Citron 28 is Le Labo’s Seoul entry in the City Exclusives line, released in 2020 and composed by Daphné Bugey. The official note list is short: lemon and ginger up top, jasmine in the middle, cedar and musk underneath. The reality is a bit subtler than that. The star is actually citron, a fruit that sits between lemon and lime with a faint herbal edge, and community reviews consistently point out that the jasmine reads almost as strongly as the citrus.
What Does Le Labo Citron 28 Smell Like?
The opening is the brightest part. Lemon and ginger arrive together, zesty and slightly peppery, with the ginger keeping the citrus from turning sugary. Within twenty minutes the citron heart takes over, and this is where the fragrance earns its name: a rounded, barely sweet citrus with green, herbal undertones rather than a straight lemon hit.
From there the jasmine surfaces. It is a clean, white-floral jasmine, not heady or indolic, and it blends with the musk into something that smells like expensive soap left in warm sunlight. Cedar grounds the base without ever announcing itself. By the drydown you are left with a soft, musky, faintly floral skin scent where the citrus has mostly faded into the background.
Performance
Performance is the main criticism aimed at Citron 28, even by people who love it. Expect roughly five to eight hours on skin, less on clothing, with projection that stays within arm’s reach after the first hour. Many reviewers describe it as faint, and one common summary is that it is more about jasmine than lemon and simply too quiet.
That is not fatal for an office or warm-weather scent, since close-wearing fragrances suit environments where loud sillage is unwelcome. But at City Exclusive pricing, $398 for 50ml, buyers reasonably expect more presence. Overspraying helps but flattens the delicate citrus. If projection matters to you, sample before committing to a full bottle.
Best Clone Or Alternative
The clearest alternative is 28 Shades of Citron from The Dua Brand, an explicitly marketed inspired expression of the Seoul exclusive. Dua lists the same core notes of ginger, lemon, jasmine, musk and cedar wood, and sells it as a 33% extrait in a 34ml bottle for $36 against $398 for 50ml of the original.
Because it is an inspired expression rather than a recreation of the exact formula, there are small differences: the citrus comes across slightly brighter and the extrait strength pushes the musk a little further out. Still, at roughly 85% similar, it captures the same clean citrus-floral-musk structure, and it solves both of the original’s problems, the price and the scarcity. One caveat worth knowing before you shop: Dua rotates stock frequently, and the product page has shown as sold out between restocks, so availability changes month to month.
When To Wear It
This is a spring and summer fragrance first. Warm weather lifts the citrus and keeps the jasmine airy, which is exactly what the composition wants. It works well for daily wear, office settings, casual daytime plans, travel and brunch, any situation where a discreet, pleasant personal scent beats a statement maker. In cold weather the citrus thins out and the musk dominates, so keep it off your winter rotation. Its intimacy also makes it a good choice for people who sit close to others all day and do not want to fill a meeting room.
Who Should Buy It
Citron 28 suits anyone who loves clean citrus scents with a floral twist and prefers fragrances that stay close to the skin. Collectors chasing the full City Exclusives set will want it regardless, since September is the only reliable chance to buy a bottle outside Seoul. Fans of Le Labo’s cleaner side will find it easier to wear than most of the line.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if you need strong projection or ten-hour longevity for your money, because plenty of cheaper citrus fragrances deliver both. Skip it if you dislike jasmine, since the florals are more present than the marketing suggests. Anyone unwilling to time a purchase to the September window should also think twice.
Final Verdict
Citron 28 is a lovely, well-made composition undermined by weak performance and steep pricing. As a scent it succeeds: the ginger-lifted citron opening and soapy jasmine drydown are genuinely pleasant. As a $398 purchase it asks a lot for a skin scent that fades in six hours. For most buyers, Dua’s 28 Shades of Citron is the rational way to own this DNA, leaving the original for collectors who value the bottle and the exclusivity itself.