The family ranking · Yves Saint Laurent
Which YSL Y Is Best? 6 Editions Ranked
Y EDP Intense is my pick for the best YSL Y. Its more neutral, aromatic approach gives me more use across all four seasons while still delivering great performance. Y EDP is a very close second for its sweet apple character and compliment appeal. The 2025 Le Parfum is my spring option for its green, pine-based scent, while L'Elixir adds woody depth and richness.
The lineup, at a glance
Quick ranking
| Rank | Edition | Best for | Longevity | Shopping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Y Eau de Parfum IntenseBest overall | A polished, aromatic scent · Use across all four seasons | 9–10 hours | $99.98Jomashop · 100 ml |
| 2 |  Y EDP | Sweet apple character · Compliment appeal | 10 hours | $99.99Jomashop · 98 ml |
| 3 |  Y Le Parfum (2025) | Pine and green aromatics · Spring wear | 9 hours | Shop options |
| 4 |  Y L'elixir PARFUM | Woody depth and richness · A darker, mass-pleasing Y | 10 hours | $101.89Beauty House · 60 ml |
| 5 |  Y Le Parfum (2021) | Comparing the original Le Parfum | — | Shop options |
| 6 |  Y EDT | The brightest Y option | 5–6 hours | $121.00Arvellafragrance · 100 ml |
The full ranking
Find your kind of Y.
The scent. The trade-offs. The right fit for you.
01 Our overall ranking
- Concentration
- EDP
- Release year
- 2023
Yves Saint Laurent
Y Eau de Parfum Intense
Y EDP Intense takes my top spot because it feels like the more polished version of Y EDP. It swaps the sweet apple opening for a more neutral, aromatic approach while still giving me great performance. That makes it more useful across all four seasons and gives it the edge over EDP for me.
Editorial wear estimate. Skin, weather and application affect performance.
Choose it if
Choose EDP Intense if you prefer a more neutral, aromatic Y and want the combination of great performance and utility across all four seasons that I enjoy.
Consider another if
Compare Y EDP if you prefer its sweet apple opening, or the 2025 Le Parfum if you want pine and more green character.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Explore current offers
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
A more polished, neutral and aromatic take on Y EDP. The move away from the sweet apple opening is the main reason I prefer this version.
Performance
I still get great performance from EDP Intense. That combination of performance and a more neutral, aromatic scent is what makes it so useful to me across all four seasons.
Versatility
This is where EDP Intense gets the edge over EDP for me. Its more neutral, aromatic approach gives me more utility across all four seasons, especially when EDP's sweetness feels harder to wear.
Value
EDP is a very close choice, but I would start with Intense if I wanted one Y for use across all four seasons. Its aromatic approach gives me the extra utility that puts it first.
02 Our overall ranking
- Concentration
- EDP
- Release year
- 2021
- Accords
- aromatic · fresh spicy · fresh · fruity · herbal · lavender · woody · citrus · aldehydic · gourmand · amber
Yves Saint Laurent
Y EDP
Y EDP is a very close second. The sweeter direction can make it harder to wear when it's very hot and humid, but I still find it a fantastic compliment puller at a reasonable designer price point. Most people will probably choose this one. For me, though, EDP Intense's aromatic approach is hard to beat.
Editorial wear estimate. Skin, weather and application affect performance.
Choose it if
Try Y EDP if you enjoy sweet apple and want the compliment appeal and reasonable designer value that make it a very close second for me.
Consider another if
Compare EDP Intense if you find sweeter scents harder to wear in very hot, humid conditions and would prefer a more neutral, aromatic approach.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Explore current offers
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
The sweet apple opening is a big part of Y EDP's appeal. I enjoy it, but I prefer the more neutral, aromatic approach of EDP Intense overall.
Performance
The dedicated Y longevity guide covers the wear-time comparison. My second-place choice here comes from the sweet character, compliment appeal and value I find in EDP.
Versatility
The sweetness can make EDP harder for me to wear in very hot, humid conditions. That's the main reason Intense gets the edge, even though the two are very close overall.
Value
I find this a fantastic compliment puller at a reasonable designer price point, and I expect most people will choose it. EDP Intense still wins for me because I prefer its aromatic approach.
03 Our overall ranking
- Accords
- Woody, fresh spicy, aromatic
Yves Saint Laurent
Y Le Parfum (2025)
Y Le Parfum (2025) comes in third for its pine-based scent. It goes in a more aromatic direction, like EDP Intense, but brings more green character into the mix. I think it works especially well in spring and adds much more to the line than the original 2021 Le Parfum.
Editorial wear estimate. Skin, weather and application affect performance.
Choose it if
Try the 2025 Le Parfum if you want pine and more green character in an aromatic Y, especially for spring.
Consider another if
Compare EDP Intense if you want the more neutral, aromatic approach I find useful across all four seasons, or EDP if sweet apple appeals more.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Search the retailers
No tracked bottle offers right now. Search for this exact edition and confirm size and availability.
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
Pine gives this version its character. It takes an aromatic direction like EDP Intense, then brings in more green aspects that make it especially appealing to me for spring.
Performance
The separate Y longevity guide covers this 2025 release. Its place in my overall ranking comes from the pine, green character and how well I think it suits spring.
Versatility
Spring is when this version makes the most sense to me. I would compare it with EDP Intense if you like an aromatic scent and want to decide how much green, pine character you prefer.
Value
I think the refreshed 2025 Le Parfum adds much more to the line than the 2021 version. Its pine and greener aromatic direction give me a clearer reason to choose it.
04 Our overall ranking
- Concentration
- PARFUM
- Release year
- 2024
- Accords
- fresh spicy · aromatic · lavender · amber · herbal · oud · rose · warm spicy
Yves Saint Laurent
Y L'elixir PARFUM
Y L'Elixir takes fourth. A touch of oud adds woody depth and richness without making it smell like an oud fragrance to me. Geranium still gives the opening a green, slightly minty feel. It's probably the darkest Y you can buy, while remaining very mass-pleasing.
Editorial wear estimate. Skin, weather and application affect performance.
Choose it if
Try L'Elixir if you want a darker, richer Y with woody depth and a green, slightly minty opening that I still find very mass-pleasing.
Consider another if
Compare EDP Intense for a more neutral, aromatic direction, or the 2025 Le Parfum if pine and greener aspects appeal more than woody richness.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Explore current offers
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
Oud adds woody depth and richness, while geranium gives the opening a green, slightly minty feel. To me, the oud grounds the scent without making it an oud-focused fragrance.
Performance
Our dedicated Y longevity guide covers the wear-time comparison. I am describing L'Elixir's darker scent character and woody richness here, with the oud adding depth to the blend.
Versatility
I find this probably the darkest option in the line while still being very mass-pleasing. The green, slightly minty geranium opening is part of what I enjoy alongside that depth.
Value
I would consider L'Elixir for the extra woody depth and richness. Those qualities give it a reason to try it, even though I prefer the three versions above it overall.
05 Our overall ranking
- Concentration
- PARFUM
- Release year
- 2021
Yves Saint Laurent
Y Le Parfum (2021)
Y Le Parfum (2021) comes in fifth because I don't find much difference between it and Y EDP. It's discontinued now, and I can understand why: the refreshed 2025 version adds much more to the line for me. I'd compare that release and EDP before going after the original.
Choose it if
Try the 2021 Le Parfum if you specifically want to compare the original release with Y EDP and the 2025 refresh.
Consider another if
Compare the 2025 Le Parfum and Y EDP first if you share my preferences, since I find the refresh adds more and the original sits too close to EDP.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Search the retailers
No tracked bottle offers right now. Search for this exact edition and confirm size and availability.
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
I don't find much difference between the original 2021 Le Parfum and Y EDP. The refreshed 2025 version adds much more to the line for me with its pine and greener direction.
Performance
I haven't supplied a separate wear-time estimate for the 2021 Le Parfum. This is a different release from the 2025 version covered by our dedicated longevity guide.
Value
I think the 2025 Le Parfum adds much more value to the line. Since I don't find much difference between the 2021 version and EDP, I would compare EDP and the refresh first.
06 Our overall ranking
- Concentration
- EDT
- Release year
- 2020
- Accords
- aromatic · fresh spicy · fresh · fruity · herbal · lavender · woody · citrus · aldehydic · gourmand · amber
Yves Saint Laurent
Y EDT
Y EDT comes in last. It's the brightest option here, but the newer, stronger flankers outshine it for me. The performance is lacking, and I don't find it a whole lot cheaper than the versions I prefer. That makes it hard to recommend over one of the better flankers.
Editorial wear estimate. Skin, weather and application affect performance.
Choose it if
Try EDT if brightness is your main priority and you want to compare the original Y with the later versions.
Consider another if
Start with EDP Intense or EDP if you share my preference for the stronger flankers and don't find enough of a price difference to justify EDT.
The note pyramid
From opening to drydown
Find your bottle
Explore current offers
Retailer checkout opens in a new tab.
Scent, wear & buying advice
Scent profile
This is the brightest choice in my ranking. I still prefer the newer, stronger flankers overall, so brightness alone doesn't put EDT ahead of them for me.
Performance
The performance is one of the reasons I put EDT last. Our dedicated Y longevity guide covers its wear-time estimate alongside the later versions in that comparison.
Value
I don't find EDT a whole lot cheaper than the flankers I prefer. Combined with its performance, that makes it hard for me to choose over one of the stronger versions.
The final word
Which one should you buy?
Y EDP Intense would be my first choice for its polished, aromatic approach and usefulness across all four seasons. EDP is a very close second and the option I think most people will choose, though its sweetness can be harder to wear in very hot, humid conditions. The 2025 Le Parfum is the one I would try for pine, green character and spring wear. L'Elixir adds woody depth and richness while staying mass-pleasing to me. I find the 2021 Le Parfum too close to EDP and think the refresh adds more value. EDT is the brightest choice, but its performance and the limited price difference put it last for me.
How we ranked this family
This ranking reflects my preferences across the six Y releases shown, including their scent profiles, sweetness, performance, seasonal usefulness and value. The 2021 and 2025 Le Parfum releases are treated separately. This is an editorial comparison, not a new controlled wear test. Notes and bottle details come from Chaos product profiles and the published Y longevity guide; that guide supplies the available wear-time estimates.
Some links are affiliate links. Chaos Fragrances may earn a commission when you shop through them. Prices and availability can change. Confirm size, condition and final price at the retailer.