BDK fragrances — a buyer's guide

BDK Parfums is a Paris house founded by David Benedek in 2016 in the Palais-Royal district. His family had sold perfume since the fifties, and before founding the house he studied at the Institut Français de la Mode and worked at Givaudan. We stock four BDK fragrances, but they're not four directions: two are the same scent at two strengths, and three of the four stand on the same base — powdery iris with a creamy texture. That's the house signature and, at the same time, the only question you really need to ask before buying. Pas ce Soir is the exception and goes in a fruity-floral direction.

BDK Parfums Gris Charnel: The entry point to the house and the most versatile of the four. Fig, black tea and cardamom up top, iris with Bourbon vetiver in the heart, Indian sandalwood and tonka in the base. Unisex, creamy, close to the skin — a 2 ml decant costs €9.
BDK Parfums Gris Charnel Extrait: Not just a stronger EDP. The pyramid is reworked: Indonesian patchouli, Madagascar vanilla and cedar are added, so the scent is darker and sweeter. Signed by Mathilde Bijaoui. At €280 for 100 ml, so €2.80 per millilitre, it's the most expensive in the family.
BDK Parfums Vanille Leather: Vanilla that isn't gourmand. Violet and red pepper up top, tuberose with jasmine in the heart, Madagascar vanilla, leather, orris and benzoin underneath. Powdery and leathery at once — €228 a bottle, €2.28 per millilitre.
BDK Parfums Pas ce Soir: The only one that doesn't follow the house signature. Ginger, mandarin and black pepper up top, quince with Moroccan jasmine and orange blossom in the heart, cashmeran and patchouli in the base. Fruity-floral, listed in our catalogue as feminine, and the cheapest to try.

How to approach BDK: (1) First find out whether you're in the Gris Charnel camp. Powdery iris is among the main accords in three of the four fragrances — if that texture doesn't suit you, the house offers you just one alternative in our range. (2) Don't treat the Extrait as "the same, only stronger". The EDP has no patchouli, vanilla or cedar, so these are two different scents with the same name. Five millilitres of both cost €40 — against €280 for a single bottle, that's a cheap answer. (3) If you're looking for vanilla, you're choosing between Vanille Leather and Gris Charnel Extrait. The first is powdery and leathery, the second woody and spicy; all they share is the name of the raw material. (4) Prices per millilitre are close at BDK — €2.05 for Pas ce Soir, €2.28 for Vanille Leather, €2.80 for Gris Charnel Extrait. So the profile decides, not the price, which isn't the rule at other houses.

Which BDK fragrance is best for beginners?

Gris Charnel. It's unisex, the most versatile of the four and has the cheapest decant — 2 ml for €9. If it suits you, the extrait version is still ahead of you; if not, you know the house probably isn't for you, because the same base sits under Vanille Leather too.

What's the difference between Gris Charnel and Gris Charnel Extrait?

Concentration and notes. The Extrait is a 30% concentrate, but also a reworked formula: to the fig, black tea and cardamom it adds Indonesian patchouli, Madagascar vanilla and cedar, which the EDP doesn't have. The result is denser and sweeter, not the same scent at a higher volume.

How long does Gris Charnel last?

According to the community, around 6–8 hours, with an intimate trail that stays close to the skin and doesn't fill the room. We don't have longevity data in our catalogue and haven't measured it — this is a summary of reviews on Fragrantica and Parfumo. If you're after beast mode, look elsewhere.

Are BDK fragrances unisex?

Gris Charnel and Gris Charnel Extrait are listed as unisex in our catalogue, Pas ce Soir and Vanille Leather as feminine. The label is a starting point, not a rule: Vanille Leather is vanilla with leather and many people wear it regardless of what the box says.

Is it worth buying a full bottle from BDK?

A bottle costs €205 to €280, a 5 ml decant €14 to €25. Since three of the four fragrances lean on the same accord, blind buying is an even worse idea here than elsewhere — if you miss once, you've probably missed three times.