Our take
What does Mon Paris smell like?
Mon Paris, launched in 2016, tells of the rush of new love in the French capital, signed by Olivier Cresp, Harry Frémont and Dora Baghriche. The opening is openly fruity: strawberry, raspberry and pear make a tart, almost candied syrup. The heart brings a murkier floral side, with fresh peony, sunny jasmine and above all datura, a narcotic white flower that lends heady depth to the sugar. A base of patchouli, musk and ambroxan builds a warm, radiant woody foundation that keeps the sweetness in check. The result is a modern fruity floral, seductive and easy to read, designed to be noticed.
When to wear it
For dates and nights out, especially in cooler weather; it appeals to younger wearers who love intense fruity scents.
The story of Mon Paris
Mon Paris launched in 2016 at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, part of the L'Oréal group, two years after Black Opium. Women's perfume was still living in the wake of Lancôme's La Vie est Belle from 2012, with fruit, patchouli and sugar in large doses. The name answers Paris, the house's big rosy floral from 1983. The nod is deliberate, though the new scent has almost nothing in common with its elder. The face was American actress Dakota Johnson, freshly famous from Fifty Shades of Grey. Her free-spirited image matched the story of a passionate romance. The scent also gave YSL a pink counterpart to the darker coffee and vanilla of Black Opium. The faceted bottle shows a pinkish-mauve liquid that stands apart from Black Opium's black. Three perfumers worked on the formula, and its strawberry-patchouli accord became the signature. Success brought flankers, among them an Intensément version. Mon Paris mostly confirmed the house strategy of very legible feminine scents aimed at a young, international audience.
Our detailed review
Strawberry and raspberry start loud, with a tart candy side that can catch you off guard. It is syrupy, not fresh. Pear adds a juicy note that disappears quickly. After thirty minutes, peony and datura change the picture. The datura reads as a creamy white shadow under the fruit. Two hours in, patchouli and ambroxan take control and it becomes a warm fruity woody scent that stays glued to the skin. What works is longevity and clarity, since you know within a second what you are wearing. What works less well is the ambroxan, which gives the base a slightly synthetic woody roughness. The strawberry also never really lets go. It suits a woman who embraces sweetness and wants to be noticed on a date or a night out. Worn lightly on a scarf it softens, and the datura shows more. Anyone who finds red fruit childish, or prefers sheer florals, should skip it.
Mon Paris vs its rivals
Ferragamo's Signorina shares pear and peony, jasmine and patchouli, plus musk. On paper that makes it the closest relative. Panna cotta and blackcurrant make it milkier and better behaved, while Mon Paris pushes the red fruit. Coach, released the same year, keeps raspberry and pear but sets them on a softer cashmeran and sandalwood base. It feels almost cottony and far less sweet. Burberry's Her is the fruitiest of the three, with blackberry, raspberry and strawberry. Its dry cocoa and violet give it a more powdery finish, though. Pick Mon Paris for an evening trail that lasts. Coach is better for every day. Her is for anyone who loves berry jam.
Longevity, projection and use
Longevity is a strength. Mon Paris is an eau de parfum rated 4 out of 5 for intensity and lasts six to nine hours on skin in most cases and longer on clothing. Projection is strong for the first two hours, then it remains noticeable at close range. Two sprays are enough, on the neck and one wrist. A third makes the strawberry overwhelming indoors. It is most at ease from autumn to spring, for evenings and dates. By day, a single spray works. In summer the sugar becomes heavy.
It belongs to the Floral family. Mon Paris is one of 12 creations by Yves Saint Laurent in our encyclopedia.
