Yazhini ManimudiYves Saint Laurent MYSLF L’Absolu, a true reflection of you– the confident, sophisticated young man.
It comes as YSL’s new addition to the MYSLF line, which now holds three fragrances from its initial Eau de Parfum launch in 2023. The Eau de Parfum and le Parfum concentrations were designed by three expert perfumers– Daniela Andrier, Antoine Maisondieu, and Christophe Raynaud. Only Christophe Raynaud has stayed behind for the recent edition that remains faithful to the heart of MYSLF while offering something that has fans of the line calling it the best in the entire lineup.
The first impression you get of the fragrance is the reflective, silvery metallic finish of the bottle that carries to the atomizer. The first spritz of the fragrance keeps up with this image with a screechy metallic opening. This effect lasts only about 10 to 15 minutes.
It’s such a vibrant and uplifting fragrance with the mix of ginger, bergamot, and cardamom. The choice in spices gives a cooling effect rather than the warmth you might expect out of a fragrance with a L’Absolu label. It’s positively icy, reflecting (ha!) the bottle quite well. The ginger is the highlight of the opening. YSL always do ginger quite well, but there’s something different here. The cold kick of ginger is everything in the top notes.
The sharpness doesn’t last long as the orange blossom, the real heart of the perfume and the throughline between the MYSLF perfumes, comes through. To me, it doesn’t come off as strong as the orange blossom in the other two perfumes, but it remains central to the fragrance, lingering towards the end of this long-lasting perfume. For some, the combination of ginger, cardamom, and orange blossom brings a chewy and creamy bubblegum profile.
This white floral prominence makes it a little more smoother than the sharpness I expected from such a bottle. There’s a light sweetness all the way in the background, but not enough to classify it as a sweet fragrance. If you’re anxious that the orange blossom might make the fragrance feminine, worry not. The patchouli base keeps it from leaning too feminine without being a dated patchouli that younger people tend to avoid these days.
The notes have a synthetic quality to them and I don’t mean that in a negative way. It reflects the character of the fragrance well, the synthetic touching giving it a more modern feeling. I’d say it’s the most versatile one of the entire line– can be worn on special occasions but can be pulled off as an everyday fragrance by the right person.
It is a strong, confident sort of scent for a younger demographic. It has an intense profile without aging the wearer and its element of freshness lasts throughout the wear. A waft of it towards the end of the strenuous day will have you feeling fresh even if you are anything but. As far as designer perfumes go, YSL MYSLF L’Absolu is a solid buy.
Sowmya Gibish
