Hey Mister: Byredo Mister Marvelous

By Tom Barney's had the tester of this, but not the actual product. I only got to spray it; I didn't get a full sample so you'll have to take this review with a grain of salt. Byredo and I are just not that into each other. There are scents of theirs that I like, but none that I love. Certainly not enough to purchase. I keep hoping that they'll come up with one that I will adore and want and need. Mister Marvelous is not it. I feel like I did once when set on a blind date by a friend with her old college pal. On paper it should have worked. He was handsome, kind and funny and we liked a lot of the same things. There was however zero spark. There was no spice to him; perhaps I need a little bit of the bad-boy to offset my own inherent vanilla-ness. Mister Marvelous was the same way, with its opening of orange and neroli, lavender middle and sweet woody finish. The thing is, there are three thing I own that do this dance (and shall I be catty and write that they can dance longer?) and have the little quirk to them I need to be smitten. Sorry Mister Marvelous, I'm just not that into you.. $135 for 50ML or $240 for 100, soon to be at Barneys, where I sampled.

Redefined: Byredo Accord Oud

By Tamara I believe we can redefine ourselves with a scent. Maybe I just take myself too seriously. Maybe I long for variety more than the average woman. But a few weeks ago, I wanted to become someone else -- someone more sophisticated than the baby toting, Barney song singing, bottle preparing, make-up-less Mommy that I am of late. I wanted to feel different. I knew I needed a scent to inspire this virtual transformation. I found it. I found the one that makes me want to paint my lips, tousle my hair, speak a little slower, bare some shoulder skin and bat my eyelashes. I found the one that helps me forget the tedious tasks of the day and instead focus on sensation, emotion, tenderness. I found the one that highlights my wise, determined nature. Finally, I found the one that takes me to dimly lit rooms, crackling fires, velvety rugs and blankets. It is Byredo Accord Oud. Founded by Indian creative Ben Gorham, Byredo is a Stockholm based house that believes in limiting raw materials and focusing on quality of craftsmanship. Accord Oud is one of fourteen in the catalog, along with various high quality candles, soaps and body washes. The scent begins fresh, with notes like clean clary sage and tender blond woods accented by dry leather which initially demands all olfactory attention. As it evolves on the skin, Accord Oud takes on a simultaneously rich, smoky, nutty quality. Juicy blackberry and plum, rich, intoxicating rum with spicy saffron and cinnamon develop as the scent adheres and grounds itself to the skin. Surprisingly, the effect is neither sweet nor wet but rather dry, elegant, meaty, almost edible. Like L’Artisan Traversée du Bosphore’s wise, clean, intellectual mentor, Accord Oud is startlingly refined and exceptionally interesting. In its entirety, Accord Oud resembles nothing I have previously experienced. The oud craze passed me by as too heady and the revival of leather-based scents appeared trendy. However, I declare Byredo Accord Oud the quiet, sophisticated leather oud – for those who previously dismissed these notes. Here is where the scent redefines me: no flowers. This former opulent white floral lover has embraced a scent that completely lacks blooms. In so doing, I instantly reveal my new identity: grown up sophisticate. (I am definitely taking myself too seriously!) In all sincerity, I am a different woman than I was before bearing children. Byredo Accord Oud’s classy, interesting, unique aura lends an extra edge and elegance to my long, maternal days.

Byredo La Tulipe

By Marina According to Byredo, "La Tulipe is built around the idea of the tulip". That is something to keep in mind when smelling the perfume. If I did not know what it was called, I wouldn't have guessed it was inspired by this particular flower. The beginning is lilacs, the rest - freesia and a sort of a dewy, pastel, musky rose. Because I know the name and the story, my impressionable mind does in fact conjure up an image of a tulip out of this fresh-sweet floralcy. If I did not know...I probably would have just imagined a spring garden in bloom, non-specific to any one flower. I like the fragrance a lot, because I like that it takes me to this wind-swept, not too tidy morning garden drenched in dew. I certainly would have liked it even more if it was less heavy on freesia. In fact, were it not for that creamy, sweet accord, the scent would have been reminiscent of tulip bellona. It might be my subjective perception, but tulips seem to be both olfactively and "visually" fresher and greener. They are among the first to push their way back to life from the great beyond of winter, and the great cold beyond is still perceptible in their frailty, their slight earthiness... It is interesting that both Hilde Soliani's Il Tuo Tulipano and La Tulipe are sweet fragrances, Soliani's being the sweeter of the two. Perhaps, the explanation is given by Byredo's Ben Gorham who talks about "the expressive physicality it [a tulip] bears". I assume that by "expressive physicality" Gorham means vibrant colors. In that respect, Soliani's concept is more successful. Her intense fragrance conjures up a bright red tulip, and the exuberant vivacity of the composition justifies the sweetness. La Tulipe, on the other hand, is more "pastel" "in feel", and thus, to me, it would have been more fitting for it to be less sweet, more airy and green. But that's just knit-picking. The fragrance is pretty, no other description would suit it better. Pretty, feminine, joyful, with a spring in its step. La Tulipe is available at Byredo.com, First in Fragrance and Barneys. Image source, Corbis.

Byredo Pulp: Perfume Review

Grandma making jam in a big pot, taking off the sugary, sticky foam with a big spoon...this is the image that popped into my head the moment I smelled Pulp. I have always thought that for some reason the pink-white foam tasted so much better than the actual jam, perhaps because it still retained certain freshness, certain "real berry" feel. As does Pulp. Imagine a huge pot in which a lot of Bois de Paradis (which is what Pulp reminds me of the most), some Mure et Musc Extrait, Nicolai Balkis and quite a bit of Nez a Nez Bouche Baie are boiling...aromas of sweet figs, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and vanilla are blending, melting, coagulating, creating a composition that is way fruitier than any of the ones that I named and with an identity all of its own. I mentioned the real-berry feel that jam foam has, and that fresh, green feel is indeed present in Pulp. Because...imagine that a reckless cook dumped into the pot that contains all the syrupy, fruity perfumes...a hefty dose of Stecca. That's right, the verdant and earthy element in Pulp is surprisingly strong. This dry, aromatic accord goes side by side with the jammy part of the composition not letting it become overwhelmingly saccharine. I don't know how often I could wear this Fruity Perfume Extraordinaire, but I can't help but admire the audacity of the berry overdose and the green twist that startles and delights. Pulp is available at Barneys, $195.00 for 100ml. Image source, foto.mail.ru. Please tune in tomorrow and on Sunday as we finally come out to admit that although there is nothing more important than Perfume, we do obsess about other things as well, thus inaugurating Weekend Beauty on PST.