Yves Saint Laurent

YSL Libre vs. Mon Guerlain Comparison

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Libre by YSL has become a pretty popular lavender based fragrance. Another such option, is the even more popular Mon Guerlain. Due to their similarities, they often can get compared and become the final two options that women are deciding on to purchase. In this post, I want to give my comparison of these two perfumes, and go through why I think one is better than the other.

Tale of the Tape: Mon Guerlain vs. YSL Libre

Mon Guerlain

Notes include: jasmine, vanilla, lavender, sandalwood, tonka bean

Click here to try: Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.3oz

Read my review: Mon Guerlain EDP

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

Opening

Mon Guerlain starts things off with a sweet aroma of vanilla and tonka bean. Though, the way that the fragrance mixes with other notes in its composition, it starts to develop a caramel-like scent.

Then, Mon Guerlain will shift and become more about the lavender and vanilla notes, striking a somewhat similar smell to Libre.

Libre begins with citrus, but is already heavily floral from the start. Orange blossom is paired with the lavender early on, but the lavender will take on the much stronger role between the two. 

Which is better? I prefer the start of Mon Guerlain. You still get the lavender note like YSL Libre, but you also get that sweeter and delicious opening. I think that it smells better and also more interesting.

Edge: Mon Guerlain

Projection

Mon Guerlain has a moderate sillage overall. It’ll be noticeable and project itself fairly well, but isn’t going to overtake a room with a normal amount of spraying.

Libre is firmly in the strong camp. Not the most powerful scent that I’ve come across, but it is well above average, especially among most popular designer scents. Both have nice performance, but Libre is a notch above.

Edge: Libre

Longevity

During testing, Libre would last on my skin for just over 9 hours. While it does have the stronger sillage, I actually get better performance most of the time from Mon Guerlain.

So, Mon Guerlain will do 8 hours at the low end, but it does go over 10 hours. It has a higher ceiling, but lower floor when compared to the Saint Laurent perfume.

Edge: Mon Guerlain

 

 

Versatility

Both of these scents can be worn for much of the year, outside of the summertime. So, seasonally they are about equals. 

They are both very versatile, being daily wears, that can also be worn casually. I’d say that Mon Guerlain has the edge, as it can venture closer to formal wear and doesn’t skew as much to the younger age range as Libre.

Edge: Mon Guerlain

Overall Scent

Libre is an interesting fragrance and has it merits, but I’m not in love with it. It’s a bold lavender fragrance, that dries down into a creamier scent, with its vanilla note. Not a very deep scent and has an emphasis on the floral notes, including that opening orange blossom.

Mon Guerlain is just better to my nose, overall. It also has the lavender and vanilla, but feels more balanced, especially when the jasmine comes into play. Beyond that, the opening sweetness is a great touch, and Mon Guerlain is smoother/creamier.

Mon Guerlain pretty easily wins this one. Libre isn’t a bad perfume, it just doesn’t reach the same level as its competitor.

Winner: Mon Guerlain

YSL Libre vs. Mon Paris Comparison

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YSL has released a ton of perfumes over the past decade, in addition to the classics they’re still selling. Mon Paris and Libre are two of their newer lines, that they seem to be in the process of creating even more flanker perfumes for. Between the originals, though, which smells better? Which fragrance is the one to check out? In this post, I will break down my thoughts and compare these scents.

Tale of the Tape: Mon Paris vs. YSL Libre

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

Mon Paris EDP

Notes include: peony, white musk, patchouli, and datura accord

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Original Review: Mon Paris 

Opening

Mon Paris opens up with berries, pear, and other citrus notes. It’s a floral perfume, but much of the wear is actually pretty fruity in its presentation. Underneath that, are the floral notes of datura flower and peony. As things progress, they will take over more of the composition.

Libre also opens with a bit of citrus. However, it is much more floral from the start. Orange blossom and lavender are the main highlights at the start. The lavender is going to end up being the main focus of this fragrance, though.

Which is better? I think the fruity notes in Mon Paris are more enjoyable than the lavender and orange blossom, that I get with Libre. Libre feels soapier and musky versus the berries and nice datura note, that comes with Mon Paris.

Edge: Mon Paris

Projection

Both of these fragrances have above average sillage. Mon Paris is more in the moderate camp, but towards the upper end of the spectrum. While, Libre is definitely what you could term as strong. Not a monster, but it projects itself a bit better than Mon Paris.

Edge: Libre

Longevity

On my skin, Mon Paris goes 7-8 hours. Libre, again has the greater strength, at just over 9 hours of full wear. Plus, Libre keeps its power up for a longer period of time.

Edge: Libre

Versatility

Neither of these fragrances are going to be best for the hottest days of the year. Though, I think that Mon Paris holds up a bit better there.

Also, neither is very formal. Both are best for daily wear or casual wear and are quite versatile within that setting. I’d also say, both of these will probably skew toward a younger crowd. I don’t see much distinction in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I don’t absolutely love either one of these scents. In my mind, they’re both pretty good and have nice performance, but never reach anything all that special.

Libre is an interesting fragrance. It’s a bold lavender fragrance, that dries down into a creamier scent, with its vanilla note. Not super complicated and has an emphasis on the floral notes, including that opening orange blossom.

Mon Paris is fruity, floral, and musky. The opening is pretty, but also a pretty standard fruit-chouli type of fragrance with its prevalent patchouli note. However, it does have a nice datura which separates it somewhat.

Between, them I like the sweetness of Mon Paris just a tad better. Libre is more unique and has better performance. But, it’s nothing mind blowing. Out of these YSL perfumes? I’d give a slight win to Mon Paris.

Winner: Mon Paris

Mon Paris Intensement by YSL

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Mon Paris Intensement is a flanker fragrance of the original and fairly popular, Mon Paris from Saint Laurent. It was released in 2020 and I recently bought a sample of this fragrance to give it a whirl and see if it’s actually a worthwhile scent. How does it smell? Does it last long? Please continue below for my full take on this YSL perfume.

What does Mon Paris Intensement Smell Like?

Notes include: datura, Centifolia Rose, cashmeran wood, black currant, white musk

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Intensement Women EDP Spray Floral 3 Ounce

My Full Review

A woody floral chypre, a bouquet of flowers as grand as the Eiffel Tower. The hypnotic accord of Datura flower is heightened by the elegance of Centifolia Rose absolute and the sensuality of Cashmeran wood. The scent of mad love, to be lived intensely.

The opening of Intensement is similar to the original Mon Paris. Black currant (other berry notes, also) is stronger here and the datura accord is toned down, but it’s pretty similar overall.

Another main difference, is that the rose note here is much more prominent throughout the entire wear. That comes through early on with the patchouli, creating an early fruit-chouli type of fragrance.

That will fade, however, and the rose and peony really take over the composition. The patchouli pretty consistent during the entirety of the wear. But, those berry notes start to fall by the wayside and fall pretty far from prominence.

The result is a rose, peony, and datura blend with a sweetness covering it. From there add some cashmeran wood and muskiness from the base and you’ve pretty much have experienced the entire scent.

The final dry down is more of a musky rose blend, for maybe the last hour or two that it lasts on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Mon Paris Intensement is a strong perfume, though, not completely overwhelming. It is safely above average and can project itself well with only a few sprays. The sillage is solid overall and it doesn’t just cut out early to become a skin scent.

It can last for up to 10 hours, on the skin. But, I mostly got 8-9 hours of solid wear out of it. So, that’s more along the lines of what to expect on a daily basis, with some additional time on occasion.

The performance is one of the strengths of this YSL perfume and you get a good deal based on what you’re paying for it.

Seasonally, it can it in a wide range of climates, excepting the extreme heat of summer. It’s not completely terrible when it’s hot, but the fragrance definitely isn’t at its best. Ideally, slightly cool to moderate temperatures is when Mon Paris Intensement shines.

Mon Paris Intensement can be worn in a variety of situations, but I wouldn’t call it a formal sort of scent. It feels like it skews toward the younger crowd and is best served as a casual scent, either during the day or night.

Overall Impressions of Mon Paris Intensement

Do I like this perfume? I actually do enjoy it. It’s still not a love for me, but I think that it is better than the original, on balance. From the smell to the performance, Intensement just gives you a bit more than the original (which was pretty decent).

I really do like the early sweet stages of this scent. The rose, the black currant, and the patchouli are a familiar but enjoyable pairing. The main knock that I’d give to Mon Paris Intensement is that it isn’t very original.

I mean, not only is it a flanker to the original, but it has a decent amount of overlap with a ton of other scents, like Armani Si…but doesn’t smell as good.

It’s a nice scent, nothing spectacular, and not one of the top perfumes from YSL. Nevertheless, if you can good a nice price for it, this can totally find a way in your rotation. It does everything well and does provide a good deal of value.

YSL Libre vs. Good Girl Comparison

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YSL Libre has become a very popular scent since its release. It can often get compared to Good Girl by Carolina Herrera, as both are floral dominant with gourmand elements, and are best sellers respectively. With that being the case, which of these perfumes smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Good Girl vs. YSL Libre

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

Good Girl

Notes include: jasmine, coffee, bergamot, tuberose, almond, rose, tonka bean, cocoa

Click here to try: CAROLINA HERRERA Good Girl Eau de Perfume Spray, 2.7 Fl Oz

Read my Review: Good Girl by Carolina Herrera

Opening

Libre opens up with orange blossom as the dominant note, but paired with lavender, and a slight spritz of citrus fruit juice. Libre is musky, somewhat soapy, and has a creamy aroma. Though, the latter isn’t as strong, as it is in Libre Intense.

Meanwhile, Good Girl is about the white floral notes and citrus up top. Lemon, jasmine, and almond are the main attention grabbers, but some tuberose will come through.

That opening is short-lived, the citrus fades, and you get coffee to pair with the almond. At first, it’s more of a nutty gourmand, but cocoa and tonka bean will play a greater role.

Which is better? For me, I prefer the opening of Good Girl more so than Libre. I like the lemon and jasmine pairing better than the musky orange blossom and lavender of Libre. It’s not a huge advantage, but it takes this round.

Edge: Good Girl

Projection

Libre is a fairly strong fragrance, more like the upper end of moderate, than a complete beast. However, it projects better than Good Girl, which is just pretty middle of the road. Not completely weak, but the YSL is better.

Edge: Libre

Longevity

On my skin, Good Girl will go right around 8 hours, but doesn’t seem to go beyond that. Libre can hit 9 hours and seems to have a stronger residue in those later hours.

Edge: Libre

Versatility

Good Girl is more of a casual or nightlife scent, that is light enough and not too sweet that it couldn’t be worn elsewhere, but it’s not really a formal fragrance. Nor is Libre, I don’t really see a distinction there.

Good Girl is more of a cold weather wear, so, autumn through most of springtime it would be fine. Again, it’s pretty much the same for Libre, as neither is a scent to wear in the heat.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I don’t absolutely love either of these fragrances and they’re indeed pretty close competition for one another.

Libre can be a good choice if you want more of a strong floral fragrance, with a heavy emphasis on the lavender note, in the latter stages. The vanilla note and creaminess is there, but it’s not the main feature.

Good Girl is more of a balance between the white floral notes and gourmand ingredients. The coffee and almond are really great and my favorite part. It’s not completely unique, as there are many perfumes that smell similar to Good Girl. But, still likeable enough.

Between them, I’d go with Good Girl over Libre. It’s the more interesting fragrance and smells better, in my opinion.

Winner: Good Girl

Mon Paris EDP by YSL

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Mon Paris was released by Saint Laurent back in 2016. It has become the flagship of a pretty successful line of fragrances, though, not insanely so. I grabbed a few samples of these perfumes, to finally give them a proper review for the site, and will kick things off with the original Mon Paris EDP. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Mon Paris EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: peony, white musk, patchouli, and datura accord

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get into my personal review, let’s see how YSL describes this fragrance: An intoxicating white chypre to make you lose your senses. The sensuality of white petaled musk, enlightened by a vertiginous datura accord and balanced by the intensity of an exceptional patchouli. The trail of intense love.

YSL doesn’t mention it, but there are fruity notes in Mon Paris and actually are more prominent than the floral notes for much of the wear.

I mostly get berries, some pear, and a hint of citrus. Though, the latter two aren’t that powerful within the overall composition.

With the floral notes, I mostly get the datura and peony, and a very light jasmine some of the time. It’s fruity/floral and somewhat musky, with a patchouli notes creeping up from the base.

For the rest of the wear, what it develops into is a sweet floral with musky and patchouli highlights. The fruit notes become less distinguishable and it just feels like a generic smell of ‘sweet’. It’s not bad or unpleasant to me, however.

The datura pretty much takes over the entirety of the composition. Datura, sweetness, and musk. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Mon Paris isn’t a complete beast, but it isn’t exactly weak, either. The sillage is above average and I can pick it up 4-7 feet away, when spraying on a t-shirt. Very respectable and one that will work well in most situations.

The longevity is also quite good, just not elite. On my skin, Mon Paris EDP will go 7-8 hours before it completely fades. Right around a full work day. If you need a longer wear, you’re probably going to have to reapply. 

 

Seasonally, this is a very versatile release from YSL. I’d say, outside of the absolutely hottest days of summer, you should be good to go. It’s fine when it’s warm out, but just that high heat and humidity could kill it.

It’s sweet and attractive. Not necessarily a sexy fragrance, but I enjoy the delicious smelling aspects of this perfume. Good for casual wear, daily wear, and can venture into the nightlife. Though, that’s not its main use. 

I wouldn’t really use Mon Paris for a more formal engagement. Also, probably best worn by those in their 20s.

My Overall Impressions of Mon Paris

Overall, do I like Mon Paris by YSL? I like it, but this perfume isn’t a love for me. It’s a very nice fruity floral, that does most everything well enough, but it isn’t an outstanding scent by any means.

I like Intensement better from this series. Lumiere is pretty decent too.

It’s more of a sweet fruity/floral fragrance, than what it seems to be marketed as. Mon Paris is not super sugary or candy-like sweet, but it might be one to avoid if sweetness is not your thing with perfumes.

I enjoy the berries, datura, and peony blend. It’s pretty and one that would be easy to grab for most any occasion. The later patchouli phase is also fairly enjoyable.

Mon Paris EDP is nice. That’s about what I can say about it. Nothing super special, but pretty basic, familiar, and nice. It skews toward the younger crowd, but isn’t a complete ‘teenager fragrance’.