Being a grooming writer and editor is a good job: I get to test the latest and greatest grooming products as they come onto the market. It's hard to use everything to its full potential, so I often share with friends and family. But there's one category I keep to myself: the best fragrances for men.
I currently have a collection of hundreds of perfumes and I regularly revisit this collection in any post I write about seasonal colognes, signature scents, or perfume wardrobes.
This line of the best-smelling colognes is my pride and joy, and I'm often asked if it's my favorite. Sure, it's like choosing a child's favorite, but in this case, I know the answer and I'm not ashamed to admit it: Le Labo Cedrat 37.
Le Labo Cedrat 37: Notes
This is a heady scent; a seductive, sophisticated, fresh, and spicy wunderkind. It has a lemon-forward entrance, a spicy ginger graduation, and a musk-amber finish. If you’re wondering if this is technically a cologne or a perfume, it’s an eau de parfum, meaning it’s genderless and a bit lighter than a perfume. Typically, eau de parfums contain between 15% and 20% pure perfume essence and last up to eight hours.
Unless you are in Berlin, it is hard to find Cedrat 37, as it is sold as a regional product there… except for one month of the year in the USA: September!
Adam Hurley
Cedrat 37 is one of 17 “City Exclusive” scents from the French perfume brand, which is now owned by Estée Lauder. Basically, there are 17 cities around the world that have a special scent, and these scents are available to purchase year-round from that destination's own Le Labo store. Berlin is the proud home of Cedrat 37, and it's no coincidence that I've lived there for six years. On several occasions, friends have asked me to carry a bottle of Cedrat 37 when they come to visit. They've had the taste of this scent at one time or another, and since I could walk down to Le Labo in Mitte and pick up a bottle for them, they knew I was the key to them owning it.
The City Exclusive series is a great play for Le Labo, with each city getting a steady stream of foot traffic so scent lovers can test the waters while stocking up on essentials. (You probably know Santal 33 by heart, or you should. Also consider Thé Matcha 26 or Bergamote 22.) Some people even collect City Exclusives like Pokémon whenever a new one comes out. (Mexico City is the latest city to get a special scent—the green-spicy Coriandre 39.)
But for one month each year—September—you can also shop for your favorite City Exclusive scent online wherever you are, so it's time to stock up.
You can even splurge on the City Exclusive Discovery Set, a five-scent set that includes a small amount of my favorite Cedrat 37, as well as the new Coriandre 39 from Mexico City and another favorite: Tokyo’s woody-musky Gaiac 10.
More Fragrances: Le Labo City Special Discovery Set
Courtesy Image
Catch them all if you like and make your own personal choice, but rest assured, you can never go wrong with the complexity, versatility and downright addictive quality of Cedrat 37. Your partner will likely agree.
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