Am I the only fragrance lover who sometimes anthropomorphizes perfume? For instance, to me Caron Tabac Blond is a woman of a certain age who used to be edgy and still won’t suffer fools, but now spends a lot of time reading novels she pulls from her leather handbag; Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower is a radiant starlet almost too beautiful to behold — to the point where she can exhaust you after a few hours; and Guerlain Shalimar is one of the few who can pull off devoré velvet without looking like a Stevie Nicks wannabe.
Similarly Byredo Black Saffron and Seven Veils have distinct personalities. Black Saffron is an introvert who wants to be known as an androgynous intellectual but is too shy to attend any of the parties she’s invited to. Instead, she gorges herself at home on raspberries sprinkled with rosewater while she reads Oscar Wilde in her leather club chair and is in bed by nine o’clock. Seven Veils is a gourmand bombshell who makes a tantalizing, Salome-like entrance, but after a while you get the sense she’s more of a girl-next-door type who’d rather be mixing a bundt cake.
Black Saffron’s notes include Asian pomelo, juniper berries, Kashmiri saffron, black violet, leather accord, cristal rose, blond woods, raspberry and Haitian vetiver. Despite the dreamy picture of black lacquer, Indian summers, and nightclubs (“cristal” rose?) its notes conjure, Black Saffron is a quiet, almost contemplative fragrance. But contemplate fast, because its sillage is tight, and before you know it, it’s gone.
Even with an arm slicked from my sample vial, Black Saffron’s citrus and juniper are barely noticeable. Instead, the fragrance moves right into a sweetened leather with a touch of rose. The leather isn’t oily or sticky sweet, but soft, vaguely fruity, and only a touch earthy with saffron. Despite the prominence of saffron in its name, Black Saffron doesn’t pack the medicinal and metallic but delicious saffron kick of, say, L’Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant. The black violet — gosh, everything sounds so alluring when it’s "black" — must be a lot less fragrant than your typical violet. A tickle of pepper lightens the fragrance. Within two hours, I have to press my nose flat to my arm to smell it at all.
Compared with Black Saffron’s murmur, Seven Veils is refreshingly noisy. Its notes include carrot, pimento berries (allspice), Tahitian vanilla flower, laurier rose, glycine (wisteria), tiger orchid, sandalwood and vanilla. It’s unapologetically a vanilla bomb, but the explosion is worth your while with an unexpected blend of herbal carrot and baking spices. This vegetable-spice-flower combo reminds me a little of Etat Libre d’Orange Like This, although Seven Veils is much more vanillic. A vague floral heart lightens it.
Alas, before long, Seven Veils’s sultry beginning devolves into pure vanilla. I thought for sure an animalic note would sneak out as a reference to Salome, but, no, Seven Veils is skank-free. Once the interesting first hour has faded, it’s all vanilla until it dies completely, probably some time the next morning.
Do you every think of your fragrances as personalities? Should we propose this as a new entry to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?
Byredo Black Saffron and Seven Veils Eaux de Parfum are available in 50 ml ($145) or 100 ml ($220) bottles, or in a set of three 12 ml travel sprays ($110). For information on where to buy them, see Byredo under Perfume Houses.
I was so hoping for more saffron in Black Saffron. It’s still pretty tasty, just not quite up to my saffron standards.
I could have stood for a little more “black” in it, too.
Speaking of fleeting, I recently discovered Byredo 1996. It smells amazing but it is very fleeting on me. Very frustrating.
That’s too bad! (I haven’t smelled that one yet, but I want to.)
Oh, these reviews are so perfectly timed–Byredo’s only just shown up at my nearest Neiman’s, I’m excited to dig into them. And those travel sprays seem nicely splittable! But still I suppose you’d have to like them enough even to want 12 mls. Did either of these rise to that level for you, Angela?
I have enough perfume that something has to really knock my socks off before I buy it. Neither of these rose to that level for me. But my wallet appreciates it!
Most fragrances I try seem to be personality free!
Wearing Rendez-Vous by Atlelier Cologne and 2 hours later it is gone and never spoke a word to me. Overall I am rather disappointed in the longevity of the AC scents and the lack of excitement past their initial top notes.
However, yesterday I was wearing Hermes Eau D’Orange Verte body lotion and AC’s Grand Neroli, which in my mind is exactly what Jude Law must of smelt like in the Talented Mr. Ripley. Sailing along the Italian coastline while listening to Jazz records and soaking up the sun on the deck.
Oh, I love that image and wish I were there! It sounds like you chose the magical orange combo.
I do tend to give my perfumes personalities! Or maybe I associate them with facets of my own personality. I will often choose scents based on what part of my personality I want to accentuate, counteract and project. Sans the androgynous part and replace Wilde with Chekov and Black Saffron sounds very close to my “personality” , but its very hard to imagine it dethroning my favorite saffron and comfort scent Saffron Troublant! All the Byredo scents I’ve tried have been way too polite for their names. Rose Noir had no noir, and Gypsy Water didn’t have anything gypsy feeling about it! When I want light and etherial I alway gravitate to Giacobetti. I I keep trying, but haven’t found a Byredo scent to love yet and your review reminds me that poor longevity and sillage is one big reason. The notes in Green and Encens Chambour have piqued my interest but I instinctually feel like there are other houses that will be more memorable and offer me more depth.
I’m glad I’m not the only person who sees my perfume cupboard as a collection of personalities! I haven’t smelled as many of the Byredos as I really should, and I’m hoping to remedy that soon. So far, though, none of them have me by the neck. I did sniff the Bibliotheque candle, though, and if I had cash to turn into luxury scented candles, I’d pick one up.
Haven’t sniffed that candle but a Black Saffron candle does sound amazing! I noticed that Luckyscent carries Byredo hand creams that look interesting and maybe stick to skin longer. The most I’ve splurged on a candle is for the smaller Diptyque ones. They do last a long time though. The $$$ candle that I’m lusting after is the Fredric Malle Gardenia one! Some day?!!
I really really want the Malle Cafe Society candle!
I forgot to mention that not only to I assign personality traits to a lot of my fragrances, I also will assign favorite actresses! Either classy, chic sultry ones. I often think “what scent evokes Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Greta Garbo etc… vibe” Some perfumes being directly associated with actress which makes it even easier! Like Denueve/ L’huere Bleu and now finally with Rozy edp I can unleash some inner Anna Magnani!
I love that! Now I feel like I want to assemble the cast of How to Marry a Millionaire on my dresser. Let’s see. Marilyn Monroe can be Vega; Lauren Bacall will do well as Miss Dior or maybe Vol de Nuit; and I’ll have to think on Betty Grable. Something with a little rose or violet in it would be good.
WOW! I’ve never thought of assembling an entire cast before! You’ve now taken this minor game into the major leagues! Marilyn in Fracas, Lauren Bacall in Ciur de Lancome, and Betty Grable in Lipstick Rose!
Lipstick Rose is perfect for Betty!
Let me start off by saying:I get 10 hours longevity(full blast rooty Iris+acceptable vetiver at that point),from 28 La Pausa on my skin.Yes.10 hours.Yes.28 La Pausa.
I adore these 2 Byredo’s,to the point of hoarding sample vials AND owning full bottles.I get the inspiration behind them,and I simply adore the Byredo aesthetic too.Black Saffron to me,smells like Tom of Finland(ELdO) just devoured a bowl of sexy sweet forest fruits,eating it straight from a just prepared,fresh leather bowl…I get the Darker side of sweet,sultry fun,in other words.
Seven Veils:Ahhh yes…my hips start to move,and I wanna do an impromptu burlesque show,for the guy that’s soon gonna undress and lay down on my silky purple sheets…Slowly “unveiling” the prelude,to whatever may come next…But that’s just me.And my vivid imagination….THESE words,are my impressions of the 2 lovelies.And to get back on point:EXCELLENT longevity and sillage on skin…and clothes.STILL:two great fab favorites of mine.Forever in my collection too.Thnx for the review Angela!;-))
Lucky you! It sounds as if the Byredos love your skin, and you love them right back. Perfect!
Sigh, and I’m the opposite. The Byredo’s all wimp out on me… Just as well, given the price bracket!
Yes, consider yourself lucky!
Every cloud has a… 😉
I love your attitude!
Oh, I wish that was my attitude. In fact I’m just familiar with the idiom 😀
I love when you turn perfumes into people! Black Saffron sounds uncomfortably like me.
Maybe you’d better give it a try and see!