L’Homme Eau de Parfum by YSL

L’Homme is a now long-running series of releases from the YSL house. The Yves Saint Laurent brand has put out some of my favorites over the years and was the first real designer I got into back in the day. Here in 2022, they are coming out with an eau de parfum version of L’homme. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Homme Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: bitter orange, oak, cognac, cedar, and more

Click here to try: L’Homme EDP

My Full Review

Let’s see how YSL describes this fragrance: L’Homme, the new Eau de Parfum, encapsulates the heart of the L’Homme franchise, the woody accord, in a more powerful, deliciously intoxicating variation. Like a liqueur, the fruity essence of Bitter Orange goes perfectly with the Infusion de Bois de Chêne. This new ingredient, distilled from oak shavings from barrels made in Cognac, brings roundness and power to the captivating trail of this new Eau de Parfum.

L’Homme eau de parfum opens up with the original’s bergamot note enhanced and amplified by the bitter orange note. It’s really reminiscent of the Parfum Intense version, at this early stage, just without the same amount of amber an note and orange blossom.

I haven’t seen amber listed here, but there seems like there is some in the mix…at least initially.

It’s sweet and does have some of that boozy aroma from the cognac soaked oak note, but that isn’t terribly strong within the composition.

I do notice, that this actually has plenty of that L’homme EDT inspiration. Bergamot, vetiver, and cedar. The spice is limited and that violet leaf note, which I like the geranium and lavender here which replaces it.

The initial citrus burst fades, this one becomes more woody and earthy. It’s starts to be more influenced by the geranium. It has a stronger aroma than the lavender to my nose. Slightly herbal, green, and supports that citrus top.

The lavender adds a clean softness to the background, but the main thrust of the scent is geared towards the wood. Oak has a bigger role early, then it’s cedar.

Fresh, with a hint of booze. That citrus sweetness lingers, as geranium and vetiver really come through.

So, early stages of L’Homme EDP are like a citrus cocktail that settles down into a gentle woody fragrance. Not a huge amount of development, but very enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a step up from the modern L’Homme EDT, but really not too much so. This isn’t a loud fragrance or one that’ll leave a massive scent trail, especially after the citrus stage has faded.

That initial bit is pretty moderate with its projection and it is light but noticeable thereafter. I wish it was better on this front, but this L’Homme style formulation never seems conducive to that.

The longevity is decent. 6-6.5 hours, on my skin. Not terribly impressive and not terribly performing either. With the EDT, I only get a few hours with my bottle. This is better than that, at least.

Seasonally, this is less of a warmer weather wear than L’Homme. EDP is better in autumn and winter. It can venture into the middle of spring probably, but won’t really be great after that. I’d avoid the heat and humidity.

I’ve worn it indoors during testing, since it’s already super hot here in the summer months.

This is an attractive scent. Good for nightlife and has an ability to venture into the daytime hours, also.  It is somewhat sweet, boozy, but not overpowering. It’s not overly formal, but is well put together

Overall Impressions of L’Homme EDP

Overall, do I like this latest L’Homme flanker? Yes, it is one of their better releases from this line. Though, it isn’t perfect, and I don’t think it surpasses the classic formulation of the EDT.

The opening is really great with the bitter orange and cognac ingredients. It takes the nicer aspects of Parfum Intense and EDT and remixes them with a boozy woody finish. It’s not too sweet or too thick, retaining that same light freshness of the EDT.

The geranium and oak really help bring this one together and keep it distinct from the rest of the L’Homme lineup.

The performance is just okay. I was really hoping that this would be a huge improvement from what I get with the EDT. Sure, it’s better, but not great at all. That’s the biggest weakness of this YSL offering.

The smell itself? Is really something that I like. If it had the performance aspect, it’d be a super replacement for the EDT.

As it is? It’s a very good release that is worth getting a hold of. Just expect that you won’t have the boldest or best performing new colognes. Even if, it is one of the better smelling of them.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.