By Redo: Gypsy Water

The By Redo scent I was always most curious about was Gypsy Water- of course I wasn't alone in this and it's been the hardest one to get a sample of- but now I have one courtesy of the ever delightful Les Senteurs.

I was initially fascinated by the name, Gypsy Water. Les Senteurs describe it as 'The smell of a lost childhood, of a vanishing race'- yes, yes I am totally drawn in by the words as always.

Happily the scent is as good as the words. I would agree with other reviews I have read that say this might not be what you think of when you think of a 'Romany lifestyle'- but I think that might have more to do with what you expect than the scent itself. The official notes are:

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Pepper, Juniper Berries
Mid: Incense, Pine Needles, Orris
Base: Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood

By Redo finally have their own site and they describe the scent as smelling of: 'The scent of fresh soil, deep forests and campfires'.

This is a scent that seems to be inspired by and redolent of the place where you might find Romany people living- rather than of the 'lifestyle'. The top and basenotes are particularly noticeable and the lemon stands out. This has something in common with Shalimar Light- in it's various forms and editions- again not what I expected but it's what I found.

I enjoyed wearing this. Lemon is always uplifting and energising but this is a happy scent with a cerebral quality- it's not just here are some bright shiny Italian lemons mixed with vanilla. It is a little cooler and more contemplative than a normal citrus. It's very wearable but it's not an 'easy' fragrance. It doesn't shout and it a scent you can enjoy for yourself. It has a slight touch of En Passant in that it has a whispering soulful quality that is known to it's wearer and only those who get extremely close to it.