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At the Indie Perfume Shop Opening at The Shay, You Can Pay $160 to Smell Like Justin Bieber

The latest addition to The Shay’s lineup of trendy retail is Le Labo, an independent perfumery. The brand launched in 2006 under Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi, who wanted to create alternative “soulful fragrances” that are made-to-order, not mass produced.

Though the indie perfumery is based around unique, signature fragrances, one of their scents, Santal 33, has been met with a “stupid amount of success,” Penot told The New York Times Style Magazine, worn by New Yorkers, Parisians, and yes–even Justin Bieber.

The popular Santal 33 aside, however, Le Labo’s vegan products retain exclusivity from your typical color-tinted, celebrity-endorsed fragrances partially through higher prices. Le Labo perfumes run between $70 and $1,400, prices which the brand’s website explains stem from the high-quality natural oils used and the fact that each scent is hand-made in Le Labo’s own laboratory.

Le Labo boutiques can currently be found in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and California. The perfumery is scheduled to join North End Shaw’s The Shay development at the end of February, located at 1924 8th Ave., NW.

Associate Editor

Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.