Y Eau Fraîche: The new highly refreshing fragrance from Yves Saint Laurent Generation Y refers to people born in the 1980s and 1990s. These are the men who are currently building the future of our planet. To celebrate their creativity and highlight their audacity, the house of Yves Saint Laurent decided to dedicate a fragrance to them, in 2017.
Addressing an entire generation, that of millennials, also known as generation Y, Yves Saint Laurent created a masculine fragrance in 2017. Y is a juice synonymous with creativity, dedicated to all men who love to follow their passions and forge their own path. As the embodiment of the innovative spirit of youth, this fragrance initially took the form of a woody fougère. Then, buoyed by its success, this juice reinvented itself several times, eventually giving rise to Y Eau Fraiche, in 2020. So, is it a simple commercial revisit or a genuine olfactory discovery? Here is our review of this fragrance.
Olfastory’s review
Y Eau Fraiche, the answer to a question: Why?
In English, the letter Y is pronounced “why”, which means “pourquoi”. This fragrance was designed as a fun and creative answer to that question. At the dawn of a new decade, the house of Yves Saint Laurent wished to return to the origins of personal fulfillment. The question why invites a return to the quest for inspiration and the source of creativity. Why and how do men move forward? What are their driving forces? Far more than a simple fragrance, Y Eau Fraiche evokes a state of mind. It is a fragrance designed for a free man, in constant pursuit of personal fulfillment. In this respect, in terms of communication, it must be acknowledged that the challenge is brilliantly met. Y Eau Fraiche invites a fresh look at the world. It offers a different vision of things. It is like a new sense in life.
Yves Saint Laurent dares a highly contrasted formula
If Yves Saint Laurent's fragrance bears the name Eau Fraiche, do not think that it is a sort of modern Eau de Cologne lacking substance. In reality, it is more of a breath of freshness as invigorating as the sea spray from the Pacific. Sharp and contrasted, Y Eau Fraiche is not lacking in spirit or personality. Its formula, created by Dominique Ropion, opens with a fresh blend of freshly squeezed lemon and ginger. A pinch of pepper also spices up this sun-kissed citrus. Mint, lychee and citronella reinforce the energy of this essence. Geranium makes the whole more elegant and aromatic. Then, gradually, an unexpected handful of juniper berries blends with a gin accord. Clean, straightforward cedar finally asserts the virility of Y Eau Fraiche, in a dark, woody surge.
The elegant, clean-lined bottle of Y Eau Fraiche
Y Eau Fraiche comes in a bottle with the same sharp lines as its predecessor. Clear and design-forward, it takes the form of a thick block of lacquered glass, offering a new frosted gradient. A sky-blue juice appears through the transparency of its glass. The whole is further set off by a silvery, shimmering Y. In reality, this is a more luminous version of the previous Y bottle by Yves Saint Laurent.