Welcome to ‘Til The Last Drop: a new column in which I, CF Beauty Editor, Olivia Bennett, share my bi-monthly review of a favourite cult product that I (truly) use to the last drop…
I’m messaged by friends and family, at all hours of the day, with recommendation requests for everything from “the budget gel moisturiser that works with combination skin” to “the hard-hitting eye cream that will make Botox a last resort”, and queries on “whether X, Y, and Z from the current trending brand is REALLY worth the hype”.
Such incessant inquiries sparked the idea for this column, where I’ll now be covering best-selling names alongside under-the-radar brands to note. You’ll hear about blow-the-budget products that live up to their hefty price tag and the purse-friendly steals which I unashamedly turn to time and again.
No need to text me, I’ll be sharing all my intel with you right here every other week. Tune in.
Over the past 12 months, a lot of my beauty products have been left to sequester at the bottom of my various vanity cases. However, an array of fragrances have been loyally used on repeat to mood-boost, soothe, or simply make me feel more put together. One such fragrance is Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29, which I call 'liquid confidence'. I first discovered the scent about three years ago at their Beak Street, London store – note: the store's minimalist washed-stone and exposed-brick décor alone are worthy of a visit, never mind the allure that the products themselves possess. Whilst Santal 33 has become the brand's ubiquitous cult fragrance, for me, Thé Noir 29 is the scent to shout about. Staying true to Le Labo's MO to 'disrupt the fragrance industry', Thé Noir 29 is a scent of beguiling contrasts: it’s instantly woody and earthy thanks to cedarwood, vetiver, and musk, but develops into a sticky sweetness of fig, lifted by the freshness of bay and bergamot. All this is wrapped up with a lacing of black tea leaf with a soft tobacco-like quality.
After the first spritz I was enraptured. When I started receiving endless compliments, I knew it was something special. Yes, you could deem it the perfect evening/ winter fragrance, but I would happily wear it from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.
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