Byredo’s new fragrance is a tribute to collective memory
31.03.2022
Memories transcend space and time. They exist as a fleeting mirage between lived experience, imagination, and time. The sense of smell is able to unlock intangible moments that are not captured on film, recordings or even journal entries. The power of scent allows us to connect with people and memories that transport, ground, and link us. De Los Santos Eau de parfum, our favorite Byredo fragrance, is a result of its extraordinary power.
Creative Director Ben Gorham began to shift his perspective from sadness to celebration after a period of profound loss. Gorham describes the creation of the perfume as “over the past year I started to examine how different cultures approach the idea of loss to shift my personal perspective.”
“I didn’t want the perfume to be a’move on or forward’ because it implied forgetting. I wanted to find a way to cherish my memories, to honour the beauty of life and to translate it into scent.”
Gorham used aromas that were grounded in ritual to capture this feeling. The bright scent of Mirabelle (iris root) and Palo Santo (musk) hovers above earthy notes that incant an extraordinary sense of ceremony. De Los Santos, as its name implies, is a tribute to Dia de los Muertos, a cultural tradition that honors and celebrates the eternal beauty of life.
Fragrance Notes
Top:
Clary Sage, Mirabelle
Heart:
Orris, Ciste Oil
Base:
Musk, Ambroxan, Palo Santo
What Does Byredo’s De Los Santos Smell Like?
The citrus and clary sage notes of De Los Santos blossom in a cool, fragrant cloud at first spray. It’s like being swept through a summer mist. The velvety notes of Palo Santo and amber emerge as the perfume dries, giving the fragrance warmth and dimension.
To ground the perfume’s rich aroma, the subtle notes of Mirabelle & Orris are combined with the warm scent of musk & amber. It is a pleasant, savory scent that emanates like a cloud of orange and purple. Curiously, the colors match the inspiration for the fragrance. In an aura reading I did with Christina Lonsdale, Radiant Human, orange colors indicate willingness to accept change. Purple tones, on the other hand, suggest creativity, intuition and a deep sense spirituality.
My De Los Santos bottle was with me on a California trip. I spent several days exploring Joshua Tree, a beautiful setting for this mysterious fragrance. My friends loved the perfume and it enhanced our trip. After all, travel to the desert is a sacred rite of passage for many cultures. Even the most sensitive of my friends loved De Los Santos. Everyone wanted to try it.
The light top notes, combined with deep amber & musk, remind me of Mojave Ghost, a desert-inspired Byredo perfume. De Los Santos is a love letter to memory and cultural traditions as well as wanderlust. It also follows the lead of Bal d’Afrique, the brand’s cult favorite scent.
De Los Santos’ delicate citrus and sage scent is what makes me feel the most happy about my childhood. My family used to travel to Cape Cod every summer. There, we had a small group of juniper trees. I loved the secret spaces between the trees and was drawn to their berries. I also enjoyed chopping the berries off the branches to create an aromatic resin. I didn’t know that juniper berries and branches were used in ancient spiritual ceremonies. Also, juniper oil was a powerful anti-inflammatory component. Both make perfect sense to my mind now. Although those trees are gone now, a whiff or two of juniper oil instantly conjures up memories of the magic they held.
Byredo’s De Los Santos Eau de Parfum is a great choice for those who are looking to connect with scent memories. It encourages wearers to be in a state of reverie and compels them to see beauty in every moment. The perfume’s scent takes on a personal character as it blends with the wearer’s signature scent, and fades to a soft glow during the day. This effervescent perfume is proof that Ben Gorham has created a fragrance that transcends mere perfume and honors the transcendent power ritual and remembrance.
