L’Homme Ultime by YSL

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a Yves Saint Laurent cologne on this site. So, when I grabbed a sample vial of another L’Homme flanker fragrance, I was excited to see what it was all about. This is the subject of today’s review, L’Homme Ultime by YSL, which was released in 2016.

After wearing it around, I want to share: how it smells, what’s inside, when it should be worn, if it performs well, and if it’s worth a try. Note: I’m updating this page, years after the initial review.

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What does L’Homme Ultime Smell Like?

Notes include: Damask rose, sage, vetiver, ginger, grapefruit, cardamom, cedar, geranium

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent L’homme Ultime Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

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My Full Review

Before we start into the review, let’s see how YSL describes Ultime: A woody aromatic with powerful elegance. The astonishing encounter of fresh Damask Rose with the raw sensuality of sage.

Upon opening, L’homme Ultime is very fresh, with a very nice clean spiciness to it. The main attractions at this point are grapefruit, ginger, and a rose which isn’t overbearing at all.

It strikes me as such a cold smelling fragrance, really cool crisp air, in my nostrils whenever I take a whiff of it. It’s bright and the citrus top is fairly sharp.

I feel that there’s a lot of similarities between this one and L’Homme Libre, which is another flanker fragrance from this line. Now, Libre is much spicier and has a different feel with the anise note, but these two struck me as being very close to one another. However, I like Ultime better between them.

As it dries down, the grapefruit fades, and the drier notes come out. Sage and cardamom gives it a spicier profile but not overboard. Meanwhile, cedar acts as a base and the vetiver is really noticeable to me at this stage.

When the vetiver is dominant, it reminds me of Creed Original Vetiver. The rose note also seems to fall off of a cliff after the opening act, which is a shame, because it was perfect in the top.

Ultime dries down further, into what it is for the rest of the way: ginger, cedar, vetiver, and grapefruit. It’s woody and outdoorsy fresh with a cold spice. It’s simple but very nice.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of L’homme Ultime, is fairly moderate. The first 2-3 hours are solid, but it weakens quite a bit after that. I wish it could have stayed around that same level, but in its entirety, not bad strength.

Though, the overall longevity is somewhere in the 6-7 hours, the second half is just not as strong. It will stick around as more than a skin scent, before it is just a skin scent completely.

I did wish that this one had more of a punch to it and could stick around for a few hours longer. But, like other scents in this series, the performance is not a highlight. Although, Ultime is actually one of the better performers of the lot.

Seasonally, I could see myself wearing this year round. It’s cool, yet spicy and I like the way it hangs in the winter air. Then again, it would be great in the warmer months also. Ultime has a great ability to fit into a wide variety of climates and situations.

It can be worn casually, dressed up, at work, or for romantic wear. It’s got a certain sexiness to it and is a very versatile cologne, which is one of its main selling points.

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Overall Impressions of L’Homme Ultime

Overall, do I like L’Homme Ultime? Yes, I think it’s a great addition to the Yves Saint Laurent lineup. It smells great, is versatile, and has an elegant charm through its simplicity. I’m not even a big fan of rose, but it works well here in its more limited role.

The performance is decent but not amazing, though, this fragrance makes up for it through the rest of its presentation.

For a fresh woodsy scent, this is an example of how it’s done right. This is a unique take on the L’Homme name and gives you something different from any of the more popular colognes out on the market today.

This and Libre were great flanker scents, that had a style of their own while staying somewhat true to the spirit of the L’Homme DNA (YSL l’homme review)

This is a very likeable fragrance, that’s sadly not around much anymore.

Update: This one has been discontinued for a long while now. If you want a bottle, you pretty much have to get it off of eBay nowadays. You could also try, The Dua Brand’s Ultimate Renezvous, which is inspired by this YSL. I haven’t tested, but they’re pretty good at coming close to matching smells.