For Santal, something started to kick in around modification number 93. I felt we had something there that had the potential to be powerful. Then I got lost in hundreds of other trials to realize that the theme we had in 93 was lost. We decided to throw away a year of work and start back from there. The solution was a few moves away, adding a 'key' that unlocked the whole formula. That key is the secret of Santal that prevents all the copies out there of it from achieving the same effect.

— Fabrice Penot talks about the creation of Santal 33. Read more at Le Labo's Founder Has Mixed Feelings About The Success Of Santal 33 at Fashionista.

Santal 33's omnipresence as the signature scent of both waifish fashion buyers and bored office workers alike is an impressive feat. But as a result of this complete and inescapable ubiquity, the perfume has devolved into the "pumpkin spice latte of fragrances," as one Redditor so aptly put it.

— Read more at Le Labo Santal 33: The Scent That Went From Ruggedly Cool to Utterly Basic at Fashionista.

Rose 31 was the perfume that set us up for Santal. When we started the brand, we originally developed nine fragrances with no idea as to which would be the most popular. Rose 31 all of a sudden became our best seller. [...] It gave us the means to develop the brand, open new stores and protect our creative autonomy. In the early years, it accounted for about 60 percent of our sales and ’til this day remains one of our best sellers. Then, as you know, along came Santal 33 — the result of a very happy accident.

— Eddie Roschi of Le Labo on the brand's early growth. Read more at How to Succeed: Eddie Roschi, co-founder of Le Labo at Lifestyle Asia.

One thing that has changed is the perfume industry itself, which [Le Labo co-founder Eddie] Roschi says has become crowded and oversaturated. As such he is considering reducing the amount of fragrances Le Labo offers...

“I used to smell everything that came out, especially when I walked through duty-free [stores]. Now I just walk through without even looking up. That being said, the fact that the market is saturated doesn’t mean there’s no space for new ideas,” he says.

— Read more at Cult perfume brand Le Labo and the chemistry – personal and actual – behind its success at South China Morning Post.