At this point, I’ve smelled almost every Byredo fragrance there is. It’s easy to see why the Stockholm-based brand is so popular; in addition to the incredibly chic and minimal packaging, the unisex scents are as unique as they come yet undoubtedly wearable and intriguing as well. Trust me—everyone will ask you what scent you’re wearing when you spray on Byredo, and anything you buy from the brand is worthy of the price tag, but I’m here to help you narrow it down (there are so many good ones to choose from).
For my own fragrance-buying mission and for your fragrance-buying missions (I’m here to serve), I asked Byredo to send me samples of their best-selling scents, and they kindly obliged. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been switching up my scent on a daily basis, because variety is the spice of life, and I wanted to give you my honest reviews of the 10 most popular Byredo perfumes.
There are plenty of perfume reviews out there, but I find them to be quite technical, speaking to all of the different layered notes in a scent. My reviews are more about how they’ll make you feel when wearing them, the best occasions and seasons to wear them for, how versatile they are, etc. Keep scrolling if you’re intrigued and be sure to head all the way to the bottom for what I think is the best Byredo fragrance.
Oud Immortel is a beautiful scent, and I was excited to get to try it, but for me, it was just a bit masculine. It was created around a certain type of dark wood that’s used in traditional incense, so it’s as smoky and complex as you’d imagine. While it may not be right for me, I’d buy a bottle for my husband in a second.
Mojave Ghost is one of Byredo’s buzziest scents, so I was eager to try it. I do see why this one is so popular—it’s a lovely option for evening but isn’t sweet or overly floral in the least. It’s soft and the floral aspect is soft and more woodsy, with a hint of sandalwood and amber. The only reason I don’t think I’d adopt it is my signature scent is that it develops a bit of a powdery note on me as the day wears on, but some people may embrace that.
Byredo’s Bibliothèque candles have an intense cult following (I’m a member of that cult), so it was wise of the brand to create a perfume. I honestly couldn’t describe this scent to you if I tried, it’s so unique. There is a rich patchouli note that is overarching though, so if you like expensive-smelling patchouli, you’ll love this. Again, this one was a wee bit too masculine for me (but my love for the candle lives on), and I’d 100% buy it for my husband and require that he wear it every day.
Inflorescense is definitely the most floral scent in the bunch, and would make the perfect daytime scent in spring and summer. As is the norm for Byredo, it’s a very complex floral that feels exotic and fresh. It certainly has signature scent potential but not really year-round.
I’d seen Slow Dance all over several cool girls’ Instagrams, so I, too, had to try it. Like Bibliothèque, this one is also a bit tricky to describe. It definitely feels like a rich, cold-weather fragrance to me, and patchouli and vanilla are the base notes, but they’re the most sophisticated versions of patchouli and vanilla you can imagine. If you like your scent to be warm and slightly sweet, this one’s for you.
The first of the two rose fragrances (more to come on the other soon), Rose Noir is the earthier of the two. Byredo describes it as “dirty”, and I’d have to agree. It has some depth to it but is undeniably a rose lover’s dream.
I apparently live on the edge because I bought Velvet Haze without even smelling it a few months ago (the brand had me with the “coconut water” description). Luckily, I loved it. I prefer it for evening, as it’s a bit musky, but it’s also a great anytime scent during autumn and winter. When I first sprayed it on, I was struck by the smell of patchouli but it softens beautifully. Highly recommend.
Bal d’Afrique is another one of the brand’s cult favorites that I was so intrigued by. You just feel cool and in the know when wearing it. If I’m putting it simply, the incense is a notable layer, but very expensive and rare incense that you can only get in Africa.
I’m always on the hunt for a cool rose fragrance and I really struck gold with this popular Byredo scent. It’s subtle and fresh but with a hint of richness (thanks to the white amber base note). This is one of those rare scents that I’d be happy to wear every day, year-round. I’m probably going to have to add it to my collection.
We’ve come to the end, friends, and my number one paycheck-worthy pick is Gypsy Water. Sorry, no surprise here! It’s the brand’s best-selling, most well-known, and most Instagrammed (I checked) scent, and for good reason. It’s the one I reached for the most these past few weeks because wearing it just makes me happy. It smells of sandalwood and vanilla, lemon and campfires, and so many other things you would never believe could smell so intoxicatingly good together. It smells so beautiful that I don’t even care that it’s not particularly under the radar. I want to wear it constantly so that I can smell my wrist every time I need a pick me up.
The latest addition to the Byredo perfume family, Mumbai Noise is a strong and deep scent that will have you sniffing your own wrists all day long. It’s a rich, warm blend of woods, amber, leather and coffee that will transport you to Indian food markets on a blistering hot day. Essentially, it’s nomadic escapism in a bottle.
If you ask team Who What Wear, we’d say Blanche is perhaps Byredo’s most underrated perfume. It’s like fresh sheets, showered skin and tumble-dried fluffy towels all in one. This stuff is the definition of a your-skin-but-better scent.
It stays true to its name, with most people feeling deeply confused on first spritz. First of all it’s nose-tinglingly sweet, then comes the deep woody base that settles into an actually very wearable scent. Spraying Mixed Emotions takes you on an olfactory journey that leaves you feeling quite content.
Imagine what sunshine smells like. That’s Sundazed. It’s lemony, zingy and fresh but has a creamy warmth to it reminiscent of Mr Whippy and sun cream. It’s balmy and totally beautiful.
If there’s one thing to take away from this round-up, it’s that Byredo knows a thing or two about rose perfumes. The latest rose addition, Young Rose, is deep, spicy and ticklish on the nose in all of the right ways. Next up, 2 perfume-obsessed beauty editors sound off on the best perfumes of all time.
