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Birlanos – :
My new obsession. Dusty, sharp, sweet and powdery leather. Great juice. Lasts and lasts.
alexei 1988 – :
Plastic. Very sweet fruit. Leather.
Raven666 – :
Very feminine,really sweet,smells like a candy cigarette white powder/chalky,the plum doesn’t smell natural same with peach a cheap synthetic turd…it’s a hot mess, unfortunately it’s a definite scrubber…yuk !
LtaS – :
What can I say? This is IT.
I have tried numerous Byredo fragrances this last week, based on reviews from others here at Fragrantica, trying to find the one male-type for me.
But today I accidentaly asked the lady at the store what she would recommend for a guy like me (40+), and she said this, even though I hadn’t read about it beforehand.
I’m so glad I tried it on my skin. Now I can’t stop smelling myself!
My wife has a hair spray that I’ve complimented each time she wears it, first believing it was a perfume she wore.
This reminds me so of this exact smell, but at the same time it has this almost vetiver-kind of (I know it’s not in the notes for this) masculinity in the base.
The scent is quiet and calming but at the same time with spicy base. It gives you confidence and brings you into balance mentaly.
I can see from the other reviews that many men passes on this, stating it’s too feminine, candy-like or sweet.
To me it is just perfect harmony. I warmly suggest any male should try this out.
peroff – :
This review is for the bibliotheque hair perfume which is lighter than the perfume, but good staying power during the day. Has a nice dusty, sweet smell, with a soft leather base. Just like finding an old book in an antique store, opening it and smelling the old dry paper and leather binding. Probably a gothic romance, owned by a lovely Victorian woman who liked gardening and flowers. She kept the book on her nightstand (oh yeah,,,it’s cedar lined) next to her floral hand lotion and a lovely vase of flowers from her garden. Not really a masculine scent to me at all, but with the dusty leather it is not overly feminine.
Sm1lee – :
In cold air, I can really get both the plum and the peach in this. On my skin, or any kind of fabric, it’s darker and more leathery. To be honest, I wish I got more of the lighter/sweeter fruit; when it’s there, it smells like somebody brought a fruit bowl into a library full of grateful students hard at work. When it’s not, it smells distinctively scented-candle-y (thick, waxy, old-fashioned) and I don’t like it half as much.
I’ll probably wear this until my sample gets used up; if I do buy a bottle, it’ll be a small sample one from Ebay or something.
romannvs – :
Really disappointed in this and Mojave Ghost, both seem generic, bland and could be from any high street perfume house (Chanel or Lancome) and certainly don’t warrant the price tag. Yes they are nice and pleasant and they get compliments but they are also get confused with high street scents and they are also BORING and distinctly average! Not what I expect from Byredo!
Give me Bal d’Afrique or Pulp or Seven Veils or Oud Immortal, give me niche, give me different, give me distinctive but please stop with these run of the mill scents!
ka4ok1978 – :
This could be a masterpiece, but…
It starts lovely and very library like – dust, wooden ash and dry paper, all is well and I can see myslef in the calm ancient library. However as I am enjoying my library moment someone with a huge candy floss comes in and starts touching the leather bound books. This upsets the librarian, who is drunk on plum brandy and he kills the cotton candy punk and hides his body in a secret cabinet behind all the books and the smell of rot and decay is spreading throughout the library.
Maybe it’s just my skin, but the plum turns very sour and rotten on me, which ruins the whole composition. Before the plum appeared, I really was enjoying the library scent, but instead it became my first scrubber.
Ikd4lsmdSc – :
Long lasting but VERY sweet and feminine.
It was a blind buy for me since i love so many other Byredo scents but yet again it shows that`s probably not a good idea.
Reminds me a bit of Black Saffron and Accord Oud but those two are less sweet and more unisex.
Not sure when I can wear it, will probably give it away to some girlfriend.
ULKA – :
The first time I smelled this I knew I had to have it. The top is super sweet, but it’s not a sickly candy/artificial sweet. It’s thick, absolutely rich, plum syrup and the word that comes to mind is delectable, my mouth is watering! That settles down in the dry down, revealing a very soft, worn leather that has been around burning incense and is slightly smokey, with a touch of peach and violet that has floated in on a warm breeze. I could see this fragrance being inspired by an ancient library of the Arab world: ripe fruits, leather bound tomes, incense, and dust. The longevity is excellent. I’ve been daringly wearing this already this summer, albeit only at night (it brings me very sweet dreams), and I can still smell it in the morning. I’m really looking forward to this being my champion this Fall/winter.
mikis – :
Waaaaaay too sweet it gave me goosebumps. An immediate scrubber—y.u.c.k! (:P Worse is that it has nothing to do with bibliothèque or library at all. Nope. I’ll pass.
mirtietethita – :
I finally had the chance to get Byredo Bibliothèque. Forgive my english btw.
My job is being a director of a public library so.. when i’ve heard the word bibliothèque, I was excited because everytime someone mentions the word library or bibliothèque, we people working in public libraries gets excited like dogs in need of attention.
Of course, I knew it wasnt a scent about what we would imagine: a very old library, books, staircase with resinous wood thats smells like a century old, almost rotten lignine from medieval books, dust, and leather and I hope, the smell of people too. It’s completly something else and im happy I knew it before when reading on this site.
Bibliothèque smells like some very good plum, leather and an incredible touch of violet and vanilla. It also has a good base of musk and patchouli, enough to keeping me smelling my skin after so many hours. It’s never giving up, it’s lasting, like, niche-quality lasting. I see it as a dark floral scent.
I love the patchouli and violet mix. it’s very unisex, deep and modern. It kinda reminds me of Velvet by Commodity at some point. It’s not really to compare to anything. It’s a piece of art. You like it or not.
This is evening stuff. Late evening stuff for me.
A Bibliothèque that is open at midnight, with guests all smelling different, and you, dark floral girl or guy wearing that wonderful Byredo release, ready to have a good time at the damned library near your home!!
pompyrbg627bedyWelty – :
I bought this for my daughter. Everybody in the family loves it. Feminine and business like. I can’t imagine a man wearing it. Not much evolution, stays pretty much the same all the way through, which is a long time, and with excellent projection.
archi1403 – :
Very sweet fragrances but not bad at all.
I actually have a 100ml 99% full for sale if anyone is interested.
xrumerrus – :
When I was last at the perfume counter the sales assistant recommended that I test one of Byredo’s latest scents, Bibliotheque. She explained to me that Bibliotheque was initially one of Byredo’s best selling candles and that the decision to turn it into a fragrance came from its fans who loved the aroma so much that they wanted to wear it on the skin.
Supposedly Bibliotheque was composed to encapsulate the scent of old, leather-bound books in a dusty library. As an avid book lover myself, I can kind of see where the perfumer was going with this idea. Does it smell like a library? Honestly, not really. I find Chanel’s Les Exclusif 31 Rue Cambon to be a far better representation of the scent of a library, at least in my opinion.
The fruity top notes are very subtle in the opening of Bibliotheque. If fruity scents aren’t your personal cup of tea do not be put off by the official scent pyramid. In the opening, I actually smell a slight coffee aroma, similar to the scent of an iced coffee.
The heart and drydown are very musky with notes of leather, patchouli and powdered violets. I do very much enjoy the way the scent dries down on my skin, but I wish it were a little bolder. Bibliotheque is not a particularly strong fragrance in terms of its projection.
The longevity is however very impressive, lasting a decent six to seven hours on my skin. I would recommend Bibliotheque as a cold weather scent as I feel it wears better in cooler environments.
Аян – :
I was excited to try this as I adore many library themed scents. Unfortunately, I get 30 seconds of plum, and then fruit lollipops. Nothing else.
I’ll stick with CB I Hate Perfume In the Library
titspincplani – :
Regardless of little similarity this it shares with an actual library, this perfume smellls divine. It won’t reminds you of old books but it will make you feel wise and young-sophisticated. Perfect scent for young female professionals who hope to strike people as strong, intelligent, and independent.
viktor4140 – :
What this scent has to do with libraries, I’ll never know. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I’ll agree, it reminds me quite a bit of a sweeter version of Byredo’s Black Saffron, which I also own. The opening is an intensely sweet and tart fruit blast reminiscent of what I smell in girly, youthful fragrances that are popular on the market today. My mind immediately went to YSL’s Parisienne. After an hour, the berry blast dies down quite a bit to the leather undertones which remind me of Black Saffron. There’s also a distinct powder feeling similar to lipstick. To me, this is a very feminine and somewhat youthful scent. I’d wear this in the winter when I’m bundled up in a fuzzy sweater and dressed a on the girly side with some pink lipstick, but definitely not when I’m in a library.
dik458 – :
Smells exactly like Black Saffron. It doesn’t make sense to me why this would be so strikingly similar.
mastablixo – :
What…..????
Fruit roll-up anyone?
JelenaZuvela – :
This fragrance disappoints. The name, which references a library, suggest
S old leather bound books, wooden furniture with leather upholstery, the smell of a heritage building. Instead, this is a fruity vanilla combination with some soft florals. It’s as though the scent that was originally intended for this release was subject to a late scratching, and having printed and adhered all the labels to the bottles, Byredo then filled them with an unrelated formula that had previously not even be considered appropriate for one of their third-tier releases.
For a true library scent try Il Profumo’s Patchouly of Bois 1920s Real Patchouli or similar patchoulis.
che809 – :
Well to my nose this fragrance is not so much about how I perceive the smell of a library or a book as its not dry and dusty but fruity and musky.
Being a very limited edition with no more stock arriving in the carrier stores such as Mecca after July 2017 I grabbed a bottle. (They only come in 100ml size).
Another stunner from this house is Rose Noir and I’m not a big fan of rose but it’s very lovely too but will be available readily in stores as its not a limited edition.
Biblotheque is well worth exploring if you like the note pyramid. I do not get much vanilla or leather but I do like this very much. I wouldn’t class this as unisex. It’s female focused. At the 5th hour since application, it’s still going strong on me. I’d say above average performance!
This had me at ‘hello’ and I’m now a proud owner of it.
Ybolmasxzew – :
A Violet and Plum-centric fragrance enveloped by a leather note that has a slight muskiness to it, like a well worn leather jacket. Crisp and warm all at once. Warning to wearers it’s one of Byredos longer wearing fragarances, quite intense, so one spritz will suffice for most.
saduaxasov – :
This is a more delicate and soft cousin of “Daim Blond”. Velvety fruity suede with a waxy, strangely addicting, lipstick note.
Well done, but If your are searching for a perfume that captures the smell of a library, go instead for “L’air du rien”.
toxa358 – :
The opening of Byredo Bibliolthèque is a plum syrup nightmare on my skin. The plum here is stewed with loads of sugar, then reduced into a gooey molasses. Moreover, there isn’t any green note or spices at this early stage to provide a more natural, life-like feeling. Therefore, this saccharine, fruitchouli-like plum note is like a bull in a china shop, loud, concentrated, artificial and lack of subtlety.
The leather note comes to rescue after about 20 minutes. At first, it’s bitter, woody and audacious, very much like the base note in some green chypre leather. As time progresses, the leather warms up and takes a more sensual, somewhat animalic, tallow-like quality.
Sadly, this lovely evolution of leather is nowhere near an equal partner of the forceful plum jam note, and is overshadowed all the time even at its most discernable moment during the first two hours. Even though the leather and plum eventually meld together into a warm, leathery peach skin scent, the syrupy plum still haunts my nose until the very end.
Bibliothèque has a moderate sillage during the first 90 minutes on my skin, then drops to a skin scent afterwards. The longevity is around 10 hours.
I was very keen on the vibrant leather note in bibliothèque. Unfortunately, it never got its chance to really shine because of the invasive, monolithic plum molasses note. This plum note reminds me of Byredo’s unamed fragrance’s candy violet dry down minus the herbal nuance of the violet, but here in Bibliothèque, it’s much more intense as a note of opening. I can also relate to the comparison with Bottega Veneta’s plum leather dry down, but again, Bibliothèque is like a much more intense version and lacks the sophistication of moss and bergamot in BV.
If the plum note was less forceful, less saccharine and more natural-smelling, I think it would make a wonderful companion to the wild leather, help to tame it and make the whole scent a wonderful gateway leather fragrance, which is sadly not the case in Bibliothèque. If you can’t yet handle hardcore leather fragrances and have a high tolerance towards jammy sweetness, Bibliothèque might appear to be a more friendly fruity leather. Otherwise, based on my personal experience and taste, I would not particularly recommend it, and certainly not a fragrance that evokes old books and library to me.
FOSIK – :
The initial blast is all library and leather, but that fades away quickly to an exact dupe of Bottega Veneta. So, if you like that, buy it instead because it’s cheaper and smells the same.
Meedh436elipseskism – :
This smells like a feeling or an atmosphere, more than an actual library (books and paper).
It smells like sitting in an old leather chair in front of a lit fireplace, with a big book in your lap. Candles are burning, and on a small table beside you there is a crystal bowl filled with gummy bears and a cup of irish coffee. That’s what Bibliothèque smells like to me – something warm, slightly sweet, leathery, relaxing and cozy.
It’s smells like evening and it smells like autumn.
I do like it a lot, but I think I prefer the candle over the actual perfume. It’s more of an ambiance smell, than a personal scent.
Sillage is medium on me and the longevity is good – 6-8 hours. 🙂
Vend01 – :
This is more likely dusty & sweet with the Byredo stamp. it has that violet plummy blend with hints of patchouli and some floral. I can’t sense the peaches or the vanilla more than a candy plum. No leather, & def no musk.
It’s quite an attractive for the sweet gourmand lovers (not that gourmand of course) & the ones who like Byredo style fragrances.
greenrywealia – :
Tried this one Strictly due to the name on the bottle. I’m looking for a fragrance that smells like old books.
This is not it.
If I was at the library studying and someone took the cubicle next to me wearing this I might move if they over sprayed it.
Very feminine aswell, not sure a man could pull this off even if the leather was amped up to 11.
mamont04081986 – :
Learns very much towards feminine because of its candy sweetness. This is very similar to Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste. A light leather note only appears at the very end. General performance is below average, any projection is mainly just in the 1st hour. Skinscent within 3 hours.
Massive pass from me.
Nirigamesfdg – :
I cant want to try this one! I have the candle and I love it! Hope it will be a little bit more feminine than 1996 which i like, and not so heavy on the leather..
Recha – :
Available in Russia. Sweet, powdery, feminine.