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.

As someone who can't smell/sense anything from og gypsy water, this one SMELLS! Black pepper is really showing through; it gives it a smoky touch. Love it. Can assume that oris, carrot seeds, and butter give it sweetness and a kind of addictive, magnetic vibe. I can't describe it any other way than WOW. Long-lasting (byredo lacking it, but not in the absolu line), polarizing scent!

I adore this scent. My fiancee says it's smells like a cathedral on Easter Sunday and I feel like that is a great descriptor. The pepper, incense and suede blend beautifully into a regal, elegant scent. I think it's perfect for a special occasion or anytime you want to smell unique.

Gypsy Water Absolu takes everything i love about the original and makes it a little bit richer, deeper and longer lasting. The woods feel smoother, the warmth stands out a bit more, and it has that effortless luxury feel that keeps making me want to smell it again and again 👌🏻🔥

I super love this. It smells just like the OG, but it's SO much stronger and actually lasts on my skin. First time I wore it I got two compliments. But I have never received a compliment wearing the OG because it's so dang weak. So in my opinion, it's worth it!

To my nose, Gypsy Water Absolu is much more vanilla-forward than expected. The vanilla is clearly dominant, supported by a strong powdery iris and a warm amber base. Overall it feels creamy, powdery and ambery rather than fresh or citrus-driven.

Walking through a forest in the high desert. Bone dry dirt and the sun shining down. You step on pine needles and dry wood as you traverse the dusty landscape. The faint smell of forest fire smoke lingers in the air.

Don't listen to what others are saying about this, it maintains the sweetness/citrus and overall DNA of the original but adds a layer of smokyness that I think goes very well. Love the original, love this even more.

Gypsy water is a good name for this. I hated it at first, but 20 minutes later it had me under a spell or something because I started to become obsessed with it. I keep smelling my arm and it is glorious 🙌

Vanilla, carrot, inccense and orris. That's it and I'm not complaining. Someone said "cathedral" and someone else said "churchy gypsy water". Both are right.

This is so much better than the OG! Deeper and lasts longer. I love it!

I’m a long-time lover of the original Gypsy Water...currently on bottle number two (and I have a large collection for your regular person) it’s as close to a signature scent as it gets. It’s my ultimate grab-and-go fragrance, the one I reach for when I don’t know what to wear and still want to smell like myself. The Absolu version is dense. On me, the incense and vanilla are immediately front and center. I understand why many describe it as ambery, but for me the incense is more dominant, giving it a darker, denser feel while still staying firmly woody. It’s richer and heavier than the original and honestly feels like it would have been a perfect fall release but it works well for this mild winter we've been having in the Chicago area. I blind bought this, and while I don’t regret it, I probably could have waited. It’s not a casual reach in the same way the original is. That said, the performance is excellent. There is an incense-vanilla pairing here that may remind some people of YSL Babycat (or Vanille 44, The world according to Arthur, etc), though this smells nothing like it overall. The resemblance is more about the combination than the execution, and it only really stands out if you’re familiar with that note pairing. On clothing, the incense is more dominant; on skin, the overall scent feels closer to the original. It’s an interesting contrast. Overall, this feels like the moodier, more grown-up sibling...beautifully done, just not as effortless or universal as the original. Definitely be patient and sample first. 😏

I 100% agree with the bulk of the previous reviews. I looooove Gypsy Water OG. It makes my heart skip a beat while I have it on for the first 20 minutes or so. I think I'm safely speaking for the masses when I say...We all just want it to last longer! I was insanely psyched when I saw an Absolu version was coming out - I want to smell like GWater all day long. Who wouldn't? Then I got a sample... (I almost blind bought it...)...If you turn your head just right, sniff close to your skin with your eyes closed, you can maaayyybbeee get a little whiff of the original scent hidden underneath all the harsh, smoky, peppery, amber here with this new version. Otherwise, this is completely different. This is very masculine. This is Replica By the Fireplace smoky. This is Catholic-mass-swinging-brass-incense-ball smoky. Then the dry down is almost a weak gourmand smoky vanilla. Not the same vibe. Not the same anything. Aaannndd now I'm sad. I am not quite sure why they even decided to call this Gypsy Water at all. This could have been its own thing with a new name and we all wouldn't have been so disappointed :(

My expectations were pretty low after reading the first few reviews on here that said it didn’t resemble the original fragrance. I disagree... To my nose this is a much stronger and more textured, peppery version of the OG. I never got a full bottle of the original because of its poor performance, but I am considering a full bottle of the absolu. They have certainly corrected the sillage/longevity issues, but the black pepper is a little overwhelming and somewhat unpleasant. I’m going to have to wear it a few more times to decide if I like it, as it kind of goes back and forth on me.

Pepper water, with some pine, citrus and a faint hint of carrot. It is nice but there are better options, this might be the fifth or sixth best from Byredo for me.

I tried G Water Absolu for a couple of days now and I am pretty surprised by their choice to go with this as a release. For me, it doesn’t smells like the original. Yes, I find kind of the same DNA at the base, but it’s pretty different overall. On my skin, it is very incense forward at first spray, with vanilla and pepper. There is also bergamot but it is a little burried by the incense. It feels kind of religious, like a wooden temple in the forest on the mountains in Asia, with monks burning incense on a fall sunny day. While evolving on skin, the incense calms down a little (even if it never disapears) and we get more suede and vanilla. The perfume is dense, and while the opening was repulsive to my nose at first, I got used to it and I think that for people who likes incense, holy or meditative sents this could work. But at the end of the day I am disapointed because as a huge fan of the OG, it’s not much like it. I never repurchased the OG even if I loved it because of its appalling performance, so I was expecting the same perfume but with better performance for the absolu since everyone liked G Water with just a complain about longevity. But I think this absolu should have been a distinct release, a brand new fragrance, so I am surprised that they chose that as the absolu version. It’s a pitty. (Sorry if I made mistakes as english is not my first language)