7 Best YSL Colognes – Full Review Of The Ultimate List
It’s finally time to talk about the third brand in the three designer musketeers.
Wait… you didn’t know about the three designer musketeers?
Yeah, they’re YSL, Chanel, and Dior.
This review will describe how the best YSL colognes for men smell and perform. Over the years, they created everything from masculine classics to youthful attention-getters.
Let’s get started if you are ready to discover the best YSL fragrances for men.
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Table of Contents
#7 – YSL Kouros
If hunter-gatherers had a scent, it would be YSL Kouros. Why do I say this?
Beware of the first few minutes. The first spray is a tidal wave of civet, leather, and musk. It is intense with raw, greasy, and dirty faucets. Wait, why would you want a dirty cologne? It makes the scent ultra-manly.
Once this trio settles, in comes sweet aldehydes and honey. The aldehydes emphasize the greasy nature, never coming off as fresh.
While the honey combines with the musk note. This pair has a sweet dirtiness. It’s as if the bees used pollen coated in dirt.
I smell the weakened top notes with the new additions for hours. The next change doesn’t come to the dry down. The leather becomes more intense with animalic, musky honey, and subtle aldehydes atop.
This is what you’ll smell for the rest of the wear.
The projection and longevity are absurd. However, the likability is low. It is a divisive scent; half the people will love your masculine aroma, and the other half will want you to shower.
YSL Kouros is excellent if you want an ultra-masculine and throwback cologne. It is a mature and more sophisticated cologne.
If you usually only like blue fragrances, YSL Kouros is not the scent for you. It is the polar opposite of “blue” fragrances.
Kouros is neither a must-have nor a blind buy, but it is perfect for the right person.
#6 – YSL Opium Pour Homme EDT
Upon the first spray, I am slapped in the face with sweetness. A close second behind comes spicy edges that showcase the sweetness. The most prominent notes are black currant and star anise.
They have a licorice aroma. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a caramelized sweetness but not Twizzlers. In the mid, the spices continue to show their importance.
They temper the intensity of the sweetness. There is not much development past the first few minutes until the dry down.
The dry down is led by sweet bourbon vanilla with powdery accents. In the background are resins and hints of warm cedar. The black currant is gone near the end of the wear; vanilla has obtained the sweetness.
The rest of the wear is soft spices, vanilla with a warm resin, and cedar depth.
This is an excellent performer; it works for all occasions but is best in the colder months. If you want a unique classic, this is your scent.
#5 – YSL La Nuit de L’Homme Le Parfum
A variety of sweet fruits rush the opening. Think of putting all your favorite fruits in a blender and then putting them in fragrance form. That’s the idea here.
The sweetness is charming but not syrup-like. Subtle black pepper envelops the edges. All sit atop a woody vetiver base.
This is the only first few minutes and 75% of what you’ll smell the entire time. The spice gets stronger as the wear continues, taking the scent in a darker direction.
At the same time, the sweet fruits are getting pushed out.
What are the newest additions? Powdery vanilla and aromatic lavender wash over the mid. They have a degree of earthiness but don’t smell dirty. It amplifies the scent’s dark and mysterious backbone.
This combination will mix and mingle for an hour before heading into the dry down.
Woods and vanilla are focal points in the base, with lingering fresh spices. This is what you’ll smell for the rest of the wear.
La Nuit de L’Homme Le Parfum is a cold weather and nighttime type cologne. It has an above-average performance that will get you through an entire workday.
#4 – YSL L’Homme EDT
Suppose you needed a gentleman’s fragrance. But only wanted it from Yves-Saint Laurent.
In that case, you’ve come to the right place. L’Homme is the type of cologne that isn’t the best at anything but is good at everything. To be clear, that is not a dig at the fragrance.
L’Homme is a gentleman’s fragrance. This means it has an inoffensive smell, is masculine, and doesn’t project too heavily. The most prominent notes are ginger, spices, and tonka bean.
The opening is fresh and citrusy, like a cool breeze on a warm day, with a delightful amount of lemon. Along with the lemon is ginger; it is not abrasive but unique.
It breaks up the monotony of the lemon with an exciting kick. Into the base, L’Homme is warm and spicy; most of this aroma comes from tonka bean.
The performance is good enough to get through an entire workday. Yet, the smell won’t consume your coworkers. One of the better parts about is it’s all-occasion versatility.
L’Homme can be a blind buy. When you wear it, it will be discovered, not announced. I am confident you won’t be disappointed.
#3 – YSL Y EDP
YSL Y EDP really is an attention grabber. Its simple aroma gets out and attracts.
There’s a two-layer opening. A trio of bergamot paired with crisp apple and cool ginger spice leads the top. The star of the show is the apple note, which even comes across as natural smelling. Now, the exciting part.
The second layer is a smooth, slightly woody warmth and aromatic juniper berry. The big emphasis is on aromatics. Even though the light woods are deeper, they don’t detract from the freshness.
At this point, the scent still remains crisp, clean, and slightly sweet.
Sage overtakes the ginger in the heart of the fragrance. This change mainly amplifies the green herbal qualities and adds to the aromaticity. This leads to the base of dominant cedar and woody vetiver.
The rest of the wear is about apples, green herbs, and ambery woods.
Y EDP not only smells fantastic but has outstanding performance. No matter the season or occasion, it works. You might have to spray more heavily in the winter months.
#2 – YSL La Nuit de L’Homme EDT
Well, this is a linear scent. The opening is a mix of sweetness and spicy freshness with woody undertones. Upon the first spray is a fleeting hit of bright bergamot. It doesn’t fade, but it does get shoved aside by cardamom.
Which by all means is the star of the show. It is mostly warm and spicy but has freshness when combined with bergamot.
After a few minutes, the bergamot is washed over by a more prominent lavender. It fuses with dominant cardamom, and the two run the show for most of the wear while resting on a fresh, woody cedar.
I mentioned that there is sweetness, and there is, but no note donates a heavy dose. It lingers in the background and accompanies the top notes. Never does it become sugary, but rather charmingly masculine.
Into the dry down, it is still all about dominant cardamom and lavender. The woodiness has gotten slightly stronger. I attribute this to the addition of vetiver.
It is faint but strong enough to create a darker, woody accord.
La Nuit de L’Homme EDT is one of the best date night fragrances. It has decent longevity but an intimate projection. The smell will be unique to you. It is a popular fragrance but not one that is overly used.
#1 – YSL Tuxedo
Fleeting violet leaf and bergamot lead. They don’t have their typical accents. The duo has an energetic, fresh kick with a subtle greenness.
A couple of moments later, the scent rolls into a gourmand mixture. Rose and patchouli are at the forefront with edges of black pepper.
It is hard to describe, but it’s rich, dense, and airy. When doing some background research for this article. I particularly like Gent Scents’ comparison. He said the opening was like the consistency of meringue pie.
Once the patchouli comes through, it’s all you’ll smell until the dry down. And once you get into the base, it is the best part of the fragrance. A prominent amber combines with patchouli, bringing dark vanilla with it.
The rest of the wear, patchouli, and amber are the focal points, with tinges of dark vanilla.
The performance is above average. And for me, this is the best aspect. The projection is strong enough for others to smell you but also subtle enough that it can be an everyday wear.
Now, speaking of wear. This will shine on a formal occasion but is also lowkey enough to wear casually. I attribute this to its well-balanced nature.
My Experience With the Best YSL Colognes for Men
All of the above information is my experience with the best YSL colognes.
However, I keep it as objective as possible. This way, you can objectively decide if this is a fragrance you want to purchase or if you’re comparing a few fragrances. Thus, this section is my subjective opinion.
YSL is my go-to designer fragrance brand if I want to impress. The top 3 fragrances are all the best in their own respect. Tuxedo is the best fragrance for formal occasions, La Nuit de L’Homme is the best for dates, and Y EDP is the best for compliments.
I gravitate towards YSL so much, as I’m always guaranteed quality.
Another great aspect is most of them have gentlemanly-like performances.
I’m not sure if I coined this term, but my definition of this is the longevity that lasts around a typical workday or more, with moderate yet consistent projection.
If you look at all the performance infographics, almost all fall into this category.
How to Pick the Best YSL Colognes for Men
The easiest way to start is to set your price range. You shouldn’t ever pay more for a fragrance than you want to even if it is a YSL fragrance. Why? Because there are so many choices.
Then, you’ll want to know when and where you want to wear your fragrance. All -seasons, warm weather, cold weather? The same can be said for occasions. However, the occasions are a bit more lenient.
Y EDP is your best choice if you’re looking for a fragrance that does it all. For a winter date-night fragrance La Nuit de L’Homme. Make your co-workers jealous at the work party…? Tuxedo, etc…
If you know your price range and what you want it for, you can easily determine the best YSL cologne for you.
FAQ’S
Which YSL Cologne is Most Popular?
YSL Y EDP is the most popular YSL Cologne. This is because it is a “blue” fragrance whose sole purpose was to be mass-appealing and popular.
How Long Does YSL Cologne Last?
YSL Colognes all vary in longevity; however, as a rule of thumb, they will last 6+ hours on your skin. For a designer house and considering multiple colognes, this is impressive longevity.
Final Words
So the real question is, are YSL colognes worth it? Yes. Not all are blind-buy-safe mass-appealing scents, but they are sure to serve you well. No matter the scent you choose from this list, you will be impressed with its quality.
What do you think are the best YSL colognes for men?
The best YSL colognes all smell amazing and quality fragrances. Yet, don’t just limit yourself to the best YSL colognes. Check out the best Dior colognes.