Y is the first letter of Yves Saint Laurent’s name. And Y is – pronounced in English – the question of why. Since 2018, Y has also been the answer: the first and only “rock’n’roll interpretation” of the classic fougère fragrance family. Composed by the rock star among perfumers, Dominique Ropion (IFF). As an ambassador embodied by a true all-rounder: the rock legend Lenny Kravitz.
In 2024, Yves Saint Laurent Beauty presents the latest version of this olfactory icon: Y L’ELIXIR. The highest concentration of the iconic Y ever created with high-quality ingredients that focus primarily on one of the finest substances in the perfume world: natural Oud essence, which strikingly underlines the woody-spicy character and the infinitely long aftertaste of the fragrance.
Highly intense. Deeply mysterious: Y L’ELIXIR is the elixir of success. The timelessly intense fragrance experience reflects the journey that made you the man you are today. The inner strength that drives you. Because you are the man who asks „why“. And the man who knows the answer to that.
THE MAN: BRAVE, CONFIDENT AND SELF-ACTUALIZED.
Y L’ELIXIR represents the ultimate level of the Y man, represented by the charismatic Y ambassador Lenny Kravitz. A fearlessly experimental, globally successful artist who lives according to his own rhythm and thus became a rock legend.
It’s about the inner motivation that drives you to keep moving forward and have new experiences – the very ones that made you who you are. It’s about the determination and strength that make up your resilience. And about the only true luxury of embarking on the journey to your self-realization.
THE SCENT: HIGHLY INTENSE. DEEPLY MYSTERIOUS.
“I created Y L’ELIXIR as the haute couture version of Y. All ingredients were consistently selected for quality and rarity. This new interpretation of Y is even more intense, woodier and richer; her sensual charisma has been further enhanced, making the scent the most luxurious to date.“ – Dominique Ropion (IFF), Master Perfumer of Y.
Just as a gifted musician can play the same song for years and still give it deeper meaning with each performance, master perfumer Dominique Ropion has recomposed and interpreted YSL Beauty’s iconic men’s fragrance. The woody-spicy fougère fragrance Y L’ELIXIR represents the most exquisite, sophisticated and highly concentrated top version of Y to date.
To make Y even more intense and mysterious than ever before, the rock star perfumer is bringing a new star cast into play: sensual Oud wood. It is one of the most precious and noble materials in his palette and one of his favorites to work with, even though (or because) it is particularly difficult for perfumers to master.
“It is an ingredient that I particularly value,” he reveals. “I like to use oud wood in my compositions, even if it only has to be used with extreme precision and care. Oud has an incomparable character – extremely powerful, very sensual and animalistic. It has many facets: woody, natural, but also spicy and amber. The perfectly balanced pinch of oud gives Y L’ELIXIR its enormous character and makes the fragrance absolutely unique.“
A peppy and elegantly spicy, leathery saffron accord introduces the luxurious ingredient to open the fragrance; Added to this are the Y-characteristic notes of ginger, juniper, bergamot and aldehydes, which are reminiscent of a freshly ironed shirt. A stimulating cool, clear opening that underlines the contrast to the following, darker and more sensual fragrance development.
To highlight the freshest and most vibrant facets of lavender, YSL Beauty combined a particularly high quality of Diva lavender heart from Provence with a new aromatic accord: geranium.
The geranium comes from YSL Beauty’s Ourika Gardens near Marrakech. It is harvested there every day at exactly 9:40 a.m. after the freshness of the night in order to obtain the purest and most intense version of the ingredient. The Ourika geranium accord, developed specifically for the brand, is characterized by fruitier and almost animalic tones; it gives the powerful fougère heart of Y L’ELIXIR its sophisticated fullness.
The oud wood reveals its overwhelming power in the base notes. The coveted natural resin of the agarwood tree (Aquilaria crassna), which is native to Southeast Asia, can only be obtained after ten years of growth – and in the wild only one in 100 trees develops this valuable resin.
It is carefully distilled to bring out its woody, leathery and animalic facets. The extremely valuable and multifaceted ingredient resonates as deeply and richly as a ritual, hypnotizing drumming; its magical scent underlines the richness, volume and sensual character of the fragrance.
In Y L’ELIXIR, Oud plays an exciting duet with another luxury ingredient: mystical incense essence. The special quality used for the fragrance reveals vibrant citrus notes in the top note as well as warm, slightly resinous and balsamic vibrating wood tones.
This symphony of the senses is accompanied by the „rock star ingredient“ par excellence: patchouli, which is cultivated in special quality in Bali for YSL Beauty to emphasize its woody, moist and earthy facets and to give the scent its powerful depth and sensuality to rent. Like the intense, enigmatic vibration of a song that lingers long after listening, the reverberation of Y L’ELIXIR seems to gain in intensity – an interplay of radiantly bright and nightly dark chords that exudes timeless intensity. An ode to true luxury, created for the very special man who fully realizes himself: Y L’ELIXIR by YSL Beauty.
Y L’ELIXIR is the intense, mysterious interpretation of an iconic masculine style with exquisite components custom-developed for YSL Beauty. The most important natural materials were first deconstructed and then reconstructed using the most modern techniques to release their quintessence as an elixir.
PATCHULI ESSENCE from Bali.
The patchouli used by YSL Beauty is grown using traditional methods in the volcanic regions of Bangli and Gianyar on the island of Bali. It comes from sustainable cultivation and has been awarded the “For Life” certificate. Optimized distillation processes, combined with the special nature of the terroir, result in an essential oil without the plant’s naturally slightly camphorous notes. The woody, earthy and moist facets of patchouli essence give the fragrance its captivating, sensual depth of expression.
