Perfume Review: Elle 2010 Collector Edition By Yves Saint Laurent

This fragrance was launched at the beginning of this year as a summer limited edition of the original Eau de Toilette Elle by the same designer. The bottle has the same shape, except for a lighter color of the glass, which reflects the brighter soul of this version. According to the Yves Saint Laurent website, the official notes are grapefruit, strawberry, pink pepper and amber. The opening is fresh, with notes of juice of aromatic mandarin.

Opium perfume for women (one of the first and most famous fragrances by Yves Saint Laurent) and its dark spicy notes is really light years away from here. There is also an indefinite floral in the background, which was probably added to support the freshness of the first stage, which lasts more than usual and reminds of the opening of a popular and exclusive Jo Malone fragrance, Lotus Blossom and Water Lily.

In the middle phase the layer of watery floral notes is less intense, allowing other florals to stand out, making the aroma more dense, probably also thanks to an indefinite spicy note, in the group of peppers. About ninety minutes after the first spray, the floral notes have grown more intense than mandarin, and now they are clearly jasmine and peony. In the final notes, the balance is reversed again: citrus notes are dominant and more intense than before, with mandarin and a more intense bergamot. The last development is with soft resins, with a spicy wood note.

The final part is actually the only one in common with the original Elle perfume, making this summer edition more suitable for those who do not feel comfortable with the dense and nocturnal notes of the original. All in all this perfume has less personality, but it gives a cleaner, simpler image, which can work very well in a work environment. On the romantic side it can be a very pleasant fragrance, although the lack of particularly seductive notes make it probably more suitable for couples that have been going out for a while, rather than for first dates.