Y Eau Fraiche

Today I'm heading over to the house of YSL to experience a discontinued fragrance that I never thought I'd get a chance to try: Y Eau Fraiche. This fragrance was discontinued around 2021, before I even got into the fragrance hobby. I would see it mentioned every once in a while by the YouTubers I follow, so when I saw it for sale at a local boutique, I jumped at the chance to pick it up. I'm not typically one to blind-buy anymore, so I'm hoping I don't end up regretting this purchase. Let's get into it. Opening: The opening is an invigorating mix of citrus, aromatics, and green notes. The primary notes I get are lemon, mint, ginger, and lavender, with the lemon and mint standing out the most. The scent opens with a strong, sharp, and zesty lemon that is incredibly bright and uplifting while being surprisingly realistic. Behind the lemon, the mint follows, manifesting as an invigorating, green, and aromatic accord with a distinctly icy and cool edge. Next up are the ginger and lavender. The ginger continues the fresh theme with a supporting accord of crisp spiciness. It also has a realistic feel that is impressive, especially compared to ginger notes in other designer fragrances. Lastly, the lavender softly wafts in and out of the background, providing a powdery and floral aromatic touch. It's no wonder others have compared this fragrance to the aroma of an icy glass of lemonade; it's exactly what I get here. Add a mint garnish to the glass, and the experience is complete. Dry Down: The dry down remains a citrusy, aromatic, and green experience. The primary notes I get are lemon, mint, juniper berries, and ginger, with the lemon and mint remaining the strongest. The lemon is still the star of the show, but it has been smoothed out and is no longer as sharp as it was in the opening. Likewise, the mint carries the same green, icy, aromatic accord, but it too has softened. This is followed by the ginger and juniper berries. The ginger maintains its fresh and spicy accord from the opening without changing much in intensity. Lastly, the juniper berries emerge to provide an aromatic, spicy, and slightly piney accord in the background. It reminds me of the juniper note in Roja's Elysium, but toned down and not as pungent. There's also just a hint of cedar in the base, giving the dry down a touch of dry woodiness for added character. Performance: The initial projection within the first hour is very strong and can easily fill a room. The sillage is strong as well, leaving an easily noticeable scent trail. Much to my surprise, after a few hours, the performance was largely unchanged. The projection was still reaching out past six feet, and the scent trail was still easily noticeable. At the eight-hour mark, the projection was about three to four feet, and the scent trail was lighter but still there. The fragrance became a skin scent around the 9-10 hour mark. When to Wear: It should go without saying that Y Eau Fraiche is a spring/summer fragrance crafted for daytime wear. This is a highly versatile fragrance that could be worn casually, formally, to the gym, or even to the office. I wouldn't pick it for a special occasion, though, because it doesn't quite fit that vibe. Blind Buy: If super fresh and citrusy fragrances are your jam, or the idea of smelling like icy lemonade appeals to you, this is a safe blind buy. Final Verdict: From the very first spray, I knew Y Eau Fraiche was poised to exceed my expectations. The bright, energizing, iced lemonade accord is a masterful spring and summer creation—something I would expect from a niche house like Xerjoff, not necessarily a designer house like YSL. The performance also left me questioning my sanity. From what I had read, this should have been a moderately performing fragrance at best. However, it started out room-filling and lasted well over a full workday before it faded completely. Overall, this was a very successful blind buy, and I'm glad I have this in my collection now. It will definitely get some use while the weather is still hot. If you ever find this one available, pick it up; you won't be disappointed. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 7/10 Sillage: 10/10 Versatility: High Mass Appeal: Very high Gender: Masculine Value: Good

Love this one! Honestly it is now my new favorite fresh fragrance. The bottle design caught my attention and I was kinda skeptical as it might've been a flanker that they decided to just throw in; but you can hardly tell it has the original DNA! I could almost say this is a whole new fragrance if I smelt this one before the EDP and EDT. I live in Florida and they past few weeks has been really hot and humid, I'm taking about 95F with a 103F feeling and wearing this right after a shower and going outside is perfect! Downsides to this fragrance? This is an "eau fraiche" so of course it is one of the least concentrated formulas in a fragrance; on my skin though I get a good 6+ hours on my skin usually after 3 or 4 hours it will sit really close to my skin and it even has like more of a feminine smell on the dry down (not like a perfume) more like clean linen. The initial spray on really feel cool, like ice water, which I would blame the mint as it really adds a great touch to the scent. Its a really airy and light fragrance and in contrast I do own Y EDP and honestly that one is really heavy on me and usually makes me nauseous if I over spray versus the EF where I can spray 5-8 times without being very offensive. Nothing against the EDP I think its a great night time scent or cooler weather fragrance. Other than that this is definitely a fragrance to pick up if you do not have a "fresh" scent or a hot day-time fragrance in your collection. I would rate this a 10/10 under my bias opinion. But this is would really be a 7 or even an 8/10; nothing really breathtaking from the fragrance but it is a very safe scent to wear at work or class and even better on a hot day. Definitely something that can boost your confidence!

Just picked this up on sale. Just over $70 for a 100ml bottle. So for the review. I’ve been wearing this since Saturday (it’s Tuesday today) and I have to say I really like it. This will be in my rotation this spring and summer. I didn’t like the edt but loved the edp. Giving some time this could be a love, it’s right about their now. That being said let’s get to the review. So being completely honest, this is a really good fragrance, not too different from what else is out there but it doesn’t really stand out. I do pick up the dna from the edp here. It’s like the sport version for the edp but in an edt concentration. It’s really nice off the top and most of what you get is the ginger, lemon, and juniper berries. The ginger and lemon are there for almost the entire life of the scent. All the other notes show up at some point but those are going to be the strongest. Performance for a fresh fragrance is okay. I’d say this last 5-6 hours on me which is about the norm for a warmer weather scent. In terms of price there aren’t a lot of places I’ve found this one here in the states. I picked this up online from a US based store but couldn’t find it anywhere to sample so this was a blind buy for me. No regrets here, I think this is a great fragrance and would do anyone well in the upcoming spring and summer months. So I will have to give this an 8/10. While I really do enjoy this I have to knock it down a peg because the performance isn’t all that great and I think for this at it’s retail price there may not be a a ton better but there could definitely be a few that could compete. So for me this was a great blind buy and I’m extremely happy with my purchase.

I'll never forgive YSL for discontinuing this! It has the typical YSL Y DNA; that slightly sweet green apple scent, geranium & cedar. Despite apple not being listed here, all the entries have it to varying degrees. However, YSL Y Eau Fraiche has the least of it & the dominant notes are a salty ozonic/aquatic accord, followed by an icy lemon, followed by faint lavender & cedar. Its black pepper is only slightly there & comes off more salty, which could just be an olfactory illusion. While the ginger is there, its primarily the sensation of ginger rather than the actual smell of it, which is very nice. Mint is subtlety there. Despite the newest YSL Iced Cologne (2025) having ice as a fantasy note, I detect ZERO from it; interestingly enough there is an icy note to Eau Fraiche so I find that very very appealing. It just makes me miss this fragrance even more! Its a very realistic lemon note & easily my favorite lemon fragrance. It actually gets stronger on the dry down, more of that YSL Y DNA pokes through & whiffs of salt/pepper. People claim YSL Y Eau Fraiche's performance isnt good. However, it definitely reminds me of a better version of a Dior Homme Cologne (2022); which has one of the worst performances on the market, while Eau Fraiche I get double the longevity & projection. Dior Homme Colonge is very icy lemon but in 2 hours is a skin scent regardless of sprays, while Eau Fraiche last about 4-5 before that happens. Alas, all good things come to an end, I'll cherish my bottles i have left. Several unopened & quickly disappearing. 10/10 legendary lemon scent, a summer staple & an iconic DNA that makes its modern flankers look awful!

Wow. This one really impressed me after I got it and tested it out a couple days. The frosted bottle is really nice visually. After the first couple seconds of alcohol smell after you spray, a really nice lemon is prominent and kind of smoothed out with a fresh spice, which I'm thinking is the ginger. It works so well together and right off the bat, I knew this freshie was going to be nice and have a very decent longevity compared to most fragrances similar to it. I have a soft spot for fruity/fresh fragrances and this one is easily in my top 5 in my collection for sure. It has a different feel compared to the others in the Y line, like the EdP (which I also love). There's nothing complex going on though, a straightforward pleasant scent with a nice lemon opening that lasts around the first hour for me and then fades behind the nice aromatics of minty/herbs/cedar and juniper in the drydown. I still get the freshness of the lemon somehow in the far drydown which is amazing to me. I just love that it stays fresh throughout the life of the scent. Would definitely work for the office, casual wear, or going out on some errands. Definitely will get a lot of use from me. It gives me a nice relaxing vibe, like taking a stroll out on a summer day with a nice breeze. Can't wait to get a lot of wear out this spring and summer. Recommended. Longevity: 7.5/10 (~6 hours) Projection: 6.5/10 Scent: 9/10 (Love)

I did a blind buy of Y Eau Fraiche. It's got an interesting opening, it starts off pretty strong with a mix between pepper, a bit of lemon and ginger as well on my skin, but I get a whole lot of pepper in the opening, the black pepper note gives off a spicy aromatic yet slightly darker tone. After ~3 mins, juniper berry note starts to appear and it gives even more aromaticness to its smell with a hint of bitterness, I detect juniper berry, a bit of geranium and slight lavender too in the middle, I don't get the minty note. The drydown is softly woody, the cedar wood in here is very light. From time to time I get vibes of juniper berries with hints of cold lemony. The scent is masterfully blended and has top quality ingredients. It smells natural, fresh spicy, masculine and bold, a bit darker because of pepper and juniper berries imo. It's not one of those very bright fragrances. It reminds me a bit of Aqva Amara, but a bit more darker version of that. Imagine if Aqva Amara and YSL Y EDP had a baby, it would be this! The bottle is very good looking with that cool frosted look. When I smell out of my atomizer Y Eau Fraiche, it makes me think of the bright blue ocean, with smooth waves and with some lemon citrus thrown into the mixture, although that cool aquatic effect can be smelled only from the atomizer... and it's really a shame.

The opening is stunning! It smells like vodka poured over a little soda with plenty of ice cubes and a generous slice of lemon—refreshingly ice-cool and slightly fizzy as it dries down. Ironically, I think the name 'Vodka on the rocks' would possibly suit this fragrance more than the actual fragrance named this. As the fragrance begins to dry down the citrus dissipates, I smell pepper, ginger, and mint as they take on a more prominent role, then a sweetness from a mix of olibanum and ginger can be smelled. Finally, the Y DNA subtly reveals itself. There's a laid-back classiness to this fragrance, a kind of old money vibe that's not old-fashioned. It's perfect for a summer day spent playing golf or cricket, with breaks to sip on ice-cold Pimm's with your friends and loved ones. What I mean is, it can be used for smart casual occasions, and it will suit perfectly. Scent: 8.5/10 (stunning opening) Longevity: 7+ hours with double sprays on hydrated skin. Projection: 1 hour good projection, then moderate for 2+ hours, then more intimate for the rest of its life on the skin. Bear in mind my bottle is 1 year old. I first sprayed it this month last year, and I honestly think the time it has spent put away in my dark cool cupboard over autumn and winter has improved the fragrance's performance.

When people say this is the most different from the whole line I'd agree. Most of the flankers smell alike but at the same time offer this slightest change to the DNA that for some reason works. This is like a different brand made an EDT and loosely barrowed a few tips from the YSL Y book. I don't know if this is an EDT or a true Fraiche as some have pointed out. If this is truly a fraiche concentration then it is surprising as it's not a bad performer. I got about an hour or so of great projection then settled to a bubble for hours 2-4 then a close to the skin scent for 2-3 more (6-7 hour wear). I could pick this up on my shirt 12 hours later. Smells exactly like the frosted light blue bottle. The notes that shine are a light ginger, lemon, Juniper, Lavender, faint cider whipping through the base. Overall a cooling and cold feel that promotes a refreshing vibe for hot/cold weather. A great addition to the line and a surprisingly great summer/ hot weather take on the DNA. It totally makes sense that this had to be discontinued because its very good. In colder weather this is great, in hot weather we will see. If it shines this summer Im grabbing another bottle. Sample worthy for sure, spray liberally!

Great lemon opening that successfully captures the bottle's concept of 'frosty'. But this is lemonade over nicely crushed ice as opposed to the lemon slushee 'Y' line detractors might expect. Very summery. Very sporty. A guy you see at the gym named 'Chet' wears this. Blonde hair, blue eyes, wears white gym clothes and is always on the tennis courts...it's like he stepped out of 2002. Nice guy, too. But your cynical, irony-poisoned mind can't decide what to do with Chet - a-arent we supposed to be past this 'as a culture'? Chet and his tennis racket are so passe - he smells like icy yuppie sports cologne. What are you to do? Well, you get over yourself. You realize it's 2020 and you're allowed to like Chet again. He's actually cooler than your 2010s minimalist art friends anyway. This is personal growth. This is the power of Chet and his YSL Y Eau Fraiche cologne. Bottom line: a very good, very hip rendition of an old standard. A frosted sports / summer scent that doesn't break boundaries because it doesn't need to. The first flanker in the 'Y' line to make its own statement - and what a confident, well-constructed statement it is.

I absolutely agree with the lemonade and swimming pool scent. That's exactly what it is. There isn't going to me much variation from the opening to the dry down. It's the same throughout its life. It's very nice, and I really like it. You probably could wear it for spring, but I would only say that if you have really hot springs. This is best suited for summer. This is versatile and can be used in any situation as long as it's hot and/or humid. It's not a great daily casual scent. But it's a great hot and humid daily casual scent. It's not a great date scent. But it's a great date scent for a hot and humid summer. You get the point. That really is the qualifier for wear in my opinion. If it isn't hot and humid you should pick something else on your shelf. But once the temperature starts to tip the 80s with clear sky, this could be an easy daily reach until fall. This last on my skin maybe 4 hours (projects for 2 hours and a skin scent for another 2). 3-5 sprays. Wear it at the right time (so a hot summer day, if you hadn't heard) and you won't go wrong. I bought it. I like it. But it's going to sit until May.

YSL did a nice job with this one. Eau Fraiche delivers a refreshing contrast of pleasantly bitter and aromatically sweet with its well balanced blend of ginger, lemon, lavender and mint over a dry woody structure that mostly stays out of the way and adds a good masculine backbone to the whole. A lot of modern men’s fragrances are too heavy handed on the synthetic woods and they can tend to overpower the fragrance or leave a scratchy, grating drift in their wake, but they’re tempered here, and smooth enough as to be unobtrusive and well in tune with the other notes. I’d place this under the same umbrella as Versace Eau Fraiche, Invictus Aqua, and the recent AdG flanker, Profondo. Though different than each, it achieves a similar effect, and may be the most up to date and elegant of the three. Suited for day time wear and/or warmer temps, Y Eau Fraiche is a solid addition to any wardrobe in search of a crowd-pleasing freshie in line with the times while versatile enough for a wide range of ages and occasions. Performance is just fine. Final rating, a solid 8/10.

Spectacularly refreshing lemonade-cologne bomb. The makeup of this fragrance is essentially YSL's take on Dior Homme Cologne, but with the Y line DNA, and a peppery twist. Cool ginger, mint, and black pepper all work together to give it that fresh spiciness that you get from modern and youthful masculine fragrances like Dior Sauvage or Parfums De Marly's Castley. Lemony fresh, white muskiness, tonka bean sweetness, and spectacular performance for a fresh fragrance such as this. One of my favorites during the summer. I still can't believe they discontinued this and LNDL Bleu Électrique. Literally the best fragrances from the brand. Since you can no longer grab this, I would look into Dior Homme Cologne or Versace Man Eau Fraiche. Neither of them smells identical to this, and neither of them has the performance this one does, but they are both spectacular in their own right, and they may scratch the same itch for you.

Stinks of ginger lol.. maybe don't buy a ginger frag if you dont like ginger. This stuff is awesome, really my favorite of the Y line and I'm not much for fresher scents. Eau Fraiche is definitely adapted for warmer weather, but it still holds its very bold and recognizable Y DNA. The way the notes work together here is excellent; the ginger/cedar/lemon combo is incredible. Longevity is about what you'd expect from a Y fragrance, that being considerably above average. Projection for an "eau fraiche" also above average. This is also far more versatile than most 'eau fraiche' or summer frags. Yes, you have to like this DNA to like this fragrance. But if you're a fan of the DNA, I'd find it hard to believe you wouldn't love adding this to the collection. I had to grab it before it became unobtanium! This one sits pretty high for me, in a collection of 120+.

I absolutely love this one. It’s everything I wanted to have but failed to obtain from Dior Homme Cologne. The description often given to the latter is that it smells like Iced lemonade. Well, I feel that this is more deserving of that description. It’s fresh, cool, and practically juicy. It’s as if you took that lemonade smell and added that masculine blue fragrance DNA that is prevalent in the other YSL Y flankers (like the EDP but with lemons). This is going to be great in high heat. Definitely get yourself a sample, and I would say it’s a safe blind buy for those who know what they like. If you are going to blind-buy it, know that the note breakdown is pretty much what you get. I’m surprised that this doesn’t get more hype from either the community or the world generally.

Nice flanker. It’s a true summer gem. If you like marine kind of blue scents or the Y line this could be your thing for the summer. The whole Y line is to synthetic and cheap blended for me, but this one with the citrus and fresh iced spices.. that’s how this one smells to me.. kills that over synthetic vibe of the normal line. Megamare is my fav these kind of scents, but this one is not bad at all. Reminds me of Percival from parfums de marly and platinum egoïst as well at some point. Fresh and crisp. After shower or hot summer is fine.. it shines when the body temperature rises and becomes super citrusy and dries down to the edt with added freshness. The price is ok at discounters 70€ for a 100ML and performance is pretty good for a summer freshie.

This ia such a disappointment to me... the smell itself is very nice, closer to the EDT than the other 2 flankers. I love the EDT, but i can't spend money on something that barely gets me 5 hours (on the best days). This is a skin scent in 40 minutes. If you move around maybe you can get noticed for 2 hours. After 3:30 hours I must get my nose to 3cm from my skin to get something and I say something cause you can barely make it is eau fraiche... too bad. I only have the EDP (don't really like Live) which is a beast 8-9 hours and huge projection for 2 hours and excellent sillage for another 3 hours. I would buy eau fraiche or edt in a heartbeat if they would have any kind of performance...

Yet another one that probably shouldn't have been axed. I should have picked up another bottle before they became scarce, as I only have a small amount left in mine. Oh well. The real shame of it is, they don't tell you that they are chopping it, they just do it. The opening and first 30 minutes of this are insanely good. It does, however, suffer from a lack of performance after, say, the first hour or two. Regardless, it is one of the best this line has ever produced. I was hopeful that Iced would bridge the gap, giving us something near to it, but it isn't really close. Not a bad flanker, just not as good as this. Live was good, too. But they killed that one off, too. What a shame.

Someone summed it up pretty nicely down below (PradaGodFatha). It's like going out from a swimming pool of an expensive hotel with an iced lemonade. And I would like to further emphasize on the word "expensive". This fragrance smells like a freshy luxurious cocktails. And I find it to be a very addictive fragrance. The performance is pretty good actually. It doesn't project like crazy, but stays a long time. Long enough to receive a compliment 5-6 hours after spraying it. Of course, if you wear it in a very hot day weather, which would be very tempting considering the scent profile, it will not last as long. Overall an 8/10

My absolute favorite! It has been for a few years. I get more longevity and compliments on this daily, than anything else I wear in my collection. I mean, not just a compliment, they want to know all about it. Male and female. But that’s not why I wear it. It just takes me to a peaceful place of freshness, grounded with a light woodiness. Bummed it’s been discontinued, but glad I was able to stock up on it. I don’t think I could ever grow tired of it. I really would love to know the reason it was discontinued. I have several of the Y line and like them a lot, but this just seems like a knock out. Shame...

Wow what an absolutely incredible release from YSL. This totally does its own thing in the Y line, I honestly am blown away by how this has been blended and how it smells, performs etc. Its such a gorgeous spring summery scent , you can really smell a deep lemon at first and then the way it blends into the ginger, lavender and juniper berries with that touch of cedar...damn what a gorgeous blend. I just cant get enough of it to be honest, I spray it on and I instantly can't wait till my next fresh application. Pretty much one of the best releases of 2020 so far alongside Profondo and Polo Deep Blue Parfum