Tobacco Mandarin

I was fortunate enough to get a preview sniff today in Harrods, ahead of its imminent release. I’d been testing all day and I can’t deny that I was suffering somewhat from olfactory fatigue if I’m perfectly honest but when I got my nose on this one, I definitely perked up. There are lots of heavy-hitting notes & accords in this one: lots of tobacco, labdanum/cistus, Oud & olibanum, so the opening is big...... VERY BIG but actually, they all get along very nicely together with the tobacco being suitably dominant. The mandarin orange and coriander give a subdued underlying freshness to the brashness of the opening, with the cumin becoming more dominant in the mid, underpinned by a lovely creamy sandalwood. I’m not a fan of heavy cumin personally.... it’s not too sweaty and funky in here but it did annoy me for about 20 minutes I can’t deny, in the mid to early dry-down. I also pick up quite a dark boozy accord in the opening & mid, despite nothing being listed in the breakdown; it’s more a rum/cognac soaked aging barrel accord than a whisky-style spirit accord but it is very complimentary to the other big notes. That being said, it is an Extrait de Parfum, so you’d expect, or at least demand, that the performance be strong but as we all know, that’s not necessarily always the case these days. It’s been pretty chilly here in London today with heavy winds and I was getting fantastic wafts of it all the way home. It’s too early to judge the longevity or projection but it’s giving a huge sillage still after four or so hours, so I’m guessing it is going to be a big performer. Wonderful colour too, not dissimilar to SL Chergui....... If you’re a fan of this style of perfumery and love big & beefy fragrances that are almost overwhelming, then I wholeheartedly recommend getting your nose on this one: it won’t disappoint and a perfect time for its release with it getting colder. Impressive!

Most of whats being said about it is true. Its not worth its price. Much better out there. Smells old. I myself rarely wear this going out. Yes. But this perfume has character. Its unapologetic, not in a designer made for teenagers kind of way. But in a classy this is how i am and i love it kind of way. Its loud, it lasts a BUNCH, components are high quality. Its like if you see a beautiful audacious woman wearing a red long dress at a party. If thats what youre into youll go for it, if not no. Not saying the perfume is perfect, it really isnt. It has flaws you cant ignore. HOWEVER similarly to everything thats too much fun, for the moments where nothing matters, theres nothing else like it. In this perfumes case thats the opening. O my god i could talk about how those three ingredients make me feel for hours. The mandarin is bright and sour, the tobacco gives it depth, the cumin and coriander give it a weird sweetness. Its literally perfect. While feelings are subjective, I can objectively say nobody can hate on this opening (just the opening tho i agree on the rest). I dont even like mandarin, lemon, etc (citrus) smells. I find them to be usually overdone and made cheaply but the mandarin here is on a different level. I doubt this review will help push anyone to buy the perfume. And thats not what i was going for, im just sharing my experience with it. A buying guide for this can be literally as simple as: opening is straight up magical, the rest makes it not worth the time, money or shelf space. If you want to get this as a collectors item, as something you smell sometimes and love the opening of, do so. If you want to buy this hoping youll get to wear it...please dont.

I was looking for a classy scent and a tobacco scent. And this did it for me. At the beginning its sour and that all calms down after a bit. The tobacco starts peeking through and the mandarin helps it. Its not an ashtray tobacco like pdm herod or super sweet one like Amouage Royal Tobacco, this is sour clean tobacco. All that said theres a lot more mandarin in here than tobacco. It wouldve been more appropriate for this to be called Smoked Mandarin, or Dark Mandarin or something, the tobacco is overshadowed and somewhat hard to notice especially in the opening to middle drydown. To explain the tobacco in this id say just smoke a cigarette and smell your fingers afterwards, that made clean somehow and with mandarin on it. The oud comes in play after a while although still only a bit for my skin, it does give depth and character to the whole scent while never being the star. One of the very few perfumes id suggest not to wear during day time. Its not that its too loud its just the scent profile itself i feel like is better reserved for the nighttime. Unisex leaning masculine. Lasts a decent time on my dry skin (6 7h, most fragrances dont go past 4). DONT PUT IT ON WHITE OR LIGHT CLOTHES AS IT WILL STAIN THEM. 10/10 for what it goes for. Price is a bit high no matter how good the perfume is. Definitively test it before you buy it. Completely different scent on paper and on skin.

The best Byredo by far. It all makes sense from start to finish. Byredo's offerings are usually all very pleasant, but they never really move me or transport me anywhere - instead seeming unfocused or confusing...or confused, like they're trying to say so many things at once. This one is making a definite statement, that it's opulent and sensuous, even deep and dark, but not overly extravagant or showy. Maybe because it's an extrait, the whole scent is very basenote heavy, dense and rumbly. Even the tobacco smells like a basenote - warm and rounded, and not overly dry or fruity. If there is a dryness to the tobacco, it's balanced out by the oiliness of the labdanum and olibanum. That said, the overall fragrance isn't overwhelming in the slightest. It's like being rubbed in oil - soft, silky, deep, rich and warming. The feeling that sandalwood, labnanum and olibanum conjures up. The extra heavy dose of labdanum ties everything together - the rich tobacco, the soft mandarin, the gentle birchy leather. The spices serve only to support and provide a bit of dimension rather than to be standout notes. Love it. Will sell my car and get a small decant.

Amazing fragrance! My favourite from this underrated brand! The mandarin on top gives a fruity nuance but the fragrance is mainly deep, smokey and woody. The main notes to my nose are mandarin, tobacco amber and oud! Performance is amazing, great longevity and projection and a few sprays are more than enough. This is not a versatile fragrance, it's more like a night out, special occasions scent that it will get a lot of attention! I find it completely unisex. Overall, a must try if you like this type of fragrances! The only drawback is that it's way overpriced. If this was in the usual Byredo price range it will be a no brainer but not at 255 euros. I prefer Vanille Havane or Pdm Carlisle over this.. they are not close but they are on the same family in my opinion 🙂