I'd like to preface this story with a simple sentence–I live in New York, but I daydream of Tokyo. I've never been, but it's a new favorite. I'll tell you why.

You might be familiar with the fact that Le Labo has nine City Exclusives available only in their namesake cities. They are as follows:

• Tokyo's Gaiac 10
  
• Paris' Vanille 44
  
• New York's Tubereuse 40
  
• London's Poivre 23
  
• Los Angeles' Musc 25
  
• San Francisco's Limette 37
  
• Chicago's Baie Rose 26
  
• Dubai's Cuir 28
  
• Moscow's Benjoin 19
  

The romantic in me is led to believe the only opportunity I’ll ever have to breathe in the beauty of Gaiac 10 is if I travel to Tokyo. But no. In the spirit of sharing, for the month of September, Le Labo is offering the entire City Exclusives collection to everyone everywhere, in stores and online. You could be in Chicago and decide to you'd like to smell like Moscow or, like me, treasuring your own little bit of Tokyo in New York. If you'd like to prepare for September's free-for-all, Le Labo is currently offering all of the scents in tiny tester vials right now for your sampling pleasure. Might not make the decision any easier, but here's hoping.

—Jen Steele

Photographed by Tom Newton.

The difference between a middle and top note (plus everything else you wondered about perfume terminology) is explained here.