Byredo Future Memories review: it pulled up a memory I couldn't name

A cassis that fizzes

The opening is the prettiest part of the first hour. The cassis reads juicy rather than tart, and it kept reminding me of a sparkling drink, that first cold sip where the bubbles carry the fruit. The aldehydes and galbanum stop it from turning sugary: there is a faint soapy lift under the fruit that quietly announces where this perfume is really headed.

The drydown is the point

Give it an hour and the fizz settles into a clean scent of the best kind. This is where Future Memories earns its price: the pairing of iris butter and orange blossom is the finest thing in the bottle, powdery and fresh at the same time, like linen dried near an open window. Underneath, the white vanilla and the musks keep everything close to the skin, and Ambrofix does its usual trick of making skin smell like better skin.

How long it lasts

Six to seven hours on my skin. Expect more variation than usual here: how musks and clean materials hold on depends a lot on your skin's pH, so judge the longevity on your own arm, not on mine.

The letter test

This perfume deals in memory, so here is what I would actually do with it. The day you start wearing it, write yourself a letter, seal it, and open it one year later to see how far you have come. Future Memories is a perfume for telling a story. Maybe a love story: if you have just moved in with the right person, this is the scent for the boxes, the bare walls and the first coffee in a new kitchen.

One honest caveat by way of targeting: this is for the clean-and-comfort crowd. If you want a dessert gourmand or a room-filler, look elsewhere. Everyone else should go and smell it: it is the right perfume to start the rentrée and walk into autumn with. On sale now through Byredo's usual channels.