YSL perfumes: which one to try first
Ten YSL perfumes sorted by character and wearer, from Libre and Black Opium to Y Eau de Parfum, Tuxedo and Cuir, with one pick to try first in a 3ml decant.
Ten YSL perfumes, in the order to try them
Take the first, then one from another group.
- 1Best overall
Mandarin Orange, Black Currant and Lavender over Orange Blossom and Jasmine, on Madagascar Vanilla and Musk: a white floral with a citrus lift.
from €8.373 ml
Read the pick - 2
Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot over Tunisian Orange Blossom, on Madagascar Vanilla and Tonka Bean: the vanilla-led Libre for winter and fall.
from €8.913 ml
Read the pick - 3Best for winter
Pear and Pink Pepper over Coffee and Jasmine, on Vanilla and Patchouli: a sweet coffee scent for women.
from €8.913 ml
Read the pick - 4Best fruity pick
Strawberry, Raspberry and Pear over Jasmine Sambac and Peony, on Patchouli and White Musk: berries and flowers.
from €9.903 ml
Read the pick - 5
Apple, Ginger and Bergamot over Sage and Juniper Berries, on Amberwood and Cedar: a fresh, spiced men's scent.
from €7.653 ml
Read the pick
Show all 9 picks
- 6Best for daytime
Calabrian bergamot over Tunisian Orange Blossom, on Ambrofix and Patchouli: a short citrus for men.
from €8.193 ml
Read the pick - 7Best value
Black Currant over Pepper and Galanga, on Bourbon Vanilla and Tolu Balsam: spiced and powdery.
from €7.563 ml
Read the pick - 8
Violet Leaf, Coriander and Bergamot over Patchouli, Bourbon Vanilla and Ambergris: a unisex scent of spice, patchouli and vanilla.
from €23.043 ml
Read the pick - 9Best leather pick
Ginger, Rum and Saffron over Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood and Leather: a spiced unisex leather with rum.
from €24.753 ml
Read the pick
In this guide
Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) makes more perfumes than a first order needs, so the YSL perfume to try first is Libre: a white floral with a citrus opening and a sweet vanilla base, listed for women and voted for fall and spring. For a men's scent, start with Y Eau de Parfum; for something sweet with coffee, try Black Opium; and for a leather scent that suits anyone, try Cuir. You can wear each of them first as a 3ml or 10ml decant, filled from the original bottle.
How to choose between ten YSL perfumes
This guide covers ten of the many YSL perfumes 10ML stocks, picked to cover women's, men's and unisex styles. The names do not say much on their own, so the groups below sort them by what they smell like and who they are listed for. If you are looking for the best YSL perfume for women, start with the first two groups; for men, the third and fourth.
- Women's white florals and vanilla: Libre, Libre Intense and Black Opium.
- A fruity, fresh floral: Mon Paris.
- Men's fresh spicy: Y Eau de Parfum, MYSLF Eau de Parfum and La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique.
- A men's spiced vanilla: Opium Pour Homme.
- Unisex: Tuxedo and Cuir.
A note you already love can steer you too. Vanilla runs through Libre, Libre Intense, Black Opium, Opium Pour Homme and Tuxedo, and Mon Paris lists it in its base. Lavender appears in Libre, Libre Intense and La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique. Patchouli is listed in Black Opium, Mon Paris, MYSLF Eau de Parfum and Tuxedo, and leather belongs to Cuir. For women's scents beyond this house, the guide to the best perfume for women ranges wider.
Quick comparison
| # | Perfume | Label | Main notes | Lasts | Trail | Season | 3 ml | 10 ml | per ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LibreYves Saint Laurent | Best overall | Jasmine, Orange Blossom | Long lasting | Moderate | Autumn | €8.37 | €24.21 | €2.42 |
| 2 | Libre IntenseYves Saint Laurent | Jasmine Sambac, Orchid, Tunisian Orange Blossom | Winter, Autumn | €8.91 | €25.11 | €2.51 | |||
| 3 | Black OpiumYves Saint Laurent | Best for winter | Bitter Almond, Coffee, Jasmine | Moderate | Moderate | Winter | €8.91 | €25.74 | €2.57 |
| 4 | Mon ParisYves Saint Laurent | Best fruity pick | Chinese Jasmine, Datura, Jasmine Sambac | Moderate | Moderate | Autumn, Spring | €9.90 | €29.97 | €3.00 |
| 5 | Y Eau de ParfumYves Saint Laurent | Geranium, Juniper Berries, Sage | Long lasting | Moderate | Spring, Autumn | €7.65 | €21.87 | €2.19 | |
| 6 | MYSLF Eau de ParfumYves Saint Laurent | Best for daytime | Tunisian Orange Blossom | Moderate | Moderate | Spring | €8.19 | €22.05 | €2.21 |
| 7 | Opium Pour HommeYves Saint Laurent | Best value | Galanga, Pepper | Long lasting | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €7.56 | €21.06 | €2.11 |
| 8 | TuxedoYves Saint Laurent | Bergamot, Coriander, Violet Leaf | Long lasting | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €23.04 | €63.36 | €6.34 | |
| 9 | CuirYves Saint Laurent | Best leather pick | Ginger, Rum, Saffron | Long lasting | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €24.75 | €63.36 | €6.34 |
Show all 9 picks
Community votes
Women's white florals and vanilla
Three scents for women, all built on white flowers and vanilla, each with a different mood. Libre is the one to start with.
Libre by YSL
- Top notes
- Black Currant, Lavender, Mandarin Orange, Petitgrain
- Heart notes
- Jasmine, Orange Blossom
- Base notes
- Ambergris, Cedar, Madagascar Vanilla, Musk
- Time of day
- Evening
Libre opens with Mandarin Orange, Black Currant, Petitgrain and Lavender. Orange Blossom and Jasmine form the heart, over a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Musk, Cedar and Ambergris. It launched in 2019 and is listed for women, with accords of white floral, citrus, lavender, vanilla, aromatic and sweet. The citrus and lavender come first, and the flowers settle into a sweet, musky vanilla.
Voters choose it most often for fall and spring, in the evening, by day and at night. Its longevity votes lean long lasting. Its sillage votes lean moderate. It suits a reader who wants a white floral with a citrus lift, and it is the first one to try.
Libre Intense by YSL
- Top notes
- Bergamot, Lavender, Mandarin Orange
- Heart notes
- Jasmine Sambac, Orchid, Tunisian Orange Blossom
- Base notes
- Ambergris, Madagascar Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Vetiver
- Time of day
- Night out
Libre Intense is credited to the perfumers Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaïm. It opens with Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, moves to Tunisian Orange Blossom, Jasmine Sambac and Orchid, and rests on Madagascar Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Ambergris and Vetiver. Launched in 2020 and listed for women, it leads with vanilla, white floral and citrus accords, and adds sweet and amber ones. Next to Libre, the vanilla comes forward.
In the community votes its seasons are winter and fall, and its hour is night. It suits readers who like Libre but want a version voted for the cold months.
Black Opium by YSL
- Top notes
- Orange Blossom, Pear, Pink Pepper
- Heart notes
- Bitter Almond, Coffee, Jasmine, Licorice
- Base notes
- Cashmere Wood, Cedar, Patchouli, Vanilla
- Time of day
- Night out
Black Opium opens with Pear, Pink Pepper and Orange Blossom. Coffee, Jasmine, Bitter Almond and Licorice form the heart, and Vanilla, Patchouli, Cashmere Wood and Cedar close it. It dates from 2014 and is listed for women, with vanilla, coffee and sweet among its accords. Sweet is one of its first three accords, with coffee running through it.
Winter is the season voters pick for it, with night and evening as its hours. Longevity votes lean moderate. Most voters rate its sillage moderate. It suits anyone who wants a sweet coffee scent for after sunset.
A fruity, fresh floral
Mon Paris by YSL
- Top notes
- Calabrian bergamot, Orange, Pear, Raspberry
- Heart notes
- Chinese Jasmine, Datura, Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom
- Base notes
- Cedar, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Moss, Patchouli
- Time of day
- Night out
Mon Paris is the fruit-led one. Strawberry, Raspberry, Pear, Orange, Tangerine, Calabrian bergamot and Calone open it, Jasmine Sambac, Chinese Jasmine, Datura, Orange Blossom and Peony form the heart, and Patchouli, White Musk, Ambroxan, Moss and Cedar sit underneath. It launched in 2016 and is listed for women. Its accords lead with fruity, sweet, fresh and white floral. The berries lead and the flowers follow, with a patchouli base underneath.
Voters lean towards fall and spring for it, by night and by day. Most voters call its longevity moderate. Most voters call its sillage moderate. It suits readers who want fruit and flowers in the same scent.
Men's fresh spicy
Three men's scents that open bright. They differ in how green, how herbal and how citrus they run.
Y Eau de Parfum by YSL
- Top notes
- Apple, Bergamot, Ginger
- Heart notes
- Geranium, Juniper Berries, Sage
- Base notes
- Amberwood, Cedar, Olibanum, Tonka Bean
- Time of day
- Daytime
Y Eau de Parfum opens with Apple, Ginger and Bergamot. Sage, Juniper Berries and Geranium form the heart, over Amberwood, Tonka Bean, Cedar, Vetiver and Olibanum. It came out in 2018 and is listed for men. Its accords lead with aromatic, fresh spicy, woody and fruity. The apple is crisp at first, and the herbs and woods hold the rest of the wear.
Spring and fall come up most for it, by day and at night. Its longevity is rated long lasting by most voters. Sillage votes lean moderate. It is the men's pick to start with.
MYSLF Eau de Parfum by YSL
- Top notes
- Bergamot, Calabrian bergamot
- Heart notes
- Tunisian Orange Blossom
- Base notes
- Ambrofix, Patchouli
- Time of day
- Daytime
MYSLF Eau de Parfum has the shortest note list of the ten: Calabrian bergamot and Bergamot on top, Tunisian Orange Blossom in the heart, and Ambrofix and Patchouli underneath. It launched in 2023 and is listed for men. Its accords are citrus, white floral, patchouli, fresh spicy, woody and sweet. It reads as citrus over orange blossom.
Spring is its voted season, and day and office are its voted settings. Most voters rate its longevity moderate. Most voters rate its sillage moderate. It suits a daytime scent that stays simple.
La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique by YSL
La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique opens with Cardamom, Ginger and Bergamot, then Lavender and Geranium, and finishes on Cedar and Vetiver. It launched in 2021 and is listed for men. Its accords are aromatic, fresh spicy, warm spicy, lavender, woody, citrus and herbal. The spice leads, and lavender and cedar follow it down.
It is voted for fall and spring, and for night. Most voters rate its longevity moderate. Most voters rate its sillage moderate. It suits anyone who likes a herbal, spiced scent for the night.
A men's spiced vanilla
Opium Pour Homme by YSL
- Top notes
- Black Currant, Star Anise
- Heart notes
- Galanga, Pepper
- Base notes
- Atlas Cedar, Bourbon Vanilla, Tolu Balsam
- Time of day
- Night out
Opium Pour Homme is the oldest of the ten, launched in 1995 and listed for men. Black Currant opens it, Pepper and Galanga form the heart, and Bourbon Vanilla, Tolu Balsam and Atlas Cedar finish it. Its accords include soft spicy, powdery, anis, fruity, vanilla and amber. It is spiced and powdery, with an anis accord alongside the vanilla.
Winter and fall are its voted seasons, with night and evening as the hours. Most voters rate its longevity long lasting. Its sillage votes lean strong. It suits cold evenings out.
Unisex: Tuxedo and Cuir
Two scents listed for any wearer. They are the priciest of the ten, which is a good reason to try them in a 3ml first.
Tuxedo by YSL
- Top notes
- Bergamot, Coriander, Violet Leaf
- Base notes
- Ambergris, Bourbon Vanilla, Patchouli
- Time of day
- Evening
Tuxedo was created by the perfumer Juliette Karagueuzoglou and launched in 2015. It lists Violet Leaf, Coriander and Bergamot on top, then Patchouli, Bourbon Vanilla and Ambergris underneath. Its accords lead with patchouli, vanilla, amber, ozonic and fresh spicy. Violet leaf and coriander open it with spice, then patchouli, vanilla and amber take over.
It is voted across winter, fall and spring, in the evening and at night. Longevity is rated long lasting by most voters. Most community voters rate its sillage strong. It suits readers who want a dressed-up scent that works on anyone.
Cuir by YSL
- Top notes
- Ginger, Rum, Saffron
- Base notes
- Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Leather
- Time of day
- Night out
Cuir launched in 2016 and is listed as unisex. Ginger, Rum and Saffron open it, and Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood and Leather make up the base. Its accords lead with leather, woody, tobacco, rum and warm spicy. It is a leather scent with a spiced, boozy start.
Voters pick winter and fall for it, at night and in the evening. Long lasting is the longevity vote of most voters. Strong is how most voters judge its sillage. It suits anyone who wants leather in the cold months.
Which YSL perfume should you try first?
Match the scent to who is wearing it and when:
- Start with [Libre](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-libre) for a white floral with citrus and vanilla, voted for fall and spring.
- Choose [Libre Intense](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-libre-intense) if you want vanilla to lead, for winter and fall.
- Choose [Black Opium](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-black-opium) for a sweet scent with coffee, voted for winter nights.
- Choose [Mon Paris](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-mon-paris) for berries and flowers.
- Choose [Y Eau de Parfum](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-y-eau-de-parfum) for a fresh, spiced men's scent.
- Choose [MYSLF Eau de Parfum](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-myslf-eau-de-parfum) for a simple citrus by day.
- Choose [La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-la-nuit-de-lhomme-bleu-electrique) for cardamom and lavender at night.
- Choose [Opium Pour Homme](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-opium-pour-homme) for a spiced, powdery vanilla in winter.
- Choose [Tuxedo](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-tuxedo) for patchouli and vanilla on anyone.
- Choose [Cuir](/perfumes/yves-saint-laurent-cuir) for leather, rum and saffron.
| Perfume | Launched | Listed for | Main accords | Community picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libre | 2019 | Women | White floral, citrus, lavender | Fall and spring; evening, day and night |
| Libre Intense | 2020 | Women | Vanilla, white floral, citrus | Winter and fall; night |
| Black Opium | 2014 | Women | Vanilla, coffee, sweet | Winter; night and evening |
| Mon Paris | 2016 | Women | Fruity, sweet, fresh | Fall and spring; night and day |
| Y Eau de Parfum | 2018 | Men | Aromatic, fresh spicy, woody | Spring and fall; day and night |
| MYSLF Eau de Parfum | 2023 | Men | Citrus, white floral, patchouli | Spring; day and office |
| La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique | 2021 | Men | Aromatic, fresh spicy, warm spicy | Fall and spring; night |
| Opium Pour Homme | 1995 | Men | Soft spicy, powdery, anis | Winter and fall; night and evening |
| Tuxedo | 2015 | Unisex | Patchouli, vanilla, amber | Winter, fall and spring; evening and night |
| Cuir | 2016 | Unisex | Leather, woody, tobacco | Winter and fall; night and evening |
Trying YSL before you buy a bottle
The 3ml decant of Libre is €8.37 and holds around 60 sprays, enough to wear it on several days and see how it sits on your skin. If you settle on it, a 10ml decant holds around 200 sprays, for weeks of daily wear. For a men's scent, a 10ml decant of Y Eau de Parfum is €21.87. All ten are sold in both sizes. If you are new to the format, what is a perfume decant explains how a decant is filled and how it compares with a bottle.
For a first order, pair one scent from the group that fits you with one from another group. Wearing each on its own day will show you which direction suits your skin. If vanilla is what drew you in, the best vanilla perfumes guide covers more of it from other houses, and the best perfume for men guide ranges more widely across men's scents.
Frequently asked questions
- Which YSL perfume should I try first?
- Start with Libre. It opens on Mandarin Orange, Black Currant and Lavender, with Orange Blossom and Jasmine in the heart over Madagascar Vanilla, and community voters pick it for fall and spring. For a men's scent, start with Y Eau de Parfum instead. You can try Libre as a 3ml decant for €8.37.
- What is the best YSL perfume for women?
- Libre is the one to try first among the women's scents in this guide, a white floral with citrus and vanilla. Libre Intense is the vanilla-led version voted for winter and fall, Black Opium is sweet with coffee, and Mon Paris pairs berries with flowers.
- What is the best YSL perfume for men?
- Y Eau de Parfum is the one to start with, a fresh, spiced scent with apple, ginger and sage. MYSLF Eau de Parfum is a simple citrus voted for spring, La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique is a herbal, spiced one with cardamom and lavender, and Opium Pour Homme is a spiced vanilla voted for winter and fall.
- Which YSL perfumes are voted for spring?
- Six of the ten are voted for spring: Libre, Mon Paris, Y Eau de Parfum, MYSLF Eau de Parfum, La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique and Tuxedo. MYSLF Eau de Parfum is the only one of the six voted for spring alone.
- Which YSL perfumes are voted for winter?
- Five of the ten are voted for winter: Libre Intense, Black Opium, Opium Pour Homme, Tuxedo and Cuir. Black Opium is voted for winter alone, while the other four are also voted for fall or for fall and spring.
- Can I try a YSL perfume in a decant before buying a full bottle?
- Yes. All ten come as a 3ml or a 10ml decant, filled from the original bottle. The 3ml holds around 60 sprays and the 10ml around 200. A 3ml of Libre is €8.37 and a 10ml of Y Eau de Parfum is €21.87.
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