Katarina Light Blue

Like me, you probably discovered this while searching for the perfect YSL Manifesto l’Elixir dupe. When comparing longevity, it’s not long lasting, but the scent is close enough that if you no longer have it, and have been scouring the depths of the net to find it to no avail except overpriced bottles on ebay, then I would recommend it. I saved a drop of my Manifesto l’Elixir hoping to one day find a dupe. They are more identical than I expected, on initial spray especially. Comparing the two, there’s a complexity and depth to YSL as it journeys from its citrus bergamot to its warm cashmere vanilla. I think the underlying Ambroxan, which Katarina lacks, gives it this dept, that hint of amber and musk. Katarina has more of a vanilla and cashmere all through out to me. The powdery vanilla was my favourite thing about YSL so it’s still perfect. I don’t find the florals to be citrus and florals to be as prominent in Katarina, and are relatively difficult to decipher, but they are there in the background. After about 10 minutes it has mostly settled into the skin in its entirety whereas YSL’s notes are still unfolding on its course. YSL is definitely stronger, it has better performance longevity and sillage wise. I remember YSL leaving a beautiful scent trail behind me many hours after spraying it. And that was only with a few sprays. Unfortunately, with Katarina, the majority of the scent dies around 3-4 hours, but I had a very faint vanilla scent lingering about 8 hours later, almost invisible to the nose. But in a way, it works because it makes it an agreeable, lighter scent you can wear everyday in a variety of settings. I am not sure what it is, but on my skin this combination of notes is heaven. It’s a perfect winter and fall scent. It could transition perfectly from night to day because of its warmth but I would honestly wear it all year round, and this could easily double as both a special occasion or everyday perfume. Katarina Light Blue is a beautiful scent, I didn’t have high expectations purchasing it and I loved YSL so much that I was ready to buy anything even remotely close. So this definitely beat expectations. I was only disappointed in the longevity given most Arabian brand perfumes I’ve had are very strong and long lasting. But does it bother me? Not really, I’ll just spray some more if needed. Would I repurchase? Until and if I can find an even stronger, longer lasting replacement, yes!

Manifesto L'Elixir is one of my favourite designer perfumes. For some inexplicable reason, it's been discontinued; no longer available from YSL in the UK, it's still being sold by some discounters - if you love it, stock up now. There is another - far cheaper - option: Armaf Katarina Light Blue. I am wearing the Armaf on the back of my right hand and the YSL on the back of my left. I'm not going to go into details about the notes, because others have already done so far better than I could (check the ML'E review page); given the number of notes they have in common, it's really not surprising they smell so similar. Katarina is "thinner", less sweet, slightly more flowery and isn't as smooth as Elixir; it's quite possible that Katarina smells more like another iteration of Manifesto, but I haven't tested any, so can't comment. I've sniffed the back of each hand repeatedly, going from one to the other, picking the two apart, searching for inconsistencies (and deliberately picking fault), which is obviously not the way most "normal" people "normally" wear perfume... In my opinion, both sillage and longevity of Katarina Light Blue are somewhat less than those of Manifesto L'Elixir - but I seriously doubt most people will be able to tell the difference - given the difference in price, you can afford to spritz away! Katarina is phenomenally good value. Note: I've found Katarina's name misspelled as both "Katrina" and "Katerina", so it's worth checking both when searching eBay etc.

Katarina Light Blue is a really lovely almond-heliotrope, with a smidge of vanilla, and some light, sweet orange up top. Unlike some other reviewers, I find it neither beastly or overwhelming but, rather, elegant, gentle, and enveloping -- but it does have tenacity. I love powdery almond and heliotrope scents -- Burberry Brit and L.T. Piver Heliotrope Blanc are two that come to mind when wearing KLB, since I'm not familiar with YSL Manifesto. Katarina Light Blue is a beauty that I would recommend to anyone who loves powdery almond-heliotrope, and it does share these notes with my favorite perfume of all time, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue -- though, to be clear, it doesn't smell like it but, rather, shares a soft, powdery quality.

I smell the powdery, citrus, and vanilla accords! This is lovely and comforting. I tend to wear my powdery fragrances to bed. I find them so soft and relaxing. I wasn't sure I liked this one the first few times I wore it. It slowly grew on me. I'm so glad I didn't give up on it. If you're not a fan of powdery perfume then this may not be for you. I do find the bottle to be hideous. The bow imo is quite ugly. The juice inside is lovely, so I can deal with an unattractive bottle. Performance is a little below average but I don't mind since it's affordable. Edit: Months later and my juice is much darker. Performance has improved a quite a bit! Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 7/10 Overall Experience: 9/10

Wow This bottle is tacky. Lol But, what is inside, that's a pleasant surprise. A cool, creamy, heliotrope and cashmere bomb. With just a a bit of creamy white floral to keep it feminine and smidge of orange deep inside to keep it from being too thick. This is linear. From start to finish. What you first spray is what you get. That's good too sometimes.A fragrance doesn't need to be complicated or evolve, do some wierdo trick or the dishes to be great. Sometimes it's about comfort. It's a very pleasant, cuddly, safe scent. Very pretty. I have to say, for the quality, silage, projection and longevity it's great. But for $25? It's orgasmic.