Gaiac 10 Tokyo Le Labo for women and men

I just bought it, is blind buy but before I buy I have do research for references. I saw a lot of review said weird scents like store room, like cement & etc. but I still trust Le labo quality, I am surprised G10 actually is really good for me! I dint feel any weird scents but feel modern, fresh & cozy woody scent. Projection not loud, just normal but is ok, last 4-5 hour on skin and mostly 8 hr on cloth, is great ! Maybe the musk effect or wood make lasting? Overall I am satisfied and enjoy G10.

i like! clean musk with a hint of smokiness cutting through. would like to try it as a spray ... alluring and slightly too subtle

Finally smelled it in Tokyo! It doesn't seem to be as faint as how some reviews about it were, but it isn't strong exactly either. To me this smells like a place, kind of like a store with exposed ceilings, cement floors, and gritty wood finishes (so le labo stores lol) but no really it's a location kind of scent for me more than a smell I want to carry because it feels like you bring people into that space, but gently! It doesnt force you into it. There's a smoky charred quality to it that reminds me of the smell of welding. An interesting scent I would dig for my room but not on me!

Yes this scent is weirdly alluring, the smokiness reminds me of a combination of old woman lotion and the Virginian Slims smell on her clean clothes. But in a sexy way? Idk, it's weird but it's amazing. Don't really get meaty as much as cigarette-y. Anyway, as for longevity, I have a totally different experience. I can smell it on me two days later. But totally in a iso e super type way where it comes for a split second and then it's gone. Doesn't smell like iso e but has that effect. And it lasts on a swatch for weeks. Idk, I can smell it all day and I catch quite a decent scent trail.

A literal burnt wood with musky undertone, almost soapy. Weird? Yes, this is definitely not for me. I'm already a minority in the community; the last thing I need is to smell like a temple

It's soft, it's meaty (literally), it's nice! I wouldn't buy a full size due to the price. But every time I come around to my little sample it's like hm... that's weird and I don't hate it. It's a fresh take on a fresh scent that doesn't center around citrus or spice notes. That combination usually puts me off from the "fresh" category of fragrances. Slightly masculine leaning.
Once the meat notes dry down, it's like someone wearing cologne is taking a cold, mountainous, outdoor shower nearby.

Yes, this fragrance is expensive. Yes, it is simplistic. Yes, it is worth every dollar.

For me a fragrance doesn't have to have 50 ingredients nor punch you in the face from 10 feet away to have value.
This is a beautiful, quality, and masterfully blended scent. I see reviews saying it doesn't last, but for me I have had positive compliments after 5-6 hours of wear from people within arms length from me.

This scent is one of the rarest on the market (Along with the whole City Exclusive line), being that you can only purchase it once a year unless you happen to live in Tokyo. That combined with the fact it smells like no other scent I have personally got my nose on & my aforementioned positive experience with performance, it's absolutely worth every penny.

For me this scent is amazing for the fall & winter in my Canadian climate. Its not easy to find a scent that has a fall/winter vibe that isn't too strong or overpowering, so this ticks all my boxes.

I have gone through 1 full bottle & 1 refill and will continue to fill it up as long as Le Labo offers City Exclusive refills year long at boutiques.

Every time I wear this it makes me think of all the good things I love about bacon. This is so complex and woody that I wish it projected more or lasted on my scent longer.

Immediately a skin scent upon spraying. You need to pull in close to smell it. Smells like fresh cut camphorous wood. Imagine a camphor menthol topical ointment then remove the sharp prickly mintiness - you're left with a woody scent that smells like medicine to relieve inflammation.

It's easy to confuse that sort of scent with incense, esp if that incense if derived from burning an aromatic wood. Alternatively, it smells like church pews or pencil shavings. It's not thick and heavy but it's not super lithe and wispy either.

1 hr 45 mins: the scent has deepened but there is no development or transformation. This seems like a linear scent.

6 hrs in: As I thought, this is a linear scent. There's no top, heart or base as you'd expect from traditional frags. Perhaps you can classify this as minimalist perfumery. I think the musk really carries the wood notes and is the reason why they last so long.

However, by this point the wood accord has eroded enough that it now smells a little like Lysol. A little. It's not as harsh as that. I also wouldn't classify this as a development or transformation as the perfume is clearly simply starting to lose its power and wind down.

Overall, it's a very unisex scent despite being a wood fragrance.

9 hrs: it's still there but it's so faint that it's practically gone. I'd say real longevity is 9-10 hrs but practical, useable longevity is 7-8 hrs.

Sotd: Le Labo Gaiac 10 (2008) - cedar musk - #annickmenardo is a legendary perfumer who has been adept at developing oriental and incense based perfumes, often with a signature of spices and smoke. In this fragrance inspired from Hokkaido, she tones down the spices and in a way makes a cedar-haiku. A perfume that has little change from top to base. Starts base heavy with Gaiac wood and Cedar mixed with White musk and whispers of Incense. Offers little sillage, but its combination of white musk and amber molecules, cling to you like second skin. Contemplative.

such a beautiful and clean woody skin scent. i can see how some people get the bbq but for me it just comes off smoky without an aroma. i love moving throughout the day after i put this on and getting an occasional elusive but wonderful whiff (.❛ ᴗ ❛.) definitely grew on me!

I wrote a "review" praising this fragrance a few days ago.This came from a successful swap.
I gave up 2 perfumes to get this one and while I dont regret it,after using it for a while I dont think it deserves the price and the hype.
It reminds me of Zara's Into the woods Nobody knows.
The longevity and projection is better than the Zara one but still very weak for the price and the trouble one has to go through to get their hands on this one.
Im going to keep this but its more of a fail than a success in my collection.Look into other perfumes with this DNA if youre into that.
This fragrance overall is pretty boring.

I’ll be honest, I smell in the dry down molecule 01 and a vibe of glossierU. It’s definitely a unisex fragrance. I do get the BBQ in the opening. And while it drys down my sister says it smells like gasoline but I smell cement. I guess it’s the body chemistry of each person. I definitely will not make the purchase. From all of Le Labo I will only love Another 13. I’ve tried so many but at this point I am throwing the towel on Le Labo.

beautiful intimate incensy fragrance. a lot of ppl didnt like the weak sillage but i thought it was rewarding to only occasionally be reminded of it while wearing it

A subtle and sophisticated fragrance. Smooth, warm, and richly woody, with a minor vanillic sweetness. For the first hour or so I get an equally subtle saltiness—like little hints of tree-sap and barbeque.

I also get a fair bit of soft spiciness from this in the opening--a fascinating textural quality that's somewhere between fuzzy and prickly.

I can see why this is voted unisex, but to me it leans gently yet firmly masculine.

Comforting and confident. Getting home late after a formal event and falling asleep on the couch beside the fireplace. Your husband with his bowtie hanging loose, carrying you up to bed.

Not much sillage but it’s just a great scent. Wearing this I imagine I’m in an office in Roppongi Tokyo with other salarymen and salarywomen and the sun is starting to set before we head out to a maid cafe in Kabukicho or maybe go to see an art gallery in Daikanyama. Also not amazing longevity but….I guess I wear it for that initial ‘hit’ on the open. I do regret buying the 15ml of this I use maybe 6-7 sprays and it last for…4 hours? C’mon Le Labo you can do better.

For me, this scent is perfect for nighttime in fall and winter since it smells clean, and light. I feel friendliness and closeness when applying this scent. However, with a lot of money you spend in exchange for a scent that is not too outstanding, you probably need to consider your intended use before buying. It will be great if you are someone who loves peace mixed with a bit of privacy, yet very close. However, if you are someone who likes passion and strength, this scent is not for you.

So incredibly light, and simple, and subtle, and linear, something that's almost entirely a skin scent, but why am I so f*cking addicted?
It's the most beautiful, powdery, enticing guaiac wood ever, with comforting and almost lactonic white musk and some oh-so-faint resins in the background. That's all there is to it, yet it's irresistible.
It's like silk sheets at your wealthy lover's home, like reed diffusers and essential oils at the world's most luxurious spa, like a feeling of home, of cuddles, of nostalgic childhood memories, of utter, indisputable love and adoration. It's the aromatic culmination of everything you've ever held dear to your heart.
I never believed in the saying of less is more, and always went all out extravagant in everything I did, but Gaiac 10 is the perfect thesis for devout minimalists. And I'm starting to believe them.
I loathe myself for wanting this so much. I can't stand that it's so beautiful that I want to melt into it. And thinking about how the full bottle was in my grasp at the Le Labo boutique, and how I couldn't pay the $400 price at the time, and how the city collection was gone by the time I could collect that much money in my bank, makes me want to weep endlessly into my pillows until I faint.
At least I have a sample size, that I'll somehow have to manage not finishing up until the city collection comes back next September. The end. I'm going to return to crying into my pillow now.

Why would Le Labo create the most gorgeous, luxurious and high-quality scent and make it a city exclusive? I want to bathe in this, then wear it to bed, and then wake up and put even more on. I want my pores to sweat Gaiac 10. This is luxury itself. This is so simple in its elegance yet you won't be able to get it out of your mind. Because it's perfect. Every other fragrance in my collection offends me now that I have this. Because I can tell they aren't as natural. They aren't understated as Gaiac 10 is yet they don't have half of its impact. They just aren't as good. They aren't as smooth. It's beautiful.

Imagine Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy sharing this with her husband. (She’s my girl) I know her favorite scent was the modest but still niche Egyptian Musk Oil (which my mom has repurchased for like 20 years and its her main basic) so I’m sure Carolyn would have loved this minimalist musk version.


☁️ Completely unisex. Various refined musks and slightly sweet woods mingling with my ph creating the perfect simple scent aura that will never offend and can be worn all year. Smells expensive so the price is justified. Perfect for pretty, classic and sleek wannabe minimalistas like me. I imagine a súper white Ghibli cloud around me while everyone is wondering what I’m wearing. “Equis nice” which means simple but luxe and this falls under that umbra. ☁️


@haywirelibran said: “Been eatin' ramen for three weeks, but damn I bought a full bottle and I smell effing amazing!” …. And I really felt that.

The guaiac wood in this is very smoky, and the musk is the clean, soapy variety. I find the combination somehow jarring on my skin, as though I've washed myself badly and the soap smell is only just covering up that I spent the day at a barbecue. I think this could smell amazing on the right person, though.

I caved, ok? I tried to resist… but I just went and bought the small bottle. And I am SO HAPPY.

I was curious to smell this scent for a while, but missed the window last year in September. This time, I needed to see if it was really that good.

The scent is just SO gorgeous, silky, complex, woody, warm, sexy, mysterious, comforting and alluring in one. It smells like someone you are in love with, when their skin has been kissed by the most beautiful summer day. It smells like the person you secretly aspire to be. It is classy, understated, cool, yet warm and kaleidoscopic in its simplicity.

As soon as I had it on my skin, my mind could not stop obsessing over how to make this scent my signature. And I tried to reign myself in, to be sensible - the price point is painful. I tried to find dupes, and I did… Still, the want was strong, to have this NOW… because I could. Woe is me, the Le Labo store is a minute’s walk from my apartment. And here we are… A small bottle richer, a lot of money later, happily sitting in a little gaiac cloud forming around my head. They got me good.

Been eatin' ramen for three weeks, but damn I bought a full bottle and I smell effing amazing!

Wow. First smell I didn’t understand the hype around this city exclusive. I was smelling the bbq meat and smokiness. I eventually came back to it and applied it one day and was hooked! After wearing it and smelling the dry down it is a gorgeous scent. I usually wear another 13 but this reminds me of a smokier, sleeker, alternative to it if you like skin scent fragrances. I think if you didn’t like this scent at first you need to give it another shot to really smell how it changes throughout the day. The silage is not strong at all and people say it has poor projection which may be true to some but this scent stays on me all day. I don’t even care if other people smell it I just enjoy smelling it throughout the day. I have been wearing it for 12+ hours today and I still smell like the fragrance; maybe not as strong as when I first applied it but I have been getting hints of it throughout the day and it’s now one of my favorite scents. I went and bought the 15ml bottle but I am regretting not getting the full size! Hopefully I can make it last. Perfect scent for winter and fall!!

Le Labo tend to do quiet luxury well, and long before it became an Internet buzzword. Gaiac 10 very much falls into this category. It is a simple, subtle scent, albeit good-quality and elegant. In a nutshell, it is a woody, musky scent that remains smooth throughout. Despite its scent profile, it doesn't rely on a synthetic ambroxan-derivative base note, which is a very good thing for me. I also admire the perfumer, Annick Ménardo of Lolita Lempicka and Dior Hypnotic Poison (not to mention Le Labo Patchouli 24) fame, and this is another excellent scent from her.

G10 is woody from initial spray, smooth and slightly peppery at first. There is a warm musky undertone throughout. It seems to fade fast, and I was disappointed, but it seems to be merely a brief transition.

It settles into a creamy phase, wonderfully smooth and warm, clean musk rounding it out. It remains woody, but it also reminds me somehow of cream soda. It fades to a woody, musky skin scent. Sillage is intimate and longevity is moderate.

A good-quality if simple skin scent, G10 is intimate but satisfying. It is a unisex everyday scent for people who prefer subtle scents. Overpriced for what it is, I can't justify buying this, but really good. 4/5.

I’m an equestrian. I love this stuff so much, but smells exactly like M-T-G, a product we use to treat various things on our horses. I’ve always loved the smell of M-T-G. I just can’t buy this now. It’s too close.

scent: 10/10
longevity: 8/10
sillage: 3/10
projection: 3-6/10
value: 1/10

This fragrance first garnered my attention from an Instagram reel made by @Max4cracks as he faints and is subsequently brought back to consciousness after taking a whiff of this. Interesting, I thought. I then realized this was City Exclusive for none other than Tokyo itself. Only then did I long for it more as I wanted to wear/try Le Labo's iteration of what they could squeeze of Tokyo inside a bottle...to perhaps relive and experience the essences of my 2019 trip to Japan or just maybe put myself in the headspace of when and who I was during that vacation.

Come August of this year, I am now familiar with Le Labo and who they are. I wear Le Labo. I have friends that wear Le Labo. I wear Santal 33, I have friends that wear The Matcha 26, Another 13, The Noir 29, etc, all these fragrances stand out and have at least some sort of statement to make for the most part. I excitedly go in-store and buy my first sample of Gaiac 10 and try it on for the day aaaand...Nothing.

I had to BURY my nose into my wrist to even get an idea of what Gaiac 10 was holding in store for me. Safe to say I was disappointed...until a couple hours later, it finds me. This creamy, sweet, inundating scent, but then gone the next second. I burned through that first sample trying so hard to understand this fragrance and even ended up getting two more samples to solidify my decision to get this or not and getting my friends' opinions in hopes of validating that this surely will make me smell good.

I finish the last of my 3rd sample and finally came to an understanding of what Gaiac 10 beholds. This fragrance is beautiful. Others remark of a burning or bbq top note...maybe if you try really hard. It's smoky akin to incense or the remnants of a recently extinguished campfire. Gaiac 10 feels as fleeting as the smoke it smells like, but just as smoke stays on you and your clothes, Gaiac 10 does as well. This fragrance is an enigma, a mystery...it feels linear but at the same time nuanced with the way it behaves. Gone with the wind, returns as the beloved prodigal son next. The top note smokiness lasts anywhere between 1-3 hours depending on conditions and then the rest is that sweet, creamy scent. I have woken up with it still on me, just as strong as when I have applied it, and other times gone.

I have already received my fair share of compliments while wearing this fragrance but in the end, Gaiac 10 poses as something kept to itself. Much like the largely mainstream culture in Japan, the people there are reserved and Gaiac 10 is fairly constructed to suit that specific market. When in such a behemoth of a city like Tokyo, it's hard not to feel small and invisible. Gaiac 10 feels exactly like that but is a testament to being alone, but never lonely.

I've tried the sample and damn, this has to be the most heavenly scent I've ever worn, and I use Another 13 religiously. I was always obsessed about the projection, the longevity and, dare I say, compliments, but this scent makes me want to stop caring about all of that and just enjoy it. Nobody has to notice it besides me, and honestly I don't care. This is probably the essence of a signature scent. It's my birthday soon and I'm honestly thinking whether I should completely destroy my bank account and get a full bottle of this.

Today is the 3rd day I’m reviewing the sample I got for this. If anyone’s reading this now, DO NOT BUY.

This is exactly the soft/mellowed down version of MM By the Fireplace. Not saying one duped the other. Remove the sweetness, remove the chestnut and warm notes, that’s gaiac 10. I checked other comments here and no one mentioned MM BTF yet, so then I checked BTF and it has gaiac wood in the notes. Guys, save your money.

Don’t get me wrong, composition is really good for LL G10 but for that price - save your money.

I recently gave Gaiac 10 a try, and I must say, it's the worst perfume I've ever come across. What initially seemed like a promising woody scent in the store quickly turned into an overwhelming aroma of burnt meat once I opened my bottle at home. I even checked the store's sample to see if I had received a faulty bottle, but even there, that off-putting note was present, albeit subtly. This is simply an atrocious fragrance. I urge everyone to sample before buying, as you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

This is a straightforward wood scent

I was at the lelabo store last week to buy a fragrance for my brother's birthday and I decided to try gaiac 10 as well, given that it is probably the most talked about out of the city exclusive line. Tried it both on my skin and a paper strip, and to no surprise I loved it. The soft woody, slightly incensy cloud of my dreams.
I guess I put the little paper strip on my bag and forgot about it, but the next morning I was cleaning my bag and found it. And omg. THE SMELL. An intense creamy muskiness filled my nose. It was so strong, still so full, and it had been a full day since I sprayed it. From then, I left the paper strip in my nightstand and kept sniffing it for the next few days like a mad woman until there was nothing left to sniff anymore. lol.
I have never smelled such an addictive, comforting, evocative scent in my life. I know it sounds like an overstatement, but it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I have a feeling this might be my favorite smell of all time.

I know I’m not the only one obsessed with this perfume, desperately wishing it was more accessible and at least a little more affordable. If I could bathe in it I would. It’s not something you wanna put up to your nose directly as it is very strong and you will assault your senses but one spritz and my clothes, my skin, my room or wherever I decide to spray it smells of it all day. I even woke up after a night out and it smelled just as it did the day before but not much after. I’d say if you spray a cloth or let’s say a stuffed animal it will only last a few days at best. I could go on and on about it though the musky woodsy smell was never something I thought I’d go after but if you can’t afford this don’t bother trying to find out what it smells like because one sniff and you’re addicted.

Thought I would like it and even thought about blind buying it but this is so stinky LMAO. It smells like smoked bbq and moldy soap. Not worth the money at all...

i only just smelled gaiac 10 when i curiously ordered some samples of the city exclusives to decide which one i wanted to spend my hard earned money on come september. i was almost 100% sold on vanille 44 which i smelled in paris this spring but couldn’t bring myself to buy a bottle. and then i smelled gaiac 10 and everything changed. i haven’t been able to wear anything since and have ordered 10 more sample vials to hold me over until september 1. is it ludicrously overpriced? yes. is it magical? also yes. i’ve sampled all of the comparison scents in reviews below and nothing comes close to gaiac for me. it’s smoky and sexy, but also very clean and innocent. gaiac on my skin is very warm and musky. i only smell the incensed wood for the immediate opening and then it quickly becomes the most lovely mingling of musks. it’s impossible to replicate — there are perfumes that are musky but don’t have the wood notes or vice versa. i’ve tried white musk perfume oil with a few spritzes of la curie’s larrea which gives that same burnt wood/musky vibe but it’s not the same. despite other reviews, gaiac 10 lasts almost 12 hours on me, and the silage is somewhere between intimate and moderate. i love it. i’ll wear it forever if i can. i wish le labo would make this part of their permanent collection but i understand why they don’t; it’s far too special.

I feel like this fragrance is a great example of Le Labo's strengths -- a simple and beautiful blend of just a few organic notes.

It certainly reminds me of Tokyo fashion as it is very clean, soft, and natural smelling. It's also fitting of Tokyo in its unobtrusive presence, as wearing fragrances with massive projection or sillage is a faux pas.

To wax poetically about it (as I often do in these reviews) would probably be a stretch. It's a really clean, well blended, and simple woody musk.

Try it out as City Exclusive example pack.
When spraying it, it’s actually nothing. Smelling directly at the position I sprayed, it’s actually nothing too.
However, it creates the cloud of accord, slightly but still visibly. It’s the most strange perfume I’ve ever tried.
There is no opening. Definitely one direction: Wood. I stayed in more than 100-year-old house in Japan, but Giaac 10 is very different. In the other words, Giaac 10 gives me the zero-impression about anything. Again, very strange perfume! Not worth buying as the conclusion. At least, it should give me some feelings, but not. Too bad!

The opening is a tendril of smoke from burning incense and charcoal. It dries down quickly to a smoother, more pleasant incense with fresh, bright woody accords. I get the mental image of birch, aspen, and willow trees with their peeling, silver white bark. It definitely has a "molecular perfume" vibe.

In the heart, Gaiac 10 is quite subtle, and reminds me of the smell of a men's perfume applied the day before... when all that remains is a skin scent of vague, soft vetiver, cedar, tonka.

Gaiac 10 truly shines in the base. Like an ember which was quietly smoldering under, Gaiac 10 suddenly ignites with a creamy, woody, and dirty muskiness. It's never loud, but it is incredibly alluring. 4/5

PS: Why does every review mention price? Yes, we know it's expensive. Is it good though?

As the City Exclusives open to the public in September, I am here in hopes of saving people some *serious* money. I have the Zara dupe of this, and I love it so very much that I waited (and saved) for months to buy it when it comes open to the public 9/1. I had read in some reviews here and heard from some popular YouTubers that this fragrance doesn't last at all. So I thought that I would buy a sample of this before I dropped over 5 Benjamins on a full size bottle. I'm SO glad I did.

This is WAY overpriced for the longevity and projection - or, more accurately, the lack thereof. Don't misunderstand - this is a beautiful scent. I really enjoy it for the time it lasts. It's smokey, woody, mysterious and deep. It's truly every single thing I enjoy in a fragrance. The problem is that for the amount of money it costs, I'd expect it to last 10-12+ hours (like an Amouage or Xerjoff of which both are still cheaper), but it doesn't. Unless you put your nose right on top of the sprayed area, it can't be smelled after 10-12 minutes. And no, before someone says it - it's not me becoming anosmic to the scent - no one can smell it on me. My husband had to actually touch his nose to my skin to even smell it at all after the first 10 minutes.

Last but not least, my Zara dupe also seems to have a little more pepper to make it a more interesting fragrance. So, with the money I saved myself by trying it out first, I bought another Zara dupe I found on good ol' eBay and I plan on checking out the Dossier version, too.

I'm just here to share my experience. It you don't have to worry about money, that's great and I hope you enjoy the fragrance! But if you aren't independently wealthy, I'd get a dupe and save my money for something else. There's no way I could be ok with shelling our the ridiculous price they charge for this.

i want to amend my review on this !!!! a few years later and i finally Get It. this is beaaaauuuutiful stuff. the city exclusives price tag doesn't agree with my budgeting sensibilities so i'll probably stick to getting a .5 fl oz next month but damn if i don't want a proper full size..... i still maintain that the initial spray is like hickory-smoked meat, but that quickly dissipates into smoky, sweet cedar. the dry down is a treasure trove of indolic musk with a really lovely sweet creaminess. whenever you're lucky enough to catch a whiff, that is. the projection on this scent is pretty weak, but it lasts a solid 8-10 hours from the initial spray on my skin. actually, i traveled from japan to germany with a total of 29 hours transit time, and i was still able to catch the faintest bits of gaiac 10 on my hair and clothes by the time i got through immigration. anywho, this is gorgeous. give it a try and don't let the initial blast phase you !!!

Very lovely. Is it worth the price tag? Heck no. It reminds me of other lovely skin scents (specifically aura 01 - aura by angelo) except with an added woodsmoke note. I have a sample and I will absolutely use it up and honestly I'm very happy that it's not a love for me, that price tag is unjustifiable by anyone in my tax bracket! Lol

I like this a lot. It's a soft and serene kind of presence, where I notice it on me in the first half of the day, then have a hard time detecting it in the second. Low projection but a "there and gone again" experience for a long time. These kinds of things are good for the length of an evening out doing things, but not for a whole day of activities.

It's simple in structure with soapy/sparkly clean olibanum and dry cedar notes lending woody, terpenic tones whose usual sharpness becomes a little muted underneath the pillowy musks. The star note of guaiac wood is also subdued compared to other things I've sampled, but I still really like it. I get a very faint creamy sweetness like I get from Molecule 01 + Guaiac (here it could be closer to a whisper of dusty vanilla), and the usual off-putting meaty aroma is dialed down to something more ambiguous and natural smelling. It blends very well into the cedar, and for all this it could be critiqued for being light on the guaiac, but every moment I catch a trail of it I notice the subtle smoke and unique carmelized-wood-like character it imparts. It conjures up notions of clean pressed linens and minimal, almost clinical-feeling spaces where white woods line the interiors and incense is lit in a nearby room. It's a little cuddly, but most of all just put together and finely tailored in a laid back kind of style. Somewhat asexual as well.

Anyways, $365 for 50 mL is a lot to ask for. I'm surprised it's not mentioned and I'll have to go fish out my sample, but I'm reminded of another incense-musk pairing Zagorsk by CDG- olibanum, cedar, iris. Or maybe closer is L'Orpheline by Serge Lutens. I've tried Visit by Azarro which is the same perfumer Annick Menardo, and I can see some similarities but it's heavy on nutmeg and altogether a different thing. The Molecule release I own and love, but that is way more savory smoke and pure wood. At the end of the day I think this is extremely easy to wear, flexible for any occasion, and niche enough to feel "special" when wearing it, but it would take some mental gymnastics to justify a bottle. I tend to think if this is doing exactly what you want it to do better than anything else in your collection then it's worth it though.

After all these years of adoring perfume it seems I’ve become obsessed with the molecules😀. I’ve known ever since the connectivity of the internet, about two decades and a Luca Turin later, that there is a century of aromachemicals behind the fragrances we love, although I’m old enough to have drenched myself in real oak moss and the devil bergamot, not to mention the nitromusks and litres of real essential oils. Still going strong and running the farm, even survived a bout of the plague. Probably my ‘fumes beat it out of my olfactory receptors.
Anyway……Le Labo.
I have a collection of beautiful LL decants going back ten years thanks to a perfume sharing angel, kept in their own little hat box, dipped into in turn 🧐 given a bit of a swerve quite often because they do seem anorexic compared to most of the stuff that lights my fire. But now I’ve clicked into the molecule paradigm, I’m delighting in rediscovery.
WHY IS GAIAC TOKYO THE ONLY ONE THAT IS 10ML AND HALF GONE AND YOU CANT GET IT ANYWHERE.
A subtle stunning radiant forestry fresh cut aromatic timber haunted by centuries of Japanese art and architecture, the immortal Zen gardens, the clean coolness of pine and steam, truly a masterpiece.

After waiting almost a full year to get my nose on this fragrance I am excited to finally write a review. Gaiac 10 is a really really beautiful, linear, and simplistic fragrance. Musky, creamy wood, with slightly smoky incense in the base - it’s airy and fresh with a little bit of an edge when you get close to it. It sits close to the skin, is very inoffensive, and is year round signature scent worthy. It reminds me of Another 13 in that regard and I can see it being a crowd pleaser. I love it, it’s intoxicating and addictive, but I also do not know if it is truly worth the price point it is set at… Especially considering that Montaigne’s “Eau Gaiac” is an almost exact dupe for it, with even better projection and longevity, and an unbeatable price tag ($50). I will say however that Le Labo’s Gaiac uses higher quality notes and blending - Montaigne’s musky note is more pronounced at the top.

I've only re-filled my bottle 20+ times. don't fall in love, it will bankrupt you.
BIGGEST mistake LL ever did was not making this part of the regular range, the world would smell like Gaiac 10.

Sublime. Unique. Elegant. Misunderstood.

Gaiac 10 revealed itself to me very slowly, but when it found me, it changed my whole perception of perfumery! You need to be emotionally ready if you want to understand this one…….

This fragrance is ultra powerful yet stubbornly subtle. Projection is bigger than you think and the longevity is much much much longer than you realise. This is not a línea fragrance as often described. It’s ultra complex and changes character over time.

I wear this year round but always rediscover it during hayfever season, which I suffer from severely. After having a blocked nose all day, I occasionally get a powerful yet fleeting whiff of it up to 24 hours after application.

And for those of you who try to smell it by sticking your nose into where you have sprayed, don’t bother……..it will find you when it’s ready, and only if you have the patience. And you may have to wear it several times before it reveals itself to you, which it will do when you least expect it. But when you know it, it will reward you……..fleetingly!

I have tried all the perfumes it has been compared to and IMHO there is no real relationship to any of them, which is a pity as it’s insanely expensive and would happily go for a cheaper alternative - but there aren’t any.

Gaiac 10 has changed my whole perception of what a good perfume is and I can totally see why this is the Tokyo exclusive!

The biggest advantage is that all my other perfumes are also now experienced differently, and all I need is one or two sprays of most other fragrances to enjoy them rather than the way too many sprays of the past.

Gaiac 10 smells like divinity!

Smooth and creamy woody musk that sits like a whisper on the skin. Expensive for its simplicity but quite beautiful

@lyk_jorghia: Gaiac10 and Bvlgari Pour Homme are in the same ballpark when it comes to simplicity and character (even when BPH has a massive amount of notes). However they really cannot be seen as ‘similar’ or interchangeable. BPH has a citric and soapy side that G10 doesn’t have. Both do have something ‘comfortable’ as they are very dense, opposite of transparent. They also perform the same way, very intimate and close to the skin. I admit that the first time I smelled BPH, it made me think of G10. After full wearings I don’t see them similar anymore. I would never wear G10 in warm weather, where BPH (Extreme) I like wearing when the sun’s out.

Which reminds me, I still have to write a review of Gaiac10, my nr1 fragrance :)

Please someone tell me this smells like Bvlgari Pour Homme. It is a blind buy and not impressed.

I absolutely love this fragrance. It’s a clean, woody and musky fragrance. I get great longevity with it however it is more of a close scent. My girlfriend adores it when I wear this so it’s definitely a cozy scent as others have said. I feel it’s well worth it and a unique fragrance. Love it.

This is such a comfortable scent, the opening is kinda harsh but after less than a minute it turns into a pleasing woody smell. It doesn't last long however. Something about this evoke a childhood memory from me.

someone please make this goddamn scent project

I love this scent. I just wish it were stronger. Woody musk

sometimes it smells like woods + musk and sometimes it smells like smoked bbq/salami. doesn't last too long.

I was able to sample this scent in August and I didn't love it in the store but when I went to smell the test strip again a few hours later I fell in love. This scent is so subtle but addictive. It made me realize how special of a note guaiac wood is. One day when I am able to afford this fragrance I will buy a bottle, but for now, I am using the dossier dupe.

Burnt BBQ steak with woods in the back. dry yet soft. Love it!

Before City Exclusives pre-order in Toronto started in August, I sampled Vetiver 46 which I didn’t like cause it’s not giving me the projection. When I started trying Gaiac 10 IT HIT me and the smells sounds familiar but BOLDER. Long story short I tried Vetiver 46 again and fell in love. It gave me more Gaiac 10 on it. So I just got this instead of Gaiac 10.

Testing a decant from Le Labo City exclusive event. I've tried this before but I'm refreshing my memory. If you're not familiar with gaiac, it smells like wood that's been ever so slightly charred around the edges. It's also got a dose of incense.

Wears lightly unless you overspray, and doesn't project much. Good fragrance overall, but this feels like the base of their Paris fragrance Vanille 44.
If you want a more complex, longer lasting and projecting version of this with vanilla, get that one.

Scent 6/10
Performance 4/10

Why I cannot smell anything after like - 10 minutes?

I want to die bathing in this. I want to be reborn washed in it. It’s calming, a warm hug, familiar but something you have not experienced before. Something from another lifetime maybe or a parallel universe. It encapsulates me as a person in my opinion… I’ll reword it …my soul. Lol yes I went there lol. It comfort. It neither light or dark, bold or shy it’s in between burning into ashes and a spark. This radiates around your personal space. Been a fan of lelabo dna and I’m so happy I have this. A lot of ppl will say different things about it but please try it before dismissing or loving it. I think this brought me back to when I first getting into scents and perfume. Now I accept that what matters to me doesn’t have to matter to other ppl. It’s all subjective at the end of the day.10/10

Smells and performs like Nemat oils. A mix of Amber & sandalwood from Nemat and you get the same result. You need to dig your nose wherever you sprayed in order to smell it. It’s nice but not worth the price

I've tried this at the Le Labo counter in a mall and had a long discussion with the sales lady about it, here's what I think.

First of all, it's important to mention that I do like Le Labo a lot while also being aware that most scents are criminally overpriced. Lasting power has always been an issue and this scent is no exception. Sadly I love the musty/woody bases of Le Labo and they have a certain DNA that just speaks to me. Again, this is unfortunate because I'm well aware that these scents are overpriced.

Anyway, back to topic. Gaiac 10 is a very linear scent that doesn't evolve much, or at all for that matter. It's woody, musky, feels slightly dusty and soapy-clean too. It's very soft, doesn't project much but lasts a decent amount. I sprayed it 10 hours ago and still smell it on my skin when I actively put my nose to where I sprayed it. Definitely a skin scent but a noticeable one at least. It does smell nice but the problems emerge when talking about price and availability. This is a city exclusive, which means that you'll only be able to buy this in September each year for a jokingly high price of 300 bucks for 50ml. This is not only absolutely ridiculous in the perfume world but also in the already overpriced Le Labo world as you can buy 2 fragrances of the classic line for that amount of money, which not only will have better projection/longevity but also more complex and interesting blends.

This fragrance, although it smells nice and reminds me of a spa or sauna, is just not that magical if you've been into perfumery for a while and although I hate when people compare certain scents to others, which are in fact totally different, I simply cannot help but notice the 90% similarity between this and Cologne Indelebile by Frederic Malle, which costs less than half of this. I own it and use it a lot and in the drydown they smell identical.

Upon approaching the very professional and kind sales lady and telling her how excited I was to try this while at the same time already grabbing the bottle and spraying myself with it, she immediately told me to not buy it and stick with the classic line as this would be a massive disappointment to me and many other Le Labo fans. She even used a generous amount of sprays and asked other (very professional) SAs if they could detect it, to which all of them said no. Again, these are trained noses who sell perfumes like Roja, Tom Ford, Ex Nihilo and Nasomatto - they really do know their stuff. This fragrance is really just that weak, and while I understand that this is supposed to more or less represent the smell of Tokyo and Japanese culture, I can't help but wonder if this is just a terrible excuse to sell a massively overpriced, watered down fragrance for a price that is just a joke.

I sadly like it and I wish it didn't because I cannot justify spending this kind of money for this kind of performance and composition. It's good. Fine. You will probably like the smell. But after seeing the price tag, I hope that you, just like me, will stay far away from it and pick any other soapy/musky/tea fragrance that will be either cheaper or stronger. The Noir 29 is so much better, buy it instead.

Like most minimalistic scents, it takes some time to understand this. Nearly undetectable from start to finish, but still I can smell it around me for 12+ hours. But because it is so linear, and it has so little projection/sillage, I felt at times I was listening to a broken record that only I could hear. Overall OK, but definitely not worth the exclusive pricing imho.

I only had one wearing so far. Humid day outside, cold air-conditioned office, spening some time in both environments. Im a fan of minimalistic fragrances and like the idea of this. I remember times in Japan where it was all about not bothering others or offending them (perfect example is not speaking on public transport), so minimalism works with this as a strategy. I got a bit of the bacon opening haha. It's quite peculiar, but not off putting. I will try it a couple more times as I feel i need to be in the right mood and environment to appreciate minimalist scents optimally.

If you like only the tail end of woody, slightly soapy aquatics (any of them), then you will love this. It’s a “skin scent” but it has longevity. Enjoying “exclusive” pricing is a must.

This is a masterpiece. Just 10 ingredients were used to create this amazing perfume. Wonderful Elena Vosnaki described it best when she put it on her “Best in Show: Reset Fragrances” list. It smells divine and makes you calm instantly. Sillage is indeed very moderate but the perfume lasts really long. I know it’s expensive but with a refill you get 20% off so that’s something. And don’t believe when people say that you can get something almost identical for much less. I tried Visit by Azzaro and no, it’s not the same fragrance, it’s not even close

too faint otherwise very soothing

Disappointing. The clean musk scent completely drowns out all nuance. The frankincense comes on very strong and quickly becomes very light, i think this note is responsible for the strong smokiness people have commented on. It also reminds me a bit of bug spray. The performance is really poor, however it does last as an uninspiring skin scent. Everything that makes it intriguing is sadly gone in an hour. For how expensive it is, feels like a rip off.

After doing a side by side sniff between Zara's SRPLS and Le Labo's Gaiac 10 here are my thoughts:
- They do smell very similar. Way too similar to justify the price of Gaiac 10, which is a city exclusive, making it even more expensive than LL's classic line. That being said, they both smell great. They are both airy, woody, and musky with a little pepper that tickles your nose. SRPLS is a little pepperier, imo. Both are incredibly unisex and could probably be worn by most people. Safe blind buys IMO.
- It seems SRPLS has more strength and longevity. SRPLS still doesn't last that long though, even when I douse myself. I'll update this later if I feel as though that changes.
- I can't stress enough the price situation here... On the companys' respective websites as of Aug 2022, a 100ml bottle of SRPLS costs $45.90 USD and a 100ml bottle of Gaiac 10 costs $510.00 USD.... Jaw on the floor, shocked, offended, horrified.
- I think if you are really dedicated to G10, you should grab a small bottle of G10 to use on your wrists and neck, and also pick up SRPLS so you can douse your clothes and decant some for travel use.

cedar / incense with airy musk running through it. a little headache inducing even though the scent itself is pretty soft and blended. slightly herby/lemony at times.

its crazy how much temperature affects this one. in the summer, it was pure barbecued meat. now, it's an airy, slightly herbal, smoky wood. can't wait to try wearing and layering it this winter. it is very subtle.

Beautiful incense smell with clean woody notes. The smell of incense really dominates for me and takes me back to college days when my roommates and I always had incense burning. For that reason I can’t really see myself making this a go to fragrance for me lol. However it is still a nice daytime scent that would be good in virtually any season - though I’m most looking forward to wearing this in the fall.

Update: Actually, the Palais de Tokyo incense sticks smell exactly like this. Like really the same. And I do love those.

So I do like gaiac more than I used to now, but I still don't know if I can ever get past the longevity and projection for the price. this is very much only for yourself, and if you have someone literally smelling your skin... I have a 15 ml that someone else sold to me for almost nothing, so I've been experimenting with it, and yeah it's really just for yourself to smell. you still have to smell your skin directly though after the first 45min - hour.

Really disappointed in this. I can’t smell anything! No
Hinoki scent or remotely any woody/incense scent. I was so excited to smell this in store and get a sample but not worth it.

The way everyone describes this, I want to love it so much. It’s described exactly how I want my favorite scent to be described. I do get slight Palais de tokyo incense scent, and I love that … but then I mostly just get the scent of those white mint lifesavers … I have tried this many times over two years now and get the same thing. This can’t just be me… right?

Picturing spring's first green leaf from a medicinal tree crushed in between your fingers in a middle of what still seems to be a snow filled garden, Gaiac 10 smells like hope, healing and fresh beginnings. This fragrance is like the whole planet greeting you with such joy and it filled the bottle with everything good inside it.
Aside from the medicinal greens, it reminds me of fresh made wooden slippers from a living bark, hand crafted with care and respect to nature.
Soft and moving, Gaiac 10 finishes with a mild musk blending in perfectly as if it is a confirmation of renewal or rebirth and oneness with each living creature celebrating spring.

This is my favorite from the city collection. It really reflects the citizens of Tokyo. It's so beautiful! It has the ying yang quality between the earthiness and airiness I just can't get enough of. It flows like water. The essence of nature is a central component in Japanese spirituality. I think this fragrance captures the essence of that spirituality in a certain sense.

Oh, I remember what this reminds me of now. Holy water from an old catholic church! Must be the Guaiac Wood.

This is a light musky and fresh fragrance with a subtle and clear guajac wood and strong doses of initial black pepper. Balanced and elegant with a beautiful texture of fresh suede, the smokiness of incense, cedar and chalky sandalwood. Pleasant, airy and regenerating.
Perfect for the day and the beautiful seasons.

Holy mist of all saints sauna room in a bottle

I love this. Musky and fresh. This is the fruitier version of Hermes Eau des Merveilles. Probably the reason why it smells expensive. The guaiac wood is not so noticeable though. Longevity is not as long lasting as other Le Labo perfumes.

Wearing this today. Upon spraying it and for the first 20min I felt rather anosmic to it, perhaps due to some of the molecular notes. After a few hours it has settled to an enjoyable musky breeze, which I keep feeling frequently. Overall a nice frag, not sure it's worth the high price tag though. May lean slightly more feminine also.

This is amazing…I don’t think I have anything else in my collection that smells like this and I NEED to have it!!

I think it smells like the most beautiful, cozy, comforting, magnificent, shy, elusive, refined, elegant, classy and expensive scent. I cannot believe I waited this long to sample it. It smells like old money, it smells like Heaven to me and I will strive to obtain a bottle of this corner of Heaven and use it to my heart’s content.
Pure happiness and pure pleasure, unabashed!!

12 out of 10 for me!

This smells like a cedar stick dipped in Vick's Vaporub. Like if someone diffused mint oil in a dry sauna. It's intriguing - gives me both a warm (sauna) vibe and a cool (menthol) vibe at the same time. It's not feminine enough for me but wouldn't mind it on a guy.

I want this to be my permanent signature scent so much, but does no one else smell white mint lifesaver?? Someone told me that one time when I was wearing it (not in a bad way) but I cant unsmell life saver mint candy now. Just need to know if this is ONLY me…

On my skin it smells like an unburnt incense from the Japanese temple.

Smells like bacon lol

If you're Asian and you've smelled the dried dragon eye fruit (龍眼乾) that people use to make tea or cook with, then you've smelled this. This is a sweet, fuzzy, slightly smoky, veil like gourmand woody scent. Very charming and cozy skin scent.

While I am still new to niche fragrances, I don't think I've smelled anything like this before. It starts off with a very strong musk/leather-y scent for the first ten minutes on me, then changes into what reminds me of a medicinal Asian bathhouse. I agree with other reviews saying it's meditative, it's a calming almost medicinal scent to me. The 2nd - 5th hours are really nice; it's a very clean woody/musky fragrance. The sillage is veeeery small, but when you do catch a whiff of it it's hard to stop smelling it. I think I sensed a bit of incense-y wood in the latter half, though it's very subtle.
I don't think I'll be purchasing this again, but I'm definitely making my sample vial last as long as possible!

Edit: I ended up buying a 15ml bottle for cheap (relative to the retail price...). Turns out I really like Gaiac 10. I don't smell the leather anymore. I love spraying this after a shower to relax in bed.

Starts out a sweet skin scent, like a baby's head, with a little powder and milk, incense and woods. Something sour and savory comes out after a while, making the previous incense note lean more towards bbq smoke.

it’s been many years and still I haven’t come across anything that smells like this! Strong yet gentle, simple but complex, skin scent that projects like crazy, absolutely unique! I’ve learnt that a lot of people are actually anosmic to the notes in this hence couldn’t smell anything while in fact Gaiac 10’s woody musk accord in the base is so distinctive, with enormous projection and lasts literally for a week on my sweater. This DNA is so distinctive and authentic that I find it impossible to layer with anything else, even though it’s so light and minimalist. Annick Menardo is such a genius nose!!!

i can see why previous reviewers would have the impression of "hickory smoked bacon" —the opening is definitely reminiscent of that smokiness!! it dries down to a really beautiful, light woody scent, but it takes a bit of patience! i can't say i think it's worth the city exclusives price tag though, and didn't really get phenomenal performance from the longevity or anything

I have tried 9 City Exclusives, and to me this is the closest one to Le Labo‘s top seller Santal 33. That probably explains why this is the top selling City Exclusive. It is very faint and I’m not getting much from it, but from what I can smell I will say this: CdG’s take on Santal 33

I bought this a few years back, and WOWZA! I loved everything about it. Extremely unique, addicting, meditative, calming but interesting. I recently finished my old bottle (from around 2016 or so), so I purchased a sample just to make sure it was the same formula. I'm sad to report, it smells completely different. All I get now is hickory smoked bacon. If you want to smell like a Texas Roadhouse, this is the juice for you!

I had the same experience as @keemun….I was completely nose blind to this when I tried sampling it in Le Labo. I literally couldn’t smell a darn thing. I was told I needed to go outside to smell it, which I did & still, no doey.
Fortunately, the two people I was with went crazy over it. Initially, I had the same problem with Another 13 & eventually my nose became accustomed to the smell. So, I bought a sample to keep trying later -just in case. Oh, man alive! I’m so glad I did because this literally blew my socks off. I love this juice. I’m anticipating this suckers release on September 1st with baited breath. I have lost a sense of frugality & I’m about to throw all my hard earned cash at it’s cost. Make it rain, baby. This juice is A-MA-ZING!!

Everything said below it's correct. It's a beautiful quiet fragrance.

OMG I have found my next city exclusive. I am not a guy that loves woody fragrances but this one has something so unique about it. It’s quiet, I can smell the cleanest musk and on my skin is extremely fresh and even … sweet, yeah a sweet wood that’s fresh and not dry. It’s fantastic. And just when you think you can’t smell it… someone tells you what’s that fragrance?!

Domo Arigato Mista Robotto

Very subtle perfume . They don't wear much fragrance in Tokyo or in greater Japan, so this was inspired to be something easy going in the subtropical heat.

This wears light on me. I forgot I was wearing it but when the wind blows it whispers to you like a ghost saying "I'm still here".
What I do get is light woods, musk and unburned incense.

Good scent for those screaming hot and humid days in Japan or anywhere else where you don't want to wear any fragrance because the heat. This is also a calming ghost that you could enjoy at home.
But for me personally, I'd choose something with a little more "oomph".
Great for the office.

Completely anosmic to this. I tested it at the boutique and couldn't smell it at all. They even brought out a huge jug of it and still I couldn't smell a thing. So odd.

Pleasant. Sweet. Airy. Seems to have a little spice to it kind of, like an original flavor of pink bubble gum.
Later on it's maybe like a... white musk with floral. Not bad, but not terribly exciting. It's a pleasant good background-esque type of scent. Can kind of meld with someone and just give off an aura. Might prefer M. Micallef's Gaiac though.

The good:

Divine scent. A no nonsense fragrance that sets out to do what it intends without any flashiness. No spices, no sweetness, no fruits, no nothing. Just a simple, clean woody scent.

Molecule 01 and 02 also achieve this but they smell quite rough compared to the creamy and smooth texture of Gaiac 10. I sprayed this on a suit jacket and I wanted to bury my face in the fabric every single time I smelled it.

The bad:

- Non-existent performance. Sits very close to the skin and that signature woodiness only comes out after an hour.

- Extortionate pricing. But then again, Gaiac 10 is always the first city exclusive to sell out in the Le Labo counters of Toronto where I live. So clearly a lot of people don't have an issue with spending $600 on what is a (divine smelling) skin scent.

For me personally, Creed Spice and Wood, Baccarat Rouge extrait, and Clive Christian Rock Rose are above Gaiac 10 in my priority list if I want to spend that much on a bottle.

Scent: 9.5/10
Projection: 2/10
Longevity: 8/10

One of my all time favourite scents - until I saw the price tag and then I cried. Luckily someone got it me as a gift for Christmas!
Definitely a skin scent - smells very comforting, warm and clean. I believe Perfume Parlour have started doing a dupe although I've yet to try it.

I purchased a City Exclusive sample set in September 2020. Gaiac 10 smells very promising in the bottle and when first sprayed. Unfortunately for me the longevity is less than 2 hours. Disappointed.

I have a sample of Santal Sultan from Ensar Oud and to me this smells very similar to it. I did not expect gaiac to smell so close to sandalwood. Has a smoky rubber feel to it which is also present in Santal Sultan. Nothing special. It’s neither good nor bad. Don’t understand the prohibitively expensive prices.

The perfume was changed in 2020 significantly, and Estee Lauder company seems to believe that's ok to manage the Le Labo brand this way and to treat customers like this.

I've been a fan of Gaiac 10 for years, since I've opened it for myself in Tokyo for the first time, I have been waiting each September impatiently to buy myself a new 50 ml bottle in various parts of the world. This year I've decided to treat myself with a new 100 ml pack to be able to wear it more often. Purchased one from a Le Labo corner in my country.

What a disappointment in 2020! This fragrance is completely different from what I had for years and from what I still have at the bottom of my old bottles. The 'new' Gaiac is only 10% woody and musky to me and about 90% is somewhat unpleasant white flower-ish or something else the smell of what I can barely stand. 'Luckily' the longevity was changed as well, and it's vanishing from my skin in 1 hour, compared to old true Gaiac, which was very close to the skin but lasted on me for hours.

The label says it has a different percentage of alcohol compared to the previous year bottle, so the formula was changed without any warnings.

The retailer and Estee Lauder company representative simply denied my request for a refund and claimed the perfume is fine because it has a certificate of authenticity. No comments.

Can't believe that happening in 2020 with purchasing a perfume for 400+ USD.

I was able to purchase a sample of Gaiac 10 recently, along with a few others from the city exclusives. It's an ethereal light woody musky scent that stays close to the skin. This might be an unpopular opinion, but on my skin it smells exactly like Molecule 01 (which I own). While I find the scent beautiful, I'll stick with Molecule 01 for the price point.

Gaiac 10 is my least favorite of the city exclusives I've sampled due to uniqueness and longevity: Tabac28 and Mousse De Chene 30, which is my favorite.

This is what heaven must smell of.

I was really excited to try this as I always hear it's a long the lines of molecule 01 & 02. Nothing could be further from the truth. This smells more like a light Diptyque Tam Dao. Smokey wood and nothing "clean" or "laundry" about it. Try a sample before buying! This scent is not for me.

I was thinking very similarly to the reviews by emerson10 and oneofheraltereg. Also, this one seems to share similar musk accords with Baie 19 and Musk 25, and I think it’s more wearable in casual settings as long as I keep it to 1 maybe 2 quick sprays. As far as their expensive bottle pricing, I don’t really care about that. I just buy the samples anyway. I would buy their mini size of this though. I just wish my friends would wear the scents I wear and love so I can enjoy smelling them on other people more often. I’ve tried assaulting them with small sprays but it became too much effort. I guess with the pandemic going on it’s not as much of an issue. Hmm. What if Le Labo came out with one called Covid 19?! It could be an America country exclusive and I bet it would have a lot of projection and sillage.

A true woody musk fragrance. It's clean, yet woody. Soapy yet earthy. You ever try a fragrance not knowing it's someone you know's signature scent until you're wearing it? I sampled this blind based on articles I read, and upon spraying, I immediately recognized it as my coworker's perfume.

It's got the simplicity of a musk with the intensity of something very unique. For the first half hour I really loved the smell -- fresh, unique, woody, but an hour in, I actually started to get a little nauseous and opted to actually wash it off. Don't be fooled by the musk note, the sillage is strong.

Personally, if I am going to wear a musk (which I adore), I want one that performs like a musk, close to the skin, with something unique to it. If it's super strong, I'd rather it be something else?

OK, maybe I am crazy for saying this, but this feels like the grown up, sophisticated, version of Light Blue. Like if you wore Light Blue as a teen, and you want a more refined version, I think you would love this?

I will not be buying a bottle, but very interesting.

WHO I PICTURE THIS ON:
someone with a distinct POV who wants to turn heads, presents with a a sort boho carefree vibe, but you know there's nothing actually boho about their posh life.

This is a bottle of art. It may not for everyone, but the ones who get it will fall for it very deeply. This is hugs and affections. Reminds me a lot of my childhood.
Once you smell this, you won’t care about sillage and projection.
10/10 for me.

Good lord this stuff is awesome.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into with this one, but I already knew Gaiac Wood is stubborn and BOLD.

Well, the initial blast is incredibly harsh - Strong, smokey, invasive and honestly smells like a camp fire. It reminds me of burning wood in a massive camp fire.

As it settles, the musk starts to smooth everything out leaving an amazing firm woody base followed by a comforting musk and leather note almost. Its spicy, masculine and woody, but not too dry. This stuff is really, really good. It does smell a bit synthetic with the musky-leather forefront, but don't let that fool you.

People will smell this on you for the first 2.5 hours and then it becomes a scent you get random whiffs of every-so-often, but not very often. No worries, just reapply.

Trust me, it's that good.

Smells nothing like mugler .

Beautiful soft scent but nobody is gonna notice you , it's for your nose only !

I want a bottle ASAP .

I think the owners of Le Labo are laughing that people are spending $300/ 50 ml for this, when it may cost them a few dollers to produce.

I just tried my sample, and the first association that came to mind was Bvlgari Pour Homme. It's a tea fragrance with airy aldehydes, and some crisp woody notes.

I have a few Le Labo frags, some are great, Santal 33, Bergamoto 22, etc.
But Gaiac 10, nice, but nothing special.

It has mostly airy aldehydes, and cedar, gaiac.
I have reviewed about 500 frags in the past 5 years since I started. This is an ok fragrance, but I have smelled this befor for bottles around $100 or less for 100 ml, and with equal quality.

Gaiac 10 smells mostly like Bvlgari P Homme, or like several Comme de Garcons fragrances, like Monicle 1, or something...

Le Labo is using a one molecule aldehyde here as 50% of the overall smell. I think those aldehydes are supper cheap.

This reminds me of two other fragrances: Diptyque has an exclusive line fragrance, "Essenses Insensees Tiara", and Tom Ford "Oud Minerale". I also thought both these fragrances were interesting and modern, but I didn't care for them much. They all have the same aldehyde molecule perhaps..

Rating: 5.5/10

God bless. John 3:16

After loving so much of musc25, I wanted to discover more about le labo and found this lovely one!
I actually missed to buy it last year and was finding the identical/similar one so bad over a year. And it does reminds me of oolong Infini but maybe oolong infini has a tiny scent of citrus than gaiac 10 but both seems to have about identical woody, soapy, smokey, musky scents and also the similar longevity.

I happened to be at the LE LABO counter to smell some of the newer city scents and decided to spray this one, as I used to have a bottle and never replaced it after using it up. What struck me immediately and since is that it is remarkably, and I mean that strongly, similar to Visit by Azzaro (which Menardo also composed). Perhaps the only difference being that Gaic has a laundry vibe and Visit has a dry incense vibe. I feel like they are 85% the same in most regards except of course price. The city scents are prohibitively expensive for many, although they are very well composed and the quality is high. If you are looking for a substitute, then look no farther than Visit. It is currently around 23 bucks a bottle and is every bit as good in my eyes. They both share rubbery woods, blue cedar and mellow incense sweetness.

I sprayed it, then I sprayed again, then one more time. It smells great...if you're smelling it from 1 inch away. It's very light and honestly I smell cedar more than I smell Gaiac but it's nice nonetheless. Imo if you wanted my advice on if one should purchase this I'd say sure if you like it, but I wouldn't, that's just me though. Maybe/hopefully you'll have a better opinion of it, it's just ok to me.

Where do I begin ? Unlike anything else you have ever experienced. Starts off a bit harsh, if you spray too much you might get a burned, for the lack of better description in my mind, bacon ? Smell...but thats only for the first few minutes, then the magic begin. Projection is weak, people won't smell it on you around you, but it will last up to 12 hours on your skin. Takes me on a mental journey of ancient Kyoto, this is what the air must have smelled like in the Tokaguwa and Meiji eras, or at least my imagination tells me it did, so let me live there while I am wearing it. Now let's talk business, this is Tokyo exclusive, however Le Labo releases it around the world in September only, you can purchase samples of it ( 12$ pre tax for 1.5 ml) perhaps the most expensive LE Labo fragrance yet ? 50 ml is about 310$ Pre tax in 2019...I recommend that you at least sample it, it is very special, and no I am sorry, Gomme Des Garçons Kyoto is absolutely not a dupe or even close in my opinion.

A more subtle interpretation of CDG's Kyoto or Hinoki, and all the better for it.

Intimate and beautiful.

Words can not describe how amazing this juice is... It's so calming. Very reminiscent of Japan. If Tokyo had a signature scent, this would be it!

Sillage and projection are not good at all. it's more of a personal enjoyment scent. I get about 10+ hours longevity. This will be in my rotation forever.

The cleanest interpretation of gaiac n cedar. It reminds me of the color white. It’s so calming and simple but no doubt an original creation w nothing similar in the market. Worth every penny.

10/10 w amazing longevity but low projection which is part of its charm.

The best scent
The worst sillage

I don't know why but when I smell Gaiac 10 I immediately conjure this image of a person in my mind someone who's very quite, really secure in themselves, doesn't have the need to impress anyone and a bit aloof but once you get to know this person they are very kind and loyal.

Just like this person Gaiac 10 doesn't like to be the center of attention or make a big impression on anyone but its wearer. I don't know how to explain it but Gaiac 10 feels very futuristic in the way it's composed like how a fire would smell on Pluto the flames of this fire are between white and grey with a bit of pale yellow for warmth. This fire starts off very cold but with time it gets warm but only warm though it will never becomes hot. From this fire you get the softest trail of smoke with woods, black pepper and something slightly sweet and warm the sweetness that comes from the tiny pale yellow flame this fire has a very calming effect. I don't think I could do this fragrance justice by trying to pick up notes and analyze them so I won't do that.

Gaiac 10 is a fragrance that feels otherworldly to me it's like no other. The projection doesn't go beyond my personal bubble but I could always detect it on myself. The longevity is a different story it's insane it lasts for more than two days on my skin. I love the way it preforms and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Gaiac 10 is one of my favorite Le Labos. Lumber + Musk = Scent Addiction. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys a fetish smell like “Home Depot” cleverly morphed into a comfy skin-scent. As it dries down, I get soft hints of latex paint and wood glue, however, with the harsh edges rounded out by mild sweetness. It’s no surprise Annick Menardo is listed as the perfumer when you consider she also signed Bulgari Black (with rubber tire notes subdued by vanilla) and Le Labo’s other loveable weirdo, Patchouli 24.

Selling an unopened 50ml for $320 shipped!

How hauntingly beautiful is this one please? I’m speechless right now and have to wait until I can write a proper review

4/10

I’m new to perfumes and it was important to me to find a vegan/cruelty free scent. After doing a lot of research, I discovered Le Labo. I got a ton of their samples and wore one each day and took notes in my phone. In time I discovered Gaiac 10 and immediately spirit-bonded with this scent. I don’t know what it is, but this scent feels magical, simple, and intimate.

Unlike other scents from Le Labo, Gaiac 10 feels wispy. When wearing it, I may not smell it strongly if sitting still nor will others around me. But when I begin to move I begin to smell it and it seems to leave a shimmery, wisp of a tail behind me. I have gotten many positive comments always from people I walk past. I have received not one negative comment. The days I receive comments are the days I’ve used more sprays.

2 sprays = only I can smell it unless others are very close
4 sprays = the wisp effect is soft
6 sprays = the wisp effect is prominent

The scent lasts 9-12 hours, but softens greatly after 6’ish hours.

Gaiac 10 is not a “sexy” scent. It is a meditative, calming, spiritual scent. I bought a 50ml bottle and have no regrets. This will be my signature scent going forward.

Gaiac 10 won’t appeal to most people as a personal scent and that is fine. It is subtle, understated, and mature. It’s not an attention grabber. It is the contemplative scent of standing alone on an overcast, cool day in a forest after a light rain.

I bought a sample of this and I'm wearing it today with the hope that it help me decide if I love it enough to fork over $300 for 1.7 oz. The answer is no. I enjoy the smell and find it unqiue and gentle and lovely BUT I have to shove my face into my wrist or chest to get a wiff.

I sprayed it this morning and as we walked out the door asked my husband if he could smell me and he said he hardly noticed. Its a lovely woody musk (I get no powder) but not worth that kind of cash.

I can't smell this at all on a blotter and on skin I can detect faint, dry wood, and the slightest hint of incense, but mostly just a veil of clean laundry-type white musk. Not powdered laundry detergent or straight up dryer sheet, but more like a shirt laundered a few days ago, placed in a wooden drawer, and then worn all day.
This also smells like the hours-later drydown of some of my cleaner scents with prominent white musk.
In fact, if I sniff the cap of my Bvlgari Black, also by Annick Menardo, it smells like whatever basenotes are left, minus the leather, tea, and vanilla. Bvlgari Black is far and away more interesting and smells like a finished project. This smells like a simple accord, probably plucked from another fully realized blend. I get the minimalism in Gaiac 10 Tokyo as representing the Japanese aesthetic with regards to scent, but I seriously can't see forking over $$$$ for some inexpensive white musk.

Lightest perfume ever!!
I can't smell anything at all...

I like this perfume, which is dry and slightly bitter on me. Clean, plain wood, nothing else, but this must be the most undetectable scent I have ever encountered, almost non-existence, even by pressing my nose on my wrist after spraying plenty of it.

Le Labo Gaiac 10 is a gorgeous stand alone fragrance, (I literally tried every other Le Labo fragrance and found it to be my favourite before I bought it) but I must admit I did maaaiiiiiinly try it because Emily Weiss of Glossier and Into the Gloss fame has said in numerous interviews it reminds her of the original Tocca Touch....
With regards to the scent itself, it starts out smelling like "The Edition" hotel in London and slowly fades into that bottom note that the original Tocca Touch is so famous for. It is worth noting that I did try it several times before I bought it and alot of the very cool people who work at Le Labo seem to opt for this one over the others (so there was no hard sell needed on their part! :))
I don't necessarily believe that price is an issue if its the right scent, but Le Labo is definitely expensive-especially in terms of the City Exclusives-so it would be if I didnt love it SO much.
Overall gorgeous scent- lasts on my clothes more than on my skin mind you- and perfect for layering with my Tocca Touch Oil now the perfume is discontinued (although if Tocca could JUST bring back my signature perfume already, I would prob be back to that!

There is something about a musky woody scent that lends itself to skin like a familiar face from the past. Maybe it recalls an affinity for a primal state of life when elemental forces played a role that was beyond our intellectual deconstruction; some things just looked like they weren't poisonous or they felt like home. The irony is that the contemporary feeling of familiarity and cosiness is usually created via the most synthesized of all molecules: musks and Iso-E Super, creating an amalgam of loud bass coming from afar, like the roar of a lion, with the cute furry touch of a kitten curling up in your lap.
All that being said Gaiac 10 is awfully hard to get and that's a shame.

just tried this one again. not much on the guaiac, more on the musk. a little disappointing...
has the same DNA as santal.
at this price is quite hard to sell it. nearly $500 for 50 mls. this is not as much of a novelty as it needs to be. too expensive. not unique enough...

The second Le Labo EDP that I've tried, Gaiac 10 hits the mark on its signature note, the sweet, light gaiac (guiac) wood that dominates the fragrance. Gaiac 10 is understated, soft, inviting, and unoffensive. It leans toward warm weather use but might be able to find a home as a woody option in some winter usage. And it's wholly unisex, at least to me. It's relatively weak with respect to projection and longevity, unfortunately.

After trying another one of Le Labo's "City Exclusive" group yesterday (I found Musc 25 uninspiring at best), my expectation of Gaiac 10 (for Tokyo) was again that it would be daring and strong, given the price point of $290 for 50ml and the high reputation of most of Le Labo's standard line. However, for the price, I'm not sure how this gets purchased, given that it smells far closer to the inside of an IKEA than a luxury EDP that costs as much as it does.

If you aspire for a relatively simple gaiac wood smell and have money to burn, this may be a viable option for you, but otherwise, I'm again baffled by the product here. I'm trying the City Exclusives before the Le Labo's main menu, so perhaps I'll be happier when I try the standards later.

6 out of 10

Scent - airy woods, with a little sweetness.

Season/Time of Day - I prefer to use this one all year round, day or night.

Projection - I did get noticed, it garners compliments.

Longevity - I get 16hrs consistently.

#1

this has santal (by le labo) dna all over it. might be the cedar, but it definitely 'feels' like le labo. that light and wispy feel is there. no mistaking it at all, it's le labo through and through. a little on the fem side for mine, but still nice and worth testing...

Smells great but not even close worth the money for the small bottle. Total skin scent on My skin with piss poor projection.

A lightweight woody perfume, Gaiac 10 Tokyo is simple and comfortable. 'Luminous' for a wood fragrance if you could describe one like that, filtered with airy musk and soft, peppery frankincense resin.

I feel the cedar is more dominant than the gaiac: diffusive and spa-like, yet with an earthy accent.

It smells how a fat sweet raindrop would taste, falling off a high cedar tree branch, catching it on your tongue.

Natural, minimalist, comfortable. Truly enjoyable and one to savor quietly as the silage is intimate.

After the scent of fire, there is a sharpness or tartness to the woodiness on me, and a sweetness. I have drier skin, and on me it lasts forever! I love it in the bottle but it is actually too strong on my skin.

A very expensive fragrance which didn't last on my skin. After less than 10 min, all gone. The simple formula which creates a nice incense Zen feel, very similar to CdG's Kyoto and Fukudo Kyoto Zen, but lighter as it contain high dose of white musk which makes it clean and transparent. Sadly, it really didn't last on my skin.

Because the experience of scents is so subjective and personal I tend to put all my notes in my "notebook" instead of in the review section. I like to read what others have said and will often copy/paste some of their descriptions into my notebook because they are so "spot on".

However when someone says if you like this scent you can get this other alternative for - cheaper price, better longevity, etc. I get a little nervous. There are too many factors involved to suggest a simple absolute of "this" = "this".

In this case I love the scent of Gaiac 10 and have sampled CdG Kyoto. In My Opinion (as subjective as it is) there is a similarity only in the cedar but that note's not what makes Gaiac 10 so enjoyable to me. If you discount the musk and the gaiac you no longer really have Gaiac 10 and they appear NOWHERE in Kyoto.

If I had purchased Kyoto hoping to have a cheaper version of Gaiac 10 I would have been so disappointed. To others they may be very similar and while I hate the price of Gaiac 10 I don't see Kyoto as being a substitute - either in scent or value.

As for Gaiac 10 it's the first musk oriented scent that I've really enjoyed. To me it's a cooler, white (with shades of green) musk that works perfect with its woody counterparts. Sure it's fairly linear but that's okay since I enjoy it for what it is. I'm disappointed that I don't get the longevity that others are reporting and not sure that I'll ever purchase a full bottle at this price but it's definitely decant/split worthy. One of my favorite's from Le Labo.

flowery bulgari black or dzing by l'artisan...i love it...currently i stick with l'artisan dzing or bulgari black while saving up and waiting for the chance it will sell through all the counters around the world offer again...

Gaiac 10 is a modern masterpiece, the deep woods and radiant musks, the stealth silage and 12 hr longevity. I love wearing it to work, under a suit. I also was turned off by the City exclusive concept, but now that I've collected a few, it's nice to wear something different than anyone else. and refills can be done at any Le labo, with a discount, makes the steep price tag a little easier to swallow.

I will make it simple here: Comme Des Garcons Kyoto with just a little more sweetness. Transparent cedarwood/incense. Smells good but for the same price you can get almost a gallon of the CDG.

Rating: 6.5/10

A very subtle fragrance, mainly agar in nature. Too light for my skin. Other le labo scents (especially Santal 33) start off light then become much stronger and complex as the day goes on.
Not this, however. This faded very quickly on me and I could detect nothing after an hour or two.

Completely agree with Codehorror, this is a gorgeous light woody fragrance which works well for women. Decent sillage and longevity.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!

not bad fresh green also I feel a glue odor..
and a bitter edge

I feel kinda lonely being the first to post a review on this great fragrance. But I felt the need to share my thoughts about this fragrance.

Gaiac 10 is a beautiful and subtle woody fragrance. When I first spray this fragrance on I get a beautiful natural smelling gaiac and cedar scent, as this fragrance begins to dry down you begin to get a lot of clean musk blending with the wood notes and a hint of incense to make a beautiful scent that stays somewhat close to the skin. But make no mistake this fragrance lasts. which should come as no surprise being that it is a perfume extract with 30% aromatic compounds in it. That being said this fragrance truely baffles me when ever I wear it. The reason I say this is because it seems that when ever am trying to smell this fragrance I can only faintly pick it up. However, when I am not focusing on it is when I can pick it up the most, and what I smell is amazing. What I also love is that only people that come in somewhat close contact with you will be able to enjoy this fragrance and it almost has a magnetic effect when they do pick it up. Its almost like a person that whispers and forces you to listen. Plain and simple to me this fragrance speaks softly but carries a big stick.

Projection: This fragrance by no means projects loudly, but when it does get noticed it makes its presence very well known. 8/10

Longivity: When ever I wear this fragrance I get anywhere between 12-16hrs all the time. 10/10

Scent: A work of art in my humble opinion. I truely believe its beauty is in its simplicity which makes perfect scense, being that it is a Tokyo exclusive. 10/10

Versatility: This fragrance is extremely versatile for me, I can wear it in the cold months, in the warm months, day, night, formal, casual...10/10

Price: This fragrance is expensive if you are lucky enough to be able to get your hands on it. For me it is well worth its price but I suggest everyone should do some good sampling before thinking of buying this. 7/10

Overall: 9/10