Yves Saint Laurent has released dozens of men's fragrances, and the name you will see most is a single letter: Y. It has the biggest community of any YSL men's fragrance we hold, with more than 28,000 ratings on Fragrantica for the eau de parfum alone. But the house also holds a 1981 animalic classic, a cardamom night-out staple and a quiet ginger-and-cedar L'Homme from 2006, and each has its own crowd.
Cologne is the American word. British readers call the same bottles aftershave, and what aftershave means covers the two meanings of that word. Almost everything below is an eau de toilette, eau de parfum or parfum rather than a true eau de cologne, so the concentration under each heading is the thing to check.
Everything here draws on the verdicts on our perfume pages, which are compiled from wearer reports, plus Fragrantica vote counts. Picks are grouped by who they suit. Several come with a warning rather than a recommendation.
The Y family, from light to heavy
Y comes in several versions; these four are the ones covered here, and each has a different note list. The Eau de Toilette is bright and green. The Eau de Parfum adds lavender and woods and is the benchmark. Le Parfum goes woodier and bolder, and the Elixir turns dark with oud.
Y - Eau de Parfum
Bergamot, ginger, apple and juniper over sage, lavender and geranium, on vetiver, tonka bean, cedar, patchouli, amberwood and frankincense. Dominique Ropion, 2018.
This is the one to start with. It is vibrant and crisp, with enough wood underneath to feel finished rather than sporty, and the community agrees: it is rated 4.42 from over 28,000 votes. Of the wearers who voted on longevity, 13,400 of 20,839 say long lasting or eternal.
Y - Eau de Toilette
The 2017 original, from Ropion with Claire Liégent. The note list is lighter and greener: aldehydes, lemon and mint, then apple, pineapple and violet leaf, over ambergris, musk and incense.
Wearers call it a clean, universally liked blue fragrance, and the usual complaint is that it fades. The votes back that up: 672 of 2,971 longevity votes say long lasting or eternal, against about two thirds for the Eau de Parfum. Pick this for everyday wear, and the Eau de Parfum if you want it to last.
Y Le Parfum - Parfum
Apple, aldehydes, grapefruit and ginger over lavender, sage and geranium, on tonka bean, cedar, frankincense and patchouli. Ropion again.
Take the Eau de Parfum, add a woodier and more masculine edge, and keep the freshness. Wearers rate it 4.38 from 6,192 votes and place it in autumn and on nights out. A reworked Y Le Parfum arrived in 2025 and replaced it, so check which one a listing means.
Y Elixir - Parfum
Lavender, then geranium, on frankincense and oud. Ropion, 2024.
Not for the timid, and it does not hide that. Our profile rates its longevity as very long and its projection as long, and the community rates it 3.78 from 2,055 votes. If the Eau de Parfum feels too polite, this is the answer.
For nights out and cold weather
La Nuit de L'Homme - Eau de Toilette
Cardamom and black pepper over lavender, bergamot and cedar, on vetiver, tonka bean, caraway, patchouli and coumarin. Written in 2009 by Anne Flipo, Pierre Wargnye and Ropion.
Our verdict calls it a modern classic for close encounters, spicy and fresh over creamy woods, and the numbers show how many people agree: 4.45 from nearly 25,000 votes. It is quiet rather than loud, so it suits dates better than a crowded room. The Eau de Parfum of 2019 adds leather and sandalwood, and some wearers find it too subtle. Le Parfum is richer and darker, with anise, vanilla and labdanum.
La Nuit de L'Homme Bleu Électrique - Eau de Toilette
Ginger, cardamom and bergamot over lavender and geranium, on cedar and vetiver. Ropion, 2021.
A brighter, zestier cut of the same idea, with ginger and cardamom up front. Wearers rate it 4.55 from 5,195 votes and call it seductive for night outs and cool weather.
Easy everyday wearers
L'Homme - Eau de Toilette
Ginger, bergamot and lemon over violet leaf, pepper and basil, on tonka bean, cedar and vetiver. Four noses share the credit, among them Juliette Karagueuzoglou, and it dates from 2006.
Elegant, understated and close to the skin, with 4.35 from nearly 12,000 votes. The catch is staying power: only 823 of 5,977 longevity votes call it long lasting or eternal. Wear it for yourself and for people who lean in.
MYSLF - Eau de Parfum
Bergamot over orange blossom, on patchouli and an Ambrofix base. Christophe Raynaud, Antoine Maisondieu and Daniela Andrier, 2023.
Citrus and luminous florals over a smooth, musky wood. It is approachable and made for daily wear, and it has 4.33 from over 14,000 votes.
MYSLF Le Parfum - Parfum
Pepper over orange blossom, on vanilla, amber and patchouli, 2024. The same three noses.
Plusher and sweeter than the Eau de Parfum, with a creamy woody backbone, and better in cooler weather. Rated 4.31 from 5,179 votes.
Old-school and cult
Kouros - Eau de Toilette
Aldehydes, coriander, clary sage and bergamot over patchouli, carnation, vetiver and lavender, on civet, musk, honey, leather and oakmoss. Pierre Bourdon, 1981.
Animalic, musky and unapologetically masculine, a vintage statement that wearers love or cannot stand. That shows in a 3.57 rating from 9,234 votes, which is low for something this popular. It does last: 3,600 of 4,355 longevity votes say long lasting or eternal.
Opium Pour Homme - Eau de Toilette
Star anise and blackcurrant over pepper and ginger, on vanilla, tolu balsam and cedar. Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, 1995.
A confident, spicy oriental from the 1990s, rated 4.31 from 5,238 votes. Some wearers feel modern bottles are a shadow of the old ones, but it still has a following that wants this exact old-school feel.
Tuxedo - Eau de Parfum
Bergamot, coriander and violet leaf over rose, pepper and lily of the valley, on patchouli, vanilla and ambergris. Karagueuzoglou, 2015. We hold it as unisex.
Hyped, adored and divisive. It is a sophisticated spice for some and a weak, overpriced miss for others, and the rating sits at 4.43 from 4,818 votes. Sample first. A 2026 Extrait de Parfum is a richer, amped-up take, and its own verdict is that many find it hard to justify next to less pricey competition.
Not for everyone
Y Intense - Eau de Parfum
Drops the apple sweetness of the other Ys for an earthier, more grown-up aromatic. Some find it generic or synthetic, others champion its performance. Rated 4.18 from 3,554 votes. Try it against the Eau de Parfum before buying.
MYSLF L'Absolu - Eau de Parfum
Ginger, cardamom and bergamot over orange blossom and patchouli. Some call it a stellar upgrade with huge performance. Others find it an overpriced floral candy bomb that leans feminine. Sniff before you splurge.
L'Homme - Eau de Parfum
Bitter orange and bergamot over lavender and geranium, on cognac, oak and cedar. A gorgeous boozy wood, say its fans, and the complaint that follows it around is "amazing, but gone in an hour". The votes agree: 119 of 785 longevity votes say long lasting or eternal. The Eau de Toilette is the safer buy.
La Nuit de L'Homme L'Intense - Parfum
Iris and violet over vanilla and sage. Wearers call it lacklustre and far from the original, though a few cherish the iris and vanilla.
Y Le Parfum 2025 - Parfum
Ginger and bergamot over pine, fir resin and geranium, on amber and patchouli. It replaced the Y Le Parfum above, and the community is polarised: some see a fresh, mature evolution, others a redundant one. Rated 3.95 from 855 votes.
Where to start
Start with the Y Eau de Parfum if you want the default. Choose La Nuit de L'Homme for evenings and L'Homme for quiet days, MYSLF if you like a modern floral-woody, and Kouros or Opium Pour Homme if you want something that smells like 1981 or 1995. If you came here from the women's side of the house, our guide to the best YSL perfumes for women covers the rest of the range.
