Our take
What does 24 Rue de l'Université smell like?
Yves Saint Laurent introduced 24 Rue de l'Université in 2017 in Le Vestiaire des Parfums, its couture collection. The name is the address of the house's ateliers. Fabrice Pellegrin built a woody scent around sandalwood, which he treats as a couture material. The opening is smoky. Incense and cypriol give a feel of burnt wood and dry soil, with a faint spice. The heart calms down. Cedar adds its pencil-shavings note and the suede accord brings a soft leathery feel, like a jacket lining. Sandalwood follows and stays until the end. It's creamy and milky with an amber side. Compared with Le Labo's Santal 33, another famous leathery sandalwood, 24 Rue de l'Université is less dry and more muffled. It smells like polished wood rather than a carpenter's workshop. It wears equally well on men and women.
When to wear it
A unisex woody scent for autumn, at the office or at dinner. Two sprays on the neck are enough and it stays fairly close.
It belongs to the Woody family. 24 Rue de l'Université is one of 35 creations by Yves Saint Laurent in our encyclopedia.
