Heard about Byredo and Creed Perfumes before? I’m sure you’ve seen their one of a kind bottles in several bloggers’ posts. Both Byredo and Creed’s packagings are really pretty and they’re something you don’t typically find in most beauty stores like Sephora or Ulta, plus, they seemed really fancy and well-curated. I wanted to see what’s the fuss with these two fragrance makers, and I wanted to know if their scents are actually as amazing as their beautiful bottle containers. In addition to that, most of their perfumes are on the expensive side, so I wondered if their prices also correspond with having an exquisite scent. Since each of their bottles can be pricey, I decided to try their sample vials online. It’s a good way to test their scents before actually pulling the trigger of buying the regular-sized bottles. In Byredo’s website, you can purchase their six iconic fragrances or bestsellers in 2 ml vials which costs $20 per person and per month only. Within 14 days, you’ll receive a $20 voucher (via email) that you can use to purchase at byredo.com. The voucher is valid only within 6 weeks after receiving it. In Creed’s case, you can only pick three 2ml vials of any fragrance you want to sample per person for $30. Interested with my verdict for these two very interesting fragrance makers?
Creed
Before all these, I have never seen nor tried any Creed products before, not even in-store. All I know is that they not only make perfumes, they also make soaps, aftershaves, perfumed oils, lotions, deodorants and some more. Anyway, I picked three of their bestselling scents and here they are.
Spring Flower (1 oz: 215- 17 oz: $780) – This scent has the perfect blend of something very fresh, fruity, and floral at the same time. It’s hard not to keep sniffing it because it’s really quite breathtaking, especially because there are notes of bergamot, apple, apricot and something else. Then it dries down into something rosy and slightly musky in a delightful way. I love this scent a lot and I’m quite tempted to get it in a large size, even more so because of its feminine pink bottle with a nice bow. But that’s not the only reason. The lasting power of this fragrance is pretty much for the whole day and it has kept me loving it all throughout. This truly is a scent of a blossoming Spring flower.
Virgin Island Water (1 oz: $215, 17 oz: $780) – This scent is a mixture of coconut and lime, with some alcohol in it. The scent didn’t quite appeal to me when I first tried it because it smelled like virgin coconut oil, and I’m not much of a coconut lover, be it for food or scent. Also, I thought the dry down was annoying. Later on, as I kept trying this scent, I realize that it’s actually quite interesting and really appealing, like a vacation mode type of scent. I noticed that the scent is actually on the fresh/fruity side with its notes of bergamot and mandarin. You could still smell the hint of coconut in this perfume, but this is definitely one of the best smelling coconut-infused fragrance I’ve ever tried.
Aventus For Her (1 oz: $270-34 oz: $1,600) – This is the feminine version of Creed’s most popular masculine fragrance, The Aventus. This scent smells really good at first spritz, but just as I had predicted, this is quite a manly scent. It is musky but in a more fruity way (berries), and it’s very long-lasting. The scent practically lasts the whole day and then the next. I did notice that this has a very nice unique dry down which is something lightly musky and sweet. I can see the appeal of this scent, especially when you smell its middle notes of sandalwood and musk, a commanding blend of scents that is both unforgettable and classic.
Byredo
Just as what I’ve said about my experience with Creed fragrances, I’ve also never tried any Byredo fragrances before. I know that they make all sorts of products with their fragrances like soaps, lotions, oils, etc. However, I do have one of their scented candles, the Tree House.
Blanche (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This scent smells like white cotton or strong linen mixed with something like white floral. It’s a clean and pure scent but for me, I find it to be too strong. I’m not much of a fan of cotton or linen scents, but I can see the appeal that this scent will do to others.
Mojave Ghost (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This is probably the most amazing and the most unusual scent I’ve ever tried. It is somewhat woody, slightly musky, sweet, fresh and something else. In other words, this fragrance is SO good and hands down one of the best I’ve ever tried. There’s berries, sandalwood, magnolia, and cedarwood, etc. in it, and there’s nothing quite like this unique scent. It is intriguing and mysterious like its catchy name. On top of that, it is long-lasting, so that makes this scent my new fave and definitely a must-have.
Bal D’Afrique (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – This is another amazing scent that kind of reminds me of the Mojave Ghost above but with a fruitier blend. This scent will remind you of sunshiny days with its lemon, neroli, African marigold, amber, musk, and cedarwood blend. It’s definitely a unique lively scent that’s kind of fruity and floral at the same time.
Rose Of No Man’s Land (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230) – With strong notes of rose and pepper, I find this particular fragrance to be too strong. There’s a lot of alcohol notes in this at first spritz and it dries into a strong musky rose scent. It’s a pity because I like the name of this particular fragrance and how it’s dedicated to nurses, but I’m just not into this kind of strong scent. On the other hand, this scent kind of reminds me of those Chloe Perfumes, but I actually still prefer the Chloe scents over this.
Gypsy Water (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230, 250 ml: $240)ย – This very popular scent by Byredo is light, clean, and crisp, yet it’s vibrant and very fresh with its notes of lemon, pepper, juniper berries, and pine. The dry down is not bad as well, I could sense a faint vanilla and sandalwood at the end. However, the scent is not very long-lasting on me, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Also, I really dig its super catchy name. How did Byredo come up with such unique names for their fragrances? I’m curious.
La Tulipe (50 ml: $150, 100 ml: $230)ย – Probably my most disliked scent of all Byredo fragrances. To me, this smells like dish soap. Too strong, too weird, and too sharp. Its notes of cyclamen, rhubarb, and freesia are just too much for my nose and it doesn’t last long enough for me. It has a similar kick to the Blanche scent that also didn’t appeal to me.
So far, I think I kind of prefer the Byredo fragrances more than the Creed scents because I feel like Byredo’s fragrances are more of my generation’s type. I also notice that I tend to like a lot of the fragrances from their lineup. Plus their unique, sleek, chic and minimalist packaging really appeals to me. Creed has very nice styles on their bottles too and they also have some of the most unique and complex blends of scents that are extremely long-lasting compared to Byredo’s. But they’re also very very expensive. So far, with the Creed scent, I seem to like the Spring Flower a lot and I’m slowly enjoying the Virgin Island Water yet I still couldn’t make up my mind for it. For the Byredo fragrances, I have my eyes set on the Mojave Ghost and the Bal D’Afrique, which are two scents that are slightly quite similar to each other but I love them both a lot. I’m also wavering whether I should pursue the Gypsy Water with its very fresh tropical scent but with questionable longevity.
Which of these fragrances are your faves? Have you tried any Creed or Byredo fragrances before?
To purchase the Creed fragrance samplers, click here
To purchase samples of Byredo’s iconic fragrances, click here