L'Homme

I've spent most of this year NOT wearing any (commercially available) scents, I've been wearing either prototypes or single-note aromachemicals, getting my head (and nose) around ionones and irones, so, my reviewing muscles and form is a little off and I feel quite rusty doing this! I thought "why not return to some of my ancient mainstream scents to get back into the swing of things?", and dragged out this bottle from about 15+ years ago. It immediately takes me back to that late 2006 - early 2007 timeframe, when I first started teaching and actually making decent money. I originally subsisted off 2 or 3 samples I managed to get off DJs in the city, and I used the bejesus out of those. I think I actually bought a bottle of this when it was first available in my far-flung waystation of a country, waaay at the end of the supply chain. I completely drained a bottle of this, and I remember either getting a second bottle myself, or my wife / girlfriend / fiancé getting it for me, pre-HK, and I don't think I used it all that much, possibly a handful of times since 2010. Anyway, I put it on for the first time today and yesterday and it was a trip back in time. I was teaching my (mostly Punjabi) students in class, and it also reminded me of my first few months in Japan. Aside from the instant scent memories, I was also a little shocked at how 'vague' this scent is. Disregarding the scent pyramid, this really doesn't smell like anything recognisable, with a slightly-vague resin, possibly benzoin, in the mix, but it's mostly synth replacements that don't smell like anything that appears in that scent pyramid. Slight resins, a bit of citrus and maybe some vague woods, but, notwithstanding my 'criticism', it works, it just works. Office-safe, pleasantly inoffensive and a good, all-purpose scent that would work in most circumstances. I, though, really prefer to stand out and not smell safe, predictable and like everyone else, so, aside from not minding this, I'm not at all sure where I would actually wear this. I might just keep this, mostly as a souvenir, but also because it reminds me so much of a time when I was a lot more green in the sniffing world, and also because it takes me back to some fun times. Nice, but basic and safe.

If I only had a man...I would hope he'd smell just like this. This isn't your bad boy, or park ranger, your prepster,or your policeman, or your firefighter, your family man or your dentist, your gangsta, or your beach boy, etc...this is your everyday good man, who leaves them all in the dust. He is comfortable in his own skin, he does not mind putting an effort for you, tries to look clean and put together. Fresh from the shower. Some after shave. That fresh, comfortable scent merging with his skin and seeping through his clothes. He'd don a crisp, black shirt, some black pants...sneaks, boots, whatever. He might have a watch on. He has nothing to hide, nothing to prove, doesn't have to act confident and playful to show he is...he is offering himself to the world just as he is. He of the firm handshake or the brotherly pat. He who greets his lover with a hug and becomes the most polarizing thing in the room. And this is why this is my favorite Men's perfume. This is so fresh and elegant and versatile. Cool, sleek and warm.The guy who wears this is up for anything and ready for anything. Hanging out with his friends. Ready to go skydiving with me and ready to tumble for a few hours. The man exudes unstudied class; There's an air of gratitude and respect of his surroundings about him. And I'd never get tired of him... Some men would be put off by the sweetness. I happen to like this sweet essence of it, it shows you are HUMAN. The world cannot fall on your shoulders. It may feel like that often and for what I've seen from the many men in my life (friends, family, strangers, a lover or two), you need to relax. You need to be taken care of. Sometimes, y'all need a hug. But this also shows you need to be lusted after. The ginger, spices and lemon give it a kick, reminding whoever is smelling you that while you may have your ward down a bit, your senses are always on. Aren't they always? In result, you come up as unexpected. Unexpected because you're not as abrasive as the many others that scream "LOOK AT ME, LOOK HOW MUCH NOISE I CAN MAKE!!" and come up as obnoxious. You look at her nonchalantly, you know she'll look (you sly dog...). That is refreshing and sexy to me.

This was one of the first fragrances that I purchased as a young man. I’m also sure we could all speak to the nostalgia and memories this fragrance conjures about. Nevertheless, It really is a true masterpiece. I would say this scent was quite ground breaking for how mass appealing and safe it was and is. I’m sure, most can agree this juice is the definition of likable. Here’s the issue... The performance is just nonexistent. Its almost as if this was made to enjoy for yourself. This is EDT concentration that performs like a cheap cologne. Again, the performance here is just unfortunate for how beautiful the scent profile is. However, i’m not knocking this classic. In spite of those things its basically a pillar in Fragcomm, and the reason why a lot of us are here to begin with. Though, I think, even before the reformulations this fragrance was still never a beast performer at least not on my skin or for others i’ve read. However, I believe It should be kept and cherished. We should appreciate this fragrance for what it is—which i’m cool with. Heres an idea for you though, and i’m not sure why no one is talking about this but there is a clone of this fragrance that is truly a 1:1 but its an extrait de parfum concentration that cost $35 dollars. Actually I wouldn’t even call it a clone it’s YSL L’Homme with more punch and gravitas. Its basically a more complete, better blended YSL L’Homme, and astonishingly, The Dua Brand is still able to stay true to L’Homme’s DNA in spite of turning it up several notches. This is inviting, mass appealing and just likable. Just imagine YSL L’Homme but upgraded to modern perfumery’s higher standards. If L’Homme is considered a 8.7/10 than Rendezvous is an 11— check it out its RENDEZVOUS by the DUA BRAND. I’m wearing it right now... and its everything you hoped L’Homme could be but never quite was. Rendezvous fixes the performance issue completely. Sorted. Not sure why this hasn’t been discussed more. You’re welcome. Also if it matters to you I purchased my fragrance directly from their website. Blessings!

Man, I miss what this used to be So I'm probably not the only one who feels this way but... this isn't the same fragrance anymore. Found this back in 2007 at duty free on my way to some vacation (can't even remember where now), and it was instant love. That ginger hit, the spicy-clean thing it had going on, just this effortless freshness that clicked perfectly with my nose. It felt smooth and modern but masculine without trying too hard, you know? Like the kind of scent that could be your signature - casual enough for everyday but still classy. I burned through that first bottle way too fast and then moved on to other stuff... but years later I came back to it. Big mistake. This thing's been reformulated to hell and back, and you can tell immediately. That spark it used to have? Gone. The smell is still decent - don't get me wrong - but it's like a watered-down version of its former self. The performance especially is just disappointing now, which is typical of how modern reformulations often have weaker concentrations. You'll get maybe a few hours if you're lucky, then it's basically gone. For a scent that used to feel premium and effortless, having to carry a decant around is just... sad. I get why they do reformulations - regulations, cost cutting, whatever - but as someone who loved the original, it's genuinely frustrating. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just being nostalgic but nah, this is definitely weaker. Bottom line: Used to be fresh, spicy, clean perfection. Now it's weak and reformulated to death. Still a nice scent but terrible staying power. 5.5/10 because the DNA is still there, but barely. RobTheScent Honest takes. Big nose energy.

The opening is bright, grapefruit, maybe lemon...maybe bergamot (or all of the above) slightly spiced affair. It's bracing. It wakes you up. It smells like Florida air...I haven't been to Florida since 2005. It melds onto the skin as time wears on. There's a compelling astringent quality to this. It makes me feel more focused, fresher, and more awake. It's *crisp*, which I find to be the case with other D.Ropion fragrances, they have the capability of jutting through the air. Anne Flipo though, she also has made some incredible freshies, and has a beautiful way of employing tonka (many of those LVEB flankers are stunning). The balance of sweet, soft, plushy tonka and the spicy ginger, along with something green is simply gorgeous. Gorgeous. It also reminds me of Mugler's discontinued "Fly Away", but with more backbone and heft. Yes, this is fresh, but it also has resilience and isn't being silenced by the cold January air. This is one thing, as a woman that I very, very rarely come across...a freshie with a heavy dose of citrus that can hang in winter weather. It's almost non-existent. And I by no means intend to emasculate this fragrance whatsoever. It's classically 70% or so masculine (who cares, wear what you like regardless of gender), but I am comfortable in it because it has a soft undertone. On a man? This would be quite attractive. I cannot speak to reformulations. This bottle looks old, and it's been quite loved (30% is remaining). I feel fortunate to have found this. It smells like it's thoughtfully constructed, blended, and intelligently formulated. With the perfumers behind this, it's not surprising.

l'Homme is an absolute classic. It's timeless, simple, yet perfectly blended. It's one of the few fragrances in my collection that I never get tired of smelling. Sure, it's not overly exciting, it's quite linear, and the performance is awful, but it smells absolutely fantastic. I really wish YSL would release a flanker that stays close to the original DNA but REALLY amps up the performance. This is a rather versatile fragrance, it gets lost in cooler weather, evaporates too quickly in the hot weather (it honestly is gonna to quickly in any weather, but it's especially bad in high heat). I like to layer it with l'Homme EDP to give a bit of performance boost. The EDP is extremely similar throughout most its wear, but has a slightly sweeter base and a much darker opening. Performance is slightly better with the EDP, but 4 hours vs 3 is not really anything to boast about. I honestly wear the EDP even in the summer because it's still so light compared to many popular summer fragrances. Unlike it's much lauded flanker, La Nuit de l'Homme, I have seen little to no evidence of older batches having noticeably greater performance, or evidence of current formula bottles performance improving after maturing after oxidation. LNDH is well known to improve with time, and even it's performance (or rather, lack there of) has been greatly exaggerated, in my opinion. I would consider making this my signature scent if it had the performance I desired. The performance is so bad that I wouldn't even put this in my top 20, even though the scent profile makes this a masterpiece in my eyes... Albeit a brief one.

To this day, the only bottle of fragrance I have ever finished. This scent will always be special to me. It is the first scent I ever owned that helped me take my fragrance journey from cheap body wash gift set scents and rack store blind buys into the designer realm. I got this for free from a sephora sampler set my mom bought for me when I was 12 years old. I instantly fell in love with this one, it completely stuck out to me. I instantly redeemed my free coupon for it. I was easily the most unique smelling guy in 7th grade, which wasn't really that hard to do when the competition was axe body spray, acqua di gio, and body odor. The performance was terrible, but I didn't care, I just brought an atomizer with me to freshen up after gym class. This was my signature scent for well over a year and I finished the full bottle well before I started high school, it was just that good to me. One day, I do plan on repurchasing this, as a nostalgia piece and to relive some of my childhood memories, but the performance is what is really preventing me from doing so right now. I will forever cherish this scent, the memories that came with it, and what it did to me for my own personal fragrance journey.

This is a very handsome dna by YSL The scent profile of the original L'Homme is iconic with a blast of ginger, soft spices, freshness, making it very refreshing and some ozonic allure to it. Amazing smelling masculine smooth cologne If I could describe it in 3 words: creamy, spicy, water Talking about the "water" word I said above, due to multiple reformulations, get ready to put this and prepare to reapply it during the day because this doesn't pass the 3-4hr mark and it's a skin scent most of the time. Overspray. It's worth it. Considering you like the icon bottle design like I do and don't mind carrying it into your bag during the day to reapply, I think this is a perfect dumb reach fragrance Going to the gym? Sure, it's not strong and you know you smell amazing during the activity Going to the office? Perfect for that environment, handsome, masculine and people will take you seriously Going a daytime warm weather date? Hell yes, get ready for compliments from the lucky girl Going to a club or night out? Okay maybe not this one honestly. A daytime spring-summer-fall/autumn perfume. Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme: handsomeness in a bottle, classic, tho reapply it in conclusion. 9/10

I’ve had my 100ml bottle for a couple of years. It’s at ~2/3 full, but I haven’t worn it in many months. I just applied a couple of sprays for my own enjoyment, and it’s very clear to me that oxidation has very much helped further smooth this fragrance. It really is so beautiful. I’ve always gotten a light cardamom ice cream vibe off skin, although none of that is in the breakdown (I guess the tonka, actually). I live in nyc and have made many trips to specialty fragrance shops like Osswald and the Scent Bar and have smelled many, many hundreds of fragrances, as I’m sure many of you have. I also smell and own lots of clones. The realization that I keep coming to—no matter how many times I think I’m going to find a niche fragrance that blows away all designer fragrances, or a clone of a niche that’s going to blow away all niche fragrances price and performance wise—is that many times it’s very hard to beat a really good designer fragrance (price and composition and blending-wise). I think L’Homme is one of them that’s really hard to beat. Peace 2u frag creeps.

Violet forward in my opinion; this will last in the 10hr+ range on my skin, short projection, minimal sillage, and a VERY pleasant fragrance. The comments from others on longevity may have more to do with projection. I can, very distinctly, smell this at the end of my 10+hr work day, however it doesn't project much after the dryoff period, vs a very strong projection up front. Again, the violet/floral notes are strong for me and overpower the other scents 85-90% of the time. The basil is there, and enhances the violet brilliantly, and vice-versa. On rare occasions I pick up the other notes, and it's always a very nice surprise, but those "surprises" are the only thing that makes this a more masculine scent. That said, any secure man can definitely pull this off; I will consider wearing for any occasion on any day with warm sunny weather. Great for special occasions, like weddings or anniversaries, in my opinion. I'll also add, I wouldn't mind this one on a woman, semi-masculine undertones and all. Again, VERY pleasant, but a more formal.

This fragrance is simply amazing. It's fresh, sweet, and incredibly easy to wear. you can literally pull it off anywhere. It feels comforting, soft, and effortlessly stylish, easily one of the best designer scents out there. The opening is a little fizzy and spicy, giving it a playful energy. There's something about it that reminds me of a garden after a fresh rain probably the violet leaf giving it that dewy, green feeling. Overall, it’s clean, bright, and energetic, with a very safe, inoffensive vibe. You could wear this to work, a date, or even just casually, and you’re guaranteed to smell great without overwhelming anyone. It’s very similar to the EDT version, but I find L'Homme slightly more versatile and fresher. Honestly, I probably couldn’t choose between them, so I just own both! This one works all year round but especially shines in spring with its fresh, vibrant character. Scent - 9/10 Longevity - 7/10 Sillage - 6/10 Bottle - 9/10 Value for money - 8/10 Overall - 7,8/10

I love this fragrance. It was the first one I ever purchased for myself that wasn't inspired by something my father had had. I have worn it to many interviews, college and business events where I needed some confidence and comfort, and simply pleasant days. If I were to have a signature scent I guess this would be it, seeing as how when I toured my fragrance collection with my partner of nearly 8 years, she commented on this one "this smells like you." I have no problem with that association at all lol, it does feel like me. The scent is bright, effervescent, warm and calming which I attribute to the masterful blend of ginger, citrus, violet leaf and cedar. Like others have said it strikes a balanced chord for me of masculine but elegant, youthful but classy. I've seen some complaints about performance but for me performance is at least moderate, maybe it's just my skin chemistry. I've been complimented many times on this. I think I will always need it in my collection. 10/10

This was my first ever fragrance- This one started it all. I picked this fragrance out of a Sephora sampler set way back. And I remember feeling like the man when I first tried it. This fragrance brings me back to walking to school on a foggy autumn morning in the 9th grade during COVID. I have an empty bottle that I sometimes just smell- and the scent is just as good as when I first smelled it, it's also become nostalgic. Citrusy, clean, professional and slightly spicy. And to me, for the longest time, I have always picked up some sort of floral-ness. Maybe the violet leaf idk. This is a perfect signature scent, and this fragrance made me draw a liking to ginger in fragrance. The only downside I remember was the performance. It wasn't terrible, but neither was it gonna last you the entire day. Just a great fragrance, nothing very special to it tho. What you'd expect out of a designer fragrance. For the right price, I would definitely consider picking up another bottle. 8/10

I only came here to say the longevity is incredible with this one for me. I sprayed it on my hoodie this morning when I took my son to school- roughly 7:45am. Just now, after 7pm, I had to put my hoodie on to run outside and grab a package that was delivered next door by mistake. When I put the hoodie on, it smelled fresh as hell from some cologne. I was trying to determine what it could be when it hit me. Earlier this morning I sprayed YSL L'homme. Nearly 12 hours and I could smell it clear as day. Most people rated this as Moderate longevity, with some saying Long Lasting, and few who voted Eternal. I'd say it's Long Lasting at a minimum. Batch number is 38T4001- production date is April of 2020 (almost 6 years old). As for the scent- it's nice and fresh. A great freshy that might be a tad too "fresh spice" for me. But it's still great. One of my favorite designers where you can't go wrong. It's definitely unisex, but I'd say it's meant for males in general.

Okay! So I'm a new comer to L'Homme I've tried every other conceivable version except for this original one. I have to say I was expecting something bland and ordinary from this but it is classy juice and really well composed, instantly put me in mind of Chanel platinum egoiste. So I'd heard it was a lemon, ginger, vetiver combo and I was expecting Dior Homme sport or eau savage, something quite sharp and dry with the spice jarring against the citrus but I was so glad to get something else from YSL L'Homme. The top notes are bergamot & lemon and fresh but lead to a soapy vetiver heart with some gentle spice. What makes this fragrance for me is the base notes of vetiver and Tonka bean it's really nice, extremely well blended and I can't fault it at all...saying that it doesn't blow me away either. Masculine, suited to spring/summer daytime wear not hugely strong with great sillage or projection but a good fragrance and popular for a reason.

Love the scent of this fragrance, but as many have pointed out here, the perfromance is subpar, even for an edt. I first knew of it in 2014 from a friend who used. The scent is appealing to general public; very well blended, elegant, fresh, clean, slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and will offend no one. I used to get a heavy cinnamon note from it, but maybe my nose is more sensitive now and it smells less prominent, but I can detect the violet leaves along with a slightly powdery note. It's masculine leaning, but can work as a unisex fragrance. Very versitle and can suit any occasion, would be perfect for the office. Can work for any age group, but is makes more sense for 20+. The major let down is the performance, you will get 2 hours of good projection at arms length, 1hr at 1 foot, 1 hr at couple of inches, and then it practically disappears, barely a skin scent. What a shame. Scent 9/10 Perfromance 4/10

Great scent! It smells fresh, clean, citrusy, and spicy! It is elegant while still being playful. It is incredibly versatile and easy to wear, it will be a great choice for every occasion. It can be worn all year long without any issues, on dates and special occasion or everyday as a signature scent. The opening is fresh and bright, almost fizzy, with notes of citrus and ginger, giving it a a clean and energetic scent. There is a spicy air to it giving it a unique scent, but it doesn't overpower the rest. It then gets more floral and herbal in the dry-down while keeping the citrusy notes. And there are slightly woody undertones throughout. It is a amazingly balanced fragrance with a classy, airy feel to it. The projection isn't that good but the longevity is great. All in all it is a great perfume, easy to wear, incredibly versatile, fresh, bright, elegant, with spicy citrus notes. I Love it! 9/10

An absolute banger of a scent for younger guys. This is a sweet-fresh combo done to perfection, setting the benchmark of quality for all modern designer fragrances. For the first hour, YSL L’Homme greets you with a bright and uplifting introduction of citrus, nuanced with just a little bit of spice to make it interesting and masculine. After that, it starts to lean more towards a creamy, resinous sillage that is velvety and comforting, which to me is perfect for a school or office setting because it is assertive enough when you walk into a room, yet subtle enough to not choke out your peers in close proximity. This fragrance made a heavy impression on me in an oversaturated “blue-fragrance” landscape, and shifting trends has now alleviated this scent to become unique once again. Being extremely easy to wear on the daily, it’s a no-brainer that is also signature-worthy!

L’Homme is an underrated masterpiece of a fragrance and is my favorite scent of all time. I had a 2015 batch that I had loved but gifted it to a friend. Recently I had missed this dna so I bought a decant of one of the newer batch and it is so watered down. Does not project at all and is flat without much depth. This wasn’t anything like my previous bottle that I gave away. So I found out that Alexandria has a pre-reformulated version of L’homme called L’homme Classique, I had to get it to compare. Now that I’ve gotten it in, it smells identical to my old batch of L’Homme projects amazing within the first few hours and has that beautiful smooth/spicy ginger and almost an apple like accord. It is sad to see how reformulated this fragrance has become. I would highly suggest getting the Alexandria version if you want to see how the older formulations smelled.

I have a bottle from 2011. It was my high school scent, my very first designer fragrance and purchased from an outlet. It's still some of the best stuff I've had the pleasure of smelling. The opening is a spiced citrus ginger. It's extremely agreeable. This scent is fresh, pleasant, afraid to offend. I am admittedly bad at identifying the particular ingredients in this fragrance. I'm also trying to find a dupe that lasts longer. A representative from one of those department stores recommended scents that tried too hard in the opening. YSL l'Homme doesn't try too hard. It's the aloofness of a cool kid not wanting to stick around too long. It lasts maybe 4 hours on me. Sillage is probably low to moderate. I still have the bottle... It's not worth fully using up, but not worth purchasing again... It's worth it to have though. A weird spot for me.