1996 Inez & Vinoodh

I had actually blind purchased this fragrance after reading the reviews on here and loved the notes pyramid. And for disclaimer, my skin tends to eat up frangrance really quickly. This fragrance is truly a stunner from the beginning til the end. The other reviewers are very accurate in that the fragrance opens with a boudouir/lipstick type of fragrance profile, I would say on me this part lasts roughly 2 hours on me. After the 2 hour mark, the patchouli, but not a hippy green patchouli but rather a coy and vanilla swirled patchouli rests for another 2 hours. Finally after the 4 hour mark, the amber/patchouli/vanilla base notes come in, while I still smell Patchouli and Vanilla, the hint of black amber in here completely changes the scent profile. And while reading many of the other reviewered, it seemed to gear towards a more masculine audience. But maybe my skin chemistry makes this fragrance smell especially feminine as I am a woman in my mid-late 20's. I actually have a difficult time seeing a man wear this, but maybe this is a fragrance that blooms completely different on a man. Similar to how @hippiechick13 described it as the perfect fragrance for a bohemian lady, I definitely agree. Though I feel like this is a fragrance that even a individual that has a normal 9-5, basic lifestyle can rock. How I would describe the fragrance transitions is that in the opening, the notes reflect an attractive woman that's classy, but slightly intimidating because she's not traditional in her manner. The combination of black pepper definitely gives it a slight bad ass feel to that of the iris. Once the vanilla and patchouli comes through in the heart and base notes, the personality of this fragrance reflects someone who's rather creative and artsy, and definitely has a flirty personality. In terms of longetivity, perhaps one of the best part about this perfume is that, I can smell it on my clothes 24 hours later, but it's never overwhelming or old smelling. I think on my skin, it only lasts roughly 6 hours max. *On another note, this fragrance's base notes sticks to my bedsheets like nobody's business....which I adore, I would say I wash my sheets once a week, and by the end of the week, my sheets smell so cozy and delicious, like the vanilla frosting from carrot cake specifically. This fragrance is truly not a linear scent....definitely quite a journey from the colder juniper/Gin like smell to hippy chic mid-day to luxurious amber later on and finally everlasting carrot cake....

I have tried a few Byredo perfumes, and while they are intelligent compositions, their performance-price ratio tends to be abysmal. 1996 is the exception. A powerful violet-leather-amber concoction, there are shades of Proust's madeleine about it. While it is not 90s in style (radiant minimal freshies like CK One or L'Eau d'Issey spring to mind for me), it reminds me of aspects of my childhood - some of which, for me, was aptly set in the 1990s. I couldn't put my finger on it until I scanned the reviews below, but it smells like an amalgamation of the following: licking a stamp/envelope; Refreshers (tangy, flat rectangular sweets available in Ireland/UK; the medicinal scent of acupuncturist's office complete with musty, polished wooden furniture (thank you for pinpointing this one, @solarpunk!). Regarding the breakdown of the scent itself, it is a leathery violet-iris scent that is at times fruity, powdery, patchouli-heavy, woody, ambery - making for a compelling, darkly dense concoction that somehow achieves cohesion. 1996 opens with Parma violets, sweet and powdery, given a lift by radiantly fresh juniper and perhaps some aldehydes. There is a fruitiness to it here, reminding me of the Refreshers. I also get the abstract envelope glue effect at the early stages. As it develops, I get a vermouth-like artemisia note, medicinal and herbal. It marries nicely with the violet, powdery and velvet-like. A suede-like leather note develops in the background, reminding me a little of Piguet Jolie Madame. Buttery smooth and dense, there is a slight smokiness in the background, and a curious waxiness too. Patchouli emerges as it develops further, balsamic and dark in this instance. I get some soft woody notes in there too. The amber drydown is balsamic, given a slight sweetness thanks to the addition of a dry vanilla note. It ties everything together nicely, fading to a mossy, leathery skin scent with some sweetness. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. A complex, brilliant piece of olfactory art, 1996 is a thing of beauty in my opinion. Avant-garde, evocative and artistic, it also manages to be wearable. A unisex autumn/winter scent, 1996 is best applied sparingly. Intriguing and compelling - I loved this. 4.5/5.

Since this has been my most recent obsession I figured I'd take the time to actually write my first (ever on this site) review on it. First spotted this bottle sitting on a dresser of one of my best longtime friends. I had heard about Byredo before but never actually sampled one of their scents, nor had I been interested tbqh. But by virtue of me being a 90's kid, the name appealed to me and I asked if I could try it on. I was already wearing a light splash of Chanel Chance edp at the time so admittedly this "tainted" my first expression somewhat. Not in a bad way at all but the experience of 1996 alone is alot more dressed down. At first I thought it was WAY too sweet smelling, almost candy-like. But once it dried down I was enveloped in this hazy warm leather. I kept smelling my wrist all night, and the morning after it still lingred on my skin. Couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after, so when I got finally had the leftover funds to buy it one month I did. At first, I was severely dissappointed. There was nothing of that almost masculine leather that I had adored so much, only overwhelming, sugary vanilla (i guess that's the amber?) and fire smoke(??!). I hated it haha, and didn't bother touching the bottle for weeks after that initial encounter. Then I figured, I spent the money so I should at least give it a fair shot before giving it away. Sprayed some down my shirt just to get a more muted scent. And boy. The smoke is still there, strangely? It smells a little like... Candied almonds by a camp fire? And there are defintely some earthy wood tones. If I really inhale it all the way, I get the juniper notes as well. I love spraying it on my clothes to get just the vanilla/fire feeling, it's very warm and cozy. On my skin, it has a subtle undertone of fresh laundry. The actual leather notes also comes through better that way. Also get hints of a dry pine forest. It's still a very sweet smell on me though. I might try pairing it with my Chance again to see if I can replicate that first impression. I do adore it now, that I've given it some time, but I don't know that I would repurchase it. I feel like it's a scent that you can really get your fill of quite quickly. Time will tell!

i absolutely love this fragrance for so many reasons. first of all inez and vinoodh are iconic high fashion photographers that have done amazing work in the industry for years. i highly recommend you check out their editorial and campaign work because they are creative geniuses. i remember getting a sample of this from the byredo store in san francisco and wearing it on a rainy day in november last year and it absolutely rocked my world. i immediately had to get a bottle and it has been a staple in my collection since. right off the bat its this potent sexy powdery juniper. the iris combined with the amber and patchouli add this powdery modern texture with a somewhat vintage feel that doesn’t feel outdated but rather more luxurious in a retro glamour kind of way. the juniper is super dry and woody. you would think that the amber would make this sort of sweet and resinous but i dont find it sweet at all. the amber is very subtle and really rounds everything out. i get no leather in this at all, its mainly just a dry and heavily woody scent with this patchouli undertone to give it alot of depth. i would almost call it a rather simple scent with alot of chic complexity (ironically). i think byredo gets a bad rep for making fragrances that dont last at all, but this is a beast. you dont need to spray much cuz it will radiate off your skin with a few sprays. i wore this out today grocery shopping in the late afternoon on a cloudy sunday cuz i was feeling rather complicated and in a fall mood. as i was walking out i accidentally cut off this lady while we were both walking out the store and i apologized to her cuz that wasn’t my intention and she responded with “you are totally fine, by the way, you smell amazing” so that should tell you everything you need to know. its very chic and unisex with the tiniest amount of femininity that any confident man will pull off. some of byredo’s best work

Byredo is a brand that I feel is at its best when it’s at its weirdest, and this is pretty awesome, but also very polarizing, and extremely potent. The opening smells like walking into a time capsule of a building. It smells like old furniture, dust, yellowing walls, dry flowers, and books, and it becomes more ambery and leathery as it dries down. It’s very dry, warm, and bittersweet. Like many other Byredo scents, this has a strange chemical coldness that underpins it, but it’s not austere, rather, it’s very cozy and lived in, perhaps overbearingly so. I actually got some negative comments on it from 2 of my coworkers, with one them complaining that it reminds her of musty wet wipes. I obviously disagree, but I understand where she’s coming from, and that definitely made me think twice about wearing it to work ever again. Others have mentioned that it smells minty, and have actually complimented me on it. If you smell it up close, you can actually break it down into notes like juniper, patchouli and vanilla, but in the air it’s just turns into this fascinating amalgamation that smells more like an actual place rather than a perfume, and if you get it, you’ll love it. Edit: I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now, and I just wanted to mention that this is my current favorite scent to wear at home, it’s very addictive. Also, I actually like how it smells on clothes better than on skin. It’s dryer and more convincing this way. You actually get the sense that your garment has been stored inside of a wooden chest for a really long time, and it lasts FOREVER.

I had no idea what to except from this perfume, when I got a small 2ml sample. 1996 never gets any attention on social media - in contrast with the Byredo best sellers like Gypsy Water or Bal D'Afrique - to be quite honest its existance wasn't even known to me. 1996 is an amazing perfume which melts my heart every time I wear it. I fell in love with it from the very first moment I sampled it and I was really trying to understand its smell, then suddenly I read a review here that it is quite close to the base of A*Men by Mugler. Suddenly everything felt familiar and I understood why I loved it so much - I really really love A*Men and 1996 feels like a more polite and niche version of it. The funny thing is that A*Men was released in 1996 - officially the name of the Byredo creation is inspired by a photo Inez & Vinoodh took, not sure if it is indeed a coincidence or some unconscious sub plot hidden in its name. The inspiration photo is supposed to be on the box of the perfume - weirdly enough it's not on the box of my bottle (yes I bought a full bottle) and it can't be a fake one, I bought it directly from Byredo site. Whatever the case may be 1996 is an amazing perfume that should get more attention. It fully deserve it. I read that it was supposed to be a limited edition (the original version was a bescope perfume for Inez & Vinoodh in order to gift it to their friends during the Christmas session of 2012), so give it a try and if you fell in love with it, get a bottle as soon as you can. Solid love from me.

I met you in autumn a year ago, I remember this scent so well, the only one you had. You had me smell you, I asked what fragrance. ‚Byredo‘, ‚But which one‘, ‚Byredo‘. You smell me, ‚What fragrance‘, ‚Serge Lutens‘, ‚But which one‘, ‚Serge Lutens‘. We are still entangled, for better or for worse, the entangling became deeper, despite protests (however erroneous). I get ready, after going back to sleep you roused me from (you hadn’t slept yet), I brush my teeth, no sign of your temporary roommate, the smell of coffee still lingers from the kitchen. I put the clothes you picked for my shoot in my bag, I put on the shirt of yours I wore last night, still smelling of spilt gin, and the water you splashed on me in the club bathroom. I only wore the pants you chose, I tried the shirt after I left and I felt like I needed to crawl out of my skin. I still have 15 minutes till I need to leave, I crawl back into bed, you roll over and pull me closer, I think about no-showing, I don’t want to leave your arms. I book an uber after saying I never want to leave, I have no perfume, they’re in my other bags. I look up at your vanity, I pick the one of your year of birth, it’s down to its last drops but I manage my usual routine, one left, one right, front and back, one left, one right, no friction to to minimise thermic effect. I pick up your shirt two weeks later, the club stamp is imprinted on the back from your arm around my waist, I smell the collar, your still there.

Byredo 1996 feels less like a fragrance and more like stepping into a photograph that already has a story attached to it. It opens with a cool shimmer of black pepper and juniper, giving it an almost metallic crispness before the heart begins to soften into violet and powdery orris. What makes this scent so compelling is the way the leather is handled. It is not rough, smoky biker-jacket leather, and it is not overtly animalic. Instead, it wears like aged suede, soft, elegant, and slightly shadowed. There’s a beautiful tension between the polished iris-violet powder and the darker base of amber, patchouli, and vanilla, which creates the feeling of old books, worn gloves, and skin warmed by cashmere. On my skin, 1996 reads as deeply atmospheric: intellectual, moody, and quietly sensual. It has that “someone unforgettable walked through the room” quality without ever becoming loud. The leather gives it structure, while the powder and amber keep it intimate. I would not classify this as a true animalic fragrance, but it does have a human warmth that can feel intimate and lived-in. Think vintage library, suede coat, cool weather, and a hint of lipstick powder on a scarf. For anyone who loves fragrances that feel cinematic, melancholic, and beautifully composed, 1996 remains one of Byredo’s most evocative creations.

The beginning spritz is very much a peppery, woodsy green scent that holds onto the juniper berries, black pepper, and patchouli before steadily revealing the creamy, flowery, powdery heart. For me, the juniper berries and black pepper fade the quickest within a few minutes of spraying. The patchouli is definitely present throughout the entirety, as well as this powdery, creamy, almost gourmand scent which I can only attribute to the combination of the leather, amber, vanilla, and iris. The violet has a small moment in the middle where it shines and brings a sweet floral element. The ending reminds me so much of blonde woods, almost like pine or birch wood. I think this is mainly due to the vanilla, leather, and patchouli mixing together but I am always surprised that there is no actual wood note present in the perfume composition. The end scent does feel akin to opening up an old chest or box made of these creamier, sweeter woods. If you don't enjoy this ending scent you will not enjoy the perfume as it takes up most of the perfume's life. This leans more masculine to my nose. The projection is very wide within the first 3 or so hours, but then it fades to around arm reach on me. I can smell it from morning to night if I am smelling my wrists (which I usually am with this).

I'm insanely in love with this perfume. It's super spicy, peppery & scrumptious. It's unique and for some reason it settles incredibly well onto my light skin without projecting heaviness. SCENT: First spray the black pepper & juniper berries are STRONG. Sure they're the top notes, but man they last on the skin forever, the violet, orris and leather accord develop slowly but are QUICKLY overpowered by the vanilla, patchouli & amber base notes. Definitely turns heads as you pass by (although I don't recommend this in hot weather as it can be too much) LASTING POWER: My gosh this lasts a long time on my skin...it completely fades away after 7 hours. It's the strongest perfume I have! PACKAGING: Byredo definitely scores a 5/5 for sleek, attractive & modern packaging, down to its BOX. Very photo-friendly & suits tabletops. PRICE: For mainstream perfumes it's got a hefty pricetag, beating big players like Chanel, Guerlain, Bvlgari in price per ml. But for me it's completely worth it. A fantastically special perfume that improves/brings something new to the spicy, peppery scent genre. A lifetime repurchase for me & one of my true love scents

I'm not a big Byredo fan, I find some of them quite ok, likeable, but nothing groundbreaking. But this is so good, so likeable, it does everything I love in a fragrance. It opens up with a powdery iris, almost too powdery and going into the old-lady direction, but blends so well with a slight touch of juniper berries and a beautiful leather, slightly dark and animalic, the opening can be off-putting to some but is really catchy and daring. The mid is beautiful, I get a plum vibe from it, a touch of amber and a great sweet Patchouli note. It is really a relaxing scent despite its sweetness and woodiness, and it indeed smells like some ancien place, the Sherlock Holmes office is really a great way to describe this place. I also really like the drydown, which lingers and lingers, where the leather-amber duo shines and gives me this beautiful sweet and powdery smell. It reminds me a bit of a niche version of A*men by Thierry Mugler, side by side they are quite close, this one is less eccentric and sweet, but it's almost as if Byredo took A*men and brought it into the Victorian era of London in the 19th century.

FULL BOTTLE WORTHY. Calvin Klein Obsession for women is the first fragrance I remember reacting negatively to in my youth. I imagine it’s what Pepé Le Pew’s stink-cloud smells like. My least favorite fragrance to date. 1996 smells as if Obsession was reformulated into a scent I love. A creamier, smokier, patchouli-forward version. Like an offspring of Obsession and Tom Ford Ébène Fumé. Byredo gets a lot of flack for poor longevity, but a couple spritzes of 1996 on my inner elbow before bed last night is still impressively detectable 10+ hours later. Masculine-leaning, I’d say, but I love it on me. Complex. Heavily resinous - yet wearable. Slightly green, perfectly sweet. There’s a pinch of powder. Smoke, leather, violet, and amber are most prominent on my skin. It’s a smooth and inoffensive leather. The black amber brings Grand Soir to mind. 1996 is earthy, sultry, resinous, warm, dark, sophisticated, and stunning. Distractingly addictive. *Obsessed!

1996 Inez & Vinoodh by Byredo smells of the finest vintage leather handbags lightly dusted in iris powder, an earthy patchouli sweetened up with the most syrupy-sweet amber, and a tart zingy twist of juniper berries. This fragrance is like a memory. It’s a cloudy grey day in November as you walk through a beautiful pine tree forest with the wind whispering across your skin in a chilly breeze. You wrap your sweater tighter around your body as you inhale the crisp air and look up at the grey sky. You catch the subtle smell of the tree bark and the sweet resins while you walk along listening to the twigs snap beneath your leather boots. It is the best time of year just as the weather turns cold. Every morning holds the promising warmth of the sun and every night the dark icy depths of what lurks beyond your cozy little cabin. I’ve never been so excited to be so scared. Love this fragrance!

This smells like powder, old books, and lipstick. I usually hate things that are powdery, but this just hits the spot for a sexy librarian vibe. It's addictive. Also, this tends to stick around (rare on me) that I get pleasant whiffs of it through out the day. Byredo is hit or miss with staying power on me (Rouge Chaotique, Eleventh Hour, Open Sky, Slow Dance stick to me, Gypsy Water, Mojave Ghost , and most other popular ones don't). I will say I bought a decant last year and hated it. My decant has sat for about a year, and I recently gave it another try. I have been wearing this quite over the past three weeks as the weather is in that silly stage between summer, not quite fall. This is worth the whiff if you like something a little unusual and love hanging around libraries or used bookstores. 🤩 I was happy to track down a reasonably priced bottle on JS. I'm excited to get that in.

1996 reminded me of how subjective fragrances are. A mere two sprays on me elicited comments from co-workers about something smelling like "industrial cleaner" and "church incense." I like the incense comment, just not the industrial cleaner part. Oh well. One thing for certain is that it has staying power. I love it. The initial opening reminds me of cosmetics; powdery, waxy, and a bit sweet - not saccharine. I don't get the juniper- but maybe that's what's triggering the "industrial cleaner" comments. It darkens into a "leathery" amber base that reminds me of Prada Amber at about a shade or two lighter. I initially dismissed it because of the dry down since I already own Prada, but eventually gave in because I'm a sucker for those kind of scents anyways. Not office friendly, so I use it recreationally. Not a crowd pleaser, so I wear it for myself.

I absolutely adore this fragrance! It's truly one-of-a-kind and doesn’t remind me of other amber scents. I didn't detect much juniper, or maybe it blended with the leather to create a slightly earthy and off-putting opening. Dirt and carrots? However, after about 30 minutes to an hour, it transforms beautifully into a warm, earthy mix of patchouli and amber. At this stage, the fragrance really comes alive, with a dusty iris and creamy vanilla that were initially hidden behind the top notes. The result is a wonderfully bold scent bubble. The silage exceeds what I typically expect from other well-known Byredo fragrances. Plus, it has impressive longevity. In my opinion, it’s worth every penny for being so unique, strong, and stunning. As someone else aptly described, this is "elegant dirt, for the bohemian."

It calls to mind leather coats, old books and sunny autumn days. It is an enchanting scent. There's something about it that's comforting, I enjoy wearing it around the house just for me, and something about it that is nostalgic-- just as the name would suggest. It's sensual in a detached, bookish sort of way which on the right person makes it a great signature scent. I'm a nerd who loves all things brainy, old-fashioned and beautiful, so for me, it is just right. I think this requires the right personality and chemistry to work. It's niche for a reason. I love that it's grounded, due to the amber/leather/patchouli at the base, but also effervescent due to that juniper "gin" top. It's heavy and light-- nothing like your classic oriental. Nothing smells quite like it.

I'm surprised that fruit is not listed in the notes for this one. 1996 has a distinct, overly-ripe berry opening on my skin. It then morphs into a musty, leathery, amber scent that reminds me of old library books. 1996 is unisex, whereas I find many leathery scents to feel more masculine. A hint of florals and citrus provide a little lightness and contrast to the heavy sweet opening and patchouli-leather-wood notes. The effect is odd, comforting and contemplative. Probably not a safe blind buy. Wears close but has great lasting power. I've read that this perfume was designed to smell like the home of Dutch photographers Inez & Vinoodh. It does trigger a sense of environment and memory. Paveh's observation that it smells like Sherlock Holmes' office seems spot-on!

I was told by a Nordstrom sales rep that the reference for the scent was lipsticks from the 90's, including the plastic. I feel like they almost nailed it. Definitely luxurious and rich. At first the scent brings images of a woman wearing merlot lipstick, matching nail polish and a power suit with strong shoulder pads going in to her office on the 30th floor of a high rise in Manhattan lets say in the 80's and then once it dries down and gets earthier something much fresher and cooler. It is very balsamic on me which I love. A little goes a long way. I do maybe three spritzes and it lasts all day and stays on my clothes for a week if I don't wash them. I love to mix it with patchouli oil to really freshen it up and make it more wearable for day or summertime.

Oh my word, this is just divine! I was at a wedding 2 weeks ago and could smell something delectable in the air. Let me tell you, I hunted that person DOWN!! The hunt was made all the more difficult because it is so unisex. So I was lurking around men and women, smiling politely as I mooched about. I soon found HER! The amber is stunning in this. A woody, leathery Amber, with dirty patchouli. When I take a deep inhale I am transported back to the late 80s, I just can't put my finger on what it reminds me of, but it is on the tip of my tongue. AAAHH what is it!!? Anyway, this leans a little masculine, but its definitely unisex. It's heavy, so you only need about one good spritz. But it leaves such a beautiful sweet ambery trail. I absolutely love it!!