Yves Saint Laurent

11 Best Smelling Yves Saint Laurent Perfumes for Women

by

Yves Saint Laurent is one of my favorite fragrance houses there is. Two of the first bottle of cologne that I bought were Body Kouros and Opium Pour Homme. Both of these are among my favorites to wear on the cooler days and nights of fall and winter.

Needless to say, there are also many YSL scents on the women’s side of things that I also absolutely adore. For this list, I have selected what I feel to be the best offerings by Yves Saint Laurent for ladies.

Favorite YSL Perfumes for Her

Note: During this update, I was planning on pruning off some of the older and discontinued fragrances. One that I did remove was Cinema. Well, YSL re-released it this year.

So, that’s definitely one to try out. Not sure for how long it’ll be available. But, I’ve kept some of these picks on here, in case they do find their way back into production too. Also, I’ve added newer picks to expand things. 

belle d'opium review

The Better Black

Black Opium Le Parfum- The Black Opium series is pretty bland with a lot of their releases. Fine, for the most part, but nothing seemingly that good.

That was, until Le Parfum was released. To me, this is the best of the bunch as of now. I’ve smelled Over Red once, which I liked, but I can’t say it’s better than Black Opium Le Parfum.

Cinnamon, vanilla, coffee, and a touch of green mandarin. This one starts off sweet, but it’s got that spicy kick. Sort of starts like a warm coffee drink.

Jasmine and orange flower will emerge out of that and give it more balance. But, this one isn’t too complicated, vanilla and coffee with a light floral blend. But, the perfume is very attractive and does the Black Opium name a great service. Black Opium Le Parfum review

Floral Powdery Scent

Paris By Yves Saint Laurent For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.
A wonderfully feminine perfume named after The City of Lights. It is a long-lasting fragrance that isn’t overpowering and includes notes of rose, amber, mimosa, moss, sandalwood, and orange flower.

This is a classic type of floral, with rose, violet, and iris leading the way. It can be quite powdery, so, if that’s not your thing maybe stay away from this.

However, I wouldn’t put that down as too much of a deterrent, because this fragrance is still beautiful in its vintage presentation.

paris

Top Mon Paris Fragrance

Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Intensement Women EDP Spray Floral 3 Ounce– The original Mon Paris release wasn’t bad. However, I think that Intensement is for sure the better smelling overall perfume.

It starts off with the same black currant and berry accord as the original. Though, Intensement tones down the use of datura, and has a more prominent rose note.

With the fruits and patchouli early on, Mon Paris Intensement has a fruit-chouli vibe, but the rose and peony will take over the composition.

The sillage and longevity are good here. In testing, this one got me 8-9 hours on the skin, and it wasn’t a weak skin scent for that duration. Read my Full Review

Favorite Libre Perfume

Libre Le Parfum– Le Parfum is my personal favorite from the YSL Libre series of perfumes. I wasn’t big on the original, Intense was better, and Platine is fine.

This, however, is a really fantastic release from the designer.

This is warm and cozy with a toned down lavender note, especially in the beginning. The citrus top notes are paired with ginger, saffron, honey, vanilla, and orange blossom. Yes, there’s a lot going on, but it’s well put together.

It will move toward being a honeyed vanilla and the lavender will really come into its own. Still, not as dominant as in the EDP for example.

Plenty of body with this one, it’s rich, with a great projection and lasts beyond ten hours on skin. Worth trying out for sure. Libre Le Parfum

Best Le Vestiaire des Parfums Scent

Trench by Yves Saint Laurent- Trench is my favorite Le Vestiaire des Parfums option from YSL, that leans toward women while being unisex. A lot of designers now have these higher priced niche perfumes, but most of them seem to be loaded with amber, oud, rose, etc.

Trench on the other hand, is a beautiful citrus floral with notes of iris, cedar, musk, and bergamot. What sets it apart is the infusion of fig and a nice tangerine. Yes, the iris is powdery, but it isn’t overly so despite it being the lead ingredient.

This one is a musky citrus floral up top, which dries down into a woody floral. The citrus notes are there but don’t come across as a super tart and juicy. Instead, they play the background and support the main structure.

Very subtle fragrance, so don’t expect a huge sillage. Though, the longevity is actually great in its understated elegance.

Best Winter Fragrance

OPIUM For Women By YVES SAINT LAURENT Eau de Toilette Spray 3 oz
An exotic classic that is spicy and oriental in its presentation. Mandarin, myrrh, jasmine, and bergamot. Opium is a sensually intriguing experience that drives the imagination to dream up distant lands.

Beautiful. Obviously, since the release in the 1970s, this perfume has undergone reformulations as just about everything has to.

However, the newer incarnation, is still a very nice fragrance. It still has its spicy, warm, and sweet notes with its underlying herbal and citrus tones that waft up throughout the wear. Opium has retained its charm and is actually a breathe of fresh air when compared to many newer releases.

Having access to the classic formula, would be great, but Opium is still a fantastic option for women; especially when compared with many other perfumes out there. Opium EDT review

Classic Yves Saint Laurent

Rive Gauche By Yves Saint Laurent For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz– A blast from the past, this 1970s fragrance is a sure fire classic.

Notes of sandalwood, oakmoss, honeysuckle, gardenia, and others form an intense, clean, and powdery scent. Unique, inspiring, and long-lasting.

Rive Gauche opens up with a icy shot of aldehydes, light crisp fruit notes, and a further dewy/greenish sort of aroma. Personally, I tend to pick up a peach note, as the main aspect of the fruit accord.

At least, with the latest decant I tried out, that’s what really came across early. Not massive, but it’s there.

It blends together as a powdery smell, but underneath you can pick out the floral notes such as rose and gardenia.

Plus, the fresh oak moss, vetiver, and other woody elements come together to create a clean and simply sophisticated perfume. Rive Gauche review

rivegauchew

Another Libre Scent

Yves Saint Laurent for Women Libre 1.6 oz Eau de Parfum Intense Spray– Libre Intense is the follow up to the popular YSL Libre. The thing is, Intense is the better perfume, due to its balance and deeper profile.

As I wrote earlier in this post, Le Parfum is now my favorite so far in the series.

Libre Intense begins as a sweeter fragrance and less of a complete lavender bomb. This allows Intense to not be as much of a soapy sort of scent and they really ramp up the vanilla and orchid notes in this version.

The performance is also fantastic. The original was no slouch, but Libre Intense will go for over 12 hours, and maintains a powerful stillage. If you do want the super lavender punch, go with the original. Intense is still better for most folks, however.

Soft and Sweet Vanilla

Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3 Ounce
A discontinued YSL release which features notes of lily of the valley, black currant, bergamot, and other green notes.

Manifesto is a lovely and soft fragrance  that is both sweet and captivating.

It starts out with the black currant and bergamot, which are both sweet and tart together, and get paired with a creamy vanilla note.

Manifesto dries down to a green/woody floral, with vanilla and tonka bean sitting on top. This is an attractive daily wear fragrance, that isn’t too loud, but still smells wonderful.

I’m not sure how much this is around still. So, you might have to track Manifesto down online, if you’re interested in trying it out.

manifesto

Most Unique Fragrance

Belle D’Opium FOR WOMEN by Yves Saint Laurent – 1.6 oz EDP Spray– Belle D’Opium is now discontinued, so, if you want to get a bottle it’s pretty much online only. This take on the Opium name is laden with fruits like peach and mandarin.

However, it also features warm and smoky incense. Plus, floral notes like lily, rose, and gardenia.

It a deep and exciting blend, which hits many different aromas, and goes from sweet to spicy to floral to woody and everything in between. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention, the prime role that the tobacco note plays in the whole thing.

The tobacco is more of a sweet and cured note than an unprocessed green-ish type of fragrances. Blended with the smokiness, you get a sweet and woodsy fragrance, with a lot of depth. If you can find a bottle around, it is well worth a try. Belle d’Opium review

Most Popular YSL Perfume

Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, Black Opium, 3 Ounce– Black Opium has become a best seller in the women’s perfume space over the past few years. I think that it is good enough to include it on the list of the top YSL offerings, now.

Black Opium, would seemingly seem like it would be a darker fragrance, but it is actually quite sweet.

It is led by coffee and vanilla, as its main notes, along with warm pink pepper and cedar. This is warm, sweet, and powerful but not for everyone. Sure, it has mass appeal, but some think that the sweetness is too much and the perfume can become too enveloping.

I generally like Black Opium and I think that it has also spawned some fairly nice flanker scents, as well, such as Intense. Though, none of them are all that amazing, when compared to the original.

It’s pretty much a cold to moderate climate wear, so, it won’t get too much use in summer or if you live in a tropical area. Black Opium Review

Mon Paris Lumiere EDT by YSL

by

Mon Paris Lumiere is another entry from the fairly long-running YSL series. This perfume was released in 2022. I got a sample of this a while ago, with another order of fragrances, so I tested it out for a full review. How does Lumiere smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Mon Paris Lumiere Smell Like?

Notes include: Isparta rose, lemon, jasmine, datura, white lotus, patchouli, musk

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: A chypre floral aquatic, as radiant and vertiginous as being loved under Parisian skies. The hypnotic fragrance of datura flower is embraced by the radiance of the white lotus flower and the elegance of the Isparta rose heart absolute. The scent of ecstatic love, a clash of light for an everlasting trail. 

Lumiere opens up bright, sweet, with an aquatic/ozonic accord underneath. It makes the floral notes seem like they’re floating in water.

Early, it’s notes of lemon, white lotus, and the datura. A few minutes in, I get some jasmine, but that never feels super powerful in this mix. At least on my skin.

It’s a tad odd, when I smell it sometimes, but I think Lumiere works. I do like the fresh and energizing aroma that this has, even if I’m not sold on the early lemon use.

Early, this does have some distinction from Mon Paris Intensment, which has a fruit-chouli aroma to it. That one joins a lighter datura note with black currant and rose in the early stages.

Here, we get the lighter and ozonic style that works better in the heat, but doesn’t have that same substantial feeling in the first half.

The next phase, is more floral and musky. Less of the ozonic aspect and the citrus will start to fade. It becomes more rosy, less lotus, and the jasmine is still involved. Not dominated by any of the floral notes here. Everything seems balanced for the duration.

Basically, Mon Paris Lumiere will end with it’s floral notes, freshness, patchouli, and musk. Not super deep or complex. More like the others in the series, in the second half of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a lighter and fresher scent, but Mon Paris Lumiere isn’t one that is super airy or non-detectable. Actually, overall between it’s ability to leave a scent trail and just project more generally, is a bit above average. At least, for a couple of hours.

On my skin, this one will stick around for 6-6.5 hours. It’s nothing that’s going to be a beast performer. It’s just pretty much okay, across the board.

I thought that this might have a bit more to it, than what I actually got. I didn’t expect a completely massive scent, but I did think that I’d get more than six or so hours out of Lumiere.

Seasonally, Lumiere is a warm weather perfume that’s built for spring and summer. It’s not as heavy as others in the series, so, this YSL can be a good change of pace for those who like this formula and want a springtime variant.

It’s more of a daytime wear. It’s not very formal, but it’d work for most circumstances and can be worn by any age. There’s nothing here that is going to be off-putting for most people.

Overall Impressions of Lumiere

Overall, do I like Mon Paris Lumiere? It’s pretty good. It’s probably somewhere between the original and Mon Paris Intensement. I liked Intensement more than the first one. Lumiere isn’t doing anything wholly different or better than either, however.

The lemon and white lotus combination, in the early stages is nice enough. There’s nothing here that blows me away, but this is a likeable release from YSL.

It’s freshness and musk can be a nice pick me up on a warmer day. The rose and jasmine back half is fine, it’s been done a million times, we’re not breaking much new ground with this perfume.

Lumiere is pretty much a true flanker fragrance, not really going way off in the other direction versus others from the Mon Paris lineup.

Likeable at full price? Probably not. If another from the Mon Paris series is one of your signature scents, you’ll almost certainly like this one. If you didn’t care for one the others, this one isn’t likely to make you a new fan.

A pretty good perfume, with fairly average performance. Get it for a discount, if you can. Or, just skip it entirely.

Libre Le Parfum by YSL

by

Libre Le Parfum was released as a flanker to the popular YSL original back in 2022. I received a few samples of it some months back and tested it out. It wasn’t one that I was particularly excited about trying, but actually came away pleasantly surprised by this perfume. How does it smell? How long does it last? Continue below for my full thoughts.

Libre Le Parfum Overview

Notes include: ginger, saffron, mandarin orange, bergamot, orange blossom, lavender, vanilla, honey, tonka bean, vetiver

Click here to try: Libre Le Parfum

My Full Review

One of the main things that I notice early on with Libre Le Parfum, is how quiet the lavender note is on my skin early. Now, come to find out that it will be more substantial later on, I do like the change of pace from others in the series.

The opening has a good dose of mandarin orange/bergamot, while not ever taking over the composition. It’s held in check by the ginger, saffron, honey, vanilla, and especially the orange blossom. That is the floral note (and note in general) that leads the way here.

Parfum is warm and cozy. The spice is potent, while we get a thick sweetness as well, in this opening act.

After a few minutes, the citrus will fade, as will some of the ginger. Here, I get a mix of saffron, and honey with the orange blossom. The other notes will be sitting underneath this as the main accord for a while.

The next phase for me is the lavender coming on strong at the expense of the orange blossom. It will be even for a little bit, but lavender quickly takes on the dominant role out of the floral notes.

With that, less saffron, ginger is pretty much gone, but you get the tonka bean in their place. So, it’s really a vanilla and honeyed aroma at this point. A sweet, honey-vanilla dipped floral fragrance.

The dry down is mostly lavender and vanilla with a touch of vetiver poking through. Not as thick, still somewhat sweet, but more of a cleaner aromatic smell at this point. Closer to what you get with Libre and Libre Intense.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Le Parfum is a heavy and thick fragrance with plenty of projection. It will leave a nice scent trail for a long time. On me, it felt a tad weaker than Libre Intense, but it is still close to being the strongest of the bunch so far.

The longevity here is fantastic. I get 10-11 hours at least, with Le Parfum sometimes venturing into the 12 hour range. I don’t think it’ll go beyond that on my skin, but this Libre flanker is no slouch.

Seasonally, due to its ingredients and how heavy of a scent it can be, this one is made for the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t expect to be wearing this outside during the summer months or if you live in a particularly tropical climate.

Add to that, this is one that can really shine in the nightlife, during those colder months. That warmth, sweetness, and enveloping cozy aroma is great. Attractive and bold with what it brings to the table.

Maybe not the best for formal wear or work (depending on your office). Some of you will be able to pull it off in that environment. But, this is just a really nice gourmand version of Libre.

Overall Impressions of Le Parfum

Overall, do I like Libre Le Parfum? Yes, I think it is the best release of the series thus far. I used to think that was Libre Intense, but this surpasses it. Also, it is easily better than L’Absolu Platine which came out around the same timeframe.

It does everything well, so long as you enjoy this sort of heavier gourmand style. It won’t be for absolutely everyone, of course, but I think that most people would enjoy this YSL perfume.

I’d say that this one is a buy. It’s definitely one to try out and see how it works for you, at the very least.

Again, it’d be my number one pick from the Libre line. I wasn’t a big fan of the original, but this and Intense really carry the banner well.

One of the better designer releases in the past few years. It doesn’t seem to get the same attention as things like Burberry Goddess (this is better) or even the other Libre options.

Black Opium vs Prada Candy Perfume Comparison

by

So, here we are, back with another round of perfume comparisons. Today, we have two sweet and popular designers scents for women: Black Opium EDP by Yves Saint Laurent vs. Prada Candy. Now, both of these are the eau de parfum versions of each respective scents. Which of these two gourmand perfumes smells the best? Which gives a better performance? Please continue below for my full take of them head to head.

Tale of the Tape: Black Opium vs. Candy

Black Opium

black opium perfume review

Notes include: coffee, vanilla, patchouli, pink pepper, orange blossom, cedar

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, Black Opium, 3 Ounce

Read my original review: Black Opium

Prada Candy

Notes include: caramel, musk, and benzoin

Click here to try: Prada Prada Candy Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.7 Ounce

Read my original review: Prada Candy

Opening

The opening of Black Opium is probably when it’s at its worst. It’s messy and has a lot going on. Orange blossom, vanilla, and cedar among other notes are heavily present and intense. The YSL scent just takes about ten minutes to work itself out before the perfume really gets going.

After that, we get a still super sweet fragrance, but the vanilla and emergent coffee pair up to straighten out the composition.

Meanwhile, Prada Candy, is also sweet just darker. It doesn’t have the intensity and swaps in caramel to be paired with benzoin and some musk.

I love the benzoin note here and it strikes me as being sort of like a more feminine version of Body Kouros, which is actually a Yves Saint Laurent cologne.

Between the two? I prefer the start to Prada Candy. Black Opium gets better, just the opening struggles for a bit. It’s kind of messy and I think some of the later flankers to Black Opium got it better, in this regard.

Edge: Candy

Projection

Black Opium is very strong perfume. A couple sprays should do it for just about any occasion and any more than that just won’t be necessary. Prada Candy is much more of a light to moderate scent and cannot compete with the sillage of Black Opium.

It’s probably a good thing for Candy, as if it were strong, it’d start to get annoying. Nonetheless, the stronger of the two is the YSL fragrance.

Edge: Black Opium

Longevity

I get about 6-7 hours from Prada Candy, on my skin. That’s solid and could be useful in a variety of scenarios. Still, it’s nothing that’s amazing or of great value versus the Prada price point.

However, Black Opium is an all day wear. I got double digit hours out of that perfume with no trouble at all. Performance wise, the YSL is dominant. Some later Black Opium flankers didn’t seem to ever reach this same level.

As far as I’ve experienced with the original, it hasn’t gotten noticeably weaker over the years.

Prada is serviceable, but Black Opium gets you plenty of bang for your buck.

Edge: Black Opium

Versatility

Both of these perfumes are cold weather wears. Both can be worn casually or at work. Plus, have enough sexiness to be worn out at night. Perhaps, Prada Candy is a bit safer for work because it isn’t as loud, but that’s really the only edge I see.

Either is a nice and sweet selection that can be a easy reach when the temperatures start to drop.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

So, the both of these perfumes are of the sweet, gourmand, and cold weather variety. Prada Candy is fairly linear and moderate in its presentation and performance.

You get the sweet and salty caramel and then later, more of benzoin and musk. There is also a dash of powder in there for good measure.

Black Opium EDP is a bold fragrance that isn’t dark like the name would suggest. It’s really sweet with vanilla and coffee.

Add to that, a warm pink pepper note, and the ever present orange blossom note. It has more of a rich and cozy feeling than does Candy, while also being more complex and ultimately more interesting.

Which is better? I’d go with Black Opium. For most ladies, it will be the better bet. Now, if you want something subtler, Candy might be the way to go.

However, Black Opium gives a better performance and outside of the opening 10 minutes of confusion, it smells nicer than does Prada Candy.

Winner: Black Opium

Belle D’Opium by YSL

by

Belle d’Opium is a Yves Saint Laurent perfume that I’ve liked for a long time. However, since it came out back in 2010 and is discontinued, I hadn’t come across any in years. Luckily, I saw a sample for sale online recently, and bought it to do a full review.

How does Belle d’Opium smell? Does it last long? Is it worth tracking down a bottle?

What does Belle d’Opium by YSL Smell Like?

Notes include: Casablanca lily, mandarin, gardenia, incense, pepper, tobacco, peach, rose, amber, patchouli, vanilla, sandalwood

belle d'opium review

My Full Review

Here’s how Yves Saint Laurent describes it: The thrill of bewitching, a new oriental. An overdose of rare and precious ingredients: the narcotic scent of Casablanca Lily blends with spice swirling incense and mysterious overtones of a Nargileh accord. A true olfactory manifesto.

An interesting feature of this perfume is the Nargileh accord. Basically, creating the effect of hookah, with a smokiness, spiciness, and tobacco note. Perhaps, even a flavored smoke with the mandarin, peach, and other fruits.

After that opening act, the next phase is a sweet white floral blend with a decent amount of peach lurking underneath the lily.

While it doesn’t feel as smoky or spicy, as it did at the start. The ‘Nargileh accord’ still does have a presence here. It’s a light tobacco at this point, without as much influence from the incense.

The mood really matches that purple bottle. The fruity blend is feeling pretty jam like, at this point. Almost boozy, with how it can come across on my skin. Just not a hyper-sugary sort of sweetness.

The white floral notes are a tug of war between the lily and the gardenia. Though, I do really like the balance between them. Jasmine, is around.

As we transition, the patchouli note and amber will come out more. It does have a ‘fruitchouli’ perfume smell for a good portion of the wear. I like it, I think that it’s a fine example of the type versus a lot of others out there nowadays.

The tail end for me, is a sweetish blend of more of the lily than gardenia. Amber with sandalwood, less of the patchouli, and perhaps a dab of vanilla to tie it all together.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does have some substance. It’s not massive, but it’ll leave a scent trail and can project quite far at times. It’s sort of weird. Belle d’Opium will feel like a strong fragrance, then, be absolutely light at other times.

All in all, it’s above average, but seemingly not capable of blowing the doors off with normal spraying.

The longevity for me is good, but not great by any means. Somewhere in the 7-7.5 hour range, on my skin. At times, you expect this to be more of a beast, but Belle never fully takes on that role.

Seasonally, Belle is built for autumn through early spring. Maybe late spring, if you live in a colder area. This YSL has a good amount of body and a thicker feel without being overly heavy.

Still, enough to it to where the heat and humidity of the summer months wouldn’t be too appealing.

Belle d’Opium is well put together, but not formal. It has a sensual and nightlife kind of vibe mostly, but not super serious or stuffy. A bit more than the usual casual fare, great for certain parties or evenings out for cocktails.

Overall Impressions of Belle d’Opium

Overall, do I like Belle d’Opium? Yes, this is one of my favorite releases from the women’s side of things at YSL. It was kind of a shorter lived fragrance, somewhat forgotten now, but it was a gem.

The opening with the fruits, hookah, and white floral notes is great. I love how the fruit notes come across here and the gardenia and lily play off of one another.

The performance is above average, but not too much so. It’s not exactly a weak point, since that aspect is still quite good, it just could’ve been better.

Is it worth picking up? Since the remaining bottle go for nearly $200 each, as of posting, it probably won’t be worthwhile for most people to get one for themselves. Collectors or just those who want to get deeper into the fragrance hobby, and missed this, could do well with this perfume.