Bal d’Afrique Absolu Byredo for women and men

"Inspired by founder Ben Gorham's personal connection to Africa, particularly his father's experiences traveling and living there, Ben Gorham crafted Bal d’Afrique as both an imaginary journey and a celebration of Africa's rich cultural impact on dance, art, and music. Intensifying the gourmand aspect of Bal d’Afrique, this reimagined composition heightens the contrast between vibrant lightness and addictive depth, offering a richer, more addictive experience. Notes of bergamot, lemon, and blackcurrant offer a bold vibrance, melting into the sweetness of praline, musks, and violet, and finishing on a dramatic base of cedar, vetiver, and warm black amber. Beyond the fragrance, the homage to craftsmanship is reflected in the newly redesigned Absolu de Parfum bottle. The textured cap, inspired by Yakisugi, the Japanese art of charring wood, embodies the deep intensity, transformation, and enduring strength that mirrors the essence of the Absolu. The silver and gold atomizer spray, with its industrial edge, complements the bottle’s elemental design and the clean curves of the glass. Within the bottle, the hue of the Absolu de Parfum is intensified, offering a visual hint at the rich concentration of fragrance inside."

With Alto Astral, Byredo unveils a luminous new chapter in its olfactory narrative—a fragrance that pays vibrant homage to the emotional topography of Brazil. Taking its name from a Brazilian Portuguese phrase evoking elevated mood and spiritual brightness, Alto Astral distills the soul of optimism, rhythm, and cultural vitality into scent. Radiating with the color, energy, and warmth of Brazil, Alto Astral is inspired by the country’s everyday poetry: samba at sundown, the salty rush of ocean winds, motorcyclists weaving through Rio’s streets with effortless flair. This fragrance is more than a composition—it’s a shared emotional resonance. A sensory portrait of collective exuberance that persists, pulses, and uplifts. FROM RIO: JOY AS A STATE OF BEING The campaign, lensed by Rio-born photographer Rafael Moura, unfolds in three intimate visual acts—dance, beach, and street—each an ode to the raw beauty of life in Rio de Janeiro. Raised in the favelas, Moura brings a lens shaped by authenticity and personal narrative. Through his eye, fleeting moments become enduring stories: samba artist Duda Almeida, model Emilly Nunes, and a local riding crew are not posed subjects but vessels of spontaneous truth. Their presence embodies alto astral not as aesthetic, but as essence. The moving image campaign, directed by Brazilian filmmaker Breno Moreira, deepens the sensory experience with cinematic fluidity. Shot entirely on location in Rio, it transforms joy into identity—an unfiltered celebration of resilience, rhythm, and radiant presence. THE OLFACTORY COMPOSITION Crafted by longtime Byredo collaborator Jérome Epinette, Alto Astral opens with a vibrant interplay of aldehydes and creamy coconut—an effervescent yet soft introduction that captivates immediately. At its heart, jasmine petals entwine with airy incense and milky musk, forming an abstract warmth that seems to hover just above the skin. The base unveils a sensual trail of sandalwood, cashmere wood, and salted amber, offering texture, depth, and lingering luminosity. Balancing clarity with comfort, freshness with familiarity, Alto Astral is a fragrance of emotional light—an olfactive expression of upliftment and ease. Presented in Byredo’s signature flacon—minimalist, sculptural, and weighty—the design remains a quiet frame for the story within. A simple white label marks Alto Astral, allowing the fragrance itself to speak: pure, resonant, and unmistakably alive.

Vanille Antique is part of Byredo’s Night Veils collection of extrait-strength fragrances, built around a nuanced interpretation of vanilla within an amber-woody frame. It opens with freesia and plum, moves through a heart of amber, cashmere woods, oud, and tuberose absolute, and settles on a resinous base of Madagascar vanilla and cistus oil. The composition presents vanilla in a darker, more textured context, balancing floral facets with balsamic warmth.

Gypsy Water Absolu Byredo is a woody fragrance with pronounced spicy nuances, presented as a more concentrated interpretation of the original Gypsy Water theme. The composition opens with a contrast of sparkling bergamot, black pepper and aromatic pine needles. In the heart, creamy orris butter is combined with carrot seed to create an earthy warmth, nuanced by the smoky character of incense absolute. The base rests on ambroxan, vanilla absolute and white suede, forming a soft amber-woody trail that emphasizes both texture and depth.