Le Labo The Noir 29 dupes

What is Thé Noir 29?

Thé Noir 29 is a perfume by Le Labo. It came out in 2015.

The name means "black tea 29" in French. It is sold as unisex, and both men and women wear it.

It is one of Le Labo's most popular scents. On Reddit, several fans say it is their favourite from the whole brand.

The brand: Le Labo

Le Labo was founded in New York in 2006. Its shops look like small labs, and each bottle is mixed and labelled by hand when you buy it.

Every perfume is named after one key note plus a number. The number is the count of ingredients in the formula, so Thé Noir 29 has 29 of them.

The label can also carry your name and the date it was made. This hand-made feel is a big part of the brand's appeal.

The perfumer: Frank Voelkl

Thé Noir 29 was made by Frank Voelkl. He also made Santal 33, Le Labo's best-known perfume.

Santal 33 has a fun backstory. Le Labo first cut it from its launch line, and made it a candle instead.

Fans kept asking for it as a perfume. In 2011, Le Labo finally gave in, and it became the brand's best-known perfume.

In 2026, Fragrantica reported that dsm-firmenich, one of the world's biggest fragrance companies, named him a master perfumer.

What does it smell like?

The listed notes are fig, bay leaf and bergamot, then cedar, vetiver and musk. The base is tobacco and hay.

Notice something odd? There is no "tea" in the list.

The tea smell is built from other notes working together.

In plain words, it smells like strong black tea, green fig leaves and dry wood, with a soft, smoky warmth underneath.

Many people also smell rose, even though it isn't listed. A Fragrantica writer said the opening includes "delicate rose petals" next to the tea and fig.

A "beautiful deceiver"

That is what one Fragrantica writer called Thé Noir 29.

At first, it seems soft, delicate and natural. But underneath, a cold woody-amber note gives it huge power and staying power.

This woody note barely smells of anything on its own. But it tickles the nose and grabs attention, which is why people notice the scent from far away.

The same writer said strangers often asked what they were wearing, even after "a modest spritz on each of my shirt sleeves."

How it changes on your skin

The opening. Bright bergamot and a green, slightly milky fig. It feels fresh and a little bitter, like tea leaves.

The middle. The fig fades and the tea feeling grows. Cedar and vetiver add a dry, woody frame.

The drydown. Tobacco and hay bring a warm, sweet, dried-grass feel. One owner described a "potpourri and light wine" note in this part.

Everyone smells it a little differently

This comes up again and again. Thé Noir 29 seems to change a lot from person to person.

One couple said it smells like "a very strong rose" to both of them. Another person said they get "absolutely no rose."

One owner said Le Labo scents are like this in general. They and their wife smell the same bottle "totally differently."

Another owner said that on their skin, it mostly turns to bay leaf and hay. So if you can, test it on your own skin before buying.

Why people love it

It is unusual without being hard to wear. It smells interesting, but not strange.

It gets compliments. One owner calls it their "go-to when I wanna be complimented."

It works for both men and women. It is also easy to wear across seasons.

One fan said it is "super sexy and mature, like a night out in Manhattan's finest."

Why some people don't

It is not for everyone. On Fragrantica, love votes lead clearly, but several hundred people voted dislike.

Some people find the woody base harsh or "medicinal." The Fragrantica writer said this woody note is sometimes called "medicinal oud."

A few people get headaches or feel unwell from it. One new collector said it made them feel ill a couple of hours after wearing it.

Others blame the name. One reviewer said Le Labo's names are "pretty misleading," as they get fig, rose, smoky woods and hay more than tea.

How long does it last?

It is strong for a scent that feels so soft. Owners often say it lasts most of the day.

One owner who compared it with a dupe said the original is something "you can smell all day without trying."

Because of its hidden power, go easy. The Fragrantica writer warned that it "needs an intelligent owner" who doesn't overspray.

Why there are dupes

Thé Noir 29 has been copied many times. The Fragrantica writer said "not all copyists have succeeded."

The hard part is that cold, powerful woody base. Getting the tea and fig right is easier than getting the strength and the "tickle."

Montagne Eau Noir

Montagne is a dupe house that many fans rate highly for its Le Labo copies. Eau Noir is its take on Thé Noir 29.

The good news. One owner wore both side by side and called them "about 90-95% close." Performance was the same for them, about five to seven hours.

The fig. The one difference they found was the fig. In the original, it is sharper and lingers about twice as long, roughly twenty minutes against ten.

The mixed news. Not everyone agrees. Another owner of the original found Eau Noir thinner and less dense, with a weaker vetiver.

That same owner later said Montagne "is off with this one." A third person who bought it said at first they would barely recognize it as a dupe.

Give Montagne time

Here is the twist. That third buyer later changed their mind "110%" and bought a second bottle.

Many Montagne owners say the same thing about the brand. Their perfumes are made to order, so they often need a month or more to settle.

One owner said their Montagne bottles "improved dramatically" after a few weeks. Even the colour changed.

So if you buy Eau Noir, don't judge it on day one. Let it rest for a few weeks first.

Dossier Citrus Tea

Dossier is an American brand that sells affordable takes on well-known perfumes. Citrus Tea is its version of Thé Noir 29.

One owner bought both the original and Citrus Tea to compare. They said the smell is "almost identical."

Where it is different. The main gap is strength. For that owner, Citrus Tea was softer and stayed closer to the skin.

Performance is mixed. Some owners get six to eight hours, with good projection. One said it lasted through a whole restaurant shift.

But one long-time Le Labo wearer said it "doesn't last more than 15 minutes" on them. So results clearly vary.

A little fruitier. One owner of both dupes said Citrus Tea leans more toward the fig. Another found it about 90 percent there, but a bit fruitier.

Eau Noir or Citrus Tea?

One owner tried both and said "you're definitely not going wrong with either."

To them, Eau Noir was a little deeper, with more tobacco. Citrus Tea was a little more fig-forward, and it performed better for them.

The owner who came round to Eau Noir said they like the two "about equally."

Other names you will see

Alt Fragrances' version. One owner said it smells "stupid close." The person who gave them the original could not tell which was which.

Alexandria Fragrances Mystere 29. It is often mentioned as another option.

We have not found enough side-by-side comparisons for these yet. That is why they are not listed as dupes on this page.

Thé Noir 29 or a dupe: which should you buy?

Buy the original if you want the full, dense blend and its famous staying power. Owners say the dupes are lighter.

Buy the original if you love the Le Labo experience, with your bottle mixed and labelled by hand.

Buy Eau Noir if you are patient. Give it a few weeks to settle, and it can get very close.

Buy Citrus Tea if you want something close right away, and don't mind a softer scent.

Test first if you are sensitive to rose or woody notes. Thé Noir 29 makes a few people feel unwell.

The perfume oil

Le Labo also sells Thé Noir 29 as a perfume oil. It sits much closer to the skin than the spray.

This page, and the dupes on it, are about the regular spray version.

When to wear it

It works almost all year. On Fragrantica, autumn gets the most votes, but winter and spring are close behind.

Day and night votes are even. It suits the office, dinners and evenings out.

Several owners wear it most in cooler months. One uses it in the cold and switches to a lighter Le Labo in summer.

A short story about black tea

Black tea gets its dark colour and deep smell from the way it is made.

The fresh leaves are rolled and left to react with the air. This turns them from green to dark brown and brings out malty, smoky and fruity notes.

That mix of dry, smoky and fruity is just what Thé Noir 29 tries to capture. The fig and tobacco play the fruity and smoky parts.

The bottom line

Thé Noir 29 is a smoky black tea scent with fig, rose-like florals, dry woods and hay. It feels soft, but it is surprisingly strong.

It smells different on different people, so test it on your own skin.

Montagne Eau Noir and Dossier Citrus Tea are the dupes owners name most. Eau Noir needs time to settle, and Citrus Tea is softer but close on smell.