Le Labo Toronto
Le Labo finally has a location in Toronto, the first ever in Canada. The upscale perfumery was begun in NYC's NoLIta by Eddie Roschi and Fabrice Penot, who didn’t like the style of perfumes offered by mass producers.
They’re known for their unisex, unique scents that are intended to evoke feelings, moments and memories, for body, bath and home. Currently, all the body products are made here in Canada.
The store is designed by Le Labo’s in-house team. Each location is similar but a little different, with the same pattern on the wall inspired by a metal sheet found on the wall in the original NoLIta location.
Customers are welcome to try out products at the deep sink in the store. Anything in a wooden box is a tester.
It’s called Le Labo because it really is a lab, where staff freshly hand-blend your bottle of perfume once you’ve selected your scent.
All scents have a natural, bohemian vibe, not overly floral, more smoky, more like dried herbs and flowers than blooms. Bottles of the ritzy perfumes go for $205 for 50 mL.
Their top seller is the Santal, with notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, leather, cardamom and violet, apparently great for both men and women for a job interview or first date. It’s available in many forms, from body lotion ($79) to shower gel ($60) and solid perfumes.
A solid perfume is $110, and with that comes the privilege of getting the case custom engraved right there in the lab.
Smaller solid perfume cases have room for two initials, larger travel cases ($175) have room for three.
The Santal also comes in the form of a massage and bath perfuming oil ($79) along with classic scents like their Rose, which you may recognize if you stayed at a Fairmont around the time of this store’s opening, as they provided hotel toiletries in this scent.
You can even infuse your laundry with these two signature scents using Le Labo detergent ($51) created in partnership with The Laundress. Each bottle is good for 32 washes, biodegradable, plant-based and paraben-free.
Soy wax candles ($82) are hand poured into hand-distressed tin, and then hand packaged. They’re vegan, and free of parabens and preservatives.
Waxed canvas totes ($68) are screen-printed to mimic their gold window signs, and the material and lettering ages gracefully.
In addition to all this, none of Le Labo’s products are ever tested on animals, so though the products are pricey, you know they were produced ethically. Le Labo offers a little New York sophistication on West Queen West.
Hector Vasquez