Yves Saint Laurent relaunched Y EDT in 2022 with updated bottles and a promise of better staying power than the discontinued 2017 version. The result sits between the bright blue freshies and classic aromatic fougères: clean, fruity, lightly sweet, and easy to wear almost anywhere.
What Does Yves Saint Laurent Y EDT Smell Like?
The opening is the most distinctive part. Aldehydes add a sparkling, almost soapy lift over bergamot, and ginger brings a dry spice that keeps the citrus from going flat. Many wearers also pick up a juicy apple and pineapple impression in the first thirty minutes, which gives it a playful sweetness rather than a sharp one.
After that burst fades, the heart turns herbal and clean. Lavender and clary sage do most of the work, with geranium adding a green, rosy edge. This stage smells like a premium shower gel, polished and inoffensive, though not especially unique in a market crowded with fresh designer scents.
The drydown is where it earns its keep. Ambergris and a touch of vanilla soften cedar, and olibanum lends a faint incense smokiness that most people will read as warmth rather than smoke. Compared with Y EDP, this version is airier and brighter with less ambroxan weight, so it wears closer to the skin and leans slightly unisex.
Performance
Realistic expectations are five to eight hours on skin, with the first one to two hours projecting at a conversational distance before it becomes a close-wear scent. That matches the consensus among reviewers, who consistently call the longevity moderate and note that flankers like the EDP and Le Parfum clearly outperform it.
The 2022 reformulation does seem to last longer than the original release, so older reviews undersell current batches. For office and daily wear, the restrained projection is actually a feature. Just plan on four sprays rather than two if you want the scent to register past lunchtime.
Best Clone Or Alternative
Lattafa Fakhar Black is the established budget stand-in, and community comparisons put it at roughly 75 to 85 percent similar. It copies the core structure: apple and bergamot with ginger up top, lavender and sage through the middle, and a woody amber base. Because it is an eau de parfum, many owners find it projects harder and sometimes lasts longer than the original.
The tradeoffs are real. Fakhar Black swaps the ambergris, vanilla, and incense base for tonka bean and amberwood, so it smells sweeter and thicker, and several wearers describe a harsh first few minutes that settles into something pleasant. Price tells the rest of the story: Fakhar Black sells for about $38.17 for 100ml, while Y EDT runs about $77.59 for the same size at discounters like Jomashop. If you love the Y DNA and spray generously, the clone covers most situations. If you care about smoothness and depth, the original still justifies its price.
When To Wear It
Y EDT works from spring through fall and holds up well in heat, where the ginger and herbs stay crisp instead of turning sour. It is built for daytime: office, errands, class, casual weekends, and dinner reservations. It can stretch into evening, though the EDP handles night duty better. There is nothing here that will offend in a meeting or an elevator.
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if you want one safe, mass-appealing signature for work and weekends. It suits younger wearers building a first rotation, anyone who gets compliments from clean fruity scents, and people who find heavier blue fragrances too loud. As a gift, it is about as low-risk as designer fragrance gets.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if performance is your priority, because the EDP or Le Parfum deliver the same family with far more endurance for a modest price increase. Skip it too if you already own several fresh designer scents, since the profile overlaps heavily with the genre and offers little that feels new.
Final Verdict
Y EDT is a competent, versatile designer freshie with a genuinely nice aldehydic opening and an understated incense finish. Its main flaws are moderate longevity and a familiar personality. At discount pricing it is easy to recommend, and anyone on a budget should try Fakhar Black first to see if the DNA alone is enough.