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.

It’s been a long time since I fell instantly in love with a scent! This was an quick full bottle buy for me. I find the opening incredibly addictive. Muse is a very comforting, classy, sophisticated, mysterious, feminine scent. I can smell all the notes, but love the ink. As a hater of Blanche Bette and Gris Charnel, both of which I find dull, I don’t think this smells similar to them at all. Smelling them side by side, Muse is actually very close to Celine’s Black Tie. It has the same elegant, powdery, softness but with the addition of the ink note, setting it apart from any other fragrance on the market. Perfect for spring, autumn and winter in any occasion. 100% signature scent worthy! Now I can take Black Tie off my wish list. This is so very well done and just absolutely stunning!

I finally got my hands on this masterpiece through Facebook marketplace! Every discounter I’ve seen barely gets under 300$ for the 4.2oz bottle but I got it for 150$! The Scent: The opening is a soft, powdery, dry Orris. It’s a little buttery but it’s hard to imagine that as a smell so thing of a new book smell. That’s combined with an ink accord which is VERY PALATABLE, more so than you might think. Finally the bourbon vanilla come forward far into the dry down. The vanilla is nice and creamy and soft, but it really does stick to a skin scent. Expect projection for ~2 hours and a skin scent for ~10 hours. Very versatile though! Anything from black tie events to maybe a spray before work. You won’t upset anyone with this.

long lasting and surprisingly, it is a cozy and comfortable smell to me. The smell by itself is good but to me paired with a good vanilla, cocoa or coffee scent, that's when it's really complete. I bought the new tuxedo and even though tuxedo as a better and more crowd pleasing scent, this one is more versatile due to its performance (tuxedo performed badly on me) and layering ability. the scent is also very unisex, it starts feminine dries down unisex and dies off masculine (to me). it last pretty long though it's a skin scent after around 6 hours, but I can still smell the remains on me the next day before a shower. It's a nice surprise but for the price you should probably smell it before.

I finally had the opportunity to experience Muse at Lafayette, and it is truly exquisite. There are some similarities to Blanche Bête... a soft, almost coconut-like note but much more subdued and refined. Muse would fit seamlessly into the Celine collection; it carries that luxurious aura characteristic of all Celine fragrances. I can’t wait to add this one to my collection. It's sexy, classy and confident. EDIT: Unfortunately in the dry down on my skin this goes 80% like Blanche Bate which I don't enjoy that much 😩 I wish that sharp dry ink opening stay longer on my skin. Still if I find a bottle of a Muse for less price than retail I would get it.

This is special. The initial spray is harsh, the ink is a bit stinky and acrid, but after 20 minutes this settled into something luxurious. The combination of vanilla and orris is creamy an delicious, coconutty, and it is very well balanced by the ink, that keeps it from getting too sweet. It's also a bit powdery, very lightly powdery. It is two perfumes in one: creamy and dark at the same time, delicious and somber, very serious. This is an angel/ demon combination. It smells dark violet/ grey. The ambrette makes this a bit musky in the dry down, but I don't get any aromatic notes. It is so well blended. Perfectly unisex.

Amazing fragrance! I’m the kind of woman who loves feminine scents and usually feels that unisex perfumes lean too much toward the masculine side, which is a bit of a bummer... but not this one! Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Vestiaire line truly captures an upscale, high-class, distinctive style in a bottle. This fragrance reminds me of those rich-people clothes that smell like a wooden closet — I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s a natural-smelling scent, not like a typical perfume. It’s earthy, woody, and slightly sweet. I would love to have my entire wardrobe smelling like this! 10/10 💎

I find this fragrance very unique and alluring. The initial 20 -30 minutes takes some getting used to because of the ink note but then the orris and vanilla comes in to add some softness and the blend is quite exceptional. Feels like it can work almost year round, although I wouldn't reach for this in the summer heat or when temperatures rise above 80 degrees. I find this to be unisex while being something that women are drawn to. I wouldn't say it's a safe blind buy but definitely something for a fragrance enthusiast or someone who wants to stand out and not smell like everyone else.

This is beautiful and captivating on first spray. That ink note and aromatic notes definitely pull through in beginning. The dry down is a slight aromatic cozy warm vanilla with a hint of intrigue with the ink note. It reminded me of something at the deep dry down and finally it hit me today after doing full wear test. It reminds me of an aromatic version of Blanche Bete. Replace the lactonic qualities with aromatic notes. It doesn’t remind me of Celine fragrance listed. We all have different noises that pick up different things. Definitely a must try if love anything vanilla.

I love a good orris perfume, and this is no exception. The opening is reminiscent of pink pepper, but the lavender doesn't come out as strong as I would like and disappears quickly. The incense and lavender disappears quick into a completely smooth and almost milky scent. I almost get a bit of coconut with all the sweetness. Doesn't have any spiciness at all, and it stays for literal days.The ink is a unique part that stays throughout, but it doesn't stand out to me. Still very unique and overall pleasing scent.

Beautiful! To those mourning the loss of YSL Velours - the Muse is similar. It feels like a lighter version of Velours, much more suitable for daily wear, but lacking a certain darkness and depth of it. Muse is still gorgeous, with the ink accord being very well executed. I love the very thin veil of vanilla/lavender that carries the fragrance. It is captivating and sensual. I still prefer Velours by a mile, it is one of my most beloved perfumes. But Muse is also lovely and shares Velours' unforgettable DNA.

At first impression sweater version of Akro Ink. I reall like it. I check fragnatica and i was surprised its more leaning to female side by votes. Before I finish looking at webpage it Ink note really disappeared. Made me bit disappointed with this fregnance as im hunting for "my ink". (Really in love with this note) I gave it to my girlfriend and she was like 😯 smells like crayon. Then dry down😍🤤 she described as smell of Christmas in family house. She really loves it...but price...

has immediately became one of my favorites. dark black ink surrounded by the most gorgeous iris and slightly smokey vanilla. it’s smells so incredible and mysterious/alluring. the opening is my favorite, that burst of aromatics and dark ink. it’s so unique and addictive. after it fades, it turns into a incensey vanilla and iris which also smells incredible, just not quite as good as the strange opening. doesn’t seem to project too loudly which i think is perfect and it lasts all day

This is my signature scent! The ink note is surprisingly nice, and the dry down is to die for. I love the orris and vanilla, it’s so creamy and well blended. This is kind of what i wished Blanche bete would smell like, not saying I dislike Blanche bete — I own both. Blanche bete had an almost almond smell that reminded me of Dior hypnotic poison, not necessarily a bad thing. Just wasn’t what I was expecting. I love Muse, it’s very intriguing.

this is so good! instantly transported me back to national library and museum in New Delhi. The smell of old paper, ink is surprisingly very pleasing. After about an hour, it turned more metallic inky but still pleasant. then faded to ball point ink smell combined with woody vanilla, soft, cloudy, misty, sweet. what an incredible, unique and unusual perfume that still manages to perform as a perfume! Now if only I could buy on discount!

I adore the OG version of Dior Homme Parfum but sadly, it won’t be available anymore. This just replaced it for me. I was ready to blind it based on y’all’s reviews but, I didn’t have to because I found it a Sephora in Colorado Springs. Love at first sniff. If you love the OG DHP or Iris Categena Extrait this is a beautiful cousin to both. Iris Categena is a bit more gourmand. I don’t mind having all three for now. Savoring DHP.

Muse has the same understated elegance that I love in Black Tie and Angelique Noire. It’s smooth, refined and subtly smoky, with a beautifully blended composition that feels effortlessly luxurious. It has enough presence to be noticed without ever becoming overpowering. It shares the aromatic elegance of Mon Guerlain’s lavender, but feels drier, more textured and less sweet, equally as sophisticated, if not more so.

I impulse bought this after testing it for one day. I never smelled anything quite like this and there’s something highly addictive about it. Ink is listed in the base, but the note is strongest for me in the opening. A little plasticky, smokey, and papery— really makes me think of ink. It dries down into a beautiful creamy orris woody musk. Such an interesting and unique but highly wearable fragrance.

Masterpiece that I have fallen in love with. The ink note to me is not what makes this special.. The fact that it opens up sharp but in 2-3 minutes becomes this amazing creamy/milky vanilla with a hint of mystery leather (I smell leather) is just dreamy. Lasts on my skin for 5-6 hours and the dry down is just addictive. I don't think it's a blind buy but this has become one of my favorites.

Love at first sniff. Who can deny this? So sexy and so unique. Airy and intriguing. Mysterious and shady, but so pleasant for most noses I would say. What has this brand done with some of their privé line perfumes. Excellent work Performance wise it is not bad but I am not satisfied. I have just accepted by now that it is the designer’s choice of character not to create explosive scents.

This smells NOTHING like Blanche Bete. It’s hard to describe because it’s not too aromatic, the lavender isn’t super prominent, there’s a bit of sweetness and just a bit of warmth. The orris makes an appearance as more of a violet sweetness instead of powdery. If I had to compare this to anything it would be Thè Noir but Muse is smoother, less earthy and doesn’t have the same sharpness.

This is beautiful. For me it leans a little bit to feminine side but I think a specific man could also pull it off. On my skin it smells even a little lactonic. Herbs and ink give it a beautiful edge, surprisingly for me the ink note is not harsh or synthetic. The lasting power is also very good. Sadly I can’t bring myself to spend so much on a bottle.

Someone described the ink note as being "fluffy" & I completely agree. It's like a "fluffy" ballpoint pen ink, exactly like the blue Bic cristal pens. It's very nostalgic & rich. The vanilla & orris settle the synthetic quality of the ink note. This is not a safe blind buy, but I'm glad I bought it blindly. It's now one of my favorite perfumes. 10/10

I like this more and more everyday. The inky opening is to die for, I've never smelled something similar before. Dries down to something very classy, mysterious woody iris. I really love that YSL seems to try something new in the private line, so far it sticks. Babycat is still and probably will forever be my favourite but this one is a close second.

Reminds me of a manga/comic book store in the best way. A trench coat wearing detective solving a mystery in Japan is my first thought in regards to who would wear this. Modern, clean, unique and infinitely intriguing. I don't care for YSL's mainstream releases like MYSLF, Y or the l'Homme line, but their private lines are beyond gorgeous.

Really nice creamy buttery orris scent, I love the bourbon vanilla and ink note which makes it mysterious, although if you own dior homme intense i would probably not buy this since its a little too similar but at the same time not, this is a more upgraded and refined version and i would 100% keep this in my collection for the future.

I wasn’t sure about it at first, the opening felt a bit too bold for me. But once it dried down, it truly surprised me. It became soft, creamy, and beautifully refined. It has that signature YSL elegance, but with a twist. A scent that grows on you with time, mysterious, slightly powdery, and quietly addictive.

I’m obsessed with this one. Absolutely stunning! Soft, slightly powdery and aromatic. It does smell like it has vanilla in it although it’s not in the notes. The ink is not as strong as the V&R fragrance with ink in it. Very tolerable for me. I got a 5ml and immediately bought a FB! Heavenly!!!

I also think it’s similar to Dior Homme Intense. It’s a men’s iris fragrance. It doesn’t smell of lavender. I think the sweetness is similar too. If it were me, I’d buy Dior Homme Intense. It would have been even better if it had been a bit more unique. 9/10

Second best in the private line, gets way too less love only by certain creators. So unique amazing scent. Got it for a pretty nice dicounted price, if yall know its impossible to get a privateline anything under retail so i was pretty lucky.

Love the iris ink combination with aromatic notes. This one is not a typical iris makeup bag scent. It is dark, mysterious and complex. For me this one is one of the best iris discoveries of 2025 along with Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhan.

Smells like a 75 year old rich lady in a fur coat, but in the most beautiful way possible. Im a 35 male and enjoy wearing it, but the first hour smells too much like makeup, but holy shit the dry down is to die for. 9/10

I absolutely love this perfume. Iris as a note has really grown on me over the years. (I use to not like it). The iris vanilla combo is delightful. Heaven in a bottle!

I'm with the person below me, I didn't care for the idea until I tried it on skin. Damnit. I can't seem to dislike any of the YSL private line.

To me, Muse smells like if Blanche Bête and Gris Charnel had a baby.🤍 Cozy and creamy, but with a dark twist. I fell instantly in love.

One of the most classy iris fragrance even better than Dior homme intense. Sniffing my shirt like an addict the whole day i tried.

idk why but i love this. the dry down is amazing but the opening is super inky and polarizing

This is a beautiful perfume. I bought it at duty-free in Lisbon. It is unique and heavenly.

This smelled like a unique vanilla fragrance on my skin. It's in my wishlist

Amazing, elegant, soft and refined perfume!!! Can’t stop smelling it! 👌🏼👌🏼

a writer's fantasy. it truly does feel like ink on warm paper.

Smells like a Tim Burton movie, and I love it!

Ok, I like this fragrance well enough. I got a mini bottle off eBay or I'd never have sprung for a full bottle. It's a good orris and vanilla scent, one that hasn't been overdone, although I suppose it will be within a year. Few of us can resist dark purple and vanilla, and that combination will bring in a lot of people. Mercifully it isn't sweet and cloying, and it lasts about 5 hours on my skin after being boisterous and full of itself the first hour. But really, what are we smelling? Not ink certainly. Fragrantica's definition of ink is "Odor profile: A fantasy note that is reminiscent of India ink. Ink notes are also surfacing from natural materials such as oakmoss." Just what is that fantasy chemical, I wonder. My calligrapher friend tells me that ink today has no scent, and I tried smelling several of her bottles and indeed there was no scent. She said old ink which hasn't been made in many decades was made from squid, and when it got old it got absolutely rank and foul smelling, like rotted garbage. So eeew, not so commercial as a high end YSL perfume scent. I think it's interesting YSL and Tom Ford and others are turning to ink at all as a fantasy scent. The last time school children (in the US at least) were using ink pens at all was around 1956, when I was 10, and Sheaffer started making fountain pens with ink in little plastic cartridges. Even they were a bother and often leaked; they didn't last more than a couple of years before ballpoint pens completely took over. Oh, I know Levenger and others sell high end fountain pens, but how many of us have actually seen anyone use one? More appalling, people 25 years old and younger aren't even taught to write in cursive, using ink or pencil, and can't even read it, although two of them are so desperate to learn they'll let my friend and me teach them. I digress. I just don't see the "romance" or fantasy of ink. Orris, incense and vanilla should be enough. Edit, January 22, 2026: Ok, I am aware of the huge popularity of tattoos among people under say 40 years old, and I am aware that they are also called "ink." Not all of them are purple, but I suppose YSL could be referring to tattoos in naming this stuff ink. Like many perfume sellers who started out young and hip, YSL has grown into an established old line company, and I suppose is in danger of appearing not hip to its under 40 customer. Naming a fragrance after tattoo ink is a real stretch for me, one that I'm not sure will work. I suppose it was recommended by YSL's latest marketing genius, and they thought they ought to try.

YSL Muse is incredibly beautiful. The opening to me is a bit fresh and carrot-like that quickly turns into a cream, powdery lipstick iris or rather orris because of the texture. It's sweetened by vanilla with a touch of amber and woods that remind me slightly of sweet tobacco and toasty coconut milk at the same. That may just be me interpreting the incense as a sweet smoky sandalwood. Definitely creamy-woody-sweet but not too warm and actually somewhat dry. There's lift from fresh lavender and sage that makes this unisex. When the aromatics are combined with the iris and palatable ink accord, more obvious in the opening, it smells purplish to me. Lasts 8-9 hrs on me and projects moderately but softly due to its smooth texture. Projection is more intimate in hot weather, outside in the elements. Indoors, it returns to back normal. It looks like the 30 mL is no longer on the website which is the only size I wanted. If they did make a candle version of this, like they have for 24 Rue De L'Université, I would buy with the quickness so my home can smell expensive like this! I'm not sure if I'm willing to splurge on Muse though, since I recently added Diptyque Opsis to my collection. It's a better iris imo with a brighter amber and better projection, although that one is also soft.

میوز برای من حس غَم داره.من رو یاد خونه‌ی مادربزرگِ مادرم می‌اندازه.وقتی تو زیر زمین پر از گَرد و خاک و کهنگی‌اش راه می‌رفتم و یه ترس‌ای هم از خوف بودن اون‌جا بهم دست می‌داد با سه تا پله‌ی نسبتا مرتفع و کمی شکسته.قوری و سماور هایی که سال ها کسی بهشون دست نزده و یک لایه‌ی ضخیم خاک روشون نشسته. انتهای زیر زمین یه حمام بود که اگر تا اونجا می‌رفتم و تنها بودم تا مرز سکته می‌رفتم و فوری پله ها رو به سمت حیاط برمی‌گشتم خلاصه که این عطر برای من یادآور خاطرات کودکی و غم و نبودِ مادربزرگه قدرت نمایی بی چون و چرای زنبق با وجوه پودری اما بسیار سرد و تاریک،با همراهی یک وانیل خُشک و نه چندان شیرین که در جهت زنبق کار شده من ریشه‌ی زنبق رو خیلی دوست ندارم تو عطر ها اما اینجا واقعا درست و زیبا کار شده و ابدا اون بوی چرب و ماسیده رو بهم نمیده و این رو مدیون نُت های جانبی مثل وانیل و مُشک ... هست خیلی نمیشه فضای عطر رو توضیح داد و برای درک کردن‌اش باید تست بشه -تست شده از نسخه‌ی 2024- ************** scent:8/10 longevity:10/10 sillage:9/10 purchase value:4/10 ********* overall:7.8/10

A funny thing I'd realised when smelling this scent with others was how it was differently described by genders. The women in the group, like myself, generally liked the scent noting its 'subtle sophistication' of orris. While the men described the 'subtle sophistication' as 'feeble', in a way of cowardice. Truthfully, I agreed. This scent was feeble, but it was not sickly; it was ermine. On the nozzle, it was a mix of incense and a flower of sorts, which didn't smell like lavender as described. The spray down on the tester card and myself was also different. The tester card approached more of a traditional iris with an aromatic incense, with a drydown of desk ink. While on my skin, the orris was more of an ermine cream with a background of all sorts of iris aromatics, while there was a sense of ink, the depth of the ink or the incense never came in as much as I wished. It lasted around 6 hours in total. (18°)