Byredo
2 fragrances are widely sold as cheaper versions of this. Ranked strongest match first.
Dry citrus and violet over vetiver and cedar — the original Bal d'Afrique, richer and longer-lasting.
Widely agreedKhadlaj
Karus Gold Absolu
Around 90 percent, with one deliberate change — a bigger dose of musk that makes it read fresher and cleaner than the original and pushes it noticeably further in both longevity and projection. Black-currant and citrus opening, praline through the middle, then musk all the way down.
Often citedThe Dua Brand
Paris 1920 Absolu
Diverges for the first five to ten minutes — the opening is sharply alcoholic — and then converges to the point of being indistinguishable. One owner ran a blind test on their wife and she could not pick which was which. Longevity is the better part at eight to ten hours.
Ranking combines how widely wearers agree a fragrance is a dupe with how closely its notes and accords line up. “Strong match” means both signals agree; “loose match” means it is in the same family but noticeably different on skin.
Khadlaj Karus Gold Absolu is widely sold as a dupe of Byredo Bal d'Afrique Absolu. Around 90 percent, with one deliberate change — a bigger dose of musk that makes it read fresher and cleaner than the original and pushes it noticeably further in both longevity and projection. Black-currant and citrus opening, praline through the middle, then musk all the way down.
The Dua Brand Paris 1920 Absolu is widely sold as a dupe of Byredo Bal d'Afrique Absolu. Diverges for the first five to ten minutes — the opening is sharply alcoholic — and then converges to the point of being indistinguishable. One owner ran a blind test on their wife and she could not pick which was which. Longevity is the better part at eight to ten hours.
Khadlaj Karus Gold Absolu is the closest we have on record. It is the one wearers name most consistently. Around 90 percent, with one deliberate change — a bigger dose of musk that makes it read fresher and cleaner than the original and pushes it noticeably further in both longevity and projection. Black-currant and citrus opening, praline through the middle, then musk all the way down.
Yes — 2 of them, including Khadlaj Karus Gold Absolu, The Dua Brand Paris 1920 Absolu. Each is listed above with what it gets right and where it falls short.
No. A dupe is built to the same idea, not the same formula, and cheaper materials usually show in the opening and in how long it lasts. That is why every entry here says how it differs instead of giving a percentage. Of Khadlaj Karus Gold Absolu, for instance: Around 90 percent, with one deliberate change — a bigger dose of musk that makes it read fresher and cleaner than the original and pushes it noticeably further in both longevity and projection. Black-currant and citrus opening, praline through the middle, then musk all the way down.
Dry citrus and violet over vetiver and cedar — the original Bal d'Afrique, richer and longer-lasting.
Byredo Bal d'Afrique Absolu is the concentrated version of Bal d'Afrique, the 2009 fragrance that remains Byredo's most recognisable.
The original was bright and dry: neroli, bergamot and lemon over African marigold, violet and cyclamen, with vetiver and cedar holding the base. Light, a little dusty, unmistakably itself. The Absolu keeps that structure and thickens it. The citrus is less sparkling, the woods and musk are heavier, and the whole thing sits closer to the skin for longer.
Whether that is an improvement depends on what you liked about the original. If it was the airiness, the Absolu loses some of it. If it was the dry woody-floral character and you wished it lasted longer, this solves that.
Performance is the main reason to choose it. The original is famously short-lived on some skin; this is not.
It is expensive even by Byredo standards, which is the usual reason people go looking for an alternative.