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Myslf by YSL has become a very popular fragrance since its release. Naturally, this is going to lead to more flanker releases under this name, the first of which is Myslf Le Parfum. Now that there are two options in the series, which is the better men’s fragrance?
I’ve bought two travel spray sizes of each of these scents to test out and compare. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is ultimately the better buy?
Tale of the Tape: Myslf EDP vs. Parfum
Myslf
Notes include: bergamot, orange blossom, woods, patchouli, ambrofix
Click here to try: Myslf by YSL
My Full Review: Myslf
Myslf Le Parfum
Notes include: black pepper, orange blossom, Bourbon vanilla, amber, patchouli, woods
Click here to try: YSL Myslf Le Parfum
Opening
Myslf begins with bergamot and orange blossom, as its main combination. It’s fresh and it also has a bit of a creaminess to how it smells, mostly due to the orange blossom note. Which doesn’t have as much of an opening sweetness, thanks to that large citrus start.
But, the very opening stage is a bergamot centered fragrance. That will change later on, but for the start it’s a fresh citrusy cologne.
Le Parfum opens up fresh and sweet. Here, there still seems to be a touch of that bergamot in the mix, but this version is much more orange blossom dominant.
The orange blossom sweetness is pretty bubblegum like, with how it comes across, but I think it is kept in check well by that top use of black pepper. A nice kick of spice but not too much of it.
It’s warm and I also get a decent amount of the woods and patchouli, during this opening act.
Which is better?
It’s neck and neck, but I actually might give the edge to EDP. That citrus opening really can capture my attention and I’ll give the original the go ahead.
Edge: EDP
Projection
Myslf for the first hour is actually fairly strong. Not a heavy fragrance, but it will create a substantial enough scent trail in your wake.
After that, it’s more of an intimate scent surrounding you. I’d say it sticks in that 1-3 foot range off of the skin, but it’s still noticeable.
Le Parfum is a heavier cologne than is the EDP. It is also the more powerful of the two, as far as projection goes.
Still, it’s not a great deal more powerful, and it’s not a beast. But, it does give you more punch throughout than the original.
Edge: Le Parfum
Longevity
With EDP, it will last for 6-7 hours on my skin. It’s okay, a bit disappointing for this price range, by no means terrible.
On my skin, Le Parfum seems to deliver 9 and possibly 10 hours on my skin, depending on the day.
It’s a pretty easy win for the newer scent and higher concentration.
Edge: Le Parfum
Versatility
Myslf eau de parfum is just such an inoffensive and easy to wear fragrance, that it can fit in pretty much anywhere during any time of year. It’s an easy on to just spray on as an everyday wear, but is attractive enough to hit the nightlife, even if that’s not it’s main function.
With Le Parfum, you get a lot of the same. Better than EDP in the colder weather, but doesn’t hold up to the same degree in the heat. It’s not bad in the higher temperatures, but EDP is better, in that regard.
I think Le Parfum is the better nightlife or romantic wear. It’s got greater depth than just being a clean daily wear.
As such, I would give it the slight edge here.
Edge: Le Parfum
Overall Scent
Overall, which one of these YSL fragrances do I like more?
It’s actually a somewhat tight contest between these two or at least. For me, while I really do enjoy the opening act of EDP, it’s not as exciting on the dry down.
Plus, that fresh and clean heavy citrus, type of aroma isn’t something that I always want.
With Parfum, I think that it gets better and the longevity is also gives it an edge. Between them, I lean more towards Parfum. The more that I wore each of these scents, the more Le Parfum started to grow on me.
The vanilla, amber, and orange blossom blend are really great in the back half. Le Parfum has moment where it is powdery, then it’s woodier, then it’s more of an amber floral.
Which the trio of those three notes is also found in Le Male by Gaultier and during the heavier vanilla parts, there is a bit of a resemblance.
There’s more depth here, you’re just giving up the bergamot citrus explosion that you get with Myslf EDP.
However, I will add a caveat. Myslf Parfum is a much more floral fragrance. It’s actually smells quite a bit like the long-discontinued, YSL L’Homme Parfum Intense. Just with more depth and better performance.
(Note: The Dua Brand now has their ‘inspired by’ fragrance based on EDP. So, one could buy a bottle of that and get a bottle of Le Parfum from YSL, if you can’t decide).
It’s like they took the original, added vanilla, stripped most of the citrus, and fused it with L’Homme Parfum Intense.
It’s also more unisex and some might find Myslf Parfum to be feminine with how it comes across. So, if you prefer the citrus floral aroma, you’ll want to go with Myslf EDP instead.
But, if you have the opportunity I’d test both of them out. Again, I like both and it’s not a huge gap between them, but I do seem to have a definite preference for Le Parfum.
Winner: Le Parfum
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.