Pulp (2008)
by Byredo

So thick yet light it confused the hell out of me. Later on I found this to be a pleasnt blended mix of fruits, florals and green notes. I think the whole concept behind the fragrance from the name to the images it conveyed to me when smelled is well executed. The apple note in particular is open and delightful and is softened by a very light peach/pear like accord; probably the peach flower in the base (a floral base?). I find this refreshing, elegant and high quality. Byredo's fragrances are EdP's so I expected something lush and I got it. Bravo! Looking forward to seeking out more from this line.

An apt name -- it actually smells like the pulp of various fruits straight out of a blender -- a fragrance smoothie and totally wonderful.

Stop Press:

Look out for a range of six fragrances from Mark Buxton -- 5 of them are terrific, but £110 each.

New Byredo fragrance called 'Blanche' -- you think it smells of nothing but takes off once it hits the skin.

New fragrance from the funsters at Comme Des Garcons -- its working title is 'God Save the Queen' and the bottle is rumoured to be in the shape of a cup and saucer -- the fragrance itself is reported to be brilliant.

Initially, Pulp was my favourite scent from this house but now it’s probably my least.

The opening was utterly superb – a succulent, rich and juicy fruit opening that smelt very natural and fresh. The sweetness was just right, and the bergamot and blackcurrant notes were full-bodied, dense and delicious. Although it smelt somewhat feminine, I still felt it could be worn (and enjoyed) by men who are very comfortable with their sexuality.

With such a promising opening, one would have expected the drydown to be amazing. But it wasn’t…

Now, maybe the opening was cleverly deceptive (a deliberate ploy?) but the drydown smelt extremely synthetic and was very unpleasant to wear – the complete opposite of the opening. At times, I was hoping that its development would get back on track but it never did – it just stagnated, leaving nothing but a cheap smelling pot-porri scent lingering on my skin. Maybe it just didn’t agree with my skin chemistry or possibly it was the peach flower note that ruined it – I’m still not too sure even now. Regardless of this, I have to admit that this is the first time I’ve been so ‘seduced’ by a fragrance only to be so utterly repelled by it within a matter of hours.

Byredo has, unfortunately, failed to live up to my expectations and Pulp is most certainly not an exception to their other releases. In addition to its main flaw, it also lacks sufficient staying power (4-6 hours) – for both for its retail price and EDP concentration, I would have expected more. This is one house I will definitely not be investigating again in future.

[Original submission date: 28 July 2008]

Very powerful, very sweet, a little goes a long way. Lasts a long time, which considering the price, is a good thing.

Unfortunately, as many reviewers have noted, for a fragrance that potentially seemed so promising, Pulp is a complete disappointment. An attractive set of top notes yields nothing more than a bland opening reminiscent of pure passion fruit, and the dry down that follows leaves much to be desired. I don't know which perfumer created Pulp, but Ben Gorham's only qualification seems to be that a few years ago he thought it a fanciful idea to create a fragrance line. Not only is Pulp, as are the other fragrances in this line, singular, vacuous, and confused, but the whole line seems to be an ill-fated attempt to knock-off Editions des Parfums (just look at the packaging), which is indeed a great line with a great creative director. Hopefully, people will not be conned into thinking they are actually buying something unique and original.

After having heard all the praise about Byredo's Pulp, I couldn't wait to try it. The first time was this past autumn at Colette in Paris and the second time was a month later at Les Senteurs in London. Even now, I am still wondering ........ what is the big deal about this perfume?? On me, Pulp is basically a grapefruit scent which evolves into black currant, blackberry and various other fruits. It is powerful and smells a lot like those sharp-ish fruity perfumes created by Jo Malone such as her Wild Fig and Cassis (which I don't like).

I guess one of the other reasons I am also intrigued by Pulp is due to a story that I recently read on-line. Apparently a perfumista/bride-to-be wanted to have Pulp as the signature scent at her wedding and so obtained the church's permission to have several bottles of the not-inexpensive Pulp liberally sprayed before and during (hopefully discreetly) the church service so that her she, her groom and her guests would would forever associate Pulp with her wedding day.

Courtesy of The Perfumed Court, here are the notes for Pulp: top notes of bergamot, cardamom and blackcurrant; middle notes of red apple, fig and tiare; and base notes of cedar wood, praline and peach flower.