Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent
197 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Aniseed and cinnamon detonate immediately—warm, slightly medicinal, with basil and tarragon creating a herb-garden sharpness that's unexpectedly savory. Bergamot and lavender try to impose freshness, but the cardamom and coriander dominate, making this opening feel more spice rack than cologne counter.
The florals arrive with restraint, almost reluctance—jasmine and geranium soften the austerity slightly, whilst iris adds a violet-tinged, powdery coolness. The spice settles into the background but never retreats entirely, creating a genuinely balanced accord where neither florals nor aromatics dominate, the oakmoss beginning its woody scaffolding beneath.
Leather and tobacco emerge as the composition settles, creating a dry, slightly smoky undertone. Sandalwood and cedar provide the backbone whilst tonka bean adds only the faintest sweetness—just enough to prevent the fragrance from becoming austere. By the fourth hour, you're left with a intimate, skin-close whisper: woody, softly spiced, vaguely amber-tinged.
Jazz by YSL is a fragrance that wears its spice like a well-tailored waistcoat—confident, slightly dandyish, and utterly unafraid of complexity. Jean-François Latty has constructed something that feels decidedly of its era: a 1988 composition that trades the powdery restraint of classical fougères for a more assertive, almost herbal swagger. The opening is a percussion section of spices—nutmeg and aniseed snap against cardamom and cinnamon like snare drums, whilst tarragon and basil introduce a savoury, almost culinary dimension that prevents this from ever feeling like a straightforward oriental or amber fragrance.
What makes Jazz genuinely compelling is how the heart notes never quite smooth away those rough edges. Jasmine and geranium emerge, yes, but they're filtered through iris and carnation—flowers that read as green and slightly peppery rather than creamy or indolic. The oakmoss base provides architectural support, allowing tobacco and leather to breathe with a dry, almost smoky quality. Sandalwood and cedar keep things woody and masculine, though the tonka bean and amber prevent any descent into pure barbershop territory.
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3.8/5 (788)