Byredo Parfums Bal D'Afrique

Bal D'Afrique was inspired by Josephine Baker and features top notes of fresh lemon and neroli; middle notes of violet and jasmine; and base notes of dark amber and Moroccan cedar.

REVIEWS

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."

Fragrantica - It reminds me so much of my beloved Musk Therapy (vibe wise). The citrus and citrus-like notes, together with the most amazing, earthy (but somehow airy) vetiver, take the lead in this magnificent creation, drying down into something so clean, peaceful, serene, and ethereal. It isn't a laundry-detergent kind of clean, but more mellow- a clean shirt scent, but endlessly more beautiful. It's a tad sweeter than MT, but never overly so, while still maintaining its calming properties.

Fragrantica - I love this fragrance; it truly smells unlike anything else I’ve tried. Just as the marketing suggests, it feels perfectly universal across all skin types and genders. It’s quiet and understated yet exudes high-end quality—it has that clean, sophisticated Stockholm vibe. While some call it a daily scent, I find it a bit too intense for the daytime. To me, it’s the ultimate "golden hour" fragrance, perfect for a dinner, a date, or drinks between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Fragrantica - I truly love this - nothing like it in my collection. I find it hard to put my finger on the individual notes. To me, it's slightly creamy - but like a lotion, not like an actual milkiness.  Creamy, lemony and sweetly, lightly herbal. It's never overwhelming either.  My only issue is the longevity is so poor. Sometimes it lasts more on some days than others, but I find it's usually disappeared after half an hour.  I always planned on repurchasing, but since finishing my bottle, I'm not sure I will. I wasn't too keen on the absolu, but may revisit that. Overall - a wonderful, unique, elegant, cool perfume. Just doesn't last long enough.

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."