It’s no secret Yves Saint Laurent is one of the most coveted design labels on the planet, and the brand’s collection of beauty products—its boldly composed perfumes, in particular—is no exception. For some context, Algeria-born Yves Saint Laurent moved to Paris as a teen, where he worked for designer Christian Dior until he began his own namesake label in 1961 alongside his partner Pierre Bergé. Of course, fashion was the preliminary focus, but by the ’70s, Saint Laurent had begun his foray into the beauty space. (Fun fact: As Vanity Fair reported here, YSL was actually the first makeup and fragrance brand to have a fashion house’s name attached to it.)
Makeup ensued, followed by fragrance and skincare, and today, YSL perfumes are some of the most wanted and coveted in the business. Another fun fact? Zoë Kravitz is the spokesperson for YSL’s famed perfume Black Opium, and her famous father, Lenny Kravitz, was recently named the new ambassador for its Y Eau de Parfum. We receive tons of questions asking which YSL perfumes are the “best” or which bottles we recommend, specifically, as editors. So we thought we’d create a fun ode to YSL and its iconic line of scents.
There’s no such thing as one “best” perfume. We’re all unique human beings with entirely different tastes and preferences when it comes to scent. But we’d be remiss not to pay our respects to the most popular, fastest-selling perfumes from House YSL. Below, we’re sharing our 10 favorites in the order in which they appear on various retailers’ best sellers pages. Looking for your new fragrance infatuation? Keep scrolling—you’ve come to the right place.
Key notes: vetiver, vinyl accord, sandalwood, damask rose, peony. Don’t be fooled by this perfume’s light and pretty exterior because it’s surprisingly complex. First, you get rich, floral notes of violet, rose, peony, and blackberry, but it’s anchored by earthy notes of sandalwood and musk to keep it more grounded than precious.
Key notes: rose, violet, bergamot, may rose, iris, sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla. Paris is another dark-horse perfume from YSL that could be considered a diamond in the rough. It’s slightly sweet and creamy, but the botanical influence of iris, rose, and violet keeps it balanced.
Key notes: coffee, orange blossom, absinthe. As you’ll notice shortly, there are a few different versions of YSL’s iconic scent Black Opium. You’ll meet it’s sisters shortly, but here, we’re celebrating Back Opium Intense—a bold, dark take on the classic featuring striking warm and spicy notes like coffee, orange blossom, and absinthe.
Key notes: lavender, vanilla, orchid, orange blossom. Speaking of the more intense versions of the classics, YSL just launched this headier take on Libre (one of our all-time favorite YSL perfumes!), and we’re smitten. Technically, this is a floral fragrance, but lavender and vanilla are unexpected but beautifully complementary to starring notes of orchid and orange blossom.
Key notes: neon coffee, orange blossom, dragon fruit. Next in the Opium line? Neon—a slightly fruitier twist on the OG with the same whiffs of orange blossom and coffee juxtaposed with shimmering dragon fruit.
Key notes: tangerine, plum, cloves, coriander, carnation, lily of the valley, rose, myrrh, opoponax, castoreum, cedarwood, sandalwood. This stunning bottle has been around since 1977, and given its beautiful scent and popularity, it’s no wonder YSL has continued to grow the family. According to the brand, Opium symbolizes and is inspired by a lush and exotic melding of flowers, spices, and deep wood notes. So really, it’s kind of the perfect perfume for anyone.
Key notes: lavender, musk accord, orange blossom. Back when I was going into the office (remember that?!), Libre was probably the most-used fragrance at my desk. Not just by me, but by anyone who walked past and wanted a quick spritz of something insanely good smelling. It has the same enveloping heartbeat of orange blossom and lavender as the intense version we talked about earlier, but this one is kept grounded with a stroke of musk accord instead of vanilla and orchid.
Key notes: black coffee, white flowers, vanilla. We have to say that Black Opium is our personal favorite out of the Opium collection. If you haven’t noticed, notes of adrenaline-pumping coffee run through all of the Opium spin-offs, but this choice is for someone who prefers café au lait and not black. There’s coffee, yes, but delicate vanilla and white flowers are also woven through.
Key notes: strawberry, raspberry, bergamot, calone, pear, orange flower, jasmin sambac, white peony, datura, patchouli, white musk, ambrox, cedarwood, crystal moss. Like Opium, YSL makes multiple variations of Mon Paris, but the original—aka this one—is the most beloved and, dare we declare, the all-time best YSL perfume. As the name might suggest, this bubbly fragrance is inspired by the city of Paris, busting with a well-balanced profile of notes that tickle each and every one of your senses.
This new, long-wearing lipstick is the creamy formula of our dreams, despite its perfectly matte finish. With a stunning shade range of flattering nudes, pick your poison.
This liquid lipstick is ultra-pigmented, non-drying, and creamy. This is the perfect lipstick if you won’t settle for anything less than high-impact color.
It’s a cult classic for a reason—one swipe of this brightening under-eye pen and no one will know how many hours of precious sleep you didn’t log last night.
For an extra touch of coverage and subtle lit-from-within radiance, we recommend the perfect foundation counterpart to the brand’s iconic Brightening Concealer Pen above.
This isn’t just a crème de la crème volumizing mascara—it’s also brimming with healthy ingredients designed to help your lashes grow longer, stronger, and as fluttery as possible.
