Eyes Closed

Fleeting & precious, Eyes Closed has been keeping me company this winter for the good times and the bad. The performance is consistent but never in the capacity one would enjoy. In a word, you can trust it's unreliable. Gorgeously blended, the scent is full bodied but admittedly stakes no claim to my skin, take that from someone who has tried essentially every trick of the trade to prolong wear time (We're talking four hours, tops). But much like that one friend who bails on plans often but always seems to somehow escape social ridicule, Eyes Closed's innate likability and warmth reign paramount to transgression. You can just trust the scent's well-meaning, and the memories you share together are all positive ones, possessing an uncanny ability to uplift whoever dares to wear. I'm far too forgiving, but how could I not be? The scent just evokes everything good. You hug a little harder, laugh a little harder. The opening cinnamon is cocooning yet softens into the ever-abstract iris. As the scent wanes, albeit quickly, an indescribable slightly chimera of sugar and dry papyrus lingers, taunting you with reminders of all that's lost in its absence, a hole in your heart that can only be filled by this scent alone. Eyes Closed provides a vanishing act done right-- so linear, so refined, one can't help but wonder if the ephemeral nature of the scent is secretly intentional, perhaps an extension of Byredo's larger olfactory mission of "grounding" the Avant Garde through the sensorial. A commentary on the imperceptible made known, potentially, a tableau of a cozier time, one you can only detect, never recall fully. I'm a third of the way through the bottle, heart on my sleeve and this on my wrist daily. I can still by no means think I can justify a repurchase, but I'll reflect so fondly on our time together for a very very long time-- like all good art, Eyes Closed doesn't deliver so much as it evokes, thawing the heart just in time for spring's rebirth. Cheers to longer days and even longer wear times :)

It's like carrot peels in an instant, a unique introduction that gradually warms into an unsweetened chai latte. You know, the one you savor to warm you up both physically and internally, with its comforting spices. Cardamom dances in sweet harmony with the carrot, and cinnamon carries the chorus along. Oddly, in the beginning, I was impressed, even somewhat shocked, and questioned if this could even be worn on the skin. It felt more like the ideal luxurious winter room scent. However, as it dries, it becomes strangely addicting. It's the kind of scent that might make someone lean in to catch another whiff. I've never encountered anything quite like it, and it's absolutely delightful. I'd reserve this fragrance for special, intimate occasions with your best friend or lover, limiting it to one or two sprays at most. It's the type of scent that evokes thoughts of someone else. After two hours, it gracefully transitions into a subtle interplay of chai latte, cinnamon, and orris. I'm open-minded about scents like these and would definitely consider wearing it. However, it's important to note that there is a minority of people who specifically dislike the taste and scent of chai latte, and I can imagine this fragrance might be overwhelming for them. Yet, if your partner adores that particular bouquet, it's certainly worth a try. It's an intimate and warm scent that, given its warmth, might only harmonize with specific PH levels. Otherwise, I imagine it could come across as less appealing, (no offense).

My oh my.. where do I begin?, I could say this smells like Carrot Cake with some frosting and cinnamon shavings on top and call it a day, but I must illustrate what this fragrance is about as its easily one of my favourite Gourmands I've ever smelt. As mentioned above this is a fragrance that smells like a semi-realistic Carrot Cake that's glazed with frosting and is sprinkled with fresh cinnamon on top with a little bit of added spice in the back, it doesn't evolve much if at all through 90% of of its wearing time but in my opinion for this fragrances that's more than acceptable as its very much a gourmand, the only exception being that the slight spiciness from the opening slowly dies down the longer it goes on but it gets replaced by an almost vanilla kind of scent profile in the first back (not actually vanilla but vaguely reminds me of it if that makes sense?). Perfectly unisex in my opinion, good for the colder weather definitely, I get medium projection on my skin with 6ish hour longevity, I also should add on my skin it leaves a light but pleasant scent trail and it feels slightly heavier than other Byredo fragrances in a good way. Overall If you're looking to try a Carrot Cake fragrance,a gourmand fragrance, or just exploring the Brand of Byredo in general, I'd vehemently recommend trying this as in my humble opinion it's up there with their greatest creations. Phenomenal job Overall verdict for me is strong 9/10, best from the house in my opinion

Eyes Closed is like a whispered secret from a bakery at midnight. The most gourmand reverie that captures the essence of carrot cake in full, luscious detail. It opens on my skin with a warm swirl of grated carrot, spiced with delectable cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg, like a freshly baked slice cooling on a windowsill. Not exactly in a mishmash, either, cinnamaldehyde here plays the most mouthwatering tag with the sweetness of sugar. All is enveloped in this velvety creamy orris, almost like an organic buttercream frosting smoothed over the cake’s earthy and tender crumb. That mischievous note of ginger and cardamom gives the indulgence an edge, enhancing its playfulness and making this gourmand all the more profound, layered, nostalgic. And here’s the kicker: as someone who absolutely ADORES my carrot cake, Eyes Closed can only be said to be my aromatic benchmark. Encore by Teo Cabanel is rumored to echo this very gourmand magic, and this fragrance's rich, edible and top-notch quality convinces me without hesitation to blind buy the other. A promise of delicious indulgence that makes me eager to taste the sequel. It’s a fragrant nod to dessert dreams, and a secret wink that says: Encore, please!

This has got to be one of the most underrated Byredos scents I've ever smelled. I sprayed a sample on a test strip -- hm, good, interesting. Set it aside. Come back later -- woah, wait, this smells really good. Cannot stop smelling it. Proceed to smell that test strip over and over for hours and hours after initial spray -- that's right, this Byredo actually has great longevity -- and now I'm permanently obsessed. I immediately bought a bottle, and here we are months later, still obsessed, and convinced that anyone who hates this either 1) didn't let it dry down/test on skin, or 2) wasn't ever going to like it based on the notes in the first place. This is iris heaven, creamy and warm spicy from the cinnamon. Doesn't literally smell like carrot cake, but you can smell the carrot note, and the creamy orris with spice makes a literally mouth-watering combo, so I see where that sentiment comes from. Cozy, warm, and unlike anything else I've ever smelled. If you couldn't tell, I f*cking love this fragrance. If you love iris/orris and love cinnamon, I BEG you to give this a smell. Instantly shot to my top 5 fragrances of all time.