Reviews of Youth Dew (1953)
by Estée Lauder

I don't get the bad reviews - used sparingly (as you are supposed to apply fragrance - good frag should not be watery and wear off after 10 minutes) this is spicy and subtle. Maybe the haters gave a full spray to each wrist, each ear and the chest. You can't do that with old, powerful scents!

Something I would have hated as a child, something I find intoxicating and sophisticatd as an adult. This smells of seduction- the first sniff is almost overpowering, but the Patchouli becomes a beguiling and exotic note upon drydown that keeps you coming back for more. I tried this on one arm, Shalimar on the other, and I must say there are many similarities. Shalimar doesn't start out as potently as the Youth Dew, but the drydown shares a lot of the same exotic notes. The main difference after a couple of hours is that Shalimar's vanilla warms up the spice and incence notes, while Youth Dew is a much cooler and more pungent incence at the end.

I urge all those who smell a rich old lady to give Youth Dew another chance, with more careful attention. She may be rich, this lady, she may be old (she wasn't always), but she is wiser than you know. The initial shower of assorted spices suggests that she may possibly be benign, even kindly; then, the clove and rose recall the grand passions of her youth; finally--you must pay close attention--the benzoin drifts up from beneath her polished manners like a prophecy (tricky to interpret, undoutedly true). Among my favorites.

This is how a seductress smell... Warm, inviting, sexy, caring, feminine... This is one of the best orientals ever done. Though it is a well known scent, it does not lose from its originality, cause its a unique perfume. It is definitely not for everyone though.. A small dose works best.

When I was very young, 8 or so, I thought the bottle of Youth Dew owned by my Aunt stunk of skunk. In my thirties I had a friend who was older than I and who was the epitome of elegance and chic and whose signature perfume was Youth Dew. It was magnificent on her. Men would walk by her, stop, turn around and follow her. Always asking the name of the perfume so they could buy it for their wives, or girlfriends and always complimenting her. I thought that maybe it was time for Youth Dew to work its magic on me so the next time I was at a department store I tried a little on my wrist. Huge disapointment. Skunk juice.Sigh. Now I am in my fifties and it just so happened that someone gave me a gift collection of Estee Lauder mini's a few days ago and one of them was Youth Dew. So yesterday I touched a tiny bit of the perfume to my wrist was rewarded with the most luscious dark sexy sweet fragrance in the world. It has taken 50 years for my body chemistry to get "right" with this perfume and I can say it was so worth waiting for. It is elegant and classy. Even though I am not, I feel that way for a while while I am wearing it.

I don't know why people often equate Youth Dew to old church ladies because I am 25 and practically in love with it.

Its complicated and sexy with its bergamot, cinnamon, rose, amber, and vanilla notes. Spicy but warm almost with an erotic hint. Its no wonder perfume addicts are crazy about this after having tried it, I am beginning to know why.

Ps: Its incredibly long lasting, and priced just right for me wanting to get one by the end of this week!

Well well well people, this has nothing to do with old ladies even though it came out years ago. My Mother wore this-the type of woman who men flocked to in droves. Lit her cigarettes, bought her food or drinks just to have the chance to be near her. She smelled divine, and Youth Dew was it. Now I wear it, and men stop me and declare "You smell sooo good, what ARE you wearing???" No matter how many years go by or how many flavor-of-the-months there are out there, some things never go out of style. I'm sure it depends on your body chemistry. But to me, this one is pure spice and hotness-not very suited to very hot weather but awesome in the cooler months. To the brave and lusty-TRY THIS!

I find nothing redeemable about Youth Dew, infact I hate it. This doesn't smell anything close to Tabu, Tabu has a sexiness to it and yes, I wear Tabu. Youth Dew smells like a rich old lady that nobody likes and if I were 80 I still wouldn't wear it.

I love this fragrance. It is REALLY similar to Opium, but I find it less sweet and very sexy and mysterious. Yes, my grandmother also had this, but rarely wore it, so the "old lady" factor is not an issue. I read recently that this fragrance was developed to be the first perfume that women would by for themselves (as opposed to a man buying it for her). That really appeals to me, and when I wear it, I feel super confident. I have the "bath oil" as well, but I use it as a perfume when I want an "extra hit". Sometimes I even add a drop to a fragrance free shampoo or body wash for a subtle fragrance.

I wanted to try this one because of all the hoopla surrounding it and today was the day. I'm glad I did! Complex, spicy, yes! Old lady smell? ... I prefer use the term 'vintage'. This one definitely has a vintage feel and smell. Priced right for me to be able to get both the EDP and the bath oil.

Mmmmmm. Smells like a beautiful comfort scent. Very warm, spicey and voluptuous. Not for the feint hearted.

I'm a line-crosser when it comes to breaching gendered scents (only somethimes - well, only with Opium, Poivre, Shalimar, Cabochard). But, despite its heaviness, I just can't bring myself to wear it. Its heavy and brutal in a feminine way.

Killer perfume, very intoxicating, even more so than Opium...but if Youth Dew is applied with JURISPRUDENCE and CARE, it gives off a wondefully sensual, and comforting auror, not at all domineering, over-bearing or brutal...

There isn't really a downside to this fragrance - its every bit what it was set out to be. Only problem is that if it is incorrectly applied, it will literally (I mean that!) clear a room! I used to have a teacher (in 11th and 12th grade who taught my Ancient History class) who bathed in the stuff! I loved the richness and complexity of it, but boy did it fill the room (and empty it!)...

I'll leave this one to my sis, my ex and my aunts.

Very nice, love it.

Someone said in an earlier review that you either love it or hate it, and I LOVE it. All of my favourite notes are here such as patchouli, amber benzoin etc and I feel warm all over just thinking about it. I can understand if you are a girly girly type of gal that this would possibly be your worst nightmare, but if you are a gutsy go getter, not afraid to be noticed the this is the one for you. Old Ladies?? What old ladies wear patchouli!! Definitely to be used sparingly, and not for a dinner date, but for use after eight pm, go on I dare you!

Well, add me to the "granny" list, because I adore this frag. I agree, that it's not for the faint hearted or the "I love fruity, foody, watered down oceanic scents" crowd! This one is a bombastic and beautiful grown-up scent that IMO does not scream "I'm an old lady", but instead, very calmly and eloquently states that she is the epitomy of luxury, class and sophistication. My collection will never be without this warm and wonderful fragrance!

I believe this scent is one of those Love-it or hate-it scents.
I happen to love it, as it remids me me of an old-world: from the retro look , to the packing and to the scent itself. It’s not so old, as it was introduced in 1953 as a bath oil, but it feels like it came from another era.
I think the one to get here is the Body oil. The major difference between the body oil and the EDP is the EDP’s top wich has a healthy dose of aldehydes (wich I like but can be difficult for others).
The lavender, spices, patchouli and moss and of course vanilla and amber are the big guns in the body oil and the EDP seems to be a little lighter but a bit more harsh thanks to the aldehydes. Still it’s not a light scent in any way.
I like heavy ones from time to time (like Opium, for example) and this one is very confortable in the oil presentation, but as a note I can say that only a small dab on each wrist is enough to last for hours.
Some people have stated that it smells like old ladies, if that’s the case, then I want to smell like them: elegant and mysterious. Rich, deep and sensual, YD exudes high quality, and at times, it reminds me of a luxury hotel.
It also has roses also, but be quick to notice them at the top, because the roses will soon drown under the oriental aura of the drydown, same with the lily of the valley, it just feels like it’s not there, then you get the smallest hint of it, then it’s gone. Even though I really like it, I don’t wear it that often.

MizLiz has it right on the money -- this is one rich bitch who gets what she wants!

It's the smell of my maternal grandmother, as well as most of my mother's sisters and friends. It's a deep, rich, complex scent, with intriguing layers of aldehydes, geraniums, patchouli, sandalwood, cloves . . . you name it. Inexplicably beautiful.

I still use this (in bath oil form, esp.) to scent my drawer sachets. WONDERFUL!!!

In this era of clean, chemical scents, I am proud to wear the long-lasting, old-fashioned ingredients of cinnamon, clove, rose, amber, patchouli and balsam--fragrances used by women for thousands of years to make their skin smell sweet and warm.
When I wear it, I am the Queen of Sheeba, Cleopatra, and Helen of Troy. I cloak myself in the dark, luxurious concoction like royalty of ancient times bathed in perfumed oils.
Youth Dew is so far-removed from watery florals and insipid candies that the woman who wears it will be considered unique, and maybe even (ironically) trendsetting. May Estee Lauder never quit making the original.

Aldehyde, Amber, Ylang Ylang, Benzoin & Patchouli - what's not to like? It's just the dreamiest, creamiest of fragrances! I agree with Alaya that it is more of a winter fragrance, and it's certainly not like anything modern. I think that's part of it's appeal for me. I love Sherrie 11's idea of a drop or two of the bath oil as a replacement for regular scent. This is a Grande Dame of a fragrance without being a granny. It makes me think of a female CEO, like Estee Lauder. Feminine and powerful.

Try the bath oil, not the edp or edt. It is sooooo much nicer! I never could wear Youth Dew, I think because the patchouli was too strong for me. I can wear patchouli in very small amounts, as in Miss Dior and certain other frags. But Youth Dew is too much for me. Even Angel, which I wear occasionally sometimes bothers me because of the patchouli. Anyway, on another forum posters were raving about how superior Youth Dew bath oil is to the other forms of the fragrance, so I decided to try it, and it's true. I get a vanillic softness mixed with the spices and woodsiness. The bath oil is subtler and closer to the body. You can wear it as perfume, or rub a few drops into shower-damp skin, if you don't want to pour it in your bath. I would hate to see it go down the drain. :-) But it's very affordable, too. A 1 oz. bottle of bath oil is only $22.50, and I think 2 oz. around $30. I highly recommend this version of Youth Dew.

This was my FIRST perfume. I stole it from my mom and I adored it. I still love scents like it to this day.

While I don't share others hate for this, it isn't my favorite of Estee Lauder's. I find the bath powder isn't as strong as the parfum & gives me just the right amount of spicy scent. Wearing the EDP or EDT with the powder is a little too much for me right now. Definitely a winter scent and smells nice when used with a light hand. I always find myself longing for Youth Dew around the holidays because smelling it reminds me of Christmas.

Youth Dew is no wispy supermodel of a scent. Youth Dew is a rich dame who knows, and gets, exactly what she wants and is very much in control. It needs to be applied very sparingly, especially in the EdP form. But when dabbed on the pulse points it absolutely blooms into a rich, exoic bouquet: Roses, geranium, sandalwood and patchouli. But no one note overpowers. It all blends smoothly into an amalgam of sophistication. This is definitely a long enchanted evenings scent. And its lasting power is top notch. A little dab'll "dew" ya!

I love this fragrance, but you gotta have a "park-my-Roller-and-bring-my-parcels-up-to-the-penthouse" attitude to wear it. It's very luscious, almost makes me hungry when I smell it on someone.

Youth Dew is romantic, nostalgic and potent. A Bombshell fragrance, it is not for the weak or those accustomed to the watery synthy modern frags. I adore it, though it can be bit of a struggle, since at times, it tries to wear you.

Beautiful and beyond complex, it hits you with something new to consider at every turn. A lot of fun to wear.