Yves Saint Laurent
MYSLF L’ABSOLU
2025
PERFUMER
Christophe Raynaud
bergamot
ginger
cardamom
orange blossom
patchouli
‘IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE MYSLF: Celebrate who you are with MYSLF L’Absolu by Yves Saint Laurent. The mirror bottle reflects your true self, while the radiant fragrance signature provides instant pleasure. Enter your feel-good era with one of the most powerful and luxurious YSL perfumes. ABSOLUTELY RADIANT: MYSLF L’Absolu holds a formidable combination of fresh, radiant and spicy ingredients. First, the top notes of bergamot are enhanced by fresh ginger essence and cardamom to unleash a cool freshness. Then, the heart notes of radiant orange blossoms unfold in a unique concentration. MYSLF L’Absolu combines a fresh and blooming essence with a rich and sensual accord crafted with flowers harvested from YSL Ourika Gardens in Morocco. Finally, the woody sensuality is enhanced by patchouli that is sustainably sourced in Indonesia. Enjoy the radiant and luminous perfume created to evoke a feeling of instant pleasure and comfort.’ – Yves Saint Laurent
When the original Myslf EDP dropped in 2023, I reviewed it as one of the most lackluster releases of the year and ironically, a fragrance without any personality of its own despite its name. I disliked it so much, that I’ve never worn the 2024 Myslf Le Parfum on skin. But here we are in 2025 with L’Absolu… what has changed?
Well, quite a bit. And I’d say mostly for the better. However, that is more so due to my feelings towards the original DNA and not because Myslf L’Absolu does anything interesting or wears particularly nicely. It’s still an average ‘big’ name in the designer landscape at best, and falls significanly short of the top releases of recent years.
The opening I like best. Gone is the indecisive feeling I got from the EDP; I get none of the Libre-esque floral side and much more of a typical, traditional masculine leaning shower gel/cologne. Gone too, is the clashing sweetness. There is definitely still quite a bit of sweetness here, but it doesn’t feel overbearing or clashing, nor does it feel like yet another attempt at the sweet-aromatic Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (Elixir) DNA.
It comes across a tad darker, while still keeping the freshness of an aromatic shower gel. A bit deeper and more traditionally masculine, with the sweetness getting a push back. In that sense, it follows a similar path to what Armani did with Acqua di Gio Parfum (2023) or Boss with Bottled Elixir (2023); albeit I clearly prefer both of those over Myself L’Absolu.
Where it goes wrong is in the drydown and frankly, this happens in about an hour. The harshness and screechiness of the presumably synthetic green-woody core punches through and starts to wear more and more abrasive. Almost tart, tree sappy greens, mixed with rough, charred amber woods. While I’m happy that it doesn’t devolve into a sweet mess, it still devolves in an unpleasant feeling mess in my opinion.
