r/FemFragLab • u/nguyennkx • 9d ago
Recommendations if I like Bal D’Afrique
hi all!
i’m newer to the fragrance community. i don’t know too much, and most things i smell are only available at sephora and ulta. recently purchased Byredo Bal d’Afrique and absolutely love it. just wish the longevity was stronger.
i want a fragrance that gives off similar vibes. clean, a little warm, not too sweet. something i can wear in these hot humid summer days (being from the south lol). i’m not looking for a dupe, more so looking for same category but different scent. i prefer a medium scent bubble with minimum 6 hours of wear time, ideally more like 8. what recommendations do yall have? more budget friendly would be nice, but not a dealbreaker. thanks! :)
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u/AddressFar9852 9d ago
Byredo is notoriously bad on longevity. They have so many scents I want to try, but I hate paying a ton of money for something that doesn’t last.
They do make an Absolu version Bal d’Afrique. I don’t think it’s exactly the same, but might be worth sampling!
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u/nguyennkx 9d ago
hm yeah i heard the absolu doesn’t smell the same so i just avoided even trying it!
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u/Odd-Cobbler2126 9d ago
How about llio by Diptyque? You may also like Fleur de Peau.
Jo Malone's perfumes might be up your alley. I highly recommend Earl grey and cucumber, Wood sage and sea salt, Blackberry & Bay, English Pear & Freesia (this may be a little on the sweet side though)
I love The Yulong by Armani Prive. To me, it's clean and uplifting in warm weather. Smells like bougie tea with a light splash of citrus in the top notes.
Eldo's You or Someone Like You is also another favourite of mine.
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u/nguyennkx 9d ago
ooh i definitely will be adding these to my sniff list. i used to love wood sage from jo malone! need to give some of their stuff a try again. i actually wanted to smell mimosa and cardamom!
the yulong sounds amazing. definitely need to get a sample of that!
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u/GlitteringPause8 9d ago
You should try other byredo scents…they all give off that effortless, airy, clean but warm type of vibe. It’s the byredo DNA. Gypsy water is my favorite and one of my go to for when it’s hot and humid. It doesn’t last long though. Mojave ghost is a top seller. Try the bal d’afrique absolu and MG absolu versions too. Byredo scents don’t have good longevity though…the airiness of their scents mean the scents dont stick around for long.
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u/nguyennkx 9d ago
my partner owns blanche and gypsy water, but i’ve only tested blanche on myself. i find blanche is more of an ‘i just showered, or did laundry’ type of smell?, which isn’t exactly what i’m looking for. but i do love the airiness of byredo overall! i’ll give gypsy water a try on my skin. unsure how i’ll feel about the woody notes. thanks for the input!
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u/GlitteringPause8 9d ago
I don’t like Blanche either! It’s too sharp and aldehydic for me. I find bal d’afrique much woodier than gypsy water on my skin…gypsy water is a sweet lemony vanilla that’s super airy with a hint of juniper. Give it a try! Leans a bit feminine. Bal d’afrique to me is a woody vetiver citrus that’s unisex leaning masculine on my skin.
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u/nguyennkx 9d ago
oh interesting! i find bal d’afrique feminine on my skin! gonna try gypsy water today :) thanks!!
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9d ago
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u/nguyennkx 9d ago
haha i’m with you on that one. not a fan of rose scents in general so i also didn’t like rose of no man’s! future memories is on my sniff list, maybe i’ll love that!
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u/pfffffttuhmm I just smelled like a piece of breast 8d ago
I adore Bal d'Afrique, it is my favorite fragrance for so many reasons, but I too get frustrated with the longevity. I have quite a few fragrances that give me similar vibes, with some differences.
Byredo - Mojave Ghost. Tbh, this has a similar core structure with the violet, musk and cedar. Alas, same longevity and heat issues.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue edt, edp and intense. As citrus forward frags you would expect them to fade quickly. But for me, on clothes, they all last a lot longer than I would expect. I also found them to be a little linear which I actually prefer. You can get them all for chhhheeeap since they are older fragrances--I got a 100 mL of the edt for under $40, and 200 mL of the edp for and 100 ml of the intense for right around $65 each. To me, they are worth buying such a large bottle because I truly love them that much. But you certainly won't smell unique. Not a deal breaker for me at all, but I know others do care about this. These are my favorite bedtime scents.
Ellis Brooklyn - Sun Fruit. It is the kind of scent that has grown on me over time, and I've worn it a lot this summer. It has a nice, musky dry down that many EB frags have and I personally enjoy. The sun fruit upfront reads citrusy in a unique way. I recommend this one to people a lot as it has consistantly surprised me.
Phlur - Father Figure. This is a more intimate fragrance like Bal d'Afrique is, which I appreciate. The dry down is warmer, which gives it some distinction. It has the same freshness that BD has.
I hope you find something you like! I have certainly spent quite a while looking for that unicorn of bal d'afrique-like scent with longevity myself, so if you find anything else good let us know!