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thoughts on [almost] every byredo scent

quick little thoughts on every byredo scent cause im on break from freelance and need to decompress

i have a lot of mixed feelings about byredo. my main issue is how overpriced it is, often for scents that are quite light/weak. i would never recommend buying a bottle especially at retail price, stick to mercari/ebay resales of travel sizes or decants. but i do have some i love. i find it to be accessible in stores nowadays, showing up at nordstrom and bloomingdales. and can be generous with samples, i have a drawer filled with samples of almost every scent i like. so i often recommend it as a scent most people can go to a large department store, find, and get free samples of, of scents that are more unique than typical designer/department store scents, sometimes even indie-like profiles. anyways, heres my thoughts on their current scents

1996 this is a powdery woody scent of juniper berry, iris, amber, leather, patchouli. if you want a dark, powdery patchouli/leather but without a strong vanilla/sweet note, i would recommend this one. it's a little too much for me, but it's strong and fun to wear because it feels unapologetic. i personally do prefer slow dance which is in a similar patchouli/amber genre, but its much sweeter/fizzier.

bal d'afrique aromatic citrus woody floral of citrus lemon/bergamot with marigold, orange flower, violet, vetiver, and musk. one of their most popular scents. i enjoy it on some days but there are times it leans too synthetic/screechy/soapy. but when i like it i really like it. just a happy, bright, airy floral citrus with that unique byredo-ness. but i especially LOVE the drydown. sometimes ill just spray it on a hoodie, leave it out, then wear it inthe evening for the drydown. it has all the elements you want without the screechiness.

bibliotheque fruity powdery leather mainly of plum, violet, patchouli. it's been a while since i last tried it, but ive never been too impressed by it. i think byredo has other scents with this dna (patchouli and/or leather) that are better. if you really like leather and plum might be worth a shot tho.

black saffron this is another fruity leather, but with saffron and raspberry. fun fact - this is gordon ramsay's signature. this is a fun fruity spicy leather without trying to be too realistic or TOO dark. not something i would personally wear tho

blanche you will either get it or hate it, because it is heavily 'laundry detergent' florals. aldehydes with rose, peony, violet, lots of musk. it's transparent while also being very loud. there are other aldehyde florals i prefer personally.

byredo (unnamed) i strongly disliked it. strong violets do not work for me, because it reminds me of that violet gum which reminds me of screechy medicinal violet scented bubble bath. similar to how people get medicine from cherry i guess.

de los santos this is my favorite byredo !!! its fluffy aromatic herbal menthol sage (taking inspiration from clary sage and 'white sage' but a fantasy accord) with unburnt palo santo-y incense sticks plus this tangy plum note hidden in there. ive seen a lot of comparisons like mountain tea, herb sachets, chinese medicine, i agree and love it all. i just wish i liked the drydown more - it becomes pure ambroxan later on. its beautiful, a little strange, a little sad? it means a lot to me

eyes closed this one is almost pure cinnamon, with some cardamom, and rooty earthy orris/papyrus. if you do not like cinnamon, avoid. but... i like this one, its a guilty pleasure. its pretty one-note, doesn't change much. but its a dry spicy scent that reminds me of holidays, like smell of cinnamon floating in the air during baking but no sweetness. if you like it, i would recommend saving it for holidays for the memories and associations :]

la tulipe pretty straightforward - its a fresh pale green tulip scent. if you ever wanted to smell like green cut tulips give it a try!

mixed emotions black currant, mate and tea, violet, birch. most times i smelled it i disliked it, but last time it grew on me. it's a bit of a struggle as it has this medicinal cherry/black currant cough drop note in there. yet i am intrigued by the dark tea and birch.

mojave ghost this is for cool girls. a faint light fruity accord with ambrette, magnolia/violet, sandalwood, musk. it reminds me of hair spray/shampoo, but in a good way. like a handsome long hair femme cowboy, who wears white or red themed western wear.

mumbai noise i cant remember this one too much, i need to retry it, but if you want something india inspired, might be worth a try (the original owner of byredo is indian/canadian/swedish)

oud immortel this is a oud that is fresh. which is not a common combination. its oud with a limoncello accord on top, with smokey woodiness underneath. i enjoy it at first spray, but sometimes it starts to smell burning plastic-y gasoline and hurts my nose.

palermo blend of citrus, petitigrain, musk, rose, ambrette. this was one of my first favorites of byredo before my palette expanded. its harder to find now and i think they shifted it to online only. a really refreshing , satisfying citrus musk but shortlived.

pulp one of their most polarizing scents. fig, apple, bergamot, cardamom, florals, praline, cedar. yet it doesnt smell like any of those fruits but a general 'overripe' bowl of fruit. its such an odd scent and not worth describing. smell it and tell me if it disgusts you or fascinates you.

rose of no mans land a really pleasant raspberry rose!! without being overly sweet. ive been wearing it lately.

slow dance im wearing it right now. opoponax, cognac, labdanum, floral, vanilla, patchouli, incense. i fit it into the category of other patchouli/ambers of byredo, but might be my favorite. i best describe it as a fancy coca cola, with added vanilla bean syrup, leftover booze. its almost fizzy.

sundazed mandarin, lemon, neroli, jasmine, and cotton candy. it does smell like all those notes. i dont have a strong opinion.

super cedar lots of fuzzy musky light cedar with hint of rose. if you want something minimalist, woody, but leans femme, i would recommend it

velvet haze another odd one!!!!!! coconut, hibiscus, patchouli, musk, ambrette. metallic coconut patchouli ! my bf likes it though. too odd for me.

young rose another one ive been interested in lately. similar to super cedar, but... no cedar, just a lot of rose with a peppery freshness, a hidden sweetness? I almost REALLY like it , but theres something in the musk that is offputting but i do get whiffs i really enjoy and find comforting.

ah yes, the three genders, lavender, apple, and musk