It’s the cold dead-of-winter in New England and I can’t think of a better topic to talk about other than YSL fragrances. Some of these have a special place in my heart and others may or may not be on my “do-not-call” list. I have a longstanding history with one of these fragrances and also another one has quickly taken the top spot in my opinion. Without further rambling, let’s get into this, in no particular order…
Myslf EDP – 6/10
I’m going to start with the one that everyone USED to talk about a lot but has become a distant memory, the OG Myslf EDP. Top notes are Calabrian bergamot and Bergamot; middle note is Tunisian Orange Blossom; base notes are Ambrofix™ and Patchouli. When this first came out, it was a welcomed changed from the Y’s and La Nuit de l’Homme’s (LNdL) of the world. This fragrance was released in 2023, and the scent profile came with mixed reviews from the community, but I honestly didn’t mind it. It wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t the worst either. Sweet florals with punchy citrus throughout but the thing that was the dealbreaker for me was the heavy florals that lingered all the way to the dry down. It’s not a unisex fragrance but the amount of florals in a men’s fragrance should easily make this a unisex fragrance. Just not for me.
Myslf Le Parfum – 7.8/10
On the flipside to the EDP is the Le Parfum and man this was better in my opinion. Top note is Black Pepper; middle note is Orange Blossom; base notes are Bourbon Vanilla, Amber, Woody Notes and Patchouli. Released just a year later in 2024, the Le Parfum version opens mostly the same as its parent fragrance but dries down more woody than floral. It’s all the same goodness from the original just less florals. If you want a more manly version of the EDP then go for this one for sure.
La Nuit de L'homme Le Parfum – 7/10
This fragrance opened very familiar to me but just can’t place it. It’s not a bad memory of a fragrance, but one that still bothers me that I can’t remember what it smells like. Top notes are Pepper, Anise and Bergamot; middle notes are Fruity Notes, Lavender and French labdanum; base notes are Vanilla, Patchouli and Vetiver. It’s overall just a spicy, warm and musky scent that’s very inviting. Mid/dry down remains mostly the same. Just a really nice woody fragrance perfect for these cold weather situations.
La Nuit de L'homme EDT – 8/10
Released in 2009, this is the original that started it all for me. Quick story – I remember a time that I went to Macy’s with my wife and asked her to run the gauntlet and find a fragrance that SHE liked, and I would buy it. After putting her nose to the grindstone and smelling EVERYTHING, Macy’s had to offer at the time, she landed on this fragrance. I can honestly say this is the only time I have ever emptied an entire bottle of fragrance before. It was just amazing to me, and it was extra special knowing she liked it just as much. Top note is Cardamom; middle notes are Lavender, Virginia Cedar and Bergamot; base notes are Vetiver and Caraway. My only gripe with this fragrance was its longevity – just couldn’t hack it. It would be a perfect “going out” fragrance at night because it will stand that test of time for you, but an all-day banger this is not. You’d need to carry this around with you and re-up around 2pm unfortunately. Still…if you haven’t tried this one out you really should. Consider this a cornerstone of YSL’s entire line-up.
La Nuit de L'homme Bleu Électrique – 8.5/10
There is only one reason why this gets a half a point more than the previous, and that’s because if you would have presented this to me long ago at Macy’s with my wife alongside the original EDT, I would have picked this one in a heartbeat. Top notes are Cardamom, Ginger and Bergamot; middle notes are Lavender and Geranium; base notes are Cedar and Vetiver. Don’t let these notes fool you. To the naked nose, this fragrance and the original EDT are soooo similar in scent it’s hard to tell which is which. The only thing that sets the Bleu Electrique apart from the original is where the original fell short – longevity, well...AND the fact that Bleu Electrique is slightly fresher, but I mean, it’s super close. This fragrance is the beast that the EDT wishes it could be and for that reason alone I’m ranking it higher. Test these out on each arm like I did and see for yourself.
La Nuit de L'homme EDP – 7.5/10
I had never smelled this one until recently and it’s grown on me a lot. Sweet, spicy, woody that’s balanced perfectly. Top notes are Cardamom and Grapefruit; middle notes are Leather, Lavender and Clary Sage; base notes are Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Vetiver. Honestly, I don’t catch the grapefruit in here, but it does have a citrus quality to it, just not as bitter as a grapefruit would be. Any fragrance with sandalwood AND patchouli is almost 95% always an instant win for me. As the fragrance dries down you can really start to pick up the subtle hints of cardamom that comes from the original EDTs DNA. Amazing fragrance, a definite must-try.
L’Homme Le Parfum – 6.5/10
Every time I see this one when shopping around, I mistake it for Bleu Electrique. It’s not the same even though the colors are very close. Gets me every time. Top notes are Ozonic notes, Cardamom and Lemon; middle notes are Geranium, Violet Leaf and Basil; base notes are Amberwood, Cedar Essence and Vetiver. This one was odd for me. For a parfum concentration the alcohol nose-hit on the opening rip was kind of off-putting. Usually, you see this mostly in EDT concentrations, so I think this is one of the first for me with a parfum concentration. Beyond that though, there’s a wonderful lemon and cardamom scent followed by cedar and vetiver. Dries down really nice with woody notes and just enough freshness to pique my interest. That opening though…sheesh.
L'Homme EDT – 4/10
That same alcohol nose hit that was in the Le Parfum version is present here in the EDT as well, which I would expect so I’m not knocking it down for that. Top notes are Ginger, Bergamot and Lemon; middle notes are Spices, Violet Leaf, White Pepper and Basil; base notes are Tonka Bean, Cedar and Tahitian Vetiver. LOTS happening here. For my testing, the dry down was very dull and lackluster. Sillage was poor and for me, it became non-existent after a few hours. When I do test, I make sure to spray two or three times on-skin, so I know I’m getting the right coverage. Not sure why, but this one just either didn’t get along with my skin or just isn’t strong enough. The spicy citrus notes that are present in the opening would be really amazing if they lasted through the dry-down. Maybe your mileage will be better with this one? Not for me though.
Y EDT 2022 – 7/10
This one really took me by surprise. Never have I ever smelled the original EDT but this one to me was better than I thought it was going to be. Top notes are Aldehydes, Bergamot and Ginger; middle notes are Lavender, Clary Sage and Geranium; base notes are Ambergris, Cedar, Vanilla and Olibanum. The opening is very fresh, citrusy and give you that just-out-of-the-shower smell. It’s very light and airy, not too obnoxious or punchy. I’m guessing this would be an absolute banger in the summertime bur for now, I’m pleasantly surprised by this one and I’m not even mad at the performance. Good, solid citrus heavy fragrance from YSL. Try this one!
Y EDP Intense – 9/10
This fragrance won the gauntlet for me by a mile. For the most part, most of these YSL fragrances are for the younger crowd. I can appreciate the craftsmanship and effort that’s been put into them, but for an older guy, they just don’t fit for me. But this one? Top notes are Ginger, Juniper Berries and Bergamot; middle notes are Sage, Lavender and Geranium; base notes are Vetiver, Patchouli and Cedar. Something about this DNA just makes me want more of it. So fresh and clean but so woody and earthy at the same time. It’s loud and intense as its namesake, it’s loaded with ginger and lavender and is an absolute beast with sillage and performance. This is the perfect Y fragrance because it caters to both the younger and older noses with perfect balance. Amazing fragrance.
Y Le Parfum – 7/10
Sometimes when you do these ultimate reviews, the only issue you run into is that all the fragrances start to smell the same as you go along. I didn’t really have too much of that with this line, but I did notice it here with the Le Parfum version. As soon as I sprayed it on it smelled like one, I had either sprayed that day or the day before. I had to double check my system to make sure I didn’t grab one that I already used. Top notes are Apple, Aldehydes, Grapefruit and Ginger; middle notes are Lavender, Sage and Geranium; base notes are Tonka Bean, Cedar, Olibanum and Patchouli. For the opening it’s that similar vibe but once you get into the dry down it falls off that beaten path and becomes its own fragrance. Fresh, bright and woody seems to be the running trend with these but this one definitely has a slightly different scent profile than the rest. Decent longevity and projection but not a banger in my opinion. Could be better and could be the reason why there is a relaunch of this coming this year, stay tuned for that one.
Y EDP – 8/10
Out of all of these that I’ve tested, the EDP and EDP Intense are my two favorites in the Y line. This EDP version is so different and inviting right off the first spray. Top notes are Apple, Ginger and Bergamot; middle notes are Sage, Juniper Berries and Geranium; base notes are Amberwood, Tonka Bean, Cedar, Vetiver and Olibanum. Now I know the Le Parfum has apple and ginger as well, but in the EDP the scent profile works better in my opinion. The EDP just gives off that green freshness punch that the Le Parfum was lacking. This one is fantastic. Highly recommend you try this one if you haven’t already.
Y Eau Fraiche – 7.5/10
Last but not least we have the Eau Fraiche. I was skeptical with this one because previous encounters with any Eau Fraiche for me was dismal. This one however caught me by surprise. Top notes are Lemon, Ginger and Pepper; middle notes are Mint, Geranium, Juniper Berries and Lavender; base notes are Cedar and Olibanum. Something about that lemon, ginger and mint in this fragrance just set it off for me. Longevity still suffers a bit here because of the concentration level, but pack this away in your gym bag and you’re good to go. A really refreshing fragrance to finish off this YSL gauntlet!
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it! The ultimate buying guide of all fragrances available from YSL. Overall, this was a great experience. YSL fragrances hadn’t typically crossed my path for the exception of a few, but not all of these. Any time I’d go into my local Macy’s and try one they always smelled off. Could be that sometimes their sample bottles are either there for too long and have passed their prime or they have come into some other environmental issue that causes the smell to change. All that being said, I’ve been to Macy’s and smelled fragrances, hated them, then bought decants from Decant House and loved them. Biggest one was Dior Sauvage Elixir. Macy’s had this one and I tested it and absolutely hated it, but Decant House saved it for me, and I bought a full-sized bottle after that.
Same rang true with a lot of these YSL frags. My previous tests on these at a department store weren’t that great, but these decants from Decant House made a huge difference in the scent and I feel like I tested exactly what I would smell if I had the full bottle right in front of me.
I hope you all liked reading as much as I enjoyed testing these! Want me to review another collection of fragrances? Let us know either in the comments or send us an email and we’ll look into it! As always, I’ll catch you all in the next one!
