Muse

Just got it today and what a beautiful fragrance this is!! Perfectly unisex, this is quiet sophistication and class in a bottle. I have nothing else like this in my collection and I am glad I took the plunge and got this even though I was scared of that ink note. All the notes blend seamlessly, yes, even the ink note. It’s more in the background but it’s there and I think it goes on fabulously with the orris note. Starts out with that unmistakable inky note, just for a few minutes, then the orris takes center stage. Then, a subtle spicy-ness peaks through along with a certain warmth. The iris (or orris) note is not wet, though you’d think it would be since associated with ink. It’s more on the dry side. The dry down has a tiny hint of vanilla but it’s a dry vanilla as well. It’s more of a spicy yet powdery feel with that orris root that stays through the entire wear. Longevity isn’t super amazing. 4 maybe 5 hours on my skin? Not abysmal, I have seen way worse before. Sillage is on the shy side but i do not think this is a bitch boss kind of fragrance. This is more of an old wealth style of scent that is not garishly obnoxious and in your face. No need to scream your entrance with this one. Nicely done, very nicely done one from YSL and the new packaging is very classy. 🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤✨🖤 Edit: I do not smell ANY resemblance with Black Tie by Céline at all. That one has sweetness in it from that distinctive Céline Vanilla. Muse is not sweet at all.

I am aware that I hate on designer fragrances a lot. And there is valid reason for that. I won't go into that now. However, I am here today because I do find a fragrance every now and then that is an exception. Muse is an exception. It's just a great iris. Or ORRIS if you want to be specific. It's dark and stormy, but soft and comforting at the same time. Perfect for those times where you want to be by yourself on a rainy day and start to write. Perhaps a candle beside you. The ink accord is what makes this special. All you need is a feather quill and you are set. Maybe it's because I can create a vision in my mind that I am giving YSL a pass. Typically, I cannot do that with most other designer fragrances. They have their fashion brand in control. Front and center. And they have to worry about that. That's fine. But don't expect me to rant and rave about something that is not deserved. On the contrary, I think this fragrance deserves all the praise. I am sitting here and I am realizing that they are coming out with an even more extreme version. I'm very excited about that! I will say that you have to be a fan of orris or else you will not enjoy this whatsoever. Not a problem for me! In fact, not to be controversial, but I would take this over babycat. But I will accept a bottle of each from YSL for a further, more detailed review. Lol. Ready and willIng YSL! :D

Incredible, 10/10. This scent matches the feeling/smells of being in a beautiful, dark, old, classic library/study with floor to ceiling solid wood shelves and old books, while it's raining outside and thundering in the distance. Inspiring, mysterious, peaceful, introspective, comforting, timeless. No notes from me. Next day update: Great longevity and good projection throughout without being obnoxious or overwhelming. I still smell a skin scent after a plane flight and a night's sleep, 24 hours later. In the deep dry down, a touch of slightly sweet creaminess develops and adds to the rest. Great all throughout, not ever getting anywhere near cloying at any point, and I tried this in 95 degree humid Washington D.C. weather. While I do really enjoy it, it never gets cloying, and think it can work year round in all scenarios, it somehow doesn't feel the most appropriate in very hot tropical weather; I feels like there's too much of a juxtaposition between the feeling it evokes and the climate. Hard to feel like you're in a dark library while on the beach or something similar.

Just got her today and she is unlike anything else in my collection. This is an unexpectedly niche scent for a house like YSL. She opens a bit sharp with the lavender and clary sage it is gives a slight chemical scent, then the incense,orris, and ambrette come through giving a musky softened orris, rounded out by sweetened smoky bourbon vanilla. The ink accord really brings out a nuanced if not elegant smoky wooden note. This is not a scent for everyone, this is elegant, sexy, mature, and mysterious. This is the most cohesive scent story I have experienced in a while. It’s almost giving a Glossier You Doux experience, it’s very much a skin perfume... I don’t think this will work for a lot of folks and in oversprays it legit smells like bug spray. On my skin it pulls slightly sweet, the orris becomes creamy and the incense is softly smoked. It lives up to that Muse name. I definitely recommend getting a decant, the price is up there! They updated the Le Vestiaire packaging (it’s so lux) and pricing by 10% to 15%.

I have first tried YSL Muse a month ago from a tester bottle, probably sent by mistake because it's not on the market yet. I called it "a mysterious perfume" because there was no info on the internet until last week... Muse is a beautifully crafted, very well balanced iris centric fragrance. My first impression was that it felt like a more feminine, softer Dior Homme Intense. A buttery iris with some lavender and lightly spiced (probably incence accord) nuances, but not a heavy one, somehow airy. Though "Inspiring Ink" refers to actual ink in brief and photo shoots, I suspect the "Ink" comes from the "The Inks" liquid lipstick series, because it smells like those kind of lipsticks. A preciously applied, velvety, dark mauve one... Neither too powdery, nor waxy, but cosmetic anyway. Sillage and longevity are above average... I see Muse as a higly versatile, all year round, day and night, unisex, elegant perfume.