BYREDO
NIGHT VEILS – BOIS OBSCUR
2025
eucalyptus
papyrus
saffron
jasmine
tuberose
oud
labdanum
patchouli
mineral amber
sandalwood
‘Ten years after its first unveiling, the Night Veils collection is reborn into a new chapter, offering a captivating reinterpretation of the night. Crafted with high concentrations of fragrances, these pure essences assume new dimensions of luxury, as an invitation to explore a more intimate form of self. Mirroring the raw, intimate power that appears only after nightfall, our newest creation Bois Obscur is a slow-burning revelation, inviting you to unfold your identity layer by layer throughout the night. Opening with the spicy intensity of saffron and the cool essence of eucalyptus, it draws you inward where smoky papyrus stirs beneath the surface. At its heart, the narcotic bloom of tuberose and jasmine meets the dark allure of an oud accord. Anchored in a mineral amber accord, patchouli and labdanum lend depth and warmth, while sandalwood lingers with a quiet, sacred strength. The redesigned bottle strikes an elongated silhouette, with a thick glass base to visually elevate the bottle and an antique gold cap sits atop the glass neck, perfectly complementing the shade of the fragrance inside. The reusable box becomes a display case, further highlighting the refined ritual of the extrait de parfum.’ – Byredo
Sometimes one is faced with their own prejudice. I briefly sniffed Bois Obscur in-store and pretty much wrote it off for being another generic woody-leather (saffron) straight away. I think the new-for-2025 gold-capped bottles (which are a massive downgrade in my opinion) and the discontinuing of arguably the best two Night Veils (Tobacco Mandarin & Reine de Nuit) aided in approaching the Byredo booth with generally negative expectations. After a proper wear, it turns out Bois Obscur was a delight.
It is rather generic and it’s more common smelling than even the notes let on. I get a rather familiar rose-oud vibe from this (I guess it’s more jasmine-oud in this case); it smells like I’ve smelled it dozens of times before and know it intimiately. Which in a sense, does create a bit of a ‘nostalgic’, ‘feeling at home’ experience with it. What surprised me is how well Bois Obscur holds up.
Not only is it my favorite sub-genre of this rose-oudy vibe, with a slightly citrussy, bright floral top and the saffron-leather being tamed. It feels more so luxurious and classy, rather than loud and obnoxious. The citrussy edge adds a much needed golden lining to it all.
It’s not as heavy or tiresome to wear than a Dior Oud Ispahan for example. Though not as bright as a Xerjoff More Than Words opening. Instead, the fragrance it reminded me of most (based off memory) was Xerjoff Astaral. I also get similar feelings from it, that I get from several of the Louis Vuitton floral-ouds (of which Matiere Noire would be my pick).
As mentioned, Bois Obscur holds up nicely. I want to wear it again to confirm how much I like it in the later hours, but my first take is that it holds up a lot better than most recent Byredos; Vanilla Antique especially falls apart after the opening in my opinion, and Rouge Chaotique could be better too. As it stands Bois Obscur isn’t the most interesting fragrance, but it’s definitely up there with my favorite Byredo’s and I think that it’s my favorite of the current Night Veils collection.
