Yves Saint Laurent Elle is a fragrance which was released by YSL in October 2007; as well as the perfume you can also purchase other YSL Elle fragranced bath and beauty products which also help to layer and compliment the scent of the perfume. People who have dry skin and find that the perfume doesn't have particularly good staying power on them would benefit from using the complimentary shower gel and body lotion before applying the perfume as this would gave the scent a base to layer itself upon therefore increasing the longevity of the perfume fragrance. All peoples skin types are different and perfumes, body lotions, shower gels etc act differently on each individual because of the different oils in our skin.
As you can see from the picture at the top of this review the bottle of YSL Elle is supplied in a tall think bright pink coloured glass bottle which has gold metallic highlighting on the neck of the bottle. I think that the Gold metallic rim around the neck of the bottle gives it a more feminine and appealing design and appearance which will appeal to most people. The name of the perfume house is also embellished on the front of the bottle as well. I really like the colouring of the bottle as it is really pink and feminine and gives you the sense that the perfume is going to be sweet and fruity composition.
One of the best things about the bottle is the fact that even although the glass is deep pink in colour, you can still easily see how much of the perfume you are using at any one given time, and how much is remaining inside the bottle. Some perfumes which are supplied in coloured glass bottles are quite difficult to determine how much is remaining inside as you cant see through the glass; but with this particular perfume you don't have such a problem.
Top Notes of Citron, Peony and Lychee The top notes are the first phase of the perfume; they are usually the most volatile and evaporate from the skin very quickly. The top notes are usually very light and refreshing and their scent usually lasts for anything between five seconds and ninety minutes.
Middle Notes of Pink Berries, Freesia and Jasmine The middle notes of a scent are therapeutic and balancing oils, sometimes the middle notes are often referred to as the heart notes of a scent. The middle notes are not always evident and can take between thirty and sixty minutes to develop on your skin, and they last for anything between two to four hours
Base Notes of Patchouli, Vetiver and Ambrette The base notes are the longest lasting notes in a fragrance, most perfumes use the same base notes. This is because they give the perfume more staying power and stop the top and middle notes from evaporating from your skin as quickly.
The Scent
As soon as Yves Saint Laurent Elle is sprayed onto your skin it has quite a sharp fruity/floral aroma which is accompanied by an ever so slight spicy kick which I think makes the scent smell ever so slightly masculine and strong. After a few minutes or so the fragrance dulled down somewhat and didn't smell as sharp and strong as it did when first sprayed, the scent still had the ever so slightly sharp pepper note lingering in the background but it wasn't as sharp and prominent as it previously was. I think that the ever so strong sharp scent of the perfume makes this scent perfect for wearing at any occasion whether it be a casual wear or an evening wear scent as the strong aroma from the perfume gives the scent relatively good staying power, and the scent doesn't need reapplied ever few hours.
The floral fruity top notes which you can smell as soon as the perfume is applied is that of Lychee and Citron, which are the fruity notes which have a slight sweet and summery aroma. The Peony adds the floral nature to that of the top notes of the fragrance and just like the Lychee the Peony also has quite a sweet aroma which compliments the Lychee very well. The scent from the Peony seems to shine through the top notes more than the other as this is the most prominent of them all. The Peony has a really crisp and fresh aroma, the Citron is the top note in which I think adds the ever so slight spicy and peppery cock to the scent of the perfume adding a masculine edge to the composition.
The top notes of Yves Saint Laurent Elle don't really last that long on my skin before they gradually fade away and blend in with the middle notes of the fragrance. On average I would say that the top notes only linger on my skin for approximately 10 minutes or so before they can no longer be identified. I would say that the Peony top note seems to linger for the longest length of time compared to the other top notes.
The Middle notes of Yves Saint Laurent Elle are a lot more fresher and fruitier than the top notes were. The middle notes are mainly of a sweet berry nature which is accompanies by an ever so slight sweet and slightly powdery floral note. Even although the middle notes of the fragrance are mainly all floral; the scent isn't too fruity smelling as it is sort of broken down somewhat by the sweet powdery middle note which adds a floral twist to the aroma of the perfume. The most prominent middle fragrance note is that of Pink Berries, as they have a really fresh crisp and sweet summer fruit cocktail aroma which immediately gives the scent a more fresher and summery outlook. The scent from the Pink Berries in this phase of the scent seems to blend well with the slightly powdery and sweeter natured floral notes of Freesia and Jasmine. Normally I hate any beauty product or perfume which contains Jasmine as jasmine can sometimes be overused and overpower any other fragrances in a product which can lead to the Jasmine having a really strong and cloying aroma. But in this instance the Jasmine is more sweet and not so in your face, I think that the Jasmine adds a slight sweet and powdery aroma to the composition of the fragrance. The middle notes of Yves Saint Laurent Elle last for approximately 3-4 hours or so on my skin before they can no longer be identified and the base note become more apparent.
After the middle notes have faded away and the base notes start to become more apparent the scent starts to smell completely different as it no longer has a sweet fruity/floral aroma. In this instance the scent has more of a woody/earthy scent which I think makes it smell slightly masculine and somewhat dry. The fragrance not which is most evident in this phase of the scent is that of the Patchouli as it is this particular fragrance note which gives the composition of the scent its slightly earthy/woody aroma. The patchouli aroma is accompanied by Vetiver which again
Pictures of Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau de Parfum Spray
perfume box packaging
had quite a earthy/woody aroma similar to that of the patchouli. However the addition of Ambrette in the base note composition seems to add some richness and warmth to the scent of the base notes as Ambrette is quite a warm smelling and slightly sweet fragrance. On average I would say that the base notes of Yves Saint Laurent Elle linger on my skin for approximately an hour or so before they can no longer be smelled and the perfume needs to be reapplied again.
Perfume Information
All perfumes smell slightly different on different people, and this is due to us having different oils in our skin. The staying power of a scent also differs from person to person because we have different types of skin oils too. I said in the review that this perfume lasts for about three or four hours on me, but it could last a longer or shorter amount of time on you.
People who have dry skin types will notice that perfumes don't last long on their skin. If you have dry skin and have this problem you should try layering the scent of a perfume by using the matching body lotion or shower gel before applying the perfume. By doing this you are layering the scent and applying a base for the perfume to layer itself upon, so you should notice that the fragrance will last a lot longer on your skin.
If you like the sound of this perfume then I advise that you go into your local perfume store and test it before you buy it. When testing the scent spray it onto your wrist and wear it for a few hours before you decide whether you like it or not, because the scent changes the longer you wear it due to the different notes which make up the fragrance.
When testing a perfume don't smell the scent on a perfume card because it might smell lovely on the card and when you buy it and wear it at home it might smell totally different and you might not like the scent you are wearing. I made this mistake a few times in the past and wasted £30 on a fragrance which I didn't wear again and put in the bin.
Staying power
Yves Saint Laurent Elle doesn't have as good a staying power as I expected it to have considering it is an Eau DeParfum fragrance. Generally Eau De Parfum fragrances have a staying power of approximately 8-12 hours on my skin depending on the fragrance, however this particular scent only had a staying power of a maximum of 5 and a half hours on my skin which is quite disappointing. The staying power of this scent disappointed me because it had the same sort to of staying power as I would have expected and Eau De Toilette fragrance to have.
When I am using the perfume I find that three or four sprays at any one given time is more than enough; as if you use too much of this fragrance it has a somewhat cloying almost powdery aroma which is quite intoxicating and overpowering. Less is definitely more with this perfume as it can also smell sort of cheap if you are wearing too much of it.
Price and Availability
Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau De Parfum can be bought from most perfume retailers and high street store such as Boots and Debenhams as well as quite a lot of online perfume retailers as well. However the price you pay for the perfume will differ depending on where you purchase it from ; I find that you get a far better deal if you purchase your perfume online from a perfume retailer as it is a lot cheaper priced compared to the likes of Boots and Debenhams. I would advise looking around for a cheaper deal online before you decide to purchase this scent so as you save yourself some money.
As well as Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau De perfume you can also purchase the complimentary fragranced bath and body products which layer the scent of the perfume. People whom find that the perfume doesn't last ling on their skin would benefit from using the body lotion and shower gel before applying the perfume as this acts as a base for the perfume to layer itself upon therefore increasing the longevity of the fragrance on your skin.
The Prices for Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau De Parfum and complimentary bath and body products are as follows ~
I think that Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau De Parfum is a relatively nice scent however the staying power of this particular fragrance isn't too good as it has a staying power I would usually associate with an eau de toilette fragrance. I think this is quite a fruity and slightly spicy fragrance which has a slightly masculine and woody edge and would suit those whom like the slightly stronger and woodier fragrances.
I would say that this scent is a flexible scent where as it can be worn on any occasion whether it be as a casual wear fragrance or for an evening wear scent. Just bear in mind that the scent doesn't really have impeccable staying power and it will have to be reapplied after four or five hours or so.
People whom like the stronger smelling slightly masculine frafrances would most probably like Yves Saint Laurent Elle
your reviews hve so much detail, i learn so much from them!
lizngaz 19.08.2008 20:35
An excellent review but doesnt sound like one I would like. Have tried to rate with an E but its showing up VH for some reason. Please let me know what its showing for you and I can try to rerate if its wrong! Liz xxx
Yves Saint Laurent Elle 30ml Eau de Parfum Spray - Unpredictable and unique, Elle is the more
essence of Yves Saint Laurent femininity. Her bottle celebrates the prestigious, interlaced monogram, cut from metal the color of gold, highlighted with vibrant, luminous legendary fuchsia. Her fragrance is unique and unexpected. An ultra contemporary creation, fluid and unrestrained. A vibrantly feminine and audacious fragrance that blends dazzling woody and floral notes.
Unpredictable and unique, Elle is the essence of Yves Saint Laurent femininity. Her bottle more
celebrates the prestigious, interlaced monogram, cut from metal the color of gold, highlighted with vibrant, luminous legendary fuchsia. Her fragrance is unique and unexpected. An ultra contemporary creation, fluid and unrestrained. A vibrantly feminine and audacious fragrance that blends dazzling woody and floral notes.
Aug 16th, 2008
(Aug 15th, 2008)
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (86%):
helpful by (1%):
