byredo

9 Best Smelling Byredo Perfumes

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Byredo has become a fairly popular niche fragrance line over the past decade or so. It is on the higher end in terms of price, but has a whole line of perfumes that can suit both men and women.

In this post, I wanted to take a closer look at their top selling offerings, and select a group of what could be considered the best smelling.

In the end, I chose nine fragrances to review for both sexes, that can fit that bill and have enough differences between them to be distinct.

Favorite Byredo Perfumes

Byredo has so many releases, that it can be difficult to know where to start exactly. Not only that, they keep right on getting released.

So, I’ve tried to break down the perfumes here, and sort them by different styles or popularity. This should help to give you a place to start, before diving into the rest of the brand’s collection.

Top Overall Byredo Scent

Byredo Gypsy Water Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.6oz– A woody blend of notes which includes vanilla and juniper at the top. Gypsy Water has plenty of sandalwood which is pretty strong within the unisex composition.

It starts off with a sweet mix of vanilla, lemon, and the juniper before getting quite dry with that woodsy profile. Simple, very nice to wear, and light. Though, unisex, it definitely leans feminine.

There is also an interesting pine note and smokiness from the incense. It sits wonderfully, underneath the vanilla, citrus, and sandalwood. The citrus and woody notes, really come through pretty powerfully, for much of the wear.

Notes include: pepper, bergamot, lemon, vanilla, orris root, sandalwood

Best Summer Perfume

Byredo Mojave Ghost Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.6oz– A sweet floral fragrance that dries down into something that is more powdery and woody underneath, its magnolia-laden heart. It can seem lighter, than it actually is, on the skin.

Not a sillage powerhouse, but does have that ‘ghost’-like quality, to remind you that it’s definitely still around.

The opening has sapodilla as a note, which gives it a familiar yet unique fruity aroma for a bit of time, sort of smells like pear. This is another one that is light and fresh, and again, one more for the ladies. A good amount of sweetness, but not overly sugary, or anything like that.

As it moves along, Mojave Ghost feels like an airy floral, with the aforementioned magnolia and a nice violet touch. The sapodilla hangs around, though, it smells a bit watery. This all sits on top of a nice sandalwood base.

Notes include: sandalwood, sapodilla, magnolia, violet, cedar, ambergris

Most Popular Byredo Scent

Byredo Bal d’Afrique 1.6 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Probably the most popular of the bunch, still. Bal d’Afrique starts off with some fantastic citrus notes, before turning more floral and vetiver-laced.

Much more of a citrus fruit fragrance, than the other more strictly floral scents on the list. It’s bright and clean with that great vetiver note, sitting right in the background. It has a lemon and berry-like aroma, with a decided tartness, up top.

The opening with the fruit can be somewhat intense, but it dries down with a softer sillage. In fact, it has a creamy fruit smell, for a good portion of its lifespan. Floral, vetiver, and woodsy ingredients which lay the base for the fruity notes above them.

Notes include: vetiver, lemon, neroli, marigold, jasmine, cedar, cyclamen 

Rouge Monster

Rouge Chaotique– The first thing I noticed about Rouge Chaotique was just how powerful of a fragrances it is. This Byredo projects like nobody’s business.

Beyond that, it is also an attractive and interesting perfume to wear around. Cassis, plum, and citrus give this one a pretty tart opening act, but there’s enough sweetness here to make it more balanced.

Praline and oak, which feature heavily in the Kilian scent, Angels’ Share, are in the heart. While these two scents aren’t the same, I get that familiar combination at times.

The dry down is where this gets really interesting. Earthy, spicy, dry woods, some smokiness, and that plum still hanging around.

Rouge Chaotique is dense, heavy, and projects like a beast. Not for everyone and probably not going to be a daily wear, but this deserves a spot on the list.

La Tulipe

Byredo La Tulipe Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.6 Ounce– From the name alone, you should get the idea that, this is going to be a tulip based fragrance. So, right away, if you don’t like that note you probably won’t like La Tulipe.

However, for women who dig floral perfumes, this is a very good one with pink tulip as the main attraction. It has a scent at the opening, that is quite dewy, green, and full bodied flowers.

That watery green smell, later turns into a soapy fresh sort of perfume. Just an easy fragrance to reach for, when you don’t need to stand out, but want to smell good.

Notes include: tulip, freesia, vetiver, woods

Great Clean and Warm Weather Fragrance

Byredo Byredo Blanche by byredo for women – 3.3 Ounce edp spray– Blanche is a perfume that is both super clean and super upbeat. Fresh with a lighter detergent soapy sort of aroma, that fits in well during the spring and summer months.

Overall it’s a simple scent, that is easy to wear for any occasion. Blanche takes a number of floral notes (rose, violet, peony), and blends them with a light musk and aldehydes.

It also features a bit of light woods and hint of spice, but Blanche is mostly, an utterly fresh floral perfume.

Notes include: musk, aldehydes, rose, peony, and violet

A Wintertime Pick

Byredo 1996 Inez And Vinoodh Eau de Parfum Spray, 50 Ml, 1.6 Ounce– This one is a true unisex with amber, vanilla, and patchouli leading the way in terms of strength. It opens with the juniper and leather notes, creating something that is rich, yet juicy.

The opening is sweeter, then it becomes warmer, with both a powdery smell and some refreshing spices peaking through. With the iris and leather, yes, it brings to mind Dior Homme but this one is somewhat different and more unisex.

The juniper is fresh from the jump, and can bring the power early on, the iris and violet are light but you do get a nice floral touch which hangs around.

The real fun kicks in, with the amber note, and the others which surround it. It’s a journey through differing types of aromas, but very interesting, and unique.

Notes include: violet, iris, juniper berries, vanilla, leather, and patchouli

Niche Tobacco

Tobacco Mandarin– This is a relatively newer release from Byredo and is a part of their Night Veils collection, with an extract level of fragrance concentration.

Right off the bat, this won’t be one for most people. It’s very expensive and definitely has more of a niche profile. The tobacco here is very nice and has an interesting paring with mandarin orange.

While the opening act with the cumin note, can be a bit intense, Tobacco Mandarin does settle down into a very rich blend of leather, tobacco, and woods. Not as spicy, sitting in a sea of warm amber, with that sweet mandarin note still hanging around.

Nice performance, not overpowering, but Tobacco Mandarin will stick around. If you’re sensitive to coriander or cumin, this probably won’t be for you.

Summer Cotton Candy

Byredo Sundazed by Byredo Eau De Parfum Spray (Unisex) 1.7 oz / 50ml– The citrus notes here open up with the usual combination of neroli. The opening is bright and has a definite sharpness to it.

The neroli is joined by jasmine and the citrus sharpness tones down some. But, what makes Sundazed an interesting fragrance is its used of cotton candy. The fluffy pink candy has a great contrast against the lemon and orange note.

Sweet with more jasmine coming in during the dry down. An orange and lemony fragrance, with our sugary note,  adding a wonderful scent to this familiar structure. Smells like summer, very clean perfume, less of a warm gourmand than others here.

8 Perfumes that Smell Similar to Mojave Ghost

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Mojave Ghost is an extremely popular option from Byredo and one that has a rather unique aroma versus much of what is offered up today. The downside for many, is the price of the Byredo scent.

For others, they want something that smells similar or at least in the same ballpark, while still being different from Ghost. On this page, I will keep updated with a list of potential alternative options to this perfume.

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Byredo Mojave Ghost?

Mojave Sand by The Dua Brand– So, Mojave Sand is Dua’s ‘inspired’ version of the Mojave Ghost formula.

Now, I can’t personally speak to whether or not that they accomplished in matching the right scent to be a great alternative to the Byredo, since I haven’t tried this one out. However, I have tried plenty of other perfumes from this brand and they usually get it pretty darn close. The reviews are also positive, in this regard.

If you want a cheaper alternative to Ghost, this is one that you should consider.

Desert Glass by Oakcha– Here’s another ‘inspired’ option that I’ve found of Ghost. Between this and the Dua perfume above, those who want a very close aroma to the Byredo, seem to have things covered.

I don’t have any experience with this brand’s fragrances, as of yet. So, I can’t vouch for their quality. But, they’ve got a ton of positive reviews, and Mojave Ghost’s scent isn’t overly difficult to get close to.

They have two sizes available, currently starting at $30 (as of writing). Not too much risk in giving Desert Glass a try.

Guess 1981– Guess 1981 does present you with another cheaper option, but this one isn’t as on target as the Dua in terms of trying to smell like Mojave.

Though, this one has plenty of overlap. The sapodilla isn’t here in the Guess, nor is the magnolia. In 1981, you get a nice sparkling pear note to start things off and a greater use of the violet note throughout.

Less greenish floral, this one also strikes me as more powdery. Muskier than the Byredo, while still utilizing that musk mallow note found in Mojave. The wood isn’t much of a factor with Guess. It supposedly has cedar too, just not really getting much, if any.

Still, this is a really solid cheapie, giving you much of what you get with Mojave Ghost…just taken to a somewhat different end point.

Eclat de Fleurs by Lanvin– This one is closer to Chanel Eau Tendre (listed below), so don’t expect a massive overlap with Ghost.

Eclat de Fleurs moves away from the muskiness and woodiness, giving you instead a more floral clean representation. Plus, you get another use of pear, as in the Guess scent listed above.

More of a light floral with elements of soapiness thanks to the jasmine and limited musk. But, the freesia note really leads the way in this Lanvin perfume. Fruity floral to start, more floral musky in the end.

I’d say that this is connected distantly to Ghost. Like on a chain between the three perfumes it would go: Ghost-Eau Tendre-Eclat.

Santal Glow by Zara– Santal Glow is now discontinued. At least for now, since I cannot find a bottle on Zara’s website anymore.

Yet, this deserves a spot on the list, as it is another one that gets very close to what we want. It’s not exact, but a strong sandalwood and heavier use of a powdery violet note. Soft, comforting, and clean.

The sapodilla isn’t there, so don’t expect the fruity touch or much of any sweetness. As the name suggests, sandalwood is a major player here. Actually, it’s more about the violet note in terms of weighting, and there isn’t any cedar.

If you can find a cheap bottle, it’s worth picking up. I wouldn’t overpay, otherwise. Just get the Dua or Mojave itself.

Nirvana French Grey– Nirvana French Grey is definitely not a 1 to 1 match with Mojave Ghost. But, there are similar elements here that make it worthwhile to check out, as sort of a ‘distant cousin’ to our target.

This has a sweetness, muskiness, and citrus elements to it that overlap with the Byredo…just in a more heavily weighted version. French Grey is a simple mix of neroli, lavender, and musk. It’s simple and stripped down.

French Grey is a different floral blend, producing a soapy and somewhat reminiscent result to the Byredo. Again, not the one that you want if you want an ‘inspired version’ of Mojave, but a very likeable perfume that should bring one plenty of joy to wear.

Chance Eau Tendre– The Eau Tendre fragrances aren’t exactly like our target, but share plenty of style. The base of cedar and amber is the same, the floral composition features different notes, and the Chanel is less woody.

That being said, if you want something along the same lines arranged differently Eau Tendre can be a great option. I actually like the EDT better, as a fresher more citrus heavy composition.

Though, either the EDP or EDT is an easy to wear and versatile perfume for those who enjoy what the Byredo scent has to offer.

Memoire d’une Odeur by Gucci– This is another one that I feel is pretty similar in style, but not particularly in how it smells. Both are unique and this one has a lighter feel to it.

Memoire and Mojave Ghost are both clean-ish, soapy, woody, musky, floral fragrances. They just approach things from different angles. With this Gucci fragrance, you get a greener and a slightly bitter aroma up top. Bitter almond mixed with a chamomile note, that can give Memoire a tea-like aroma.

It settles into something with more musk and jasmine. Along with, cedar and sandalwood in the base which matches up with the Byredo fragrance. Again, if you’re looking for something that’s a dead ringer for Mojave, this won’t be it. But, I do think if you enjoy one, there’s a good chance that you’ll like the other.