Animalique

Just absolutely, staggeringly beautiful. This is a real olfactory treat. It is playful in that the first hit is almost uncontrollably heavy and your head spins in wonder, trying to make sense of the headlong citrus rush. We are used to smells that change over the course of an hour, a couple of hours, even a day and the beautiful playfulness of Animalique is that it seems to smile at your confusion and calms down almost immediately to something astonishingly serene and beautiful. Of the top notes, the bergamot is much more in evidence than the lemon after the first ten seconds and the mimosa mids are reassuringly right there. The suede is curious and the amber calms the whole thing down. There is a sweetness to it, but isn't sweet if that can make smelling sense. This was the first Byredo Ive ever tried (Doha airport last night, where you can pay with Avios which I love!) and right away you get what the brand is all about. It's not complicated, there arent heavy layers on layers and olfactory tricks and stunts here, this is just a blistering opening hit calming down to a simple and unbelievably refined scent. It’s just fine, fine, fine perfumery done exceptionally well, Animalique does lean more heavily male to my nose and is not one for an overspray marathon as I indulged in last night with the almost-too-subtle Elysium by Roja as my traveling fragrance. This is a one spray on the chest and one on the wrists, and then maybe a quick misting on the head (I have a shaved head so I can get away with this!). Go easy with it. Ten hours after putting it on I am still getting suede and some slightly bitter vanilla notes. It has serious performance, that’s for sure. The suede and the amber and the bergamot here are what makes this a compliment monster to be reckoned with. It has decent but not brash projection and sillage is above-average but as I say, not garish. If you are looking for an Ombre Leather statement to a room full of people you don't know, this is not it. But if you are looking to make a more personal statement it is a stunning, stunning thing. As anyone who has followed any of my posts on here knows, I am a newbie to high end and niche perfumery. But I see and experience very clearly Animalique as a whisper into a loving ear that raises goosebumps flocking over the skin of someone you know well. It is a peon to fragrant beauty in a delicate way that is only underlined by the fact that it is rare and intentional. There’s a preciousness to it. Animalique is a precious thing. As an office wearer this is an absolute barnstorming powerhouse of a frag I think. I cannot recommend this enough... just.... bravo. Magnifique Animalique. Scent - 10/10 Sillage - 6/10 Drydown - 10/10 Packaging/bottle - 9/10 Performance - 7/10 42/50.

I am not a fragrance nerd by any means whatsoever, nor do I really know how to articulate myself properly in this field, but I like to smell nice, and I feel too strongly about this scent not to word-vomit a bit, so I made an account lol. First things first — I barely get even a *hint* of citrus in this, if any at all. So if you're looking for a fresh, citrus-y type of scent, I would steer clear from Animalique, because all *I* get from this is pure warmth. It's so *ridiculously* sexy and mesmerizing to me. Although at first I was a bit iffy about trying it due to the powderiness, it's done so tastefully (aka no grandma perfume), and it pairs wonderfully with the tobacco notes. UGH. I do agree with another reviewer about the name being a tad misleading, as it isn't exactly super “animalistic” (though the definition of the word differs based on personal perception lol), but more so elegant and controlled with a generous pinch of spice. I've been searching for a fragrance that not only matches my taste in scent but also matches my physical aesthetic, and this is the one. (I am in a long-term, fully committed monogamous relationship with the color black, and decently pierced.) It screams elegant goth to me. I wear this shit every single day, and you'd have to hold a gun to my dearly beloved cat's head to make me stop using it, because not only is it perfect to me, BUT I DON'T SMELL IT!! Walk with me here: I'm one of those folks who gets weirdly icky when smelling their own scent 24/7, and I *do* smell it for the first 20-ish minutes, but then it just fades. WALK WITH ME STILL THOUGH, I'M NOT FINISHED — because everyone *else* smells it perfectly fine. The projection is so good, and it lasts so well (on my skin), so much so that my best friend said, and I quote, “It's like your ghost is hunting our apartment for days after you've visited.” Every time I get compliments on my fragrance, I get a burst of confidence because, at this point, Animalique smells like *me* and not the other way around. I've had folks say my scent lingers on their furniture, and I'm weirdly into it. It also gets bonus points since my situationship likes it so much that he buries his face in my neck and practically inhales it so fucking hard that his head vibrates. I am also weirdly into that. It's at a sucky price point, but we must all bear the consequences of what comes hand in hand with goodness. Or whatever. All in all, if you've got a slight goth aesthetic, like smelling really fucking good, and enjoy getting complimented on it, give it a try. Shit's good.

ive been trying to get into byredo for a while now, but none of their perfumes have wowed me. This one however, oh wow... Its simplistic and straightforward but by no means boring. Theres this constant conflict between a soft sweet smooth silky waxy powder and a dry heavy asphalt-like note. Honestly thats all there is to it. thats the best way i could describe this perfume. its very comforting and very familiar but also just interesting enough to get me out this comfort zone. its warm and kind of feels like an combination of an old fashioned womens perfume layered on top of an old fashioned men's cologned without either of them overpowering eachother. Still not impressive enough to buy a full bottle even though i love the violet in this. But definitely an interesting scent EDIT: this is actually so good. Probably the first violet i dont go noseblind to easily. It keeps projecting on my skin and it does so beautifully. I might have to buy a bottle anyway... Its in the same vein as fleur de peau for me. Fdp is my all time favorite but i find it less straightforward than animalique. Thats a good thing, but i do go noseblind to it easily. Animalique is like fleur de peau’s warmer sweeter and drier sibling. Fdp has some warmth too, but it clashes more with the coldness and waxiness/fatinesd of the iris and aldehydes. Animalique is way more ‘comfortable’ and inviting in a way. Less beautiful, aloof and mysterious, more dignified, bold and inviting. Wonderful indeed, a solid 9/10 The tobacco, violet and leather play major roles. I dont pick up on the citruses, even during the first second of it touching my skin. The mimosa is handled perfectly as it can go play dough/almondy on me. Here, it adds more dewiness and a solar quality.

Ok this is definitely a standout in the byredo catalogue. I like slow dance, but the rest is too shampoo like to me. Idk why. They all smell uninspired. Animalique isnt revolutionary. But its so good. A perfume doesnt have to be revolutionary at all in my opinion, but when i see a house get lots of hype i want to understand why. And i never got it with byredo. Bal d’afrique is pleasant but doesnt offer you anything other than pleasant. Casablanca lily doesnt smell like lilies whatsoever, just a simple sweet white floral. I could go on but im not here to hate Im here to love on this. Wow. Perfectly warm without any heft. Warm like a hug. This scent is ghostly. Anything violet dominant smells ghostly to me and this is very violet forward. Then the leather... wow. Not hard and heavy at all. A very smooth soft suede that feels so good to wear. Definitely recommend for realistic violet lovers The mimosa sometimes goes aquatic and dewy, in a fresh way. As ive stated in a previous review i believe mimosa isnhard to do well and its done exceptionally here. Smells like the diptyque mimosa candle. No overdose of it at all. And it isnt always present either. It only pops out during certain moments This lasts quite long too. Or at least, i dont go noseblind to it ever. Doesnt project too much but im fine w that. Intimate seductive and dark yet smooth and soft. Not animalic tho but i dont care. Lasts about 8 hours

This starts out with a strong leather note; but it's a soft, feminine, fawn colored suede. It's not my favorite phase of Animalique, it's very pungent (as most scents are right after spraying), but it evolves quite a bit over the course of the day. It probably lasts about 9+ hours on me, which is good for Byredo. After about fifteen minutes the leather starts to quiet down and the citrus and florals start coming in, sweetening and lightening the scent. On me, this transforms the overall impression in an airy, leathery vanilla. It's sexy, classy, and confident, but very put-together and not primal or animalic. Definitely a misnomer. At the end of several hours I'm left with one of my favorite vanillas of my whole collection, but it takes a while to get there. I have to agree with another reviewer - it is a very lovely scent but wanting to smell like a fancy handbag is just not very "me". The leather overwhelms at first, and lingers a little too long to pretend it's really anything other than that. That being said, it's probably my second favorite of the whole discovery set and I may still get a full bottle.