Whenever I Wear This Celeb-Approved Perfume, Someone Always Asks Me About It

My love of perfume knows no bounds. I have a whole unit in my bathroom dedicated to my favourite fragrances, and I'm not picky about whether it's a £13 body mist or a £100 summer scent—if it smells good, it smells good. But while there's something satisfying about discovering an affordable perfume that will still turn heads, there's something to be said about stepping out in a fancier fragrance that has attained cult insider status. Much like Le Labo's Santal 33 (£180)—the scent all fashion people smell like—there are some perfumes in my collection that have a certain gravitas thanks to their fan base. And there's one in particular that someone will always stop to ask me about whenever I wear it…

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(Image credit: @KATEBOSWORTH)

Dubbed as having "a larger cult following than Soulcycle" by InStyle and with a loyal following of beauty editors and celebrities—seriously, ask basically any beauty journalist and I can almost guarantee that this will be one of their favourites—Byredo Gypsy Water (£165) is a perfume with a major following. And I'm not afraid to admit that I'm part of the fan club.

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(Image credit: GETTY IMAGES)

Celebrities like Sienna Miller, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kate Bosworth all wear Byredo Gypsy Water as their signature scent, so trust me, you'll be in good company if you choose to adopt it as your perfume of choice. "In terms of fragrance, I'm really loyal to Byredo Gypsy Water," Bosworth told Into the Gloss. "I'm dying to meet [Byredo founder Ben Gorham] because I'm really such a massive fan. His scents are beautiful and complex and sexy and innocent. There are such incredible layers to what he does. I'm a loyalist with my scents."

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(Image credit: @ROSIEHW)

And Rosie HW was similarly sure about her loyalty to this cult perfume. "My signature fragrance. … I love Byredo fragrances," Huntington-Whiteley told Marie Claire. "I've been wearing Gypsy Water for a long time."

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(Image credit: @SHESELLSJEWELS)

Despite its A-list status, there's something incredibly unique about Byredo Gypsy Water. Unlike other popular perfumes that are immediately recognisable (like when everyone smelt like CK One in the '90s), Byredo's fragrances are renowned for their complex and innovative mix of notes—they have that amazing ability to smell slightly different on everyone. Hence the fact that whenever I step out in Gypsy Water, someone will always ask me what I'm wearing.

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(Image credit: @OFFICIALBYREDO)

Byredo describes Gypsy Water as evoking a "dream of a colourful lifestyle made of innate nomadism … the fever of nights spent in the forest." Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what any of that is supposed to smell like, but to me, this perfume is fresh (thanks to lemon and juniper berries) and woody (with pine and warm and sweet with mouthwatering vanilla notes). Genuinely, I've never smelt anything like it, and I have yet to find anything that comes even close to being a decent dupe.

Keep scrolling to shop Byredo Gypsy Water for yourself and other celebrity-favourite perfumes.

Next up, these affordable perfumes are just as good as my favourite expensive ones.

Mica Ricketts

Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor to Who What Wear UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked at Who What Wear UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.