SYL215 Libre

SYL215 opens with lavender, mandarin orange, black currant and petitgrain, a fresh aromatic-fruity start before more lavender joins orange blossom and jasmine in a floral heart that keeps the traditionally masculine lavender note firmly in the spotlight. The base of Madagascar vanilla, musk, cedar and ambergris gives the same warm, gourmand finish that made the original Libre such a talking point for putting lavender - usually reserved for men's fragrances - at the centre of a feminine composition. This dupe's vanilla comes through sweeter and somewhat flatter than YSL's more nuanced, boozy-lavender original, losing a little of the sophisticated tension between fresh and sweet that critics praised. Still, the lavender-vanilla contrast at the heart of Libre is well represented, and performance is solid for the price, with good projection through the vanilla-amber base. A worthwhile way into one of the most talked-about feminine launches of recent years, wearing well from day into evening across most of the year.