EDP Elle Intense, Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent style with its charmous tuxedos has always inspired generations of women in all parts of the Globe to be dressed in a modern, impetuous and unforgettable way.

More than only being the creator and pioneer in wearing the female sex with something apparently so male, YSL's heritage is not only fashionable; the scented heritage left by Monsieur YSL includes compelling fragrances for all sexies including classics and beloved ones such as Paris, M7 and Cinema which have acquired many fans over years and finally, Yves Saint Laurent Elle in 2007, introducing a new scent for the brand's fragrances users.

The traditional Elle and its adapted editions Elle intense EDP and Elle Solid Perfume  (2008) were launched to bring a  modern, young and cosmopolitan face to its perfumes line in comparison to the past, adding the fact that the fragrant aura of Elle is to be wearable for the young audience, not the childish one but those women who are mature enough in their attitudes and life style, those who have some "modern and classic" feminity, naturally seductive and captivating.

Normally after a fragrance evaluation, I enjoy most the first release of a fragrance and not its flankers or adaptations, however after sampling YSL Elle and YSL Elle Intense, I have selected the second version to bring you my olfactory experience.

Firstly, it is sweeter, less flowery, it is darker, less daily and, then,  the effect is beautifully and miraculously a floral fruity which is not pink as wearing the Barbie fragrance.

At this point, the fragrance designers Olivier Cresp and Jacques Chavalier for Elle, in a competent manner, captured the young fragrant soul which I imagine being closer to the elegance of the young YSL lady, moreover they could design a fragrance to bring some brightness and lightness to the refinement of YSL, bringing to the brand a consumer audience which enjoys balancing  some joviality and seriouness.
 

Another good match of this fragrance for the modernity and the female urban style is that Elle Intense is appealing to women who are  busy and versatile, but on the same time, don't want to let apart their seduction power and ability to be noticeable in the crowd in a pleasant but not powerful way.

Despite the fact, this contemporaneous concept for a fragrance for busy, urban and hard working women is not a piece of news, in the press release of this fragrance there is a loyal and effective picture of what Elle Intense represents, the difference between the intense and the first version is a question of flowers and fruits preferences with distinctive doses of sweetness and drydown focuses, but both meet the vision of the responsible youthfulness in big cities with its fashion adornments:

"She lifts her sunglasses, casts a furtive eye on her watch and hurriedly crosses the street. Then she changes her mind: she considers canceling her last appointment for the day to attend the opening of a new exhibition. She'll go home to dress up her pantsuit with a pair of high heels, touch her lips with a dark shade of lipstick and apply a few drops of her new Eau de Parfum on her décolleté... and tonight, she'll let its sensual fragrance, mixed with the scent of her own skin, work seductive magic."
(from YSL Elle intense press information by YSL Beautè)

Elle Intense presents a more concentrated scent focused on the raspberry and litchi notes in its start and then,  developing some mysterious chords of pink berries which alternated their effect with a hint of benzoin and amber. In the middle notes before the fruity ambery sillage, the darkness of a subtle and emerging patchouli  is blended to a flowery fragrant body in which the notes of jasmin and iris are not leading, however, technically, these flowers control the sweetness of the fragrance and enhance the sober feminity of YSL. The woody notes make me remind of YSL Smokings and the earthiness of the smell on my skin balancing the potential strenght of any candied fruit.

As a pink berries addict (and I do not deny it), strangely this fragrance is not my cup of tea altough I own the cute limited edition box of the perfume solid  and, after sniffing Elle Intense I understand why. I confess my sin: regarding to pink berries inspired fragrances, I used to wearing what the market offers, I mean very sweet pink berries smells, and now I have to familiarize to these well-balanced chords. The true is that this YSL is well-done and does not smell a pink berries salad. The scent sillage is very close to the skin,reasonable long-lasting and adult in comparison to Elle's competitors . Is that a bad new? No way! Some scent approaches have to be connected to the evolution and rush of the big cities, where change is a key point and YSL Elle lady breathes this urban environment air.

Under all my points of view facets, I would summarize that the fragrance is a good one, elaborated successfully to please the market, balancing consumer satisfaction of a reasonable age range and also market share appeal, both so important to this industry. Besides, the best  fragrance advantage is not to be so fruity and tasteless as most of floral fruity fragrances released in the last years. This modern, changing and simple style of the fragrance, in my opinion, also reflects the thoughts of Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent in certain manner; he invented the female smoking and when asked about the jeans, he said that he wished  he had invented it, because they have "expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes. Elle Intense is closer to these harmonic characteristics. The urban woman who can wear a jeans or a smoking, be involved in a business meeting or in a romantic dinner and in all these places YSL scent and memory will be honoured.

YSL Elle Intense can be purchased in retails around the world. For purchasing information, visit YSL Parfums site

Images: YSL, blogs.glam.com, glenmcbethlaw, avlxyz

Author: Cristiane Gonçalves (crisgonc)
Fragrantica Member