picked up this sample from my friend, who wasn’t a fan of it, so decided to give it a wear. this is Byredo’s Bal D’Afrique off the bat, this one definitely is a little more feminine than i was anticipating. it’s creamy, sweet, floral, and slightly fruity in the opening. this is the kind of scent i’d wanna kiss a girl in, but honestly i enjoy it. according to Fragrantica, it opens up with bright bergamot, marigold, and a really unique note of agathosma, which is an essential oil that’s steam derived from the buchu plant. it has a floral heart, being consisted of violet and cyclamen, before descending into a woody, dry base of vetiver and cedarwood. according to Byredo, this scent was inspired by the founder’s father, who made various trips to Africa, and wrote various diary entries on it, and this scent combines the vibrancy of African culture with slight French influence. overall, this is a beautifully blended scent. i could see me or my girlfriend wearing this alike lol. only con is that the performance isn’t the best, but id still say that at least it isn’t overpowering, although this is going off of reviews, and i have yet to see if it lasts or not. great fragrance.

I’ll be fair to Dua Fragrances — I don’t think their best work is always the “inspired by” stuff. Where they really shine for me is their originals and especially their hybrids. Here’s why I think Dua actually excels when they’re creating their own blends: 1) Their hybrids feel like a real lane, not just cloning. A lot of brands copy one scent and call it a day. Dua’s hybrids usually take DNA from two (or more) familiar profiles and mash them into something that feels genuinely new. Sometimes it’s hit-or-miss, but when it hits, it’s a fun “what if these two had a baby?” kind of scent. 2) “Beast mode” is basically their signature. Even if someone doesn’t love the refinement, it’s hard to deny the longevity and projection. Their originals/hybrids are usually built to perform like crazy, which is a big reason people become fans in the first place. 3) Their originals tend to smell richer than people expect. When Dua is on, their blends come across smooth, dense, and saturated, like they’re not afraid of using heavier materials or pushing sweetness/woods/ambers harder than a lot of designers. You can tell the goal is impact. 4) They’ve got real “concept scents,” not just copy-paste profiles. Some of their originals lean into a specific vibe—spa-clean, candy/gourmand, nostalgic, etc.—and commit to it. Stuff like Luxurious Spa Day or Spell Of Cotton Candy, as well as the other originals and one hybrid I took pictures of. (if you like that style) are good examples of Dua doing something that feels intentionally themed, not just “close enough to X.” 5) Value is a huge part of the appeal. End of the day: you’re getting niche-style intensity and weird/fun creativity without paying niche-house pricing. Not everything is going to be perfectly refined, but for performance + creativity, the originals/hybrids are legit. I would basically rate all the originals and hybrids a minimum of 8/10 Plus!!! I have to edit this to include pictures from my phone!!!