YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentration

YSL Pour Homme was the famed 1971 release from the French designer. 1981 saw the introduction of Kouros, followed in 1983 by the subject of today’s review, Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme Haute Concentration. This higher concentration version of the original, is an under the radar 80s powerhouse. But, how does it smell? Is it still worth tracking down a bottle of nowadays?

What does YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentration Smell Like?

Notes include: Amalfi lemon, carnation, oakmoss, nutmeg, rosemary, petitgrain, wood, tonka bean, patchouli

My Full Review

I’ve been thinking about this one for a while, after purchasing another bottle of Opium Pour Homme and considering getting Kouros Body, for some further nostalgia. I’d never tried it, barely remember what the original YSL Pour Homme smelled like, and bottles of Haute Concentration were pretty insane on eBay (and unknown quality).

As fate would have it, I was scrolling through Jomashop’s website, and a tester bottle of Haute Concentration was for sale. $120. Very quickly purchased it, as even the limited batches YSL had been doing during the past decade are now discontinued.

But, that ordered got cancelled, since they didn’t actually have it in stock. Went back to eBay and found a old gift set (with soap) of the original Haute Concentration in the black bottle for $100. Quality be damned this time, I wanted it.

Now, I have no idea how old this particular bottle is. I do know that it’s in the original black bottle, which became clear glass later. This was also, I believe, re-released as a part of a special collection, featured in yet another bottle.

Anyway, this opens up with the Amalfi lemon note being very prominent. With my bottle, it feels sort of sour for a minute (may just be due to age), but that quickly fades and becomes a dusty lemon surrounded by plenty of old school oakmoss, rosemary, and petitgrain.

I actually think that this might be true oakmoss, pre-regulations, it smells great in comparison to many of the newer synthetic varieties.

The real stand out with the lemon early on though, is the rosemary note. The start of this scent reminds me of D&G Pour Homme, not exactly (and better), with the use of the lemon and herbal notes.

It’s dry, a bit green in the early stages, with some spicy hints from that carnation ,nutmeg, and rosemary note. The carnation and nutmeg come in more to my nose, once that initial lemon and rosemary fade off somewhat.

The next phase will be more about lemon and moss, with tonka bean adding a touch of sweetness and powder to this aroma. YSL Haute Concentration drifts more into the aromatic soap category of perfume.

It’s not a lather and thankfully doesn’t go into the usual lavender/jasmine realm of things. It’s a classic and stylized clean, like you stepped out of the shower after washing with a high end soap bar (which my gift set that I purchased actually came with).

Finally, the dry down comes along. This one has a musk/oil ingredient in there somewhere. It’s not massive, but you can smell it. The lemon has been subdued into a mix of wood, patchouli, and moss. A fresher woody soap, at this point, but still balanced.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Based on reviews that I had read prior to buying this, I was expecting Haute Concentration to be an absolute bomb. For my bottle, that’s not the case. I did buy this one pre-opened, with 95%+ left in the bottle, so it’s possible that it’s lost some steam over the years.

Yet, it’s not weak. Solidly above average, allowing me to catch whiffs of the fragrance on my wrists, when I went outside for a walk.

During my initial tests, it seems to want to hit the 8-9 hour range, on my skin. Maybe it once got more than that. After at least 25 years or so, I have no problems with how this one sticks around. Still better than some modern designers, even as an EDT formulation.

Seasonally, this is a year round fragrance. It’s been both cold and warm during the tail end of this winter, and YSL Pour Homme is magnificent in either case. Maybe not a hottest days of summer play, if you’re going to be outside. However, it’s not super thick or cloying either.

This is one that can be worn casually, but I prefer it dressed up more. It functions well as a daily wear, office scent, and can even venture into the nightlife. Again, it’s clean and fresh, and might not be the ‘sexiest’ cologne out there.

Personally, I think it’s still attractive, and presents something different versus just about any mainstream fragrance out there now. Not a scream for attention night club or party scent, but you will smell great.

Overall Impressions of Haute Concentration

Overall do I like this fragrance? Yes, it’s a fantastic wear. It completely captures that 70-80s vibe, in a trimmed down but concentrated version of the original YSL Pour Homme. Again, I only have vague memories of that one, but it all seems familiar.

I like this better than both Kouros and Jazz, which are two other 1980s releases from YSL. I know Kouros gets all the headlines, but this is simply more appealing to me.

Very refined and doesn’t have any of the usual trappings of the modern men’s fragrance. It’s a fresh aromatic, with a balanced use of woodsy notes, spicy herbal notes, and a great lemon note. Even with that, somewhat sour start.

It’s a classic style, though, not particularly challenging to wear. There’s no insane or particularly heavy notes in here that might scare someone off. Maybe some bottles will still have more potency and you might not need to use much, lest you choke out a room.

It’s plenty versatile, balanced, and could probably be worn by any age group if they really wanted to. It exudes a classiness, however. Not necessarily straight formal, but I’d like to wear this outside of just the usual t-shirt and jeans.

It can be worthwhile to track down a bottle. I know most people searching for this and reading this review will be collector types, since the general public doesn’t know this even exists. The $108 price tag is about what you’d expect with some high end designers. Sure, it’s only a 2 oz bottle, but not a bad deal.

I’m going to be wearing YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentration, for years to come it seems.

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.