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.

So similar to Initio Psychedelic Love. That if you have one you don't need the other. The only real significant difference is the beautiful Myrrh that's in Psychedelic Love. Obviously the higher quality. But this Katarina Blue is so lovely. It's almost identical to the Manifesto that was out some years ago. It's creamy, cool, vanilla and has a lanolin (baby oil) smell when first applied. Then after the big heliotrope bomb settles you get a nice creamy sandalwood & cashmere. It's definitely worth the money. But that initial blast is strong and like an air of fluff went off around you. It's pretty wonderful

This is beautiful! I love the balance of the warm vanilla and the light, airy powder. The citrus and floral notes add some delicate femininity to it overall - the tuberose blends well with the vanilla, the heliotrope blends well with the cashmeran, and the citrus makes it not too overwhelmingly sweet. Sillage and longevity are also great. I only use one spray on my wrist and one on my chest, and I can smell it all day. The drydown is even better than the opening. It performs and smells like a much more expensive perfume. Highly recommend 9/10

This fragrance is the best alternative to Manifesto l'Elixir. It requires time to mature. After wearing it two or three times and finding it quite weak, I put it back in its box and allowed it to rest in my closet for almost four months. After that period, the juice darkened and became absolutely marvelous. If you’re a vanilla lover, this is a must-have. While the bottle itself is underwhelming, the juice inside is simply outstanding—truly a chef’s kiss! @deepgreenbeauty

This one took several months of maceration before this creamy powdery floral really developed. It’s a feminine comfort scent in the best possible way. I get a good 5 hours of it, it’s polite, office friendly, nice scent bubble. The packaging is horrendous, I may transfer it to another bottle at some point, but the juice is the good stuff. I’m not usually a fan of powdery fragrances, but this one is really lovely it makes you feel pretty. Glad to add it to my collection.

This is good! I can definitely see the Manifesto edp comparison! I usually don't reach for Manifesto because there is this sort of screechy "perfumey" sort of chemical smell that goes with it and this is exactly the same perfume without the chemical note. Its the same quality without a doubt. For the price this is a HIGH quality smelling perfume.. Super impressed for $25.. Just goes to show, good fragrance can be found ANYWHERE!! XO

I love this perfume. I wore through most of this past spring. Though I think it may be better suited for the fall. I loved it so much, I wanted to write a review last year but it wasn't in the database yet. It is a spot on clone of YSL MANIFESTO L'Elixr. This is nice perfume, smells like a heliotrope bomb. Makes me feel all warm n fuzzy inside. If you like YSL Manifesto, Lancome Hypnose. You'll love this

I bought this for the tuberose which is undetectable. However this is beautiful and the longer I have it the more I love it. I smell a clean and sweet greenish vanilla. It’s so elegant and clean smelling. Like expensive body wash radiating through an expensive sweater. I’m wearing it in winter but I don’t think it would be too heavy for summer either. Such a gem and the price point is amazing!

WOW! There should be more praise about this one, it's every bit as yummy as Armaf Italiano Donna, I want to try more Armaf now. I actually prefer this to Manifesto L'Elixir and Manifesto Le Parfum as this lasts much longer on me but is close enough to them both to my nose to scratch that deep vanilla itch. And of course, the price. A definite rebuy. Rating: 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒 Cruelty free 🐾

This is outstanding for what, twenty bucks? It absolutely does remind me of Manifesto which is one of my favs. It was the first thing that struck me. Katarina lasts for hours, not even just as a skin scent but it still projects hours later. Fantastic deal for a really beautiful vanilla floral that's wearable anywhere and any time.

This is a really pretty feminine fragrance. The main notes for me are citrus, vanilla, and then Jasmine. It's a lovely citrus cake near a perfumed jasmine garden, like a beautiful decadent tea party. The sprayer on my bottle is absolute crap, but I'll suffer through it for this gorgeous juice. It even has pretty decent longevity!

This gives me jasmins marzipan vibes! It’s a warm almondy cozy jasmine! Smells wonderful! So happy I found this hidden gem! The dry down is definitely a dupe for the Maison Lancôme’s scent! Not %100 but very similar to my nose! TRY THIS BEAUTY OUT!

This is a stunning fragrance. At first I thought it was your run of the mill gourmand but after the second wearing, I began to crave it! It makes me think of a delectable, honeyed nougat - the expensive kind. I adore this perfume!

The reviewer's notes pyramid is definitely spot-on. Very lovely. This is definitely a cashmere heliotrope scent. I would buy now, in the summer. Let this sit til late fall. When this sets a few months. Wow, what a difference.

This perfume is AMAZING! It's so fresh and feminine. The citrus notes are really noticeable at first, then it dries down to a soft, powdery vanilla scent. Perfect for everyday wear!

Omg am I enjoying this one. When the skin warms this 1 Katarina Light Blue really comes to life. A sugar cookie with a twist.

It’s so pretty! Soft citrus, powdery vanilla. No rough edges, not screechy. It’s quite pleasant. Love the drydown.

This is sooo darn good!! its a better version of YSL manifesto... deep sultry powdery tonka with some bergamot.

It's wonderful how they managed to sneak a perfect manifesto flanker dupe into this random Katarina tine

A scrumptious yummy vanilla fragrance - very similar to Manifesto. I dont get much citrus but I do get tuberose - although my nose picks up tuberose for every scent that includes it - this is creamy and sweet but not heavy, this is yummy - a delightful fragrance. I picture a mother of the bride wearing this on the special day.

Since manifesto was discontinued I decided to try this and for a $17 perfume it lasted over 8 hours. It was too sweet for me to wear it so I gave it to my mom and I love the smell on her. To me it was one of those fragrances that you love from a distance, but if you’re a gourmand lover you’ll absolutely love this.

first 3 sprays threw me off lol, but it's so good!!! Could pass for one of D&G The One. warm, sweet, VERY powdery. Kind of smells like cookies, perfect for the holidays. Lasts over 6 hours on skin, longer on clothes. Great projection. A steal! 9/10 though the bottle is not pretty...

Very pretty light vanilla and creamy nuttiness from the heliotrope. I have never smelled manifesto, but it has a similar DNA to Elie Saab Girl of Now as well, just a much lighter version with less orange/orange blossom. It's feminine, delicate, and perfect for a cool spring day.

This mellows out really beautifully. Very creamy, rich and full. Slightly sweet. Perfect for year round in my opinion, good projection and good longevity. 7/10

I bought Katarina Light Blue because I heard it was a cheap dupe for YSL's Manifesto, which I like a lot but is now discontinued. Yes, it certainly is. However, I have sold it because it doesn't have the depth of Manifesto. I would say this would be a nice topper upper if you want to ration your bottle of the YSL, but it's missing something for me, I found myself hating the scent.

Super potent formulation with no cheap alcohol opening but it's totally linear and there's a cloying, synthetic note that dominates and then just lingers throughout the whole life of this perfume to the point I can't really wear it. I've given it to my 12 year old daughter and she loves it. I just have to steer clear of her whenever she's got it on because that cloying note REALLY projects. Honestly, this perfume isn't deserving of all the praise and the high ratings. It's a 3.6 at best. The fragrance is really heavy and lifeless. Just because a perfume has good performance, doesn't make it a great perfume. I'll take a beautifully blended skin scent over this monstrosity any day of the week. Scent: 4/10 Performance: 9/10

I do not have Manifesto, so I cannot compare, but I love this one. However, I don't love it at first. At first spray I thought this smelled too common or basic, because I mostly got white flowers and a bit of citrus and vanilla. I asked my husband if he liked it 5 minutes later and he said, "It's odd, it's backwards- I smell spicy vanilla at first and then flowers, and it should be the other way around with the flowers and then the vanilla in the drydown." I agreed until an hour later when I started getting a delicious vanilla. Then two hours later, I get a divine heliotrope and vanilla, with the rest of the notes delicately swirled in. I love this one, but I have to wait at least an hour before I feel the love. Then I love it for the rest of the day! I love heliotrope, so I am very happy. Re-testing the husband, he loved it after a few hours, too. Lasting power is 8 hrs, which I expect from Arabic fragrances. I got this for approximately $25 USD, but it smells like a very high quality fragrance.

I don't know manifesto but I find this similar to L'heure bleue which I love, or Volupte by Oscar de la Renta. To my nose, this is mainly powdery but not suffocating heliotrope, followed closely by a creamy jasmine and a drop of vanilla. I'll wear it gladly this spring, until temps hit high enough for this to be too sweet (it's a flowery sweetness not a pure vanilla one). It's nothing extraordinary but the feeling I get when wearing it, is cozy and feminine. I'm glad I have this in my collection.

I don't know what fragrance the reviewer before me was smelling. This perfume is in no way offensive. It is very soft, creamy, and vanillic. It is slightly amber-y and I personally don't pick up on too many florals. Reminds me of Girl of Now and Zara Golden Decade (a dupe for Libre Intense.) It is just cozy and delicious. I have a small scent bubble around me. Low projection and moderate longevity. Great price for a lovely perfume.

Bought a lightly used bottle, came in a box. Let’s address the packaging. It’s giving 5 minute crafts. The glue and metal decorative plate came off. Now the juice really reminds me of YSL manifesto, the original. I’ve never tried the l’elixir. Wish the packaging was less gaudy. But other than that I found a dupe to a beloved gem.

The first spritz is a L'Elixir dupe, but it becomes obvious fast that it's much lighter,takes on more citrus, and fades fast. I don't consider it a substitute, but it's better than nothing, especially considering its availability and the price difference, and if you love L'Elixir and can't get it, you'll be glad you have it

According to the note pyramid, this should be the perfect scent for me. It is not. It is nauseating. It smells like a stripper with a missing tooth! I’m hoping the ‘maceration’ as people have been talking about here, is a thing and that there might be some redemption for this little blue tramp.

I love this a lot. Very delicate vanilla, super feminine and just makes me want to keep sniffing. I think it's a safe blind-buy and can be worn throughout the year. Probably layers well with other scents

I would like to buy it. Can anyone tell me where I can find it in Italy?