(Shelf) Love: An Honest Review of Byredo Fragrances
Gypsy Water from Byredo
I don’t think you can even go on insta nowadays without having seen the popular Byredo scents. I mean their minimal packaging and beloved-fave of all aesthetic influencers has got to mean they’re doing something right.
I’ve always had a fragrance for myself but I think as we get older and grow, our style evolves and that includes our scent. I started off with Vera Wang’s Princess (cheeky, I know) in high school. I fell in love with the scent, and honestly if I smelled it now I would still love it. But as I got older it just started to remind me of my high school days and I didn’t want to keep smelling like that forever. It felt very young, a cute fresh girly scent that was all my own. It also could’ve had something to do with the fact that both my mom and sister ended up getting the bottle haha. I don’t blame them, but at that point sometimes you want to have your own thing, you know?
Then I moved on to Dior’s scent which is still one of my favorites, you can get it here. It definitely is a step up, elevated but still fruity and feminine. And the bottle design is gorgeous.
But still, I was curious about finding a niche fragrance as well. I’ve heard of Byredo a couple times either on some of my faves on insta or on hypebae.com, but I was so curious to see what all the hype was about for myself. So I went to their store on Melrose and took a couple samples home (and a gel body wash of gypsy water) to test out the scents, see how they wear on me and which one would be my favorite. See my reviews below:
Gypsy Water
Notes:
Top: Bergamot, Juniper Berries, Lemon, Pepper
Heart: Incense, Orris, Pine Needle
Base: Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla
Thoughts: Neutral with a feminine touch, subtle and good for an everyday scent that isn’t too overpowering. Elevated & sophisticated.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Slow Dance
Notes:
Top: Opopanax
Heart: Geranium, Labdanum, Violet
Base: Patchouli, Vanilla
Thoughts: It smells really nice and delicate at first but it has a weird after-smell. Some scents change when they are on you and I definitely think this is one of them.
Rating: 6.5
Blanche
Notes:
Top: Aldehyde, Pink Pepper, White Rose
Heart: Neroli, Peony, Violet
Base: Blonde Woods, Musk, Sandalwood
Thoughts: Smells very fresh and clean. Has more of a Febreeze or clean laundry smell though. Love the smell just not as a fragrance.
Rating: 5
Sundazed
Notes:
Top: Lemon, Mandarin
Heart: Neroli, Jasmine Sambac
Base: Musk, Cotton Candy
Thoughts: Very citrusy and perfect for summer, a really potent & fun scent.
Rating: 6.5
Rose Noir
Notes:
Top: Cardamom, Freesia, Grapefruit, Red Berries
Heart: Lily of the Valley, Raspberry, Rose Damascena, Violet, Jasmine
Base: Moss, Musk, Patchouli, Cistus Labdanum
Thoughts: Such a romantic fragrance. Makes me feel like a woman, but might be too overpowering for an everyday scent.
Rating: 8
Lil Fleur
Notes:
Top: Saffron, Cassis, Tangerine
Heart: Leather, Damascena Rose (oil)
Base: Amber, Blonde Woods, Vanilla
Thoughts: Way too flower-y, not for me. Smells decent but not my fave. Feels a little more youthful.
Rating: 3
Mojave Ghost
Notes:
Top: Ambrette
Heart: Magnolia, Sandalwood, Violet
Base: Cedarwood, Chantilly Musk, Crisp Amber
Thoughts: Looove this one. smells absolutely heavenly, and really elevated. Definitely would be my top pick.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Shop My Faves
And of course if you wanted to see more of my opinion and more in-depth of my first initial reactions, feel free to watch my initial reaction video on youtube at the beginning of this post. And no, this is not sponsored at all, but I do use affiliate links which I could earn a little money from, which could also help me improve my blog and content. :)
Hope you enjoyed and let me know what’s your signature scent in the comments below.
xo,
s.