Reviews of Paris (1983)
by Yves Saint Laurent

I owe Paris an apology. I tried it the year it came out, found it brassy, and avoided it for two decades, along with that “never-in-million-years” fragrance, Poison. Maybe it was just guilt by association (Paris and Poison were ubiquitous in the 80’s in France), because when I mustered up my courage and gave Paris a second try this weekend I was surprised to find it elegant. I suppose this says more about me than about Paris: it took me a while to warm up to unmitigated florals and still feel like a bit of an imposter when I wear them. Paris has nice staying power, but it is not loud: lots of flowers, yes, but never sweet-- in fact, rather dry. Always clean, but not in a crisp, hygienic way. I do not get the rose upon rose blast others have mentioned, and would not recommend Paris you need a serious rose fix. There is a moment on the way to drydown when Paris threatens to go powdery, but then the woodsy, musky notes take over. Here the depth, sparkle, and complexity that were apparent on first spritz persist, but now in a different, very up-to-date key. A grown up fragrance, classic but not dated. The bottle may be perfect. I apologize to Paris for confusing it with Poison for all these years, and in fairness, will retest the latter when I am feeling brave.

Layers upon layers of roses. If you like rose, this is a must.

Paris was underwhelming for me. I feel bad saying this because I wonder about my sanity when so many other people like this perfume. It came out of the bottle smelling interesting, like minty violets on a bed of rose petals. Then it developed no further nuances on my skin. It merely remained a nice floral and no more. (For comparison, I put Coco on my other hand, and that one had much more character and smelled much better throughout its development.)
I thought hard about another time that this happened: it was with Bulgari Pour Femme. Same thing--violets and roses, okay but nothing special. Then I noticed that both were by Sophia Grojsman, so I guess that is the commonality. Her rose and violet theme doesn't wear well on me.

I am also very impressed by Paris longlivety. And I do like the smell of it very much. I will get a bottle sometines in the future, but today I have Stella Rose Absolute as my rose-fraganse, so I don´t have any need of Paris yet. When Stella Rose Absolute no longer is available, then Paris will move in to my wardrobe! - I do belive Paris will stay in the shops longer than Stella Rose Absolute...

I primarily like Paris for its amazing staying power. I'm amazed that everyone talks about its floral quality. It smells like incense on my skin, but I still like it.

Paris is a creation I've literally grown to love! When it comes to personal fragrance my opinions rarely change so dramatically, but here I am ~ a changed woman. The rose notes in this perfume are light and bright, not bitter in any way. Slightly dry, maybe - but in the most polite way. I also get a nice dose of sweet violet...reminding me of those square violet pastille candies of long ago. The drydown is clean, leaving only a trace of its earlier fresh cut summer bouquet as the musk & woods unify the entire blend. I truly believe my 'nose' has become better educated over the past year, and has acquired a greater appreciation of rose & violet notes in particular. Thankfully, I've been re-introduced to this gorgeous scent, it's a real beauty! I adore it.

My all-time favourite perfume. It is everything to me- elegant, subtly sexy, enchanting, pretty but 'grown-up' at the same time. My favourite perfume to wear to special occasions but I love it so much I wear it everywhere! Never without a bottle.

My girlfirend and I are typically Oriental or Woodsy fans, but I got this for her 17th birthday 2 years ago, and I have to say it is the best rose fragrance (mainsteam, not niche) out there. A light, woody, musky rose, never over-bearing. Simple and romantic in the Classical sense!

It is neither sweet, nor to powdery, and combines the classic traits of a sofe-floral, a little like Arpege, but, even though a rose fragrance, it doesn't overdo it. Very nice, although I would not say sensual, or sexy, but feminine, which is, in itself, romanticlly sexy, I guess!

Even my mum loves this fragrance, and she is nothing of a fan of rose scents! Her wardrobe consists of: Chanel no.5, Shalimar, Hypnotic Poison, Aromatics Elixir, Perle D'or, Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique, Rive Gauche, Je Riviens, Miss Dior and Opium. But when she smelled this, she said "even though it's a bit rosy, it smells very lovely and light and clean. I'd love to get my hans on some..."

I don't like rose perfumes, most make me sneeze, but this one is good on me.
I wouldn't buy it again, but I will use up and decant the bottle I have. My mother (in her 60's) loves red roses and perfumes that smell as such and she would love this!
It's not smoky and mysterious for me, but on those days I need something clear and bright it is nice. It is a much more complex rose perfume than most, I will give it that. I sometimes layer it with Nu lotion for depth, that helps.

My mum wears this one, and I still remember the first time we both smelt it: we were in a department store when one of the "squirter-girls", as I used to call them, sprayed some on a card.

We both thought it was more like an experience than a fragrance. A breath of old-world summer.

I still think it's a beatiful fragrance, very rosy and floral. It brings back a lot of happy childhood memories.

I got her a bottle of this for her birthday, and she loves wearing it.

Iwear it 2/3time a year,at the end of winter ,when spring is late in Paris
( I'm a parisian )when the town smell
gas oil,and "polution" I wear it like screen,for a little romance in the air!!

I was working on the perfume counter in Boots the Chemist when this was released, and as Deepthought says, it (along with Opium and Poison) were hard to get away from during the 80s!
I can't abide this. It smells like parma violets and my paternal grandmother's talcum powder. Nasty stuff.

I strongly dislike Paris - it's just too floral and old-fashioned to my nose, smells like expensive soap you get in a hotel or something. It IS very feminine, and quite romantic I think, I can (kind of) understand the appeal for others - but it's def not for me!

Absolutely spellbinding! I'm one of those who is actually most glad that this didn't turn-out as intended--yet another overpowering, common, and over-rated rose perfume. If I ever descend to wanting something like that: they're a-dime-a-dozen at most drugstores.
This is a much more complex and complete fragrance that doesn't dry-down to a powdery (yuck) floral. I also like the lasting quality--even in the EDT version--use less if you wish to apply more often.
Romantic, sensual, mysterious, floral modern classic for YSL! I especially appreciate the fact that on me: no one or two notes can definitely be identified. It's a buxom, beautiful bouquet of mixed florals. Purr-fect for that romantic evening...mmmmmmm.

Love it, love it, LOVE it.
Which is strange because I never really went for "flowery" perfumes (with very few exceptions). But then, this perfume is like nothing else. For all its "floweriness" it is definitely original, one of the kind.

I used to wear it just before the first buds of spring appeared, and occasionally even in the heart of the winter. (Believe me, I always know what I am doing..:))
Which created so unforgettable memories that I cannot use it anymore, lest I destroy those - and the emotional charge of "Paris" itself.

Very floral, quite classic, and I can’t decide if it leans more toward formal or sensual—I go back and forth on that. I do get the slight sour note in the beginning, but it’s gone in a flash. I really don’t notice as much of a rose note as I was expecting there to be: With the hype about, ‘Make us the most gorgeous rose perfume in the world…’ I naturally thought I would be smelling an almost pure rose note backed up by some citrus and green and wood. What I get is a mixed floral fragrance. To my nose the violet and jasmine are especially strong. I do smell rose, but not enough for me to call Paris ‘a rose scent.’ Anyway it’s lovely and very feminine, and it is quite strong, which is not at all surprising considering it is from the 80’s. Paris is a sweet, attractive, beautifully-constructed floral fragrance that’s not really eccentric enough for an YSL fragrance IMO. It has a beautiful, delicate wood / musk dry down and it lasts for ages.

This smells like a very beautiful rose floral to me. Even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with it that I can smell, it is a little boring to me. I think it is because I have worn florals all my life and have really gotten tired of them. I like something with a little more zing to it, unless it has a lot of Jasmine or perhaps something very tropical.

Stinky peach powder. One squirt and you'll reek of it for hours. Old aunties with lipstick on their teeth.

Intoxicating is right! This one takes me back to undergraduate school, as almost all the coeds I knew then wore either this or "Fidgi." Very sweet, very innocent, very breezy. Lovely take on roses, and without being overbearing (as so many rose -based scents can be -- and so often are).
A truly great Eighties frag.

I'm with Tovah on this one - enjoying Paris in EDT for the years since I first experienced it on one of my favorite designers. It's one of those that elicits "You smell so wonderful!". Little kids bury their noses in it! I guess I'll never get used to the notion that some fragrances are for the "young and hip" and some for us "old ladies". I live a casual life at the beach - own and have owned innumerable fragrances and mist on whatever I feel like when I get up in the morning. "Paris" is perfectly suited to a day in the park as far as I'm concerned - and it need not be Parc Monceau.

Memories of being smothered by fumes on a bus bound for the City in the 1980's. Everyone was wearing, or one of it's clones, and it was all too much for me. I still can't get past the sour opening note when I catch a whif of this.

I'll speak mainly to Paris EdP, which I love; it was my wedding fragrance. It's a technicolor rose/violet multifloral bouquet, very brilliant, sweet, heady, super lush. The basenotes are not nearly as prominent as the floral heart. Very lasting, vivacious, and fun. Most other rose fragrancs seem straightforward and traditional in comparison.

Paris EdT is sheerer, pinker-toned, and some might call it powdery. This one is pretty, but not a standout.

I had heard so many positive things about Paris that I just HAD to buy it.Unfortunately it's just not "me" though.I do like the rose fragrance but on me it's too strong and it lasts and lasts.Perhaps the Paris Premieres Roses would be better with my chemistry???

ubuandibeme: I searched for Paris because, as I was trying to identify my mystery bottle of unlabeled Annick Goutal, I tested Paris and immediately felt they were highly similar. How amazing to come here and see your review! I'm 99% sure that my Mystery Goutal is Petite Cherie, now. That said, I agree with you about the similarities between the two. Bitter? I don't get anything bitter at all, but both scents, upon first spray, seem so intensely sweet-tart to me that I can barely focus elsewhere. I agree with czesc about the rose part - especially with Goutal on the other arm for comparison, Paris really does seem more jasmine than rose by far. The biggest difference, though, is on drydown. While Goutal's scent stays pretty much the same from beginning to end, and really wears out my nose, the Paris dried down to a lovely, slightly powdery fruity floral and all the sourness and syrup went away. In my opinion, Paris is far more wearable than Petite Cherie, and actually quite lovely if the intensity of the opening isn't too much.

very undecided at first spritz, but calms down nicely after about an hour. from then on its absolutley intoxicating. One thing I must mention is that I smell alot more jasmine than rose, contrary to most of the other reviews

Paris has been one of my favorite fragrances for years. It's elegant, stylish, sparkling, energetic, and just lovely. It's Post-Impressionist to me, because of its vibrance and bright sensuality. It's like Nocturnes de Caron with green, dewy rose. Paris is a permanent part of my wardrobe.

Have you seen Amelie(the film)? This is Paris in a bottle. Love the pink colour packaging -very girlie- and the overiding smell of roses. It's a bit on the powdery side for me, but I wear it occasionally none the less. Good garden party scent.

Classy floral scent with hints of citrus and musk. The name is quite fitting. It really smells like a romantic night in Paris. For me it evokes the image of an elegant dress and a dinner ball. It would be a perfect fragrance for Cinderella. What I like is that it is suitable for any age group. It's the type of scent that I would buy for my mother as well as my girlfriend. The only downside to it is probably its lack of versatility. It strikes me as a formal scent, but then again that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's my favorite YSL frag for women next to Cinema.

not my kind of scent ,don't usually use florals.
it is very rose based. apparently yves saint laurent was inspired by Paris to create this and used some of the roses growing in his garden.
how sweet

I always found Paris too florally and close until I started wearing some of the lighter spinoff limited edition versions like Paris Premieres Roses. The roses and other florals in the Paris family are unique in character - I find them almost candy-like, but as in very good and expensive French candy, pastilles and so on, rather than jelly beans or common hard candies. They are also warm and glowing, effusive without necessarily being overly heavy or ripe. Lovely in their own ways - just took a little getting used to for me. Paris is a scent that accomplishes being delicate without going wimpy or wishy-washy, a lesson that plenty of other water-logged aquatic fruity-florals could stand to learn! Notes include rose petals, orange blossom, mimosa, cassia, hyacinth, violet, ylang, lily, linden, iris, heliotrope, amber, musk, moss.

Another charming winner from perfume nose Sophia Grojsman, Paris is an impressionistic basket of radiant cabbage roses set off by a few violets. I had read once that the formulation for Paris follows that of L’Air du Temps very closely with two major substitutions----the spicy carnation note has been muted to make way for the roses and violets. This seems to be true, for when I sniff L’Air du Temps from its bottle, it always makes me think of Paris, and vice versa. YSL’s Paris captures the essence and romance of the City of Lights. Grojsman tells a charming story of how she knew she had developed a winning fragrance. While working on Paris, she was wearing it home one evening when she noticed, to her chagrin, that a drunk was following her. As she picked up her pace, the drunk knew that Sophia was trying to shake him, and he shouted, “Hey, lady, I’m not following YOU. I’m just trying to smell your PERFUME!!” At that moment she knew she had a real winner. Rosy, powdery, radiantly musky in the drydown and long lasting. For lovers everywhere of roses and all things Parisian.

Paris is a gorgeous, classic fragrance. I adore the rose notes of the edt with their bright and sparkling drydown for day wear, and Paris edp is a fabulous romantic evening fragrance. I get so many compliments on Paris that I've often wondered if it should be my signature scent! However, I love so many fragrances I could never continually wear just one. Paris does remain in my top 10 favorites because it's so easy for me to wear, and it seems to go with any mood. It will always be a staple in my fragrance wardrobe. I can see Paris continuing on in the fragrance world with the same type of popularity as Fracas, Chanel No. 5, Opium, Shalimar, and Arpege. It is a truly fine, beautiful, unique fragrance.

Few scents weave such an enchanting spell as Paris. This fragrance actually reminds me of the movie "Funny Face" in a bottle. It begins with giggles of peach and violet notes that move into rose and lilac. The finish, all musk and jasmine, is very sexy and womanly, the sensuality behind the coquettish notes on top. It's a soft, romantic, utterly feminine fragrance, one of the greatest ever.