Byredo
BAL D'AFRIQUE
I really loved this perfume, it was sweet, a bit fruity like pineapple and vanilla, sheer but has a subtle woodiness and a little white flower. I also smell a nice amber. I was enjoying this until I refreshed my perfume (it only lasted about 4-5 hours on my skin) and realized it was extremely familiar. It smells very similar to Shanghai Butterfly, which could be an inexpensive dupe for this. They are not the same, but there is too much of a similarity to purchase a full bottle. I already have a rollerball of Shanghai that I may never finish up. I do recommend this, because it's beautiful, but if you don't mind a cheaper dupe you might check out Shanghai.
Also, Byredo's description is that this perfume is supposed to evoke PARIS in the 1920's, with regard to some African influence at that time, so if you are expecting something that would smell just like Africa, maybe look into something dry and grassy like Timbuktu instead. Or maybe even my favorite--the spicy Seven Veils. (May 2013)
I really loved this perfume, it was sweet, a bit fruity like pineapple and vanilla, sheer but has a subtle woodiness and a little white flower. I also smell a nice amber. I was enjoying this until I refreshed my perfume (it only lasted about 4-5 hours on my skin) and realized it was extremely familiar. It smells very similar to Shanghai Butterfly, which could be an inexpensive dupe for this. They are not the same, but there is too much of a similarity to purchase a full bottle. I already have a rollerball of Shanghai that I may never finish up. I do recommend this, because it's beautiful, but if you don't mind a cheaper dupe you might check out Shanghai.
Also, Byredo's description is that this perfume is supposed to evoke PARIS in the 1920's, with regard to some African influence at that time, so if you are expecting something that would smell just like Africa, maybe look into something dry and grassy like Timbuktu instead. Or maybe even my favorite--the spicy Seven Veils. (May 2013)
GREEN (discontinued)
Green is one of the most unique perfumes I've ever encountered. It's a green gourmand. I smell almonds on my skin for the whole duration of the perfume, which lasts at least 12 hours and projects very nicely the entire time. The almonds are so intense that it actually smells like chocolate on me and reminds me of Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker! It's kind of funny to say that Covet is the inexpensive dupe for this if you can't afford $150+, but they are similar enough that I thought it was worth mentioning.
In the first hour or two, I smell lots of green leaves, almonds, and newly bloomed honeysuckle. It's very aromatic.
After a couple hours, it starts to smell yummy like powdery Loukhoum with green leaves rather than rose.
In the last few hours, I smell much more musk than I would have expected considering it seemed so gourmand for so long. I love musk, so I think this is my favorite phase.
Green really captures my interest. It's very quirky. I like it a lot! (Mar 2013)
Green is one of the most unique perfumes I've ever encountered. It's a green gourmand. I smell almonds on my skin for the whole duration of the perfume, which lasts at least 12 hours and projects very nicely the entire time. The almonds are so intense that it actually smells like chocolate on me and reminds me of Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker! It's kind of funny to say that Covet is the inexpensive dupe for this if you can't afford $150+, but they are similar enough that I thought it was worth mentioning.
In the first hour or two, I smell lots of green leaves, almonds, and newly bloomed honeysuckle. It's very aromatic.
After a couple hours, it starts to smell yummy like powdery Loukhoum with green leaves rather than rose.
In the last few hours, I smell much more musk than I would have expected considering it seemed so gourmand for so long. I love musk, so I think this is my favorite phase.
Green really captures my interest. It's very quirky. I like it a lot! (Mar 2013)
MOJAVE GHOST
Ambrette is a note I have never fallen head-over-heels for, it's so fleeting, but I go nuts for it in Mojave Ghost. A full bottle was immediately necessary. I love magnolia too, and what a perfect pairing! And it is hard to find a good magnolia fragrance that really does justice to those voluptuous, billowy flowers, but Mojave Ghost contains one of the purest magnolia notes I have ever smelled in perfumery, right after Elizabeth W Magnolia (a soliflore).
As beautiful as the magnolia is, it's the creamy musky, sandalwoody base that really mesmerized me. It's like unsalted butter.
Mojave Ghost drifts up to my nose for a solid 12 hours. That is surprising sillage and lasting strength for a perfume that smells so soft and ethereal.
So many other sandalwoods on the market are too much like particle board, too dry, or annoyingly coconutty. This one is by far my favorite sandalwood perfume EVER, and that says a lot!
The best thing about Mojave Ghost is that it's a very casual scent. It is comfortable, like your favorite pair of jeans.
It's in the category as many "nude," "musky," "Nivea cream," or "laundry detergent" perfumes. Clean, sweet, delicately powdery, and creamy/oily base that melts into your skin. Possibly my favorite from Byredo, although it's hard to choose just one.
Ambrette is a note I have never fallen head-over-heels for, it's so fleeting, but I go nuts for it in Mojave Ghost. A full bottle was immediately necessary. I love magnolia too, and what a perfect pairing! And it is hard to find a good magnolia fragrance that really does justice to those voluptuous, billowy flowers, but Mojave Ghost contains one of the purest magnolia notes I have ever smelled in perfumery, right after Elizabeth W Magnolia (a soliflore).
As beautiful as the magnolia is, it's the creamy musky, sandalwoody base that really mesmerized me. It's like unsalted butter.
Mojave Ghost drifts up to my nose for a solid 12 hours. That is surprising sillage and lasting strength for a perfume that smells so soft and ethereal.
So many other sandalwoods on the market are too much like particle board, too dry, or annoyingly coconutty. This one is by far my favorite sandalwood perfume EVER, and that says a lot!
The best thing about Mojave Ghost is that it's a very casual scent. It is comfortable, like your favorite pair of jeans.
It's in the category as many "nude," "musky," "Nivea cream," or "laundry detergent" perfumes. Clean, sweet, delicately powdery, and creamy/oily base that melts into your skin. Possibly my favorite from Byredo, although it's hard to choose just one.
ROSE NOIR
OMG this smells like the the Chloe Intense I sold years ago and semi-regretted, but it's even better! It's that same gloomy day, musky, dewy white rose, with a retro vibe about it, but Rose Noir's ingredients smell finer, and the perfume is more complex. I do smell the bright and fresh freesia in the top notes (it's synthetic, but it's there) and a surprising dollop of clover honey. Peeking out from the base is what smells like soil with decaying mosses in it. It conjures images of rose bushes in the dirt, yet it smells so elegant that one could wear it to a ball. I don't find this scent to be "noir" but I also don't find it to be fresh. More of a combo, as I sort of described, of fresh and decay at the same time. Lovely--and nothing like any boring rose soliflore. I no longer mourn my loss of Chloe Intense.
OMG this smells like the the Chloe Intense I sold years ago and semi-regretted, but it's even better! It's that same gloomy day, musky, dewy white rose, with a retro vibe about it, but Rose Noir's ingredients smell finer, and the perfume is more complex. I do smell the bright and fresh freesia in the top notes (it's synthetic, but it's there) and a surprising dollop of clover honey. Peeking out from the base is what smells like soil with decaying mosses in it. It conjures images of rose bushes in the dirt, yet it smells so elegant that one could wear it to a ball. I don't find this scent to be "noir" but I also don't find it to be fresh. More of a combo, as I sort of described, of fresh and decay at the same time. Lovely--and nothing like any boring rose soliflore. I no longer mourn my loss of Chloe Intense.
SEVEN VEILS
Without having seen the notes ahead of time, this smelled like an exotic and potentially seductive blend of spice, sandalwood, and amber. Now that I see carrot seed, it makes perfect sense. I think carrot seed is the note that stands out most on my skin. While it is a spicy scent, it is not spicy in the way that Opium or Cinnabar are. The spice is thinner and much more subdued, not over-the-top. There is an utterly enchanting swirl of fresh flowers in the heart.
Seven Veils reminds me of the scene in The Ten Commandments when Moses stays with the Shiek of Midian. The Shiek encourages Moses to choose one of his daughters for a bride, so the ladies entertain them and dance about in their gossamer dresses. I imagine they might wear this perfume. And if I remember correctly, there were seven daughters.
I love Seven Veils. It's fairly unique and has the sweet & spicy thing going for it, and those kinds of perfumes are my weakness. (Mar. 2013)
Without having seen the notes ahead of time, this smelled like an exotic and potentially seductive blend of spice, sandalwood, and amber. Now that I see carrot seed, it makes perfect sense. I think carrot seed is the note that stands out most on my skin. While it is a spicy scent, it is not spicy in the way that Opium or Cinnabar are. The spice is thinner and much more subdued, not over-the-top. There is an utterly enchanting swirl of fresh flowers in the heart.
Seven Veils reminds me of the scene in The Ten Commandments when Moses stays with the Shiek of Midian. The Shiek encourages Moses to choose one of his daughters for a bride, so the ladies entertain them and dance about in their gossamer dresses. I imagine they might wear this perfume. And if I remember correctly, there were seven daughters.
I love Seven Veils. It's fairly unique and has the sweet & spicy thing going for it, and those kinds of perfumes are my weakness. (Mar. 2013)
