Fragrance is a very personal thing, and unless you have been wearing the same one for years, it’s one of those gifts you are better giving to yourself to avoid disappointment.
However, here in the H&N Magazine office, we do love our fragrances and with so many to choose from, it’s always exciting to visit a fragrance store in person to explore at leisure and find the one, something new that is perfect for you.
That said, there couldn’t be a more fitting fragrance store for a Magazine Editor and a Journalist to visit than Byredo in Leeds, where every scent tells a story.
Founded in Stockholm in 2006 by former basketball player Ben Gorham, @officialbyredo was built around translating memory and emotion into fragrance. Even the brand’s stylised “B” logo subtly references the number 13, which is the jersey number Gorham wore when he played.
As for the store itself, the service is impeccable (thanks to the amazing Charlie and Liam), and the space is visually stunning. It’s sleek, elevated and beautifully in keeping with a brand created as a sensorial, story-led luxury perfume house.
After being guided expertly through each selection and the stories behind them, we shortlisted our favourites and after much spraying and smelling, we each chose our ultimate personal favourite to take away.
Victoria chose Eleventh Hour, a scent inspired by explorer Ella Maillart and imagined as a journey to “the end of time”; all fragile beauty, endings and reflection.
I decided on Bal d’Afrique, one of Byredo’s signature scents, inspired by the founder’s father’s travel diaries from Africa and created as an expression of that memory.
A visit to Byredo is not a ‘popping in to buy some perfume’ experience, it’s a journey of sensory discovery through storytelling and exploring each unisex fragrance until you find the perfect one for you.
Would you choose a fragrance by its notes… by its story… or both?
Visit Charlie and Liam at Byredo Leeds to find out.
Warning: these fragrances may cause compliments!
Byredo Leeds | Victoria Quarter | Victoria Leeds | LS2 7AU
Words and images by Angela Riches and Victoria Reddington
Feature image supplied
