Super Cedar

As usual, I speak too soon when it comes to Byredo compositions. Does it lend itself vertically? If that means providing a moment, temporary moment in time, where you can experience something on a different level than where your mind usually is stationed, I'll say yes. It is a modern fragrance reduced to its essentials. That I can agree with. It is very minimal-and within the concept, yes it can be considered modern. Pencil shavings in relation to nostalgia. It depends on who you ask. I would say over half of the population think pencil shavings, the smell thereof, leave a trail of stressful memories more so than a yearning nostalgia for the good old days. And the individuals who have fond memories of high school do not have those memories because of how well they did on their midterms. In fact, they probably have never even smelled fresh pencil shavings! Maybe pig skin. Maybe rubber. Maybe the smell of a brand new car interior junior year of high school. For me, it’s the smell of fresh lined paper right out of the plastic wrapper. Stacked perfectly in my brand new binder ready for the first stroke of my writing. As always, write the date and my name as perfectly as I can. It's all downhill from there. Unless I am writing a note to that guy a couple tables over. Now that is nostalgia. Super Cedar was able to put me in my mindset where I could write and imagine everything above with one vial. I think that speaks volumes.

Byredo Super Cedar is short and to the point. It opens with a light, airy rose that’s fresh and slightly green. There’s nothing sweet or jammy about it — just a soft floral lift that quickly gives way to a warm, dry cedarwood note that smells unmistakably like pencil shavings. There’s a dryness to this scent that builds over time, almost to the point where it makes my throat feel dry or slightly itchy. It’s warm, dry, and minimal. I would describe it as a delicate rose lightly dancing over a pile of wood shavings, while warmth settles in and fully dries out the cedar. At first, I thought this leaned very masculine — the rose seemed to vanish early on, and I was left with nothing but straight wood, like I’d just finished cutting down cedar trees. But over time, the rose started to come back and lingered more than I expected. I’d say this is a pretty unisex scent, leaning slightly masculine. Projection is on the moderate to low end, and for that reason, I see this working best in spring, summer, and fall — it just doesn’t have enough strength to push through the winter cold. This was also another bedtime scent for me, so I can’t fully speak on longevity yet. This is a subtle, stripped-back fragrance — not meant to shout. Definitely one for lovers of dry cedar, minimalist compositions, or those who appreciate rose in its most delicate, transparent form.

Fantastic fragrance. It's comfortingly woody and warm, but at the same it feels (re)fresh(ing) just due to how simple it is. It's such an isolated cedar scent — smelling it reminds me of the feeling of smelling the scent of a wooden facade on a new building, the scent of a new wooden countertop that hasn't been oiled yet, or a classic Swedish/Finnish wooden sauna. It feels very clean in the way breathing forest air feels, it's ”just” cedar with some vetiver and a hint of rose and musk. Most probably heavy on Iso E Super, which the name itself seems to imply. It might not be the fragrance one would choose to wear on a date night, but it really doesn't need to be. It's perfect as an everyday/office scent. Leans masculine. The sillage is intimate/moderate, it's not undetectable, but I'd be surprised if it managed to offend anyone. The longevity is, at least on my skin, surprisingly good; I got a little nose blind to it pretty quickly, thinking it had vanished, but whenever I smelled my wrist it was still there going strong for the entire day.

Today it was the second time I tried my sample and I loved it. The first time I considered it to be a masculine woody sharp perfume that could never suit me. Now I consider it to be my next signature scent! It is truly weak, but I was surprised by how beautiful, creamy and powdery, sweet woody, rosy this is. It reminds me of Delina Exclusif, which is too heavy for me, while this is more ethereal, more woody and not cloyingly sweet. I really believe scent is the most subjective thing, chemistry and memories, body and mind are all involved to interpret a smell, so try everything and don't limit yourself. Love! Edit: I am happy to add it turned out to be decent in longevity and I could smell myself for the first 3 hours, maybe more, with just two sprays ! (because I cherish my sample) One of my next full bottle purchase!

My husband fell in love with this scent at the Byredo Boutique in Stockholm. He ultimately purchased Tobacco Mandarin but this was the close second. The sales associate threw in a sample for him. I can recognize this every time he wears it from the projection and smell it on him all day. It’s one of those molecular scents. It’s fresh yet cozy and airy. There’s a slight rose in the opening but other than that, it’s a clean musky wood scent. One that makes me want to nuzzle up right where it was sprayed while cuddling. Byredo’s site says this should smell of pencil shavings... idk what they’re on. No pencil shavings here. I see how people compare to Cedre Atlas. However, Cedre Atlas is more spiced and citrus. It’s also stronger and has a scratchy texture compared to the airy cloud of Super Cedar.