Gypsy Water Absolu

The fragrance opens in a bright and confident way. At the start, I perceive a juicy, slightly tart bergamot with a pleasant bitterness. Black pepper is quite noticeable as well, adding a touch of spiciness and gentle sharpness. Interestingly, the suede note unexpectedly appears right from the opening and sounds rather expressive and bold. As the fragrance develops, it becomes softer and calmer. The suede gradually smooths out, turning into something tender, cozy, and enveloping. The vanilla here is very delicate, soft and warm, perfectly blended into the overall composition. In the base, the scent on my skin unexpectedly reminded me of YSL Babycat, but in a lighter, more airy interpretation 😄 I understand that a lot depends on skin chemistry, so I want to emphasize that these are purely my personal impressions of how the fragrance wears on my skin. A blind purchase that turned out to be absolutely worth it! I find the fragrance very appealing and will happily wear it. It is beautiful, comfortable, yet still has character. My main advice: don’t be afraid of the slightly sharp and bold opening. Give the fragrance some time to settle and fully unfold , it will surely reward you with a soft, cozy, and beautiful dry-down. The longevity of the fragrance is good! I applied it to my wrist at around 2 p.m., and now it’s 10 p.m. and I can still smell it quite well.

This scent is smooth, perfectly executed, and it's brimming with character. I have not smelled the OG G-Water, so I purchased the Absolu with zero expectations of what it "should" smell like - and I love it! To me, the interplay between the bergamot, suede, and incense is brilliant and unlike anything else I've smelt. The pine adds this cozy comforting vibe, and the orris and vanilla smooths everything out and brings it all together. I didn't know carrots had seeds, but I'm sure they're bringing something to this scent party too. Overall, it kind of smells like those roasted chestnuts you buy on New York street corners during the holidays...such a pleasing aroma. Projection is ok, great for the office because it sits relatively close. Longevity is decent, but nothing great - I get about 5 hours before it begins to fade away. I do find it slightly masculine-leaning, but really anyone can wear this. I do need to sample the OG at some point, but if the Absolu truly smells nothing like it, then bad on Byredo for getting the OG fans hopes up for a stronger, more intense version of their beloved scent. If you're like me an have no idea what the original smells like, you might really dig this one. 9.1/10

I have completely fallen for this fragrance, contrary to the distaste of my first impression. The original g water has been one of my lifetime favorites, even after growing my collection and adding so many beautiful creations, there’s something so special about it, I can never get enough of it. So when I saw byredo was coming out with the absolu version, I got so giddy. I ran to the shop to smell it, but the second I sprayed it on the paper, my excitement died. I couldn’t smell the perfume that had become an extension of myself. I sprayed it on my arm and walked away with my head down. It was pretty, don’t get me wrong.. but where was my gypsy water? As I went on with my day, the scent bloomed on my skin... and there she was! Hidden at first glance, but when she made her appearance... she was older and wiser and sexier. She’s the nighttime counterpart to the original. Ethereal still, but more sultry and bold. And my goodness does she project! One spray and I was dreaming of her for the whole day. I’m so smitten. 10/10. Like if you mixed the sexiness and performance of babycat with the innocence and beauty of gypsy water.

I ordered this perfume without even trying it and, for a moment when I smelled it and sprayed on my jacket, I was like “Eh, whatever, will definitely finish the bottle and not repurchase ever.” The fragrance seemed heavy and spicy. But when I opened my closet the next day, I was shook, that dreamy OG dry down, but somehow sooooo much stronger, was taking all the closet space. I am in love with the fragrance. It’s not 100% OG, it’s like 65% similarity with OG, they definitely enhanced the same dry down, the opening is more spicy than OG, the mid notes are muuuch more intense. This one plays with your senses much more and longer in an amazing way, while OG was going from bright citrusy opening straight to vanilly dry down in minutes. The absolu version is definitely autumn or winter for me. Bravo to Byredo!

I love this version! I can't compare it to OG since I don't smell a thing there. It's vanilla, pine, peppery and smokey. One thing that I would prefer that is used less here is ambroxan. It's quite prominent but I understand that it's one of the components that hold this composition up and boost it for better longevity and sillage. Also it's quite elegant scent so to my nose this is more suitable for the night and perfect for formal events. Right now I'm using my sample and I will see if I want to buy a FB.