Perfume Review: YvesSaintLaurent Elle (EdP and EdT double-review)

A 90ml (3oz) bottle of Elle.
Special thanks 
to MyBeautySpot
for image.

Review based on wrist and card samples from tester bottles.

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($140+ for EDT, $160+ for EDP). Type: Floral/Fruity/Spicy. YSL Beauty is a brand of L'Oreal.

Elle (2007) (French for "She") is the brainchild of Olivier Cresp and Jacques Cavallier, who have an impressive portfolio of scents to their credit, both individually and collaboratively. Between them, they're responsible for fragrances like Magnifique (Lancome), the near-legendary Bvlgari Aqva (Bvlgari), L'Eau De Issey (Issey Miyake), and a fair few more. Obviously, my expectations were high approaching Elle.

(Special thanks to MyBeautySpot for permission to photograph the bottle on their premises, and providing a number of samples on card and wrist. Also, thanks to YSL at David Jones)

Elle (the EdP) opens with a burst of fresh fruit, which is quite mellow and not synthetic or very sweet. Right off the bat, the coldness of patchouli is evident, although the top is a nicely done medley of just a hint of citrus, and a white floral to go along with the lychee. Even though YSL says it's got peony, it's not very discernible. The most prominent notes at the top are Lychee and patchouli. Both the lychee and patchouli feel quite natural, and dont have the synthetic hippie-shop or candy-floss feel.

The middle is where it gets interesting. The patchouli gets a bit toned down, the pink pepper really shines here, and a mixture of florals starts becoming more obvious. There's hints of jasmine, the sweetness of rose, and the green, slightly peppery freesia which accentuates the pink pepper. The middle retains patchouli's cold undertone.

The base also retains patchouli, but gets somewhat musky. However this is not pure musk like what Parisienne L'Essentiel carries (the perfume pyramid says ambrette). The key feature of the base is vetiver though. The slightly smoky, musty and slightly damp woody feeling of a good vetiver note is quite a nice touch here. The base also gets a bit of dry wood in it. But I would reiterate...in between the dance that vetiver and ambrette do while holding hands around the wood, patchouli is still a definitive note.

The EdP and EdT are broadly similar, but they're not exact analogues of each other. The EdT has much less patchouli, the dominant notes being pink pepper and freesia instead. The top doesn't have much lychee either; it's a white floral (peony) with a hint of citrus. The middle gets easily discernible jasmine, and the bottom has noticeable muskiness and vetiver in it. The key difference to me between the two is the lessening of the patchouli, removal of the lychee, and more prominence for freesia and pink pepper.

Elle is not meant to be, and does not feel like an intimate scent. It doesn't have a suggestive vibe, and the ads made no effort to that effect either. The fluid is not vividly coloured, but excessive doses can get overwhelming because of the substantial amounts of patchouli, and the pepper and vetiver, which can get slightly cloying if over-done.

The EdP (90ml/3oz bottle)

Longevity and Projection/Sillage are both very good for the respective concentrations. Wrist samples of the EdP lasted about 7 hours on my hands, and the projection is well beyond arm's length. This is a strong scent, and will be quite noticeable when worn. The EdT took about 4-odd hours to wear off to a point where it was a skin scent, and projects to about arms' length.

The design of the bottle follows the very feminine, youthful design language, being  tall, vividly coloured and ornately decorated with a large golden plate with the YSL logo cut out.Visually, this fragrance has one of the prettiest bottles I've seen in a long time. 

My Recommendation? It's a very elegant, rather young fragrance, but at the same time it is sharp, loud and noticeable, especially the EdP. I recommend it whole-heartedly, but not as a blind buy. It is another scent I think should be given a proper test on skin before making the decision to buy. This is a versatile, all-weather, all-day scent, but not everyone will be able to pull this one off. 

The EdT (50ml/1.7oz bottle)

Ratings:

3.8/5 (EdP); Strong, fresh, long-lasting, versatile, but pricey, and not everyone can pull this one off. Gorgeous bottle design.
3.5/5 (EdT); Mild, versatile, and unobtrusive, but over-priced for the lasting power. Gorgeous bottle design.

Similarities:
Midnight Poison (Dior), Zen (Shiseido)

Prices:

EDT: AU$105 / AU$140 for 50ml / 90ml

EDP: AU$125 / AU$165 for 50ml / 90ml

Unitised Volumetric Price (UVP) (Click for more information):

EDT: 50ml $2.1/ml, 90ml $1.56/ml

EDP: 50ml $2.5/ml, 90ml $1.83/ml

Stockists: David Jones (official YSL stockist). Myer no longer seem to carry it, and availability is hit-and-miss at other outlets, especially for the 90ml bottles.

Perfume Review: YvesSaintLaurent Opium

A 90ml EdP bottle of Opium

(Note: This is not a review for Belle D'Opium or Opium Vapeurs De Parfum, and neither does this review consider Opium for Men)

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($150+ for EDT, $180+ for EDP). Type: Spicy/Oriental. YSL Beauty is a brand of L'Oreal.

I have something going for the house of YSL. Yes, it's one of L'Oreal's darling child brands with all the tinkering around that the corporate giant is famous for, but it remains responsible for some very nice fragrances. YSL does now have the habit of releasing enough flankers for scents that do well that Parisienne could be a house in itself, and L'Homme could be diagnosed with uncontrolled flankeritis (although this is by no means unique to them). But overall this house remains among my favourites. 

Let's have a look at one of their flagship fragrances, the very aptly (and controversially in its early days) named Opium. The formula appears to have undergone a change or two since its launch in 1977, and the bottle design has changed a fair bit since launch, but the fragrance retains its warm, oriental soul.

At first spritz, it opens with significant warmth, and has a faintly bergamot-dominated, citrusy top with just a hint of florals quietly making their way in. The notes pyramid lists both bergamot and orange, although I personally feel it's much more of a spice-infused, warm top with a hint of bergamot and some flowers. Amber and incense make their presence felt, but don't show their full intensity yet.

The middle starts to get much more ambery, with the warmth of the amber soon joined by incense, and that is the framework for the entire scent around which all the other notes congregate. There is a slight but distinct jasmine undertone as well around the middle, coupled with what's probably carnation, because the jasmine doesn't stay solo for much. The amber gets even stronger towards the base, and the two flowers give way to a very slight hint of patchouli. 

Even though listed in the notes pyramid, I don't get a very pronounced vanilla element in this scent. The vanilla does come through as a balancing element of sorts, making it a smooth transition from one note to the next. However, this is not by any means a creamy fragrance like Manifesto (YSL).

Current Bottles EDT on left, EDP on right; 

As far as the concentration goes, the EdT and EdP smell much the same, except the EdP projecting further and lasting longer. A sample of the EdP on my wrist lasted about nine hours (impressive), while the EDT lasted about five hours (very good for an EdT in my opinion). I personally love this scent, but this one is a polarising fragrance. Few people will say they are indifferent to it...the ones who like it will love it, those who don't like it will stay well clear.

Opium does have a vibe of moderate intimacy, but it's not as suggestive or seductive as the ads might imply. It may evoke feelings of some intimacy up close, but this isn't a Chanel Allure or Lauder Sensuous. This isn't intended to be a skin scent either like Floral Romantique (Guerlain Elixir Charnel), and will make its point without the wearer needing to be proximate with people. Overall, a versatile scent that can do well in a variety of settings, but at its best at night-time, particularly in colder weather.

My recommendation? I don't recommend this as a blind buy. This is a very nice scent, but it's not a particularly "safe" or mainstream one. Its potency and loudness may be unsettling for some. Try it on the skin, and smell it over a few hours, as this fragrance transforms a fair bit over its life. The top is the loudest part, and while the middle and base are still loud, the perfume does get a tad bit subdued after a couple of hours. Even in that state, it is noticeable from a distance.

From an Australian context, this is a pricey perfume, and can be difficult to locate at substantial discounts.

Ratings: 3.9/5...Powerful, warm, elegant, beautiful, but at the same time a polarising scent that not everyone will be able to pull off, and not incredibly versatile either. Pricey to add to the mix.

Disclosure: Review based on both wrist and card samples. No affiliation or compensation was involved.

Prices:

EDT: AU$120 / AU$160 / AU$170 for 50ml / 90ml / 125ml

EDP: AU$135 / AU$185 for 50ml / 90ml

Unitised Volumetric Price (UVP) (Click for more information):

EDT: 50ml $2.4/ml, 90ml $1.78/ml, 125ml $1.36/ml

EDP: 50ml $2.7/ml, 90ml $2.06/ml

Stockists: Myer, David Jones (both official), some outlets of MyChemist and its sister stores (Chemist Warehouse, MyBeautySpot) may also stock it.