Penultimate Letter

This is Perfume Parlour's budget interpretation of YSL Y Eau de Parfum, a modern fresh-aromatic crowd-pleaser. It opens crisp and zesty with bergamot, a slightly spicy ginger and a soapy lift of aldehydes. The heart is clean and herbaceous - clary sage, geranium and green violet leaf - that polished, slightly fresh-floral core the original is built on. The base brings woody depth: cedar and balsam fir threaded with a curl of incense, soft ambergris and musk. The original is a performance workhorse, projecting strongly early and lasting 8-to-10 hours; the dupe captures the fresh-woody shape faithfully but reads flatter and more synthetic, with the ambergris-and-incense base less rich and longevity landing modest and skin-close. For an inexpensive, versatile fresh-spicy daily that nods to a designer favourite, it does the job for the money.