The Beat Look

FROM DSH website: Amber, Australian sandalwood, Brazilian vetiver, civet, East Indian patchouli, green oak-moss, leather, musk, Bulgarian rose absolute, Centifolia rose absolute, gardenia, grandiflorum jasmine, honeysuckle, hyacinth, orris, aldehydes, bergamot, Mirabelle plum, neroli, peach. **YSL Retrospective Collection** This perfume is not only inspired by YSL’s collection of the same name and French culture of the time but also by his very first perfume launch “Y”, a fruity-aldehydic chypre, of 1964. The Beat Look: c. 1958-1964 The Americanization of French culture was at it’s height in the late 1950’s and YSL was not immune to it’s influence. Inspired by the street looks of youth culture, the beats, and the motorcycle chic of the “Wild One”; “The Beat Look” was revolutionary.

I get a crisp fall day with the smell of a recent rain still stewing on the grass near the woods bordering our house. On me the fruit note echoes a lush orange and grape-apple-like accord, not like wine, more like cider. The aldehydic notes are like a soft feathery pillow for the pulpy fruit accords – plum and maybe something else? The affect is very warming and sweet, but with a richness and complexity from the woods and moss and resins that make it linger and spread as it warms to my skin. They aren’t listed here, but there are a BUNCH of ingredients listed on the DSH website, and I swear I get whiffs of light jasmine and white flowers along with a slight pinch of leather, among other things. But it’s blended so well that it’s impossible to distinguish any clashing notes. My nose doesn’t even WANT to search for the different components. They just seem to belong together, so my whole being seems to accept and embrace the whole concoction as a note in and of itself. It's feminine, but not girly - in fact, I'd love to smell this on my boyfriend, too. As for performance, that’s a tough call. I’m rationing my sample because I’m NOT READY to run out, but for that reason I’ve been using it conservatively (three times wearing it and I’ve got about a third of my tiny little vial left). I’d say it’s strong enough for me to catch whiffs throughout the day, but I don’t get that richness from when I first put it on for more than a couple hours before it fades to a skin scent. I’m sure with one or two proper sprays from a larger bottle though, it’ll give me all that richness and then some! As I understand it, this is part of a YSL retrospective collection. Horowitz was inspired by the “Beat Look” fashions that Yves Saint Laurent launched in the 60s, right as the French aesthetic became popular in the US, and she was also inspired by YSL’s first perfume, “Y”, which was also launched around that time. Having never smelled Y (but still loving the house's perfumes, in general), I can only say that lacking that frame of reference doesn’t hurt my appreciation for DSH’s formula. Like the French aesthetic itself, it’s simple and impeccable and classy, and I can’t wait to buy a whole bottle!

This starts out like vintage Mitsouko with radiant peach and moss. The drydown has a beautiful vintage chypre musk. I wish it were stronger. Dawn's YSL collection is superb. Gentle sillage and moderate longevity.