Sometimes, a scent can evoke memories and emotions more powerfully than a photograph or a piece of text. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, LE LABO has released a new candle named “Papyrus,“ after the ancient papyrus plant. Its scent is gentle and soothing. Take a brief moment away from your hectic daily life to gaze at the flickering flame and tune in to the quiet voice within—and to the small details of everyday life that are so easy to overlook. Someday, when you encounter this scent again, those memories will surely come flooding back—just as if you were quietly turning the pages of a book filled with memories.
Photo by Yuko Sugimoto
Edit & Text_Rui Konno
Le Labo's new candle,
That concept.
Every year, *Le Labo* unveils special holiday creations—products that stand out from its usual lineup—in its stores. This year’s unveiling took place recently at its flagship store in Minami-Horie, Osaka.
Every year, this is the perfect opportunity to try something new—whether it’s a slightly smaller-than-usual fragrance or a fresh take on a classic. This year, in addition to the holiday collection, we’re introducing a new scent for our Classic Candles: “Papyrus 20.” It’s a brand-new scent that hasn’t been part of our candle lineup before.
The product name for this fragrance is a bit unusual. While product names typically indicate the main ingredient and the number of ingredients included, this “Papyrus 20” is a little special. True to its name—derived from “papyrus,” meaning paper—its Cypriol-based scent has a somewhat earthy, vegetal quality. It’s a gentle, soothing scent, yet it still leaves a sophisticated impression.
Also known by the alternative name "Nagarmota," which derives from Sanskrit, this cypriol is said to belong to the same family as the raw material used to make the first paper in human history, which was created for writing.
[Claire] Le Labo.PAPYRUS 20 ¥12,540(Le Labo Customer Service)
A new scented candle featuring a harmonious blend centered around Cypriol, with notes of ylang-ylang, labdanum, and deep musk. It comes in a generous 8.6-ounce size, and of course, everything—from crafting the glass containers to pouring the wax—is done by hand right here in the United States. You can have any alphanumeric text of your choice engraved on the label (up to 23 characters).
On a long autumn night,
Gently light the flame.
I'm sure everyone has experienced the connection between scent and memory at some point.
A scent that catches you off guard can suddenly bring back a scene from the past—or even the emotions you felt at that moment. Memories of scent and written records. It’s a curious—yet somehow inevitable—story: that throughout history, the same natural plants have served to preserve something for people in different ways.
When we light this candle, even those of us living such hectic lives may come to feel that we, too, are part of that vast flow of time. For it is not a personal memory, but surely the very memory of human history itself.
By the way, regarding the word “creation” mentioned at the beginning: At *Le Labo*, they apparently don’t tend to refer to their items as “products.” Just as with their perfumes, *Le Labo* places great importance on handcrafting their candles. Each one possesses a unique character that varies slightly from the others, making them resemble works of art—truly deserving of the name “creation.” As the air in the city grows crisp and people become somewhat restless and a little sentimental, the coming season brings with it a fleeting escape from the ordinary—thanks to the lingering scents, flickering flames, and living creations born from someone’s handiwork. This will surely be a gift more special than any other.
[Claire] Le Labo.Hand Pomade Trio 3 × 55 mL ¥13,200, ,Holiday Discovery Set 3 × 7 mL ¥16,830 (All from Le Labo Customer Service)
This year’s holiday collection features a boxed set of hand pomades in three distinct scents—basil, hinoki, and mandarin—to moisturize your hands, as well as a fragrance “Discovery Set” available for the first time from in a 7ml miniature size. The latter set features three of ’s signature scents—“Santal 33,” “Another 13,” and “Te Noir 29”—making it easy to carry and perfect for comparing and enjoying the different fragrances.
