5 of the best Byredo perfumes

If you have an Instagram account and follow a ton of beauty accounts, I have no doubt that you’ll have seen more than one Byredo bottle of Gypsy Water. The packaging is easy to spot; such a classic bottle, that’s curvy and round, with a glossy black retro lid and the simplest white label that manages to look chic, not cheap. I’m such a sucker for packaging, that even before Christmas 2018, I knew I wanted to invest in a bottle.

Someone I’d interviewed for my blog was kind enough to give me a couple of spare Byredo samples that they had floating around. Amongst them was Pulp (the only one I don’t actually love – it’s too orange-y for me) and the infamous Gypsy Water. Once I got home and showered, I spritzed Gypsy Water all over, and within minutes, both myself and my hubby were hypnotized by its fragrance. It’s hard to describe, so I’ll borrow from the brand’s description here:

‘The scent of fresh soil, deep forests and campfires evokes a dream of a free, colourful lifestyle close to nature.’

Okay, that’s probably not doing much for you, so let’s talk about the notes – at the base there’s a beautiful warm Amber that sinks into the skin, as well as Sandalwood and Vanilla. Next, there’s incense, pine needles and Orris – a preparation made from the roots of the Iris. The top notes include lemon – but not too much – and the classic ingredient, Bergamot. The result, for me, is sweet, musky and a little leathery – i.e. perfection.

So, with that, I was ready to purchase a bottle… until that is, I tried the sample of Velvet Haze. For me, this fragrance is a more sultry version of my Favourite Perfume Of All Time: Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau De Parfum. This has that similar blend of amber, woody notes and floral tones, but there’s also coconut water and Patchouli in there. Daniel fell in love with the fragrance, so much so that he bought me a bottle for Christmas. What’s more, when he bought it, the Byredo staff gave him a ton of samples. As such, I’ve only just opened my 100ml of Velvet Haze this week. I’ve been too busy enjoying Bal D’Afrique: it’s a glorious, fun, warm, and lively scent that melts into my skin thanks to a heady blend of African Marigold, Bergamot, Neroli, Jasmine petals, Violet, Black Amber, Musk and more. It’s just beautiful, and I’ll definitely be buying a bottle.

Another favourite amongst the samples is the gorgeous Mojave Ghost. When I wear this, I feel like I should be walking along sand dunes, wearing the lightest, billowing silks… It’s such a beautiful, timeless fragrance, and again, it’s a heady one. Featuring powdery Violet, musky Amber (again), fresh Magnolia, Sandalwood and a warm Chantilly Musk, it’s definitely a fragrance that will gain you a few followers while you’re doing your groceries. 

Finally, another fave is La Tulipe. It wasn’t one of those love at first spritz affairs – instead, about an hour after spraying, I kept saying to myself, ‘yum, I smell good – what did I just spray?’ I’d say this is the perfect, light fragrance for spring as it features Tulip (obvs), Cyclamen, Rhubarb, Freesia and the classic Vetiver. It’s one of those fragrances that I believe suits everyone. Which is pretty hard to find.

What’s your favourite fragrance right now? Have you got a Byredo fave I should know about? Let me know below!