Seven Veils
Byredo (2011)

The opening blast is a perplexing surprise package: a carrot impression that is given a makeover at an open fireplace - not baked potatoes but smoked carrots! Very original, and given an added twist by a good dash of pink pepper and pimento.

The drydown adds the dark floral element of a rose with a fruity undertone, whilst the base is turning towards vanilla as its core, with the smoky-vegetal component gone towards the end.

I get moderate sillage, very good projection and six hours of longevity on my skin.

This autumnal scent is characterised by its unique and surprising top notes, which is very well executed. The heart notes are less exciting, and the base is a bit bland. Still, top marks for originality. Overall 3.5/5.

The opening is vegetal carrot/orris with vanilla and pepper. It is pretty unique, but strange. In 5 minutes I begin to pick up a whiskey note and lots of powdery vanilla in the background. I like that the vanilla here is not very sweet, it's a smoked vanilla. After the whiskey accord is gone, I am left with what I can describe as a carrot and vanilla desert. So I could categorize this as a gourmand.

Smells kinda weird, though not necessarily in a bad way. The playdoughy-carroty topnote juxtaposition with the peppery and somewhat medicinal bitter sweetness of the heart creates a scent aura that is intriguing. In small doses, and for brief periods, SEVEN VEILS actually smelled like nothing else on this earth. It made me smile, it gave me hope. It made me forget the fruity beast called PULP.

Um, no... I was intrigued by the supposed carrot note, but it's more of a nondescript spicy sweetness than anything I'd consider carrot. But the real issue is that the "carrot" sits on top of a very pedestrian mix of pink pepper, patchouli, and marshmallowy vanilla, so Seven Veils ends up smelling like a mediocre Burberry Brit copycat. One of those perfumes for people who want to pay $150 to smell like they're wearing a $20 scent.

As for carrots, I still think the best carrot note out there is Providence Perfume Co's Eva Luna, while the most wearable carrot perfume has to be I Love Les Carottes by Honore De Pres...

Wow. I thought Seven Veils was going to be a love at first sniff, but no. I think I must be anosmic to certain vanillas because I got no vanilla in this--at all. I did, however, get a huge blast of pink pepper, rough wood and a strangely cold and plasticy floral note. To my nose this all came together in a really synthetic smelling way, though happily there was not much sillage or longevity. Honestly, wearing Seven Veils was a strange experience.

Elegant and Sensual

Modern and Conspicuous

Delicate and Intriguing