11 Great YSL Perfumes for Women

Yves Saint Laurent is one of my favorite fragrance houses out there. Two of the first bottles of cologne I bought The body of Kouros and Opium for Men. Both of these are among my favorite things to wear on cool fall and winter days and nights.

Needless to say, there are many YSL fragrances on the feminine side of things that I like. From this list, I've chosen what I feel are Yves Saint Laurent's top picks for ladies.

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Her favorite YSL perfume

Note: During this update, I was planning to prune the old and discontinued scents. One I removed was Cinema. Yes, YSL has released again this year.

So, it's definitely something you should try. Not sure how long it will be available. But, I've kept some of these options here, in case they find their way back into production. Also, I added a new option to expand things.

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Black is Better

Black Opium Le Parfum- The Black Opium series is great with its many releases. Good, mostly, but nothing seems right.

That is, until Le Parfum was released. For me, this is the best thing right now. I've smelled Over Red, which I like, but I can't say it's better than Black Opium Le Parfum.

Cinnamon, vanilla, coffee, and a touch of mandarin green. This one starts off sweet, but has that spicy kick. Kind of a starter like a hot coffee drink.

Jasmine and orange blossom will emerge from that and give more balance. But, this one is not too complex, vanilla and coffee with a light floral mix. But, the perfume is very attractive and does the name Black Opium a great service. Black Opium Le Parfum Review

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Floral Powdery Scent

Paris by Yves Saint Laurent for women. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.
A sweet feminine fragrance named after the City of Lights. It is a long-lasting fragrance that is not overpowering and includes notes of rose, amber, mimosa, moss, sandalwood, and orange blossom.

This is a common type of flower, along with rose, violet, and the leading iris the way. It can be powdery, so if that's not your thing maybe stay away from this one.

However, I wouldn't put that down as too much of a limitation, because this scent is still beautiful in its original form.

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Top Mon Paris Fragrance

Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Intense Women EDP Spray Floral 3 Ounce– The first release of Mon Paris wasn't bad. However, I think Intensement is definitely the best scent overall.

It starts with an accord of black currant and strawberry as the first. Although, the Intesement tones down the use of datura, and has a prominent rose note.

With fruits and patchouli at the beginning, Mon Paris Intensement has a fruit-chouli vibe, but rose and peony will take over the composition.

Sillage and longevity are good here. In testing, this one got me 8-9 hours on the skin, and it wasn't a weak skin scent at that. Read my full review

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Favorite Free Perfume

Free Perfume– Le Parfum is my favorite of the YSL Libre series of perfumes. I wasn't big original, A lot it was better, and Platinum all right.

This, however, is a truly amazing release from the designer.

This is warm and cool with a lavender toned note, especially in the beginning. Citrus top notes are joined by ginger, saffron, honey, vanilla, and orange blossom. Yes, there's a lot going on, but it's well put together.

It will turn into a honeyed vanilla and the lavender will come into its own. However, it is not as dominant as in EDP for example.

Lots of body on this one, it's rich, it has a great texture and it lasts over ten hours on the skin. It's definitely worth a try. Free Perfume

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Best Le Vestiaire des Parfums Fragrance

Trench by Yves Saint Laurent- The channel is my favorite Le Vestiaire des Parfums from YSL, which leans towards women while being unisex. Many designers now have these high end niche perfumes, but most of them seem to be loaded with amber, oud, rose, etc.

The groove on the other hand, is a beautiful citrus floral with notes of iris, cedar, musk, and bergamot. What separates it is the rise of the fig and the beautiful tangerine. Yes, iris is a powder, but it's not overpowering even though it's the lead ingredient.

This is a musky citrus floral top, which dries down to a floral. The citrus notes are there but not as overtly tart and juicy. Instead, they play the background and support the main structure.

It's a very sweet scent, so don't expect a lot of sillage. However, longevity is really great in its understated beauty.

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Best Winter Fragrance

OPIUM For Women By YVES SAINT LAURENT Eau de Toilette Spray 3 oz
An unusual classic with a spicy and oriental flavor to it. Mandarin, myrrh, jasmine and bergamot. Opium is an emotionally stimulating experience that drives the imagination to dream of distant lands.

Beautiful. Obviously, since its release in the 1970s, this perfume has been thoroughly updated in just about everything.

However, the new birth, is still very fragrant. It still has its spicy, warm, and sweet notes with its herbal and citrus tones swirling through the wear. Opium has retained its charm and is truly a breath of fresh air compared to many new releases.

Having access to the old formula would be nice, but Opium is still a great option for women; especially compared to many other perfumes out there. Opium EDT Review

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Classic Yves Saint Laurent

Rive Gauche by Yves Saint Laurent for women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz– A blast from the past, this 1970's fragrance is a sure fire classic.

Notes of sandalwood, oakmoss, honeysuckle, gardenia, and others create a sharp, clean and powdery scent. It's unique, inspiring, and long-lasting.

Rive Gauche opens with icy aldehydes, light fruit notes, and some dewy/green notes. Personally, I usually take a peach noteas the main aspect of the fruit agreement.

At least, with the latest decant I tried, that's what came right away. It's not big, but it's there.

It combines as a sweet fragrance, but underneath you can pick out floral notes like rose and gardenia.

In addition, fresh oak, vetiver, and other woody elements combine to create a clean and sophisticated perfume. Review of the Rive Gauche

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Another Relaxing Scent

Yves Saint Laurent Women's Free 1.6 oz Eau de Parfum Intense Spray– Libre Intense is the follow-up to the popular YSL Libre. The thing is, Intense is a better perfume, because of its balance and deep profile.

As I wrote earlier in this post, Le Parfum is currently my favorite of the series.

Libre Intense starts off as a sweet scent and is less of a total lavender bomb. This allows Intense to not be a soapy type of scent and really enhances the vanilla and orchid notes in this version.

The performance is also amazing. The original wasn't smooth, but the Libre Intense will last for more than 12 hours, and it maintains a powerful rest. If you want a super lavender punch, go with the first one. Harder is still better for most people, though.

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Soft and sweet vanilla

Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3 Ounce
A discontinued YSL release featuring notes of lily of the valley, black currant, bergamot, and other green notes.

Manifesto is a sweet and soft fragrance that is sweet and attractive.

It starts with black currant and bergamot, both sweet and tart together, and combined with a creamy vanilla note.

Manifesto dries down to a floral/woody green, with vanilla and tonka bean lingering on top. This is a nice fragrance for everyday wear, not too loud, but smells nice.

I don't know how much this is. So, you may have to track Manifesto down online, if you're interested in trying it out.

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The most unique scent

Belle D'Opium FOR WOMEN by Yves Saint Laurent – ​​1.6 oz EDP Spray– Belle D'Opium is now discontinued, so if you want to get a bottle it's online only. This is taken from the name Opium carries fruits such as peach and mandarin.

However, it also has warm and steamy aromas. In addition, floral notes such as lily, rose, and gardenia.

It's a deep and interesting blend, hitting many different scents, and from sweet to spicy to floral to woody and everything in between. Oh, and let's not forget to mention, the main role that the tobacco note plays in everything.

Tobacco is sweeter and more cured than the unprocessed green flavored variety. Mixing it with smoke, you get a nice and woody aroma, with a lot of depth. If you can find a bottle around, it's worth a try. Review of Belle d'Opium

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The most popular YSL Perfume

Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, Black Opium, 3 Ounce– Black Opium has been a top seller in the women's perfume space for the past few years. I think it's fair to include it in the list of top YSL offerings, now.

Black Opium, seems like it would be a dark scent, but it's actually very sweet.

It is led by coffee and vanilla, as its main notes, and warm pink pepper and cedar. This is hot, sweet, and strong but not for everyone. Of course, it has great charm, but some think that the sweetness is too much and the perfume can be too overwhelming.

Normally I like Black Opium and I think it has produced some great flanker scents, as well, like this one. A lot. Although, none of them are that amazing, compared to the first one.

It's very cold to moderate weather wear, so, it won't be used much in the summer or if you live in a hot area. A Review of Black Opium