Le Labo Lavande 31 Eau de Parfum, 50ml at John Lewis & Partners

Lavender? Perhaps you conjured up an image of your grandmother’s wall-papered bathroom, with a bar of purple soap sitting next to the sink. Or an old-fashioned barbershop, with whiffs of lavender mixed with oak moss floating in the air. In true Le Labo form, Lavande 31 knocks all preconceived notions of lavender on its head. Its bergamot and neroli essential oils give it a fresh lift-off to reveal a lavender of the greatest purity, where only the flower buds are distilled, giving the creation verticality and richness.

Its foundation is pure Le Labo: ambery, dirty, and musky notes, blended with notes of Tonka to give the perfume a regressive classic style that is both clean and dirty, recognizable yet truly unique. Nope, this isn’t the lavender you thought you knew.

Welcome to a new reality.