google do not reflect what I saw today.

If you want a more enjoyable Le Labo experience, go to the Brooklyn location or any other one instead. The BK one is more spacious. There's also a coffee store attached. 

I tried the fragrance cards again, and Thé Matcha still stands out. Would love to try Another 13. Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Patchouli, and another I don't remember are a definite no. The first three I mentioned smell astringent and like something I've tried already. I was not a fan of the muskiness of Patchouli. 

CREDO BEAUTY

The first product I tried was Osea's Hyaluronic Sea Serum. I've only purchased cheap skin care, so I'm unaccustomed to luxurious products and their textures. When I tried it, I was surprised by its thick viscosity. It has more body than the runny serums I use. It's very hydrating, a little goes a long way, and it takes a while to absorb. While trying other products, it felt tacky on my hand, so I had to wipe it off. Maybe it's because the sample is old, it was mixed with other products on my arm, or some other reason, but I didn't like the scent. 

I tried the brand's body oil after the serum and thought it also took too long to absorb, but it smells better than the serum.

Lastly, Nécessaire The Body Seum left my hands feeling soft, even after washing and sanitizing with rubbing alcohol. The texture feels like a bouncy gel cream. If only they made a smaller size. I know I'll be obsessed with it, but at least let me have a trial run before I throw my money and commit! 

5/20 ADDITION

SEPHORA

After an impromptu night out with my friends, we went to the new Sephora in our city to see its offerings. I saw Commodity, which I've featured in my wishlist post before. There were around five scents displayed at the store. I think I tried Book Personal or Expressive, not sure which one. It's just Santal 33. Where is the book smell? Or the originality? 

I also tried a few of the Tom Ford fragrances they offered (Fucking Fabulous, Lost Cherry, and Rose Prick) and wasn't impressed. Of the three, Fucking Fabulous had the best initial impression.