Our take
What does Yvresse smell like?
Yves Saint Laurent launched this perfume in 1993 under the name Champagne. The wine producers objected. The house renamed it Yvresse, a play on ivresse (French for drunkenness). Sophia Grojsman, who also composed Lancôme's Trésor, created the formula. It opens on bruised nectarine with a dash of anise. A hint of mint cools things down. The heart pairs rose with lychee while a powdery violet hangs back. Picture a fruit bowl left out in the sun on a garden table. Then the mood shifts. Oakmoss, patchouli and vetiver pull it back toward the classic chypre, and a soft vanilla rounds off the finish. Next to Guerlain's Mitsouko, the other great peach chypre, Yvresse feels juicier and more modern. It is also far less mysterious. Wear it and the first name makes sense, because the fruit really does fizz.
When to wear it
A warm-weather perfume that has no interest in restraint, so two sprays are plenty. Try it on a light sweater in spring, where the fruit lasts longer than on skin.
It belongs to the Chypre, Fruity family. Yvresse is one of 35 creations by Yves Saint Laurent in our encyclopedia.
