Byredo Bal D' Afrique EDP: My current HG daytime scent

Byredo Bal D' Afrique EDP review

PRICE: P11,000+ (100ml)

FROM: Marse PH on Facebook

OTHER LOCATIONS: Not available locally. Can be purchased from third party resellers or straight from harrods.com

THE VERDICT:

Last year, I got addicted to perfumes because of fragrance groups that I joined; I'm not the type who gets swayed easily when it comes to reviews and claims since it is also my job to sway people (lol), but because of those groups, I have fully experienced the phenomena called "budol" (to my non-Filipino readers, BUDOL means to enable/influence someone to buy something). Fragrance heads are really something; they're a very passionate bunch when it comes to collecting and reviewing fragrances that you end up buying or at least craving for the perfumes that they're talking about.

In fragrance groups, Byredo is one of the popular brands that fragheads (abbreviation for fragrance heads) love collecting and Bal D'Afrique is said to be one of the crowd faves. I got really curious about the brand and since I was looking for a new HG daytime fragrance, I thought why not explore Byredo? Byredo is quite expensive so I ordered first the sampler set called La Selection Nomade that's comprised of 12ml vials of Byredo's three best- selling unisex fragrances namely Gypsy Water, Blanche, and Bal D'Afrique. 

The moment I tried Bal D'Afrique, it was pure love at first sniff! This woody/fresh floral is giving me major well- traveled chic vibes! Perfect for the travel lover like me!

Byredo, a Swedish beauty company, is the brainchild of Ben Gorham, perfumer extraordinaire and one of the rising figures in the world of beauty. Ben has always been fascinated by fragrances and its ability to trigger memories that connect people. Byredo means BY REDOLENCE, which means to evoke and awaken memories that lead to connection and shared experiences.

Byredo prides itself on choosing and prioritizing select ingredients, and using a few ingredients only per fragrance to perfectly capture a memor.

Each Byredo fragrance comes in a hard paper box with a sleeve and a note from Ben Gorham detailing his raison d'etre for the brand. 

Bal D'Afrique EDP was created in 2009 by perfumer Jérôme Epinette. Top notes have Tagates, Amalfi Lemon, Black Currant, Bergamot, and African Orange Flower. Heart Notes have Violet, Cyclamen, and Jasmine. Base notes have Vetiver, Musk, Amber, and Virginia Cedar. Bal D'Afrique's fragrance is inspired by late nights in 1920's Paris to African peninsula sunsets. It's a diary of various cultural memories, as chronicled by a prolific traveler with a profound love for understanding cultures and people in the simplest yet most interesting things.

Bottle is simple and has a minimalist aesthetic; no wonder this perfume brand became such a huge hit among Gen Zs.

The moment I tried on Bal D'Afrique, it was instant euphoria; all of a sudden, all the happy memories that my consciousness has collected from traveling came rushing back. I love traveling because it enriches my experience and at the same time, it's been an empowering reminder that you can achieve great things if you just believe in yourself enough, especially for a girl who came from a humble background and once thought that she won't be able to achieve anything significant in life. Bal D'Afrique is all those things for me: it's a liquid collection of all the best things in my life, especially from my travels.

On me, this perfume starts off with a smoky, citrusy, floral fragrance and eventually mellows down into a softer, slightly powdery perfume with lots of wood in it. Because of this fragrance, I have realized that I love woody florals because I've always had a fascination for anything that smells smoky or leathery. 

Staying power is amazing-one spray lasts for 5 hours or more on me, depending on the weather; amazing longevity even on clothing too.

Bal D'Afrique has a happy, carefree, outgoing, go- getter personality; if this perfume were to become a person, it's your chic, well- traveled tita with no kids, lives a pretty good life (not rich, but lives a good life), always up for coffee and wine with friends any moment she gets because it's either she's never home or always busy, can engage in the most trivial to the most complex conversations, and always the one who remembers her nephews and nieces, and sends them giant gifts on their birthdays and Christmas. Yup, this tita is me right now and I think that's why I love this fragrance so much! I also get a lot of compliments when I'm wearing this perfume so aside from smelling really good and unique, the formula just works well with my body chemistry.

Bal D'Afrique is a unique fragrance; it's currently the best woody floral for me because it doesn't end up smelling oriental-floral like similar fragrances. Great for men and women according to Byredo, but if you were to ask me, it's more on the feminine spectrum, but hey, if you're a guy and you can pull it off, why not, right?

I'm at a point in my life where I'm slowly coming up with a well- curated set of perfumes that perfectly suit my taste, complement my beauty choices, and enhance my personality, and Byredo Bal D' Afrique is definitely staying in my HG Daytime fragrances list; it's currently my HG daytime fragrance and from Byredo's line up and I think it will be for a long time!

Have you tried anything from Byredo? What are your picks?

BYREDO BAL D'AFRIQUE EDP RATING