Bal d'Afrique (2009)
by Byredo

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).

Not bad but smells like a watered-down version of Vetiver Tonka and even less like Vetiver Fatal to me, with Vetiver Fatal being among the best vetiver scents I've tried. But they all do share similarities. Very airy and light. Seems more unisex than feminine to me.

Very soft projection but does last all day.