Elle (for women)

Maugli

Decent fruity scent but a bit boring. Reminds of the perfumery floor in a department store... something in the air, even something pleasant but just distilled average of all perfumes. Definety nothing to do with the image of the bold girl in black in the ad.More likely this girl in black may be some office worker who dreams of being that bold but wouldn't dare (cannot afford) to wear anything more adventurous and loud than this conveniently subdued scent.

mellybee

The numerous negative reviews were just incomprehensible to me until such time as I tried this scent.

At first spray I thought it would be hardly for me since Elle opened on my skin with a lemon-boosted wave of overly sweet fruits. Luckily it didn't stay there long, soon peony hit my nose and a woody note raised its head.
While the perfume stayed lemony dominated by peony through of its development, the drydown is barely what you'd call light and easy-to-wear. And at that point I understood why Elle induces the instant "love-it-or-hate-it" response. The end is dark and potent, reminiscent of wet musty soil. No wonder, the base is composed by patchouli and vetiver.

Call me a fool, but this part is the reason I felt in love with Elle. And giving this earty masculine undertone to the fragrance as much as having a slightly masculine flavour in YSL's day clothes for woman demonstrates for me that Elle is a proper Yves Saint Laurent-fragrance.

I recommend it for the woman who aren't afraid of being strong and smart.

BluDreamer7806

Elle by Yves Saint Laurent is a very beautiful blend of fruity woods. It opens with a burst of fruitiness which I detect is from the litchi and lemon. I can also smell the red berries. The red berries are very dominant in this fragrance. I also detect a hint of spicyness akin to pepper, but I don't see pepper as one of the notes. There's also a heavy woodsy smell. The woods and fruits sort of dance around for a bit in a mysterious haze, battling for dominance. In the end it's a draw, but I smell the fruits a bit more than the woodsy notes. I know alot of people have very mixed feelings about "ELLE", calling it medicinal and so forth. I think they do this because of the heavy fruity smell and many medicines have heavy fruity smells. However, "ELLE" is actually a very pleasant fragrance, once you give it a chance to work it's magic on your skin. It smells the best during its drydown, which is very juicey and succulent. It's a very unique and modern scent and is more than capable of holding its own where ever it goes.

essija

I get too much cedar in the beginning. It actually smelled like my old guinei pig cage! Yikes! but it dry down much softer. This is a dry perfume, and I do like it. Soft berries and cedar, good mixture! I can't wait to try the Intense version!

tommy_girl

the notes,comments,shape of the bottle and describing in the site,they all seemed to be great,but on my skin it's a disaster!
I don't like it at all,all I get here is strong vetiver.so vetiver lovers will like it.I don't get any litchi here(which is my favorite note),it's just some strong woodsy notes mixed with sweet lemon,that doesn't match the fragrance at all.
there isn't any hint of any fruity note here and as the time passes just the musk scent becomes stronger.
ok,it's modern,but not in the positive way and I don't think young girls like a woodsy fragrance like this which is not soft at all,nor energetic.
th positive point might be that you can't be ignored while wearing it,as it's very strong and good for night wear.in addition I haven't smelled something as strange as this in any female fragrance(in male fragrances there are so many similar scents)
this is where you find out you can't trust the notes nor the comments.you should always try the perfume on your skin.

Annie_D

Let me try to explain this perfume to give Elle its fully deserved credit.

I went and sprayed this among other perfumes on tester strips to try and decide what I would try on my skin. I sprayed elle and wasn't completely sure about spraying this on my body. I continued to smell and it developed. By the time I got home, it was a rich sumptuous perfume. 24 hours later Elle had taken over all of the testers.

This is NOT a girly perfume, it is all woman strong and sensual. Sweet with woodsy it is truly a mysterious blend of everything a woman desires, a scent that shows there is something more than what you see (or in this case smell). Use sparingly and everyone will still notice you, it will truly trump other perfumes and will make you stand out! :)

rainydaze

Tried this today, loved it! Can't wait to get a bottle of it...it's youthfully sweet, and lushfully feminine, and also somewhat sultry without being unbearably cutesy or sugarly fluffy...very chic...not too strong or overpowering, which is good, but strong enough to make a statement...I find that I'm drawn to perfumes with dominant notes of jasmine in them...this is one of those.

nathalieZ

When I first smelled it I really liked it, so I bought it on the spot..it smelled great , airy feminine..appealing,.,but after a few months it seemed boring, almost cheap to me...like a very "girly " scent..so I wouldnt think there is anything special about that one...rather modern but not very original

guest_Bella

I find this scent really intoxicating. I cant stop smelling my skin, I love it so much lol
I think it has a very interesting scent, not the kind of scent I previously would have gone for. But absolutely perfect.

dolita

the scent is very old like it had been lunched in 1950
for me the smell is very close to avon fragrance surrender but the diffrence between them is the price only no more but the smell is exactly the same

Ina_Mo

The most perfect of fragrances! It wins me over every time I put it on my skin. It has a certain sharp but pleasant note, which deepens it and makes it more opulent. An opening is quite citrusy, but it develops into and intensive scent of flowers and red berries. Elle plays with opposites - sharp and mild, bitter and sweet, berries and lemon, gentle peony and rough vetiver, which unites the masculine and the feminine in this perfume! Its base is very warm and the trail stays on your skin very long, even for days...

itastica

I purchased this based on the fact that I love other Yves Saint Laurent perfumes. I was quite disappointed. Only the woodsy notes seem to appear on me. So I end up smelling like I've been rolling around in cedar chips. I suppose I could return it, but I feel like I MUST have this for my YSL collection. **sigh**

Perfumaniac

A vibrantly feminine, audacious fragrance that blends dazzling woody and floral notes. Peony. Pink berries. Patchouli with notes of Violet, Bergamont, Rose of May, Iris, and Sandalwood.

Mado Haddad

When I tested before in Summer, I thought it would be heavy for me..
However, I gave it another shot for Winter & I was wearing it today.. I gotta say I LOVE IT !!
I find it soooo lovely& modern.. I imagine a young successful business woman wearing it.. Suitable for everyday & for evenings as well

trueperfumelover

i agree with all the negative reviews.this perfume is not special at all,when i smell it i feel nothing,i can t even describe it.too bad....the packaging is attractive but nothing more than that.
UPDATE:it is discontinued in my town,u can t buy it anymore.maybe only on internet.that says a lot!

Kasku

"Elle" starts with litchi and lemons. It seems a bit heavy at first but then it starts showing its gentle side. I smell peonies, berries and some very subtle wood. It's a definetly fragrance for everyday wear...I like wearing it during the falls' cold days

kokica

by all means-this is simply NOT a modern girl scent...it's by my humble opinion a very grown-up,beautiful,spicy melange that can be compared with almost pepperish Lalique scents...it's just wonderful...strong but very feminine...not for innocent girlies,so to say...

alicektn

A friend brought me Elle on a paper strip last year. It smelled patchouli and roses,which I both adore.It seemed very special!

So,after that I went to test the fragrance on my skin. I was very dissapointed. It was very weak and flat.

I also tested recently the more intense version of Elle. The top/middle notes remain without personality, but the drydown (clean patchouli on me) is much more "there" this time.

I plan to give it some more chances. I don't want to reject that one so soon.

azuriiita

I tried this one some times to be secure if this could be a good one, or maybe a disappointed ... and Im not complacent yet :s
For me, its nothing special... Its only another "modern-cosmopolitan- nice- a bit citrus- a bit fresh- a bit something indefinite"
Its a vague fragrance for my taste... yet...

chance25

I'm biased, this olfactive group is my favorite group. When I catch whisps of it coming off of my clothes I really take notice. My DH says it smells sophisticated and that comment alone makes it FB worthy for me. It has an airy sweet quality to it. It smells like cedar mixed w/ lilies and hints of patchouli. I love it, I think it's very original.

Jasper

I almost blind-buy this one because of its' litchi note, let alone the sleek bottle and pretty color. Luckily I got a chance to try it last week. It was like a nightmare, sickly-acidic-sweet nothing of the top notes. Simply horrible! I would never expect this from YSL house.(I probably expected to much from it though.) Too sweet, too fruity and too expensive!

Taliera

This is disgusting! It's acrid and stinky, and I don't smell any flowers for a long time... they eventually do come, but my experience is already marred by those first unpleasant smells. I don't know why anybody would want to buy this. Nice packaging, though.

scarlett5stam

is not original. sugar on the skin, it gives very the impression that ... Very disappointed that creation of Yves Saint Laurent, its perfumes usually are much better!

cdawnn1

A nice everyday floral, especially for a young woman. I like how this manages to stay soft enough for casual days, but it has a certain sophistication about it. This fragrance is extremely feminine: a fresh floral, a touch of sweetness, and sensuality. I usually prefer orientals, which I find to be more overtly sexy. This is very sensual though, without trying too hard. I like this scent better than YSL's Baby Doll. I absolutely love the bottle as well.

Manuella

The scent is sweet yet with a hint of citrus.
Great for everyday wear.But nothing special....

woogyjones50

I like this scent quite well...to me, and maybe I'm crazy, but it smells like a lighter version of Hot Couture. It's got a very pleasant berry note on my skin but very soon after that a rich almost pipe-tobacco blend can be found. It does not last as long as Hot Coture so in that sense it is lighter. I think this perfume is worthy of a sample-this could be one you will enjoy very much.

iam2sexy4uris

Very beautiful bottle, nice smell... I would buy it once, it is very common smell and not something I would go crazy over for years and years.

liat

It's a bit of a "grown ups" scent for my taste, not sure why it was aimed for the younger. It's very "serious" and "mature", not fun, not light, not anything you haven't smelled before.

Jalutschka

Such a boring, nondescript fragrance.
Too average to even write about.
For those who rather rely on a big name than on their nose.

Scent lover

I havent found anything about this fragrance special.. Maybe I didnt give it a proper chance? But for the moment I would put it together on the shelve with fragrances like RL Romance. It is nice but lacks of character and uniqueness.

coco76

i hate to be an echo, but i agree with all the positive reviews here! the only thing i can add to this board is that i find elle to be very playful and an interesting variation on notes that are in a lot of other perfumes - yet manages to smell individual and quite sexy. two thumbs up!

guest_AnN

Just for Vivian... Interesting, warm, glamorous, extraordinary, marvelous, attractive...

natissimo

i sprayed it once and liked it, but still can't decide to buy...
i think, the aroma is quite interesting...:)

flugeltje013

My mom uses this and it's the only scent that annoys me. My opinion: only for special occasions and spray once, that really is enough... It does last long.

scenthound

Didn't mix well with my skin. The lady at the counter was ticked off that Luca Turin gave it, as she said, only one star. Actually, he gave it three stars. I found it much too sweet and tangy. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad Winter scent... but definitely not for muggy weather. Will have to give it another try.

Aeternitas

I love this! It has a perfect blend of citrus notes and sexy, sultry woodsy notes, along with jasmine and berries, which I can smell distinctly. It just might be my new favorite :) My mother loves this too. Most likely I will buy her a full-size bottle for Mother's Day that her and I can share. Elle is a very interesting, flirty fragrance without being girly. It isn't sweet, but just right. Noticeable, but not obnoxious. Modern and chic.