The Truth About Ysl Cologne's Oil Base

Yves Saint Laurent, also known as YSL, offers a range of luxury fragrances and colognes for men. One of their popular colognes, L'Homme, is available in different forms, including eau de toilette sprays, perfume oils, and body oils. The cologne features a blend of aromatic notes such as bergamot, ginger, violet leaves, and cedarwood, offering a sophisticated and casual scent. While some YSL colognes are alcohol-based, the brand also offers pure perfume oils that are alcohol-free and contain no fillers. These oils provide a smooth, long-lasting, and balanced fragrance, occupying only your private space without being overpowering.

YSL cologne's top notes

Yves Saint Laurent, or YSL, is a French fashion company that has been producing unique and masculine colognes since the 1970s. While some of their earlier fragrances are no longer in production, YSL continues to release new and improved versions of their classic scents. Here is a guide to the top notes of some of their most popular colognes:

L'Homme Eau de Toilette

L'Homme is an elegant, spicy-fresh-floral fragrance with bright notes of citrus and just enough spice to give it a bite. Its top notes include ginger, bergamot, and lavender leaf, creating a clean-cut and versatile scent suitable for any occasion.

Y Eau de Parfum

Y Eau de Parfum is a bold, seductive, and edgy signature scent with a citrus base. Its top notes feature apple, ginger, bergamot, and sage, resulting in a youthful and modern fragrance that is perfect for daytime wear.

La Nuit de L'Homme

La Nuit de L'Homme is a sexy and mysterious scent ideal for nighttime. While it has a fresh opening with bergamot and lavender, its top notes include spices like cardamom and caraway, which give it a smooth and slightly sweet aroma.

Tuxedo

Tuxedo is a unique and elegant fragrance inspired by Yves Saint Laurent's iconic unisex take on the tuxedo. Its top notes include cardamom, black pepper, patchouli, and violet leaf, creating a spicy kick with a subtle sweetness.

Y Eau de Parfum Spray for Men

This version of Y Eau de Parfum opens with crisp and fresh top notes of bergamot, apple, and ginger. It then transitions to warmer notes of tonka bean and amberwood, with a touch of juniper. This fragrance has excellent longevity and a solid sillage.

L'Homme Eau de Parfum

L'Homme Eau de Parfum has a sweet and ambery opening with top notes of bergamot and bitter orange. As it dries down, it becomes woodier and earthier, with notes of geranium and lavender. This fragrance is a recent release under the L'Homme banner, adding a modern twist to the classic scent.

In conclusion, YSL colognes offer a range of top notes that cater to different preferences and occasions. From fresh and spicy to sweet and woody, YSL fragrances are known for their elegance, subtlety, and longevity.

Middle notes and base notes

The middle notes of YSL Y are sage, juniper berries, and geranium. The base notes are amberwood, tonka bean, cedar, vetiver, and olibanum.

Longevity and performance

Yves Saint Laurent's YSL-L'Homme is a long-lasting cologne with moderate scent strength. Its longevity has been described as "smooth, long-lasting, rich, balanced and full of luscious aroma." The cologne typically lasts six to twenty-four hours, depending on the user's skin type, and evaporates naturally.

The cologne's scent unfolds over time, with the top notes leading to the middle notes and then the base notes. The top notes are Citron, White Ginger, Ozone Accord, and Bergamot. The middle notes are White Pepper, Violet Leaves, and Basil Flower. The base notes are Vetiver, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, and Sandalwood.

The YSL-L'Homme cologne is an "understated and rich classic." It has a "sharp opening" that is "dry and herbal," which gives way to "sensual wood and moss notes" that lend a "soapy finish." It is "bold without being brash, natural yet elegant."

The cologne has been described as having a sweet and sexy scent that is not overwhelming. It is suitable for daytime and casual use, with a timeless, classy aroma that "never gets old."

Some customers have expressed mixed opinions about the longevity of the cologne, with some stating that it "smells great and lasts long, while others feel that it is "not as long-lasting as they thought."

Sillage and projection

Sillage is affected by motion, ambient temperature, and the inherent qualities of the skin. The skin itself becomes a substrate for the scent, and factors such as the inherent scent of the individual's skin, the moisturization of the skin, the behaviour of the skin's microbiome, and the temperature of the skin can all affect the sillage of a perfume.

Compounds such as Hedione (methyl dihydrojasmonate), damascones, Iso-E super (Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes), linalool, and some synthetic musks are sometimes added to fragrances to enhance their diffusion and sillage. Hedione, for example, is a synthetic compound that is similar to methyl jasmonate, which occurs naturally in floral scents such as jasmine, tuberose, and magnolia. It is considered one of the compounds responsible for the projection of the scent in living flowers. The first commercially successful fragrance to use Hedione was Eau Sauvage by perfumer Edmond Roudnitska for Christian Dior, released in 1966. The addition of Hedione to the fragrance gave it a new type of projection and transparency that had not been experienced before in this type of perfume, marking the beginning of a new trend in perfumery.

Projection refers to how far someone can smell a fragrance. Some fragrances are soft and sit close to the skin, while others project more strongly and can be smelled by people further away. Projection is an important factor in determining whether a fragrance is suitable for certain situations. For example, a fragrance for the office should not be a loud projector so as not to offend colleagues, while a fragrance for a date should project just enough to reach your date across the table and seduce them with your scent.

To create a fragrance with good projection and sillage, it is important to consider where to spray the scent. Spraying the front of the neck or directly in front of the nose is not advisable, as this can be unpleasant. Instead, the first sprays should be directed at the pulse points under the ear and towards the rear of the neck. This ensures that the scent projects horizontally and can be smelled by people walking by, as well as someone hugging or kissing you on the cheek. The next spray should be on the back of the neck, to create an aromatic bubble around the wearer. Wrists are also a good option, but fragrances with a high concentration of oil may stain clothing.

Similar fragrances

Yves Saint Laurent offers a range of fragrances for men, including colognes, eau de toilettes, and eau de parfums. Here are some similar fragrances to the YSL cologne line for men:

Bleu de Chanel:

This fragrance has a similar vibe to YSL's Y EDP but without the aromatic notes. It's a good alternative if you're looking for something less sweet and more understated.

Armani Code:

The original Armani Code EDT is recommended for its olive notes, while the parfum version is said to be the closest to the YSL line. The parfum is described as a YSL done with iris and without the apple note. If you're looking for something less sweet, the EDT version might be a better option.

Chanel Platinum Egoiste:

This fragrance is described as more mature than the YSL line but with a clean and well-put-together vibe. It's a good option if you're looking for something elegant and sophisticated that's not too overpowering.

Tom Ford's Fucking Fabulous:

This fragrance is described as an aromatic bomb without any sweetness. It's an expensive option but could be worth it if you're looking for something unique and luxurious.

Afnan 9am Dive:

This fragrance is said to be a hybrid of YSL Y EDP and Bleu de Chanel. It might be a good choice if you're a fan of both of those fragrances and are looking for something that combines their best features.

In addition to these similar fragrances, YSL offers a range of other colognes and fragrances that you might want to explore, including:

• L'Homme Eau de Toilette: A versatile and elegant fragrance with notes of bergamot, ginger, and cedarwood.
• Y Eau de Parfum: A bold, seductive, and edgy signature scent with notes of sage, apple, and vetiver.
• Y Eau de Toilette: A fresh and bright scent with geranium, lavender, and incense notes, perfect for those who prefer lighter fragrances.
• Y Le Parfum: An edgy and intense scent with lavender, geranium, and cedarwood notes, suitable for both day and night.
• L'Homme Eau de Parfum: A spicy and woody scent with bitter orange, oakwood, and vetiver notes, perfect for those who appreciate craftsmanship.
• La Nuit De L'Homme: A warm, woody, and spicy fragrance ideal for night owls and formal occasions.
• MYSLF Eau de Parfum: A modern twist on a classic fresh fragrance with orange blossom and patchouli notes, making it stand out from other fresh colognes.

Frequently asked questions