I stopped by Fashion Island a few weekends ago with Beauty Professor for lunch and beauty shopping. One counter we stopped at was the Byredo counter at Neiman Marcus where I fell in love with their new Blanche Hand Cream ($35 for 30 ml/1 oz, made in France) and Bal d’Afrique L’Huile Parfum Oil Roll-On ($78 for 7.5 ml).
I’ve been a huge fan of Byredo candles, but since I don’t have easy immediate access to the line, it’s a fragrance brand that I tend to overlook because I like to smell things in person before buying. They recently released three hand creams in Blanche, Bal d’Afrique and La Tulipe, all of which have been on my radar for quite some time but I was reluctant to buy because of the packaging. These come in a sleek white squeeze tube similar to the original Stila Lipshines or Aesop Skincare tubes. They don’t keep their shape and seem extremely delicate, but after testing them, I had to give one a try. These are some of the fanciest hand creams I’ve ever seen and the scents are absolutely divine.
On the nails, Louboutin Sweet Charity (review here)
Blanche is a clean lightweight fresh floral with a soft linen feel. The notes include, top notes of White rose, pink pepper, aldehyde, heart notes are Violet, neroli, peony, base notes are Blond woods, sandalwood, musk. The texture is semi thick with an emollient feel and hydrates the hands nicely. The scent is just so luscious and luxurious – I can’t think of a better treat for your hands. That being said, I do think there are hand creams that will do a better job at moisturizing (my favorites here) but the Byredo one is still very good. If the packaging were sturdier I think I could give this a glowing rave review. Due to the delicate nature of this one, it’s not one I can comfortably carry in my purse or makeup bag even though I tend to be very careful with my purse contents.
Bal d’Afrique L’Huile Parfum Oil Roll-On was love at first smell. I opted for the roll on version because I used to use Gypsy Water spray version but found it induced a migraine if I didn’t spray it just right. Bal d’Afrique is a sweet scent that smells slightly fruity with a hint of peach. The notes include top notes of bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, bucchu, heart notes of Violet, Jasmine petals, cyclamen and base notes of Black amber, musk, vetiver, Moroccan cedar wood. My nose doesn’t quite smell all those notes, to me it’s a mix of lemon, neroli and jasmine but the mix is quite unique. I adore this one which really surprises me because it’s on the sweet side and I normally do not like sweet scents on me. This is definitely more of a spring-summer kind of fragrance. I like it right now, but do feel it’s more seasonal rather than year-round. Lasting power is quite good on me, it lasts several hours without fading. I like the convenience of the roll on because it’s easy to apply precisely and also small enough to fit into a clutch or makeup bag.
I received a small sample at the counter of Mojave Ghost and Black Saffron – both of which smell amazing as well and are on my wishlist now.
Do you have any Byredo favorites? If not, what’s your current go-to scent? I’m always looking for recommendations to check out even though I have a super picky nose.
You can find Byredo at select Neiman Marcus stores and online. I’ve also bought items from the line in store at Barneys New York and online from Net-A-Porter.
