Alto Astral

This is an interesting one. I am a Byredo fan, that is obvious. I think they get a bad rep and Ive not understood why. The consensus seems to be that their fragrances are not very good performers and have poor longevity, but I own two - this one and Animalique and I get 5-6+ hours out of both without a problem. I wonder if some folks mistake a fade in the drydown, a characteristic softening that every single Byredo Ive ever tried does, for a fade away. To my nose, they do the former but not the latter. Alto Astral is such a beautiful scent. It is fragile and precious, understated but with its own innate power. Unlike the Animalique this isnt a heavy hitter right from the first sniff, but retains a nicely evolving strength as it continues. I am not a fan of coconut fragrances on me and was initially skeptical on this after seeing the accord notes but having tried it, it is gorgeous. The coconut is not cloying or sweet and this doesnt smell of bad tanning oil as I find a lot of coconut frags do to my nose. The most powerful notes here are the cashmere, jasmine and woody notes and these are never too sweet or overpowering. I love how it gets more musky in the drydown. Ive had it on six hours and I cannot stop smelling myself. I would rate this as leaning more masculine but I can see why it would work for a woman as well. I think this is low key an absolute beast of an office frag. It's not an Aventus or BR540, but it has a nice sophistication-without-shouting, not brash projection but it'll project nicely in the office or lift. Sillage is subtle but as with Animalique, if you want a statement smell that everyone in the building knows you are wearing long after you've driven home, then we all have a go-to for that and that isnt this. Absolutely love this. Scent - 7/10 Sillage - 8/10 Drydown - 9/10 Packaging/bottle - 9/10 Performance - 7/10 40/50.

This stuff is delicious. I’m fiending for a bottle. I had never tried Byredo before. I had heard of the scents in passing, but they weren’t properly on my radar. A few weeks ago I walked into the Byredo store and as I always do, marched straight through to test all of the scents I had heard and read about online. I was excited to see what the hype was about. None of them wowed me, apart from Bal D’Afrique Absolu and Young Rose. I also liked Mojave Ghost, but I already own and love Chanel Eau Tendre so it would have been a redundant purchase. Until I smelled this. I was instantly obsessed. I sprayed it on my scarf and was getting constant wafts of it on the way home. I know that people are describing this as coconut water, but it comes across to me as coconut cream. It’s not a fresh, summery, pool-water scent to me at all, though the aldehydes do add a lift to the scent. I pick up the sandalwood and the sweet jasmine. I reminds me of Another 13 but if it was dipping its toe in to more creamy, gourmand category. I was also reminded of the airy quality of Cloud Intense and Baccarat whilst smelling it. I still enjoy that dna, even though I know the majority are over that. Creamy, sweet-but-not-sugary, airy, comforting, all of the things I like in a perfume are in this. It’s perfect if you’re like me and are unwilling to fully let go of your sweeter scents whilst still trying to branch out into more “grown up” category. Byredo u did the damn thing.

I love this. It was the first one I tried from the discovery set, because the name is so beautiful. It also feels accurate - it smells a little otherworldly, of a higher plane. After weeks of testing everything in their line, this is the only one that felt FBW to me, as it is so much stronger and longer lasting than the other ones I love from Byredo. It also smells very special and unique to me. This morning I walked into my art studio where I had been wearing it the night before, and I thought, "Oh wow, what is that amazing smell?" And then I realized that this is what Alto Astral must smell like when not directly in my personal bubble/on my skin. The room smelled kind of magical, a little sweet and creamy, sparkly and cozy. The aldehydes give a kind of airy, glittering, atmospheric, almost metallic character to the opening that is uplifting, intense, addictive, and then it settles into a slightly sweet and salty, fresh, bright coconut scent that really lasts and makes me feel happy. The base of soft cashmeran, salt?, musk, amber, and incense is very pleasant, cozy, warm and easy, while also more expressive and creative than a lot of the other perfumes I've tried. Aside from a similar salt note to BR540 (and otherwise very different), I can’t think of a single other perfume that this reminds me of. It also smells expensive and very sexy - my husband loves it :) So happy to have found a great, unique personal scent in this set!

I wanted to leave a review to counter some of the negative ones in the comments. For sure, this is a divisive perfume. Most new or original scent profiles are. I do think this is bold, creative and lovely - and more evidence that Jerome Epinette is one of the most brilliant modern perfumers (maybe along with Bisch). The aldehydes with the coconut and ambroxan/ amber woods, is something I've never smelled before. The way they slice through the top of this perfume is giggle-inducing: what a startling and brilliant juxtaposition! We're used to smelling them with musk, so pairing them with the warmer, sultrier, angrier notes of amber woods is a surprise. The coconut isn't the least bit synthetic - a feat in itself. The heart, which has just a touch of florals to round it out, is cozy, sweet and comforting, and a touch night-clubby too, which makes this an evocative, stirring perfume. It has a beat to it, so I get the Brazilian Alto Astral nature of it. The dry-down is very enduring but again, very cozy and sweet. The synthetic ambers are doing their amber extreme-style thing, but they're not scratchy here but very pleasant. Well-used, well-blended. Whilst the amber base is unmistakable, it's carefully done, to the point that you feel this perfume was cared for in the making of it. For me, Alto Astral is exciting, wearable and rather delicious too. An all-year-rounder that I for one am glad to have in my collection.

My scent of the day, and what a surprise! I sprayed this one on before heading into town, about 4–5 sprays, and it immediately hit me with coconut water — not that heavy or creamy coconut you find in body mists or lotions, but something much lighter and more natural. It’s like actual coconut water with a subtle fruity touch, leaning ever so slightly sweet. The coconut here feels so real — not synthetic, not “beachy sunscreen” at all. Just fresh, natural, and uplifting. I was out for about seven hours and could smell it the whole time. The longevity really impressed me. Every time I caught a little whiff of it, I thought, wow, that still smells amazing. As it developed, maybe an hour or two in, it shifted a bit — became fresher, almost a bit more masculine in character, like a clean cologne vibe, but still very soft and subtle. I think that might be the aldehydes coming through. Overall, I’m really impressed. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a fragrance this much. I can totally see myself wearing this to work — it’s versatile, pleasant, and has that “clean but unique” feel that fits so many occasions. Byredo did an excellent job with this one. To me, it doesn’t smell “designer” or generic at all. It’s simple, but beautifully done, and it took me on such a nice scent journey today. I’ll definitely be buying a full bottle. 🌴🤍