Night Veils - Reine de Nuit

Night Veils – Reine de Nuit arrives as nocturnal theatre, all blackcurrant velvet and saffron's peppery bite. This is not a fragrance that whispers; it declaims. The blackcurrant sings with dark, almost fermented undertones, its jammy richness immediately complicated by saffron's spiced restraint—a dialogue between fruit and incense that refuses easy resolution. When frankincense emerges from beneath, it transforms the composition's character entirely. Where you might expect floral softness, instead arrives a resinous, almost liturgical solemnity; the frankincense doesn't sweeten the blackcurrant so much as elevate it, lending ceremonial weight to what could have been merely a fruity indulgence.

The base unifies everything through black amber and ambrette seed—woody, almost dusty sweetness—whilst patchouli creeps in with earthy insistence, grounding the spiced fruitiness and preventing it from drifting into mere dessert territory. This is a fragrance for evening, certainly, but not the sort of evening that involves champagne and laughter. Instead, imagine dimmed galleries, vintage jewellery, the particular confidence of someone unconcerned with immediate approval. Byredo's Reine de Nuit suits those who gravitate toward fragrances like Heeley Sel Marin or Maison Margiela's Beach Walk—compositions that prioritise character over palatability. It's decidedly unisex, worn equally well by anyone drawn to spiced, resinous architecture rather than conventional sweetness.