Bal d'Afrique (2009)
by Byredo

The set of opening notes - neroli, bergamot and touches of lemon - make for a bright and fairly fresh start, although this is not so much a blast of freshness, but more a friendly touch of it. The vetiver lacks any earthy or wooden component.

The drydown adds floral, with a rather light-hearted violet mixing with a gentle jasmine in the background; the florals merge with the vetiver nicely.

The base adds a touch more sweetness owing to a strong influx of white musks, which are complemented by a nonspecific woodsy undertone. Still, never is this heavy or strong.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

This summery scent is light and bright in its core, of a clear and clean nature. On the other hand it lacks vividness and intensity, and some of its ingredients show their synthetic nature up to a generically tedious extent. Still, it is blended well. Overall, this just reaches a positive score by the skin of its teeth. 3/5

A pleasant tropical perfume that starts off as pineapple backed with coconutty rum, and goes more floral with ylang later. I don't directly smell the vetiver, but there's a green background that somehow makes everything smell more "dewy" and sun-dappled. There's also a bright chemical sheen that hovers over everything like a shot of expensive vodka, which does a clever job of making Bal d'Afrique feel politely thin and unobtrusive while it's actually quite strong and still projects well.

This is the happiest fragrance I’ve ever owned. It feels like a sun-kissed, carefree day. It’s dense yet light-wearing, utterly unique yet almost universally likeable, and so enjoyable in all stages of development. The citruses, florals, fruit and woods seem to overlap and blend together like a watercolor painting. Bal d'Afrique brings me joy every time I spray it. If this all sounds like your style of perfumery, then I urge you to sample it.

Lovely fruit and flower top. Citrus is brief. The beginning reminds me of fabric softener or a dryer sheet. It redeems itself eventually, with some violet and jasmine, becoming more perfume-like. The base is pleasant with an almost darkish amber. Overall it is nice - not overly exciting enough for me.

There is absolutely nothing to dislike about Bal D'Afrique, with one exception. My skin eats it whole. I can pour gobs of it on my arms and chest and within 2 minutes, it's just a faint whisper of the magic everyone else experiences. After 30 minutes, it's all but gone. I give it a neutral rating because it truly smells wonderful, but the only magic I see on my skin is a disappearing act (sorry, I had to).

EDIT: I am currently wearing BR90: Pure White from Banana Republic's Icon Collection, and it is close to (but not quite) a dupe of Bal D'Afrique but with an added tea note and toned down florals. At $48/2.5 oz (I actually snagged my bottle for $24 at a Factory Store), it's worth a try if you like Bal D'Afrique and are looking for a budget-friendly option.

EDIT #2: Warm Cashmere by Clean is almost an EXACT dupe of Bal D'Afrique. I picked up a bottle at Nordstrom Rack for $20, and the performance is about the same on my skin (and at that price, I can afford to spray as much and as often as I want).