Elle Yves Saint Laurent for women

think twice before you wear it because your boyfriend might thing youre cheating on him.:) It's not masculine but a little unisex kind of smell. very long lasting and heavy. At most I like the sour lemony smell. That makes the parfume alive.

i allways want this perfume today i got a 50 ml in a gift set with body lotion and shower gel...it is simply wonderful...very feminine, classy and elegant...very happy to have it

I had this fragrance a couple of years ago and I was amazed at how quickly I finished off a 50ml bottle. It almost never happens to me, as I wear all the fragrances in my collection interchangeably. I guess I had to spray on a lot more perfume than normal because it just didn't stay on. A weak staying power is something that really annoys me in a perfume. The scent was lovely, though.
When I first started wearing it, I had a strong feeling that it was only a second version of Cinéma. The same happened with Lancôme Magnifique, which I swore off as a revisited Trésor. I might have changed my mind now. Does anyone share the same impressions?

You had me at first sniff! I can't describe it but after testing many perfumes one day I came across Elle and as soon as I sniffed it, a big smile came across my face! It was so hard to describe, it was sharp, clean, sweet, floral, spicy and then bam!,..Mr. Patchouli came a knocking and he stayed for awhile, a really long while! ...but his stay was welcomed, in a very good way :) I am a lover of a good, well done patchouli scent and not too big on florals- and this one delivered. This to me is an amazingly crafted perfume with excellent longevity!(still smelled it on my sweater the next day!). BIG thumbs up! SO far I can easily see this as becoming my signature scent.. I love you Elle, I'll never forget our first meeting :)

very long lasting ..sweet and sour and then sweet again is what you get on a first whiff :D

An almost copy of Midnight Poison by Dior, patchouli, rose, fruity I prefer Midnight Poison.

You have to be a patchouli lover to like this, which I am. This is a patchouli blend that's soft and slightly woody. I'm not getting any citrus at all, not even at first spray. The patchouli is present througout and is the most prominent, but I can also detect some subtle florals. I find this fragrance very calming and classy.

i began really to like it very much after the million compliments only from men(friends and random on streets).this is the only one perfume that makes men crazy.i cant beleive it!

Nice,elegant,warm or soft spicy,Little bet flora,nice for my Mom.

There is no shortage on patchouli based female perfumes in this world (e.g. Prada, Midnight, Elle, Allure S.). You can pick one and they all tend to resemble each other. Elle is very fruity and sweet with the obviously much sought for contrast of masculine patchouli. It's not bad for my liking, but the fruit is too sweet and the patchouli too dark.

All patchoulis have to compete against the best patchouli out there: Cristobal. They all fall short against this masterpiece. Cristobal also has fruit and patchouli, but much better than any of those mentionend, Elle included.

(I know, I promote a discontinued, expensive and hard to find perfume. Sorry for this.)

ادکنی خوشبو برای خانم ها.کاره نسبتا خوبیه ولی نمیدونم چرا احساس میکنم زیاد بوش رو شنیدم.ولی موندگاریه خیلی خوبی داره با بویه شیرین.

I'm wearing this again these days and I have only a little left in my bottle. This is a scent that I don't usually wear in my spare time or when I want to smell romantic and dreamy, so I was not sure if it was for me, but I noticed that I always go back to Elle when I need an extra-boost of confidence, dynamism and urban determination (to survive, LOL!)
That happens when I need to melt with people for work reason. Used with sense and never oversprayed it works very well to boost some kind of assertiveness when I need it and in that sense it calls respect from others. It much depends on how you perceive your own perfume. You will never find 100% people liking your perfume, especially if they are very different.
I don't mind. I always thought that wearing perfume at workplaces could be annoying to others, then I've been beaten by all kind of scents I don't like. Fake vanillas, Hypnotique and Coco both original and copy cats, brashy aftershaves... One or two in a room are already too much. Maybe we live too close to each other. I always thought that wearing perfume is a way to mark a land :-)
I often went scentless but I felt almost naked and invaded by other scents around.
It would be a nightmare if everyone wore their perfume in big amounts! Offices are closed places and space is not usually very big.
Wearing Elle is a relief for me. Relief from other smells, relief against nakedness, LOL!
It builds a cosy shell around me and makes me feel secure. It's a feminine modern scent with a piney note that makes it more masculin, at least in a traditional perception, so it's more aggressive and it says: "Come closer if you want, but don't invade!"
Only 2 sprays is enough.

This starts out with a bouquet of multicolored peonies sniffed while eating citrus-flavored candy, or jasmine tea sweetened with lemon drops. Once I see that there’s supposed to be litchee in it, I kind of get it, but it’s perfume litchee, not fruity litchee. In any case, I think there’s some crossover between white peony and litchee, so it’s hard to separate the two.

Elle is sweet and clean-smelling at the outset, with none of the notes being overbearing. It’s a fruity-floral, to be sure, but it’s an excellent one. As it dries down, it gradually becomes more syrupy and resinous, but in a good way. Then it takes on a cedar-chest note. Reading other reviews, I thought those who mentioned cedar were mixing up cedar and “cedrat” (citron), but no, there really does appear to be some cedar in the base.

I don’t smell much in the way of patchouli, though. Whatever patchouli is in the mix is sanitized and toned down, probably something synthetic. There’s plenty of sillage, but it’s not obnoxious. A single tiny spritz from the test vial lasts for at least 6 hours.

@CozyCat: I love it as you analyze. but I cant wear it daily, especially in the office. It's not friendly

I love this, and I'll tell you why:

1) It's unique and a head turner but lets your own personality shine through, it doesn't smell like any other perfume I've tried.
2) It's my no.1 day to night perfume, very versatile. You can go to work with it, you can go clubbing with it, and it's elegant enough to wear to semi-formal occasions. It's also great for all seasons and weather except hot summer days.
3) It's for the female urban warrior, the scent is very metropolitan, very confident and edgy with some sultriness and sex appeal. It makes me think of New York and attractive career women in stilettos.
4)I like that this is a faceless scent for the faceless modern woman...I agree with the reviewer below on that point...but that's a plus for me because I get to wear the scent and put my face and personal attributes to it instead of it wearing me!
5) Not too many women wear it because many find it too sharp/woody I suppose. Another big plus for me.
6) I love the combination of notes, dry woods and tart fruits (mostly citrus and berries) with jasmine to add some femininity...but you must be into woodsy scents to love this, it is very different from those countless vanilla-based scents available out there, it's dark and sharp in comparison. It's also very long-lasting (7-8 hours) and has good sillage (not over-powering at all, I never get complaints, just compliments).
7) Best for women in their mid-20's upto early 30's in my opinion, when life is fast paced and dynamic. Not a teen/college-girl scent.

I can't think of a more inappropriate name for this fragrance! Unless of course "Elle" is a woman with no sensitivity, no personality, no virtues, no warmth.
Truly, this one smells like a very dynamic and "faceless" modern woman.
I can somehow see it work in a professional environment but certainly not in a better way than some other perfumes (imagine this as an inferior "Parisienne", and I don't like "Parisienne" at all).
Honestly, I can't believe how mediocre this creation is, given the fact it comes from a big company and from two well established perfumers.
At its drydown acquires the ever so popular (Chanel type) hint of sensuality (much for originality) I somehow fancy, and that's about it.
Do yourself a favour and ask for a sample of this along with a sample of let's say....(let me think for a moment)....of "Dolce Vita" for example.
Even if you don't like "Dolce Vita" per se, you'll know instantly why you shouldn't buy "Elle".

beautiful perfume!
love it so much

Elle is fine but nowadays I don't like wearing it.
It's a scent for a young sexy woman who cares about her appearance and likes to look great. She lives in a city and likes when people look at her.

Lots of pepper but that's OK with me, what I don't like is the patchouli masculine drydown. All in all a good scent but I'm not in love with it.

Excellent perfume if you love raspberry and patchouli. While I do pic up a little cedar and the velvitere helps smooth it out... the two outstanding notes are the raspberry and patchouli, which are very nnice, it's not a super sweet raspberry can easily be worn by grown up, very sexy in it's simplicity and earthiness. Lasting power is fair.. silage is light to moderate. I really want the intense version.. but this one is more affordable can be found fairly cheap on ebay. I would definently reccommend :)

I've been wearing Elle since the lovely Mandashell gifted it to me a few months ago and I am just loving this stuff! I'd gotten a tiny spray sample of this from a kind SA a couple years ago and used it over a summer. My impression then was that it was interesting but not for me--too much patchouli and fruit. But when it was empty I held onto the little sample and kept smelling the sprayer. I couldn't quite let it go. I kept checking prices for online vendors but it was always too high. Then one day, here on Fragrantica, I saw that dear Mandashell was ready to swap hers. I told her I wanted to buy it (nothing to swap) and the crazy/sweet girl just mailed it to me - how 'bout that?!
Since then it's taken over as my go-to scent cuz it works anytime, any place. I agree with Blonde Angel and many others here who say that Elle is a classic. It's strange, because when I look at the notes I think, there's no way this can work--no way these notes can blend and create anything nice or even wearable, and yet they do, rather fantastically. I just read YSL's promotional description for Elle and think they hit it spot on; unique, unexpected, with a touch of the Bohemian. That is Elle.

Oh jasmine screams from the very beginning till the drdown accompanied by something zingy.. Smells like menthol oil n jasmine. Jasmine is a headache inducer for me, sadly i must say:( it's strong n won't washed off with soap. Very good longevity n sillage but migraine inducer for me :(

I just bought a new fullsize bottle and still haven't opened it, but i can smell the roses clearly from the head of the bottle.

At first I was indifferent towards Elle. Now after I bought it, I don't understand the negative reviews. For me this is one of the most gorgeous stunning sophisticated long lasting passionate new-comers. People have stopped me on the street to ask what's that amazing head turner scent I am wearing, my friends have bought Elle for themselves too. The mesmerising sillage arrives before I do and leaves long after me or maybe just politely stays back. All this in a nice woodsy mesmerising way. Its not at all harsh or artificial. Its alternately warm (with the cedar) and cool (as I detect something like camphor) in a relaxing poised confident way, has to be patchouli and rose. I don't pick out the other notes in particular. But an overall stunner. I find it very similar to midnight poison and somewhat like a little sister of belle d'opium. Although I have found my signature in it, I use it sparingly since I have reserved it for special occasions. I will stock up on it but its way too gorgeous to be used to work or daily. Its a full bodied scent, and has everything I could ask for. I rate it 10 on 10 in my books.

Nice, slightly intriguing and original, I believe. Perhaps the playfulness in it is what is meant to young women/girls. Not sure I would ever wear/buy it. The patchouli note in it is indeed kind of sweet, as other previous reviewers remarked.

SO bizarre.... three days ago, my friend and I tried this perfume and fell in love with it. I left a review saying it was a better version of Hot Couture... but when I tried today, it was totally different! It smelled more like... Sprite mixed with cough medicine...? I don't know why! I'm so dissappointed! My rating went from "love" to "dislike" over 3 days! I can't explain what the heck happened! Perhaps I should try it again in another 3 days...haha!

I gave this fragrance a second chance today. I no longer *hate* it but I still don't think it is the one for me. The combination of citrus and patchouli is yukky! Lemon is very strong, but I can also detect a floral heart and patchouli base.

I have Elle a few months now and even though its summer here it never gets too hot.
I adore the pink peppery opening and when this sexy scent opens up the ceder comes in , followed by the peony, which i love.
The lasting power is quite good, and the drydown is so delish you want to smell your wrists all day!! all in all a great perfume, thanks Ysl.

Smells just like Hot Couture but better!
Hot couture gets a bit sickly sweet after awhile for me... but Elle is slightly less sweet and 10x more sophisticated & versatile. I adore this perfume <3

Givenchy Hot Couture with a generous helping of clumsily blended cedar for the top note.

Very nice. I would never have sprayed this in the store but I wanted to try perfumes that I ignore normally and I really loved it. Very special and suprising.

My mom had this perfume first and I thought it smelled great. She bought it for me I find it a bit strong. At first spray scent is citrusi and sweet, as time passes by it becomes unbearable. I think it doesn't mix well with my chemistry. It smells great on her thou.

Elle went on sweet, slightly fruity and womanly and I loved it for the first 60-80 minutes,then the lighter notes settled down into something quite revolting: the musky heavy musky pepper/patchouli notes developed on my skin, pushing all other notes out of the picture. The lemon and cedar notes did not get a look in. That was the end. I could not stand Elle any longer, unfortunately. It did not sit well on my skin. The patchouli was so strong and extremely unpleasant, tinged with a smokey aroma, like someone had been burning old damp branches. I ended up giving Elle away. Disappointing as I normally love YSL perfumes but this was a definite no, on me...

I like this. To me it is a lighter, fresher, less sweet version of Givenchy Hot Couture. The sweetness in Elle comes from the litchi, whereas Hot Couture it is the raspberry. Both have some spice from the pink pepper. I pick up on the pretty floral notes more in Elle, and the patchouli/vetiver base is actually quite light. Would definitely work as a daytime fragrance.

i love this perfume it has a great smell and its perfect for me

One of the few fragrances with patchouli like.Refined and elegant for use at work, but not old fashioned . I like it but the setting on my skin and poor

This fragrance is a very sophistacated perfume, which makes it more for older, mature women (over 40, say) I have it, and I must admit, it took a little getting used to, but I have, and now I love it. Starts strong, but mellows appreciably and softens from sharp to sensual. Has some staying power -- about 6 hours.

just perfect, this is the kind of scent that u wanna smell from a girl's neck... my gosh! my gf will have it (i'll buy it haha) and I cannot wait for her to wear it!

Very recommendable!

Wearing this perfum u will make people turn their heads and take a look to you.... women, pls pay attention to this perfum.

This is feels like the poor man's version of Parisienne, except this came out before. Where Parisienne works, Elle's violet combination does not work. Some say this is a young scent. I disagree. The overwhelming flower smell make this for older ladies. The young, hip chick cannot rock this.

i have it i love it and its belong to young and fashion girls

It's amazing how some scents require some wearing before you make them "your own". Ever since I first wore Elle (EDP) I knew I'll need some time to get used to its cold earthy undertone. Nevertheless after a few days I couldn't help but completely fall for this berried treasure. This is a vibrant, spicy twist in the pink genre, that combines sweet red fruit accords with woods and peony. The pepper and the vetiver add a nice bitterness to the lemon, making it appear as a grapefruit to my nose. The patchouli is not dominant, it just mingles with the vetiver to give a deeper, slightly earthy and powdery backbone to the the otherwise fruity composition. The peony is clearly detectable surrounded by other petals here and there - subdued rose and some jasmine is what I get out of it.
The vibe of Elle is along side Lolita Lempicka Si
Lolita and Moschino Couture!. They are both are warm to me, while Elle is rather humid and refreshing even with the pepper. They don't smell alike, but have three major points that are similar: spicy citrus, a strong flower and somehow resinous/earthy base.
The more I wear Elle, the more I'm enjoying it.

I almost forgot how wonderful and vibrant Elle is.
Now that the spring is here, it's time to start using it again. This is my favourite pachouli fragrance!

This perfume is a little sister of Envy and a sister of Stella, it's adorable. The floral rosy blend is deep and crisp and has a delicious captivating bite to it. It hasn't much sillage but it lasts well close to the skin and lingers with divinely rose-petal softness.The aura is youthful and cool, but sophisticated and glamorous.It's a wonderful perfume to have as a banker and it freshens and brightens a dull day. You really can't go wrong with it, day or evening.

Sexy, woody, sensual, warm, fruity and pure class all wrapped up in one hot fragrance. I love this!!!!

Elle is sweet, sparkling, berried and very woody. Still, depsite the strong woods it is a very beautiful and classy fragrance. And even though Patchouli is listed I luckily don't get a lot of it on my skin. It has the best of both worlds and any woman could pull it off. SOmetimes it can come across as strong and assertive and then it gets all girly bubbly and sweet. I really do love it and sense no resemblance to the bedding that my little hamster currently resides in. LOL! XD I agree that Elle is very chic and certainly not typical or similar to the most current or mainstream fragrances of the moment. So, if you are looking for a mildy sweet and feminine fragrance that has Pizazz then give Elle try. It has great lasting power and would work well in every season except for maybe the summer.

Elle Yves Saint Laurent = Unique ,Classy and Elegant!!

Three words: Woody-earthy-sweetness! I was given a generous sample and tried it a couple times not thinking it was anything spectacular but....I found myself thinking about this wonderfully fresh woody fragrance. Elle is probably the "woodiest" fragrance I've ever smelled. It's unique for sure. It's not something everyone else is wearing and in turn will get you noticed. I detect of course the freshly cut & smokey woods & the clean, earthy vetiver. Next I get that unique mixture of jasmine & roses...it's quiet! Not loud in your face flowers. The wood is showcased here and at it's best I might add. The berries give it just a little touch of sweetness. The musty earthy smell of patchouli lingers slightly throughout the whole thing. YSL Elle is not for everyone but it's so freshly unique it's a must for any collection. It's not something I'd grab every day but I'm mysteriously drawn to this great perfume. This is a masterpiece in my opinion. I say get it now because at some point it will become expensive and a classic. I'm on the prowl for a large bottle. You should be too!

Love, love love this so much. It has unique smell that make others can't figure out what u're wearing.

I bought a miniature of this fragrance for my niece. It is sweet, yet elegant. Kinda modern sweet for my nose :)

Gorgeous, gorgeous fragrance - smelled it yesterday...sprayed a little on my wrist and after 9-10 hours, and after I washed my hands 3 times I could still feel it on my skin - I would love to buy it because it smells so so pretty and lasts for so long. Big thumbs up for Elle

Just can't believe someone said it's fresh??? Oh no... not at ALL, this is very strong and potent. I wear it only in cold nights. Delicious, warm, vibrant, elegant, sensual... Smells a bit like Hot Couture. Love, love, love! Wonderful bottle. A gorgeous masterpiece from YSL!

Woody? I am not so sure....
I think this is a very special perfume and it's gonna be timeless.

Love it..eventhough a bit 'strong' (at the begining).. for me,it is like a strong version of Stella intw0.. n it does last long

YSL Elle is an unusual fragrance. Given that it has the notes of pepper, peony and vetiver, it's a rather humid woody fragrance than a warm flowery musky one. On paper it has this medicinal-herbal note in the opening that deterred me from testing it for a few days. On my skin however it gives a spicy grapefruit backed up by a cold woody base. It posesses a certain sharpness that takes some time untill the notes mingle, but then it becomes more unified woody, citrusy and heady scent. The vetiver and patchouli balance each other well. Even though it is not candy sweet, Elle conveys a mood of belligerant (fierce dare I say) femininity. For me it's the cold counterpart of Moschino Couture.Nevertheless I find a decent amount of berried sweetness in it. It is not a comfort scent but rather one that will keep you on your toes. The longevity is very good, still going strong in the evening with just 3 sprays. Thank you, KasiaS, for the mini, it is certainly a challenging fragrance for me, but I'm loving it more as I wear it.

Elle reflects the chicness of modern Womanhood confident
yet refined this scent is the new Era of the powerhouse
scents of the 80's a scent just screams HERE I AM JUST LOOK AT ME! commands your attention with just one spray.
Open zesty with Almalfi Lemon with a crisp and bitter
texture in a minute it dries a bit softer with Petals
of peonies with it's semi sweet airy scent floating in the notes, Sweet and succulent Litchi plump ripe with
the purest transformation to dark pink to bright Red
dries sweetly finishes the top Layer with intoxicating
nuances. Delicate and spicy pink pepper opens the second
layer turns the scent with a bit of dryness that adds
to the intensity Jasmine is very easy to detect in This scent and give off an greenish herbal smell.

The drydown or the bottom layer fades and the only
note i can pick up is the diluted silage of Patchouli,
and deep almost elusive patches of musk that finishes
this Scent.

What i also think why this scent is sexy the reason for this is the shape and the color of the flacon
Clean slender lines reminiscent of the perfectly
built and well groomed businesswoman domineering and
Sexual who put men in their place and also the color
the sexiest of all flacon colors conjours bright neon
signs of a nocturnal city, adds to the futuristic
minimalistic style of Today.

sharp ,, fresh ,, clear
for a young & full of confident girl ..
like it ..

This perfume is special, different in many ways, for conoisseurs only, I would say..

Dear Mad-Lainy, no offense, but I can not understand your comparisons ... I recently bought a bottle of rumeur and it smells horrible like nail polish removing toilet cleaner. And miracle smells so plast-icky it makes me cringe.

Elle is so different to both of these scents! For me it starts fresh and fruity - very girly and turns deep, incensy/woody after a while. Almost like two different fragrances and that's the beauty of it.

It is quite interesting fragrance. One of my blind buys that turned out good. It's just different, not sweet..at least not on my skin. But sharp and quite strong. It just doesn't last on my skin, gave it away to my mom and she is happily wearing it.

This scent started out as quite interesting to me, but unfortunately it quickly became annoyingly sharp. All the pleasant fruity and floral things in the first notes dissapear within seconds to make way for nasty sharpness which would be fine in a cheap aftershave, but really really annoyed me to the point when, hours later, I was wondering what that awful obtrusive smell was before realising it was the Elle on my skin. Staying power is good, but that's about the only positive thing I can say about this perfume. Ah well, you can't like them all I suppose.

The opening is very tart, the Amalfi Lemon will wake you up when you spray it before going to work - it is really refreshing.
After initial 20 minutes, however, Elle becomes identical to Lanvin Rumeur - there is a powerful blast of jasmine and patchouli that lasts a good while.
In a nutshell, you may be better getting yourself much cheaper bottle of Rumeur, rather than go for an extremely expensive Elle, as any differences between these two are hardly noticeable.
Or if you fancy a slightly sweeter version of Elle - go for Miracle by Lancome.

I cannot understand why is YSL Elle classified as a floral woody musk????
I can't detect any wood, nor any musk in it?????
Can any of you???????
I would dare to clasify it as a purely floral fragrance - another brilliant product of Mr Cavallier's nose :-)

I smelt this on a client of mine, I have to say I was blown away by the smell.
A must ry for me.

Today has tried this fragrance on a paper and on a wrist. On a paper it was not pleasant. On a wrist magnificent aroma after a while has revealed.

Yes i too got the artificial furniture polish/chemical accord with elle- apparently it clashes with some peoples' chemistry! It was so awful i couldn't believe it. too bad because i love alot of what olivier cresp develops. I suggest testing it on your skin first!

YSL ELLE is a fruity floriental fragrance to my nose. The patchouli and berries are so readily apparent that I cannot really conceive of this edp as a floral woody musk.

However, cedar looms *very* large in this composition as well, so large in fact, that this might work during the winter to fend off moths! I am surprised by the number of negative reviews of this likeable fragrance, and suspect that there may be some bad bottles running around. Or perhaps the twang of cedar is what is getting some of my favorite Fragranticans down?

Happily, ELLE works for me, but I should lay my cards on the table and here confess that I really do have a patchouli fetish. The bed of those delightfully chewy leaves serves here to buoy the rest of the notes, including the assertive cedar and the blast of berries, in a wonderful way.

Although this perfume is not revolutionary, it is very wearable--and would be ideal on a cold winter day--with big sillage and excellent longevity. Thank you, cisco, for sending me a beautiful purse spray! (-:

I am a guy and recently come across many women fragrances that I like. One of them is YSL Elle. It's young, soft, fresh, and perfect for everyday. It's not overly feminine either, which I can see myself wear it once in a while. I am so hooked on litchi and citrus blend with the woody scent at the base. Funny thing is that it gives me the same kind of vibe (but Elle is much fresher) as B&BW Twilight Woods; even though they smells different. Anyhow, I just love it. Thinking about getting the solid perfume charm for my girl pal.

Hi.

The best thing about Elle is how well it matches Every occasion and Perfect for any time of year minus Summer Then this YSL EDP is Sophisticated and More of a Everyday Scent However it is a Little Confusing Scent which makes it a Little Mysterious.

Modern,Urban,Charming,Youngish, Pleasant,Expensive and Lovely fresh scent. It opens with Citrus notes That leads to the Jasmine heart which Meet with Patchouli and Vetiver in the Base and Makes you feel Youth when You wear it.

It is not Heavy or Too Strong It smells like a Delightful day in Autumn. Elle is for a Modern Cinderella and It has a Romantic Effect too. I recommend it for a Lady between 20/30 Years old Definitely in COLD weather.


Sillage?Ok.

Longevity?Acceptable on my skin.

7/10

nice scent, not very unique though. Would make a good gift as it is pleasant, feminine and there is nothing offensive about it.

I really like this fragrance. It does not seem woody to me. It smells very one dimensional. It smells like roses. It is odd I have the Rose Essential by Blvgari and this smells more like roses than Blvgari. I think its staying power is good. It is just a classic rose scent to my nose.

this perfume embodies pure sophistication, luxurious voluptuousness, and seductive glamour... le meilluer perfume que j'ai jamais eu! bon travaille YSL!!!

Poor Elle comes out like furniture polish on me. I can see it working for other women but I am crossing it off my list.

A couple of hours later and it has turned into literally eye-watering menthol vileness. Maybe I tried the Intense version? Yuck.

At first,it open up with strong peony and berry fruity very citric and tangy and then gradually turns colder and smokier. patchouli and jasmine note here very dominate and mixed with the left trace of peony from the first part nicely. like other review says it very similar to midnight poison I agree,too but except the initial half an hour sprayed on skin...a younger and brighter version for MP lover and last pretty long on me.

I'm in my mid-40s and I find that this is my favorite summer scent. It smells like heat and flirtation and sex and languor. I love it, but would never wear it to work or past September.

Well, it's very very 'perfumey' strong and intrusive... Yet classic in some way. It lacks distinctive characteristic though.
I can imagine classy, confident, single, young career woman wearing it.

I wrote a mixed review below.
Things changed in the meanwhile.
I got this Elle a few months ago while expecting Agent Provocateur... Actually I got both from different people!
I was excited for AP and just meh for Elle.
Then I started wearing both alternatively and I discovered that AP is not always suitable for any occasion and not always appreciated. It changes a lot on my skin according to days.
I also discovered that Elle is not the harsh piney harassing creature I thought it was at beginning.
It starts with a tickling fresh peppery note of peony and goes on with different stages, maybe not too sophisticated but in a very modern way and the final effect may seem refined indeed.
It smells feminine but not frilly, more of a cheaky feminity with a hint of glamour. I don't feel completely drown to it (for that I need an old Guerlain like L'Heure Bleue) but I really appreciate that it makes me feel awake, goodsmelling and confortable while around at workplace, in the streets, at daytime friend meeting...
The woody base is nice and quite soft and for some reason it doesn't smell like the same woody base around in Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana and the alikes, that smells fake, sweet, plasticky and heavy
I wish it could be a little more longlasting.
After all among all latest born fragrances is one of the least irritating.

i have a sample of this one. and i really like it! i was amazed with myself, because i normally dont like floral woody scents that are made for women.. so this one, gotta be good :D

Just pink berries, nothing more. Not classy, nor chic. I wouldn't spend much for this parfume. It makes me feel sick.

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST COHERENT AND RICH SCENTS I HAVE SMELLED!
IT IS ALMOST PERFECT!
IT IS LONG LASTING, FLOWERY GREEN AND WOODY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT HAS GREAT SILLAGE, IT IS CLASSY AND CONFIDENT.
IT EVOLVES AS TIME PASSES BY, AND ONE CAN SMELL ALL THE DIFFERENT NOTES ENTAILED.
IT IS VERY EARTHY AND RELAXING TO ME AND THIS IS A SENTIMENT I CAN RARELY GET FROM A PERFUME...I HAVE TO TRIED TO LIKE A LOT OF PERFUMES AND EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO "ELLE" ITS QUALITY AND SCENT MADE ME THINK OTHERWISE.

YSL`s Elle is a sassy lady.

It is red berries in boiling pot.
Citric midst above the fruity pile.
Peony’s samba in Rio carnival.
Vetiver floor in heated crazy jungle.

It is Scarlett O Hara in Gone with the wind.
Perky, beautiful, always in the center of attention.

I think Elle can cause serious trembling of the knees. And blurriness of the vision.
Cause YSL lady is a vamp.

Do you remember what newly opened peony buds smell like after a light shower in the summer? That's Elle for you. At first I mistook it as the scent of rose, but no, the peony is what dominates this perfume. Personally, I like peony very much but I'm thinking it might not be everybody's favourite. A very feminine perfume this is.

It smells alcoholic, but fine; "missk" describes it perfectly. I also love the bottle, being reminiscent of the most elegant designs among YSL beauty products.

It's so strange.. 2 years ago this was my favorite scent, i bought this scent even for a second time when my first bottle was finished.

I bought it 2 months ago again, because I was sure that I would love it, it was really a perfect smell to me.

But right now it smells just soo disgusting on me! And I really don't know why! Is it my skin maybe? Is in hormonal? I wonder!

i love it. the best fragrance ever. it is deep and sexy very ladish and it s a long lasting one

It seems to me that patchouli has become increasingly popular in fragrances these days, even though there are still many people that dislike its scent.

Elle is very much dominated by the patchouli. There are many similarities between this fragrance and Dior's Midnight Poison, which reviewers before me have already noted.

This is patchouli in a dark, earthy and somewhat spicy sense. Not particularly feminine yet not unpleasant either. Delicate just isn't the right word here, Elle is actually quite strong and in some ways sharp.

In the top notes, the lemon, litchi and peony are rich and bold rather than being sweet and flirtatious as they are in most scents. The patchouli and vetiver tend to discourage the entire composition from becoming too sweet, too fruity or too flowery. The red berries seem to be the only competition with the patchouli in the heart, which tends to create an almost boozy-type smell.

Elle definitely has character in an alluring and powerful sense. This fragrance is not for a meek and mild woman. Elle is a demanding, attention-seeking, modernistic femme fatale.

Elle is in some ways too loud and dark for my tastes, even though I do enjoy patchouli in heavy doses. This fragrance does not suit my own personality, and even though it did agree with my chemistry, I couldn't feel comfortable wearing it.

I smell rose, patchouli and some citrusses. The opening is like a softer version of midnight poison (the rose and patchouli is in MP very prominent too).
After a while it becomes more fruity/berry, but it still has a sharp,sour and dirty(patchouli)quality to it.
That part reminds me actually of the berries you can find in victoria secret's very sexy.

In my opinion this fragrance is sexy but still elegant, because its not too loud and not too sweet. Also its very special, it would be a great signature and/or evening perfume.

i bought it for my gf......... n now cant keep my self away from her...... ;)

I bought Elle un-sniffed as i loved the look of the bottle and the description of the perfume. Im glad i did. Its deep, its dark and its mysterious! The 1st impression is very strong but with an air of elegance almost oldy-worldy,the initial strong burst soon subsides and you get a long transition from mid-base notes,as the fragrance is mellowing you can really detect the Litchi and red berries in a thick syrupy,sultry way. Once mellowed you are left with a real woodsy, tobacco plant smell which is really fresh and unique. An ideal evening perfume to knock 'em' dead (in a good femme fatale way) ;) Longevity is good as it will last a good 6-7 hours as it is a very concentrated perfume. I need to try 'Elle Intense' next x

I love Elle! It's really sophisticated and elegant fragrance.I admire this fruity beginning.

Combine midnight poison and hot couture (the best of each..) and you get this!

I know that other people like it, and I am willing to smell it again, but this is one of those fragrances you don't feel like giving a second chance to. I was so off-put by the smell in the department store, that I knew I wouldn't be coming back to torment my nose again. If *somehow* I could get past the fragrant wall of offensiveness I could learn to like it as most people here do. It is a shame I don't get the citrus complementing the jasmine or the cedar/woodsy notes. Because I desperately want to love this perfume - the bottle and the concept are so attractive.

so much patchouli..good to wear only when it's really cold

I don't know what it is about this one, but I just don't like it, too strong, just a smell I hate in my nose.

I tested this some months back at the airport...I fell in love with it. The berries and jasmine were most apparent to my nose and I love jasmine in my perfumes. The dry down gets more velvety and woodier and less 'juicy' thanks to the base notes. The patchouli in this is a perfect amount and not too much, it blends harmoniously with the other wood notes so that it doesn't scream out 'patchouli!'.

To me Elle is like a fruitier and happier version of Alien (which I also adore)...but it is still a chic, bold and elegant scent (perhaps just a little flirtatious) more than a playful carefree one, as it's not too sweet or candy-like. It is young and enthusiastic however, with its citrus and berries, but it is also dignified and sophisticated thanks to the combination of jasmine and woods.

I think this scent best suits confident women in their 20's and 30's, and it's quite a versatile, modern fragrance suitable for work or play...it is definitely not a soft scent but it isn't too loud or strong either (just don't douse yourself in it). The sillage is great and the lasting power is not too bad. I might buy this one for its versatility. Even if it isn't the most unique or interesting fragrance out there, it is still better than most easy-to-wear versatile type scents in the market today. So if you crave for depth and complexity in a fragrance or if you're looking for something sweet, airy and light, look elsewhere...but if like me you are currently looking for a lusciously chic and daring versatile scent that will take you from day to night, Elle is one you might want to try.

btw, I tried Young, Sexy Lovely too...it is too generic, boring and overpriced, but Elle on the other hand, is gorgeous and just perfect for me.

I bought this blindly in a discount shop store and only used it once. Later I gave it to a friend who loves it.
When I first spray it on my wrist I can smell strong fruitiness/berryness which is not sickly sweet and I quite like it. However, after 10mins it starts smelling acid (as others have mentioned here too) and bottom notes overpower everything. I would never have bought it if I knew what it smells like as I HATE patchouli but maybe it will appeal to patchouli lovers out here. Elle is strong and its acidity burned my nostrils when I tried it on my neck. It is just not my fragrance as it annoyed me for the whole day when I wore it, and I dont think it is a good YSL creation - Elle is a chaos of notes, they dont blend nicely. Bottle is very chic though!

Definitely a floral woody fragrance, once the scent settles the woody notes appear.I've been wearing it for a week now, it's suitable for the winter months for sure. I must admit it does smell like oh de moschino so every reaction is "I think I know this scent"

I first tried this (during summer albeit) because I love cedar. At that time, I was disappointed to find that it stayed so sharp and unpleasant on my wrist. This was probably due to the peony and jasmine in combination. Now that it's winter, I have tried it again and found that it's just the kind of supremely woody fragrance I was originally searching for when I first tested it. I get a lot of litchi, cedar, and vetiver, which creates a kind of pink pepper-wood effect on my skin. I LOVE it. This is definitely a cold weather scent for me.

This is very, very strong.

While I'm blessed with a chemistry that makes nearly all fragrances smell good on me, a friend of mine is the opposite - whatever she wears smells ghastly on her.

Not this.

This is the one perfume that she manages to pull off very well, though sometimes she puts on too much, hence the intensity.

It's slightly smokey on my skin, but not unpleasant.

At first spray i think of pink berries and patchouli. It`s a soft floral fragrance. Very unique and unexpected.

I love the gorgeous fuchsia colored glass bottle.

ELLE is feminine and VERY long lasting !

It smells so good, and I'm definetly not a women's fragance lover... this one brings sweetness together with a citrusy smell which balances it out in quite a sophisticated way. Were it a bit masculine, I'd wear it

I didn't like this at first due to the cedar note which blasted me with the first spray. However I had sprayed it on the card the trial arrived on and later noticed it smells very much like a lemony Cinema. The cedar fades relatively quickly to a soft background note making it slightly warm. If you're a Cinema fan it's worth looking into.

Sorry, girls, I appologize to all Elle lovers, but I absolutely hate this fragrance! I can't help it, to me it's deeply irritating, headache inducing, aggressive, sharp, arrogant, penetrating stuff. I myself don't understand why I hate this so much, it must be either the pachouli or the vertiver, because I love citruses, berries, peonies... This must be about the most unpleasant scent I have smelled lately.

I don't like this scent on my skin at all. I like the bottle, the colour, the name and the fact that it's YSL, but I really couldn't stand it on me. It reminded me harsh pine tree. I don't usually re-test a scent that I don't like immediately. Maybe I should, because once in a while it happens to change mind, some rare occasions. It happened with Agent Provocateur, even if I don't wear it on a regular basis.
I got a sample of Elle and gave it to a friend. It was better on her, still nothing special and not for that price.

Edi: I want my sample back! This scent is growing on me! It smells intensely floral-fruity with elegance. Someone also mentioned "arrogance". Yes, I can see that. It is an arrogant scent for people who wants to be noticed everywhere and spread their allure on others without caring for other people's need for attention. Still it smells good! Since the regular version is maybe best one for me, I guess I'm just regular "arrogant", LOL!

Have a little sample of this. It reminds me a bit of Gucci II in its pink fruity way. It's not offensive but to me there's nothing classy or expensive about the smell and it's typical of a lot of modern perfumes. It's a bit too sweetie/fruity for me so I won't be buying it.

Elle is one perfume which has very very similar flankers. Elle Intense didn't work with me, Elle Shocking is so much better than these two- long lasting, has sillage.
This original Elle differs from Shocking in some way- both are berries with woods and patchouli, but Elle Shocking has more drier woody notes while Elle has more boozy kinda character. It soon fades and becomes close to skin.

This is the second YSL perfume i bought. it's sexy, but it settle down very soft. the fruity smell is obvious but somehow it smells like coke(coca cola)... sweet like coca cola but i love it..

Elle smells like red berries, clean patchouli and fresh bread. I think it would be a nice winter scent. Don't like the opening though, it smells very artificial.

Ok, at first i thought that Elle is very similar to Dior's Midnight Poison. Actually, it is in the top notes. Just a little bit lighter, brigter, sweeter, more fruity. But here the story ends. In the middle notes you can detect a hint of tobacco or black tea, which reminds YSL Cinema or even EA 5th Avenue. Also the peppery part makes it resemble Moschino Couture!. Today I found it similar to Guerlain's Insolence edt. It's like a coctail of many perfumes (nice composition). And it is fun. Not banal and not simple, just funny and unpredictable. Not "screaming", but bold enough to notice.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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! :)

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.

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

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...

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**

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.

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 <3

"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

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...

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.

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...

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Just had a sniff................it is a must have and although aimed at the young market, I like it and I am old!!!!