Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Perfume Review

What a disappointment!

As a big fan of Yves Saint Laurent's earlier fruity floral In Love Again, I had big hopes for the new Parisienne perfume launch. I read earlier reviews that noted that it was mostly cranberry, rose and sandalwood with a vinyl accord -- and the vinyl perfume note sounded interesting and innovative, so I had high hopes.

I liked the bottle, though I didn't love it. Pink and crystalline, it's feminine and elegant-- far more refined than most of their perfume bottles (I don't really care for the In Love Again, Opium, or Elle bottles; Paris is okay but does not seem practical to me).

So what does it smell like? I mostly smell cranberry on a base of soft white musk. It's a tart cranberry, less sweet than you'd find in an Escada scent. More red/burgandy than pink. Since I already was expecting rose, I can pick that note out as well, but if I hadn't been told it was there I don't think I would have found it. I don't smell "vinyl" like the ad campaign states, but I do smell acetone. And sure, acetone is an interesting note. It manages to steer clear of smelling like nail polish remover. The sandalwood blends well with this note, and the acetone is my favorite part.

Overall, it smells like a beauty store to me. I'm disappointed. This is a great perfume house, but this will be a short lived fragrance. Unlike Opium, Elle and Paris, I don't see Parisienne becoming a staple in their line.

Image from Sephora, where I smelled the YSL Parisienne for the first time.

Posted in: Perfume Reviews,Yves Saint Laurent