WHAT I SMELL: Gypsy Water opens with a glaze of lemon tinged juniper and pine, almost like that of Lemon Pledge, but with a sweeter vanilla finish which takes it from Lemon Pledge to more of a lemon custard. After a short time, the perfume begins to soften and them lemon becomes light and tart and slightly sour with addition of a quiet incense and wood. I was expecting Gypsy Water to be a lively and phrenetic fragrance, but instead, it’s rather subdued and unassuming. After around 20 minutes, the pine, amber and sandalwood come together to provide for a creamy, but lightly incensed powdered warmth. In the end, Gypsy Water is a lightly warmed quiet woody perfume, that although unassuming, is rather mysterious.
From the Byredo website:
GYPSY WATER IS A GLAMORIZATION OF THE ROMANY LIFESTYLE, BASED ON A FASCINATION WITH THE MYTH. THE SCENT OF FRESH SOIL, DEEP FORESTS AND CAMPFIRES EVOKES THE DREAM OF A FREE, COLORFUL LIFESTYLE CLOSE TO NATURE.
TOP: BERGAMOT, LEMON, PEPPER, JUNIPER BERRIES
HEART: INCENSE, PINE NEEDLES, ORRIS
BASE: AMBER, VANILLA, SANDALWOOD
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A warm breeze lilting through the forest.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GYPSY WATER: quiet, comforting, peaceful
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GYPSY WATER: Perfume Posse, What Men Should Smell Like, Katie Puckrik Smells
BOTTOM LINE: Gypsy Water doesn’t have a lot of projection, but is instead a really nice skin scent that is unique with its citrus and woody incense combination. It’s perfect for the office, or for those quiet days when you want to feel special just for yourself and no one else.
- Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Woody Aromatic
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $145 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum
The Scented Hound 
August 31, 2015 at 6:11 am
Nice review! You are spot on with it being office friendly. I got a generous decant from a swap and don’t wear it enough to spring for a FB. The treatment of vanilla in this reminds me of that in Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee.
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August 31, 2015 at 6:18 am
Thanks my dear. The hub loves this perfume, but his only complaint is that it disappears too quickly. I think it’s there, it’s just that he gets used to it and since it’s so quiet he doesn’t notice it. Hmmmm, I don’t think I have ever tried AC Vanilla Insensee.
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August 31, 2015 at 9:47 am
Quiet, comforting, peaceful. Sounds lovely. I tried it but it did not impress me very much. After Reading your review, it sounds like I should smell it again. Byredo is not a house I am attracted to though.
Liked your review !
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August 31, 2015 at 2:58 pm
E – if you’re looking for something big impact Gypsy Water is not it and your first instincts may be right. I find that Byredo perfumes wear very different on every individual and there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium with either liking them or not. I find the line interesting, but not all work for me. My favorite however is Flowerhead.
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September 1, 2015 at 5:48 am
The name does not fit the scent in this case. I wanted so much more than a lemon breeze. I’m sure it has lots of fans but it’s too soft and fleeting for me.
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September 1, 2015 at 5:58 am
Yes, it is rather fleeting and I too think that the name doesn’t quite fit. I think of Gypsy’s being untamed and full of life. This is a bit too quiet for my interpretation. I do like it though 🙂
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September 2, 2015 at 1:47 pm
Interesting to see how this one plays on your skin – I get a lot of incense coming through. I know what you mean about the Lemon Pledge aspect. For me that reaches its apogee in Heeley Cardinal, which is also markedly incense-y on me and connotes the Lemon Pledge used to scrub the flagstones in the church nave. 😉
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September 2, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I love that association. Yes, the incense in this was there for me, but it was oh so subtle…I want a wild gypsy not a tame one!
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September 14, 2015 at 3:22 am
I smelled it recently on a paper and thought it was nice but I didn’t feel like wasting my skin “real estate” at the store (there were some other new perfumes I wanted to try). And I agree with poodle that the perfume and name do not fit.
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September 15, 2015 at 7:04 pm
I agree that the name doesn’t fit as well. Gypsy should mean wild and free.
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