Wait for it….
Initially the scent was better than average, but then dry down happened and I became smitten. Light scent that’s sophisticated and flirty
Byredo Bal d'Afrique is probably one of the best known and most popular fragrances - along with Gypsy Water - in the Byredo line. It was created by Jerome Epinette as a tribute 1920s Paris - Saint Germain, Josephine Baker, African culture. A rich perfume, warmed, with a sense of fun about it. Smoky woods, a little funky marigold, and this is even more addictive than Gypsy Water as a warm, earthy comfort scent.
Founded in 2006 in Sweden Byredo perfume's creator Ben Gorham (former basketball player) wanted to create perfumes of quality while keeping their production in Sweden. Gorham had been fascinated with fragrance much of his life. When he meet Pierre Wulff, a perfumer, Byredo came into being. Currently Gorham works with Olivia Giacobetti and Jerome Epinette to create his line of perfumes.
Now Smell This - "Bal d'Afrique is rich, but not heavy; it's warm without being stifling. Bal d'Afrique smells sexy but it doesn't take sexiness too seriously; there's something fun about the fragrance..."
The Luxeologist - "The unisex fragrance delicately balances feminine and masculine, opening with fresh bergamot, neroli and violet warming down into vetiver, blackcurrant, cedar and black amber. The fruitiness helps with the wearability (I love it for hot weather destinations) and it manages to convey some gorgeous woody notes without heading into oriental/oud/tobacco depths. A barely-there touch reminiscent of coconut/sunscreen echoes the exotic beachside allure."
Fragrantica - "I grew up in Africa so this really does remind me of how wood workshops that my father liked to take me to smelled there, but with a bright hint of fruitiness. It is very comforting, warm, slightly sweet with a beautiful vetiver. This is a very unique smell that awakes just the best childhood memories of fresh exotic fruit, African wood, maybe even the beach and hot sand..."
Fragrantica - "This is the perfume Josephine Baker would have worn on her casual days. There's a nice robust citrus opening and followed by a warm dry down that amplifies the incense, vetiver, cedar, and jasmine. Bal D'Afrique is a well-blended 'cool' fragrance. It's sexy without affectation, and there's nothing that smells quite like it."
| Perfume Name | Byredo Bal d'Afrique |
| Year Introduced | 2009 |
| Perfumer | Jerome Epinette |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Strength | Eau de parfum, edp |
| Notes | Neroli, African marigold, bucchu, violet, Moroccan cedar wood, lemon, jasmine, violet, black amber and musk |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
Initially the scent was better than average, but then dry down happened and I became smitten. Light scent that’s sophisticated and flirty
As I've written reviews in the past few days, this recent sample purchase from Surrender to Chance is my first encounter with Byredo fragrances, and I must say that they don't disappoint. What can I say about Bal D'Afrique? WOW!!! It's a totally luscious fragrance with Top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Tagetes, Black Currant, Bergamot and African Orange flower; middle notes of Violet, Cyclamen and Jasmine; and, base notes of Vetiver, Amber, Musk and Virginia Cedar. This is like a sparkling Mimosa Cocktail or a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade for your nose while wearing a cute little sundress, strappy sandals, a big sun hat, and sexy sunglasses. With my skin chemistry and in my olfactory opinion, Bal D'Afrique is fresh and not too sweet to be cloying. It's a perfect mixture of fruit, flowers, and fauna. I would definitely save this fragrance to wear during the subtropical summers of South Alabama. It's definitely a skin scent with hardly any sillage. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be very long lasting, but the lusciousness is worth getting a 5ml rollerball sample for re-applications ;) This is so FB worthy.
Initially the scent was better than average, but then dry down happened and I became smitten. Light scent that’s sophisticated and flirty
As I've written reviews in the past few days, this recent sample purchase from Surrender to Chance is my first encounter with Byredo fragrances, and I must say that they don't disappoint. What can I say about Bal D'Afrique? WOW!!! It's a totally luscious fragrance with Top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Tagetes, Black Currant, Bergamot and African Orange flower; middle notes of Violet, Cyclamen and Jasmine; and, base notes of Vetiver, Amber, Musk and Virginia Cedar. This is like a sparkling Mimosa Cocktail or a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade for your nose while wearing a cute little sundress, strappy sandals, a big sun hat, and sexy sunglasses. With my skin chemistry and in my olfactory opinion, Bal D'Afrique is fresh and not too sweet to be cloying. It's a perfect mixture of fruit, flowers, and fauna. I would definitely save this fragrance to wear during the subtropical summers of South Alabama. It's definitely a skin scent with hardly any sillage. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be very long lasting, but the lusciousness is worth getting a 5ml rollerball sample for re-applications ;) This is so FB worthy.
This sample is a perfect way to test this perfume for a week or so, and really get a good idea for how the fragrance develops on your body over time--not just once. I love Byredo, and this is one of their rarer more floral (not rose) scents. Very subtle and warm. It lingers without the spice you'd get from an Oud or Mumbai Noise, for example. It's also sweet without the treacly edge of Sundaze or the meat of Pulp. I really love it.
It's a perfect winter perfume as for my taste. Very soft and gentle . Last for a while.
I first smelled this lovely scent while in Warsaw. The perfume smells like what I imagine Moroccan girls smelled like in Paris in the 20's. Robust, sweet but not sugary, yet sheer and light. This scent stays on my clothes, scarves, and jackets. I love even smelling it on my clothes days and even weeks after application! Its my fave!
Lovely fragrance, but should last longer for such an expensive perfume.