Ysatis Givenchy for women

My tiny vintage bottle is still bold and daring. The florals are gorgeous, but the star is the way it dries into a luxurious spicy version of your own skin. Amazing.

Mom hated it. I LOVE IT. But I have to be squeaky clean out of the shower having used Arabian soap....and in a mood like "let 'er rip". Then it is heavenly on my skin, "blam" goes the carnation/tuberose....opulent, not sweet, like falling into a gigantic bouquet in an operatic, warm room with dark red curtains and crystal chandeliers....

Beautiful

I had it in highschool and thought it was divine🥰

I’m having a nostalgia trip lately and revisiting old perfumes that I owned in the past. Some, like Avon Timeless, Goya Black Rose and Youth Dew, have delighted me no end. As soon as I removed the cap and sniffed them I was transported back to my 1980’s youth (always gravitated to mature scents even when I was young). Just bought Ysatis and was so disappointed. Talk about reformulation! There was no recognition at all, this smells nothing like the UNIQUE scent I remembered. It is pleasant enough, nothing startling, a rather bland everyday perfume, but sadly no walk down memory lane for me. I don’t think I’ll keep this bottle.

I own the bottle from Givenchy with the plastic cap, the one in the current picture on fragrantica, which seems to be catching a lot of flak on here. Admittedly I've never had any experience with the vintage formulations, but I for one do like the new bottle. Once you get past the aldehydes, Ysatis is very different from No.5, which is more powdery and less sensual.

For the first two hours I smell yellow florals, some spice, a vintage vibe coming from the oakmoss + aldehydes, and a subtle honey note. Well into the drydown however, this 80s concoction mellows out. It's hard for me to pin down exactly which notes make the dry down smell as magical as it does, but I mostly detect a smooth musk. Special. Glad to have this.

The newest simplistic bottle smells like my Milton Lloyd Vogue which is a dupe for Chanel No 5 :( why did I pay £70 for Ysatis when I can enjoy Vogue for £5.50.

What a beauty. I ordered a tiny little sample vial as an add on to another purchase. When I first sniffed it, it was an immediate no, but I then tried it on just for the heck of it. It "blooms" beautifully with my personal body chemistry. Maybe it's designed specifically for older women? I can't imagine a 22 year old rocking this grand, baroque, and somewhat challenging scent.
It reminds me of a softer, creamier Donna Karan Gold, it's got a warm, almost gourmand center that will have you "huffing" your wrist (if it works for you).
It is a big 80s hug--cashmere sweaters and fur coats, big ornate jewelry and stiletto heels. It's perfume with a capital P in the way many modern scents aren't. It has what I think of as the "vintage base" a woody, lavender, spicy, medicinal "hope chest" scent that to me is the reddish amber wood of a cedar chest.
If any of you all on the boards are fans of "Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab" this shares some DNA with their darker, smokier, more mature and complex scents.
It's absolutely stunning. But it's not a safe blind buy and not for everyone.

Ahh so this is Ysatis! I picked up a sample recently when on a vintage fragrance buying binge. I do know this scent, but not well. It was released one year before I was born, so I definitely have baby memories of it, haha! I don’t know the age of my sample, but I do know it’s definitely not new, and I’d be shocked if it was from the 80s.

This is definitely an “acquired taste” scent and I know as a child it wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t hate it either. Unfortunately as an adult it doesn’t work with my chemistry, but I can still enjoy the throwback.

I don’t get animalic musks here. Sometimes those turn awful on me. I do get pissy indolic white florals, unfortunately. I don’t think I have an issue with aldehydes, but I do think that there’s a lemon note that is what’s messing up the florals for me and making them smell a bit like a lemon bathroom cleaner (pissy) on my skin. I also get a lot of fresh baby powder. Heaps of it. Powder notes are also challenging for me. I love iris but not so much that baby powder scent. I know this could be an awesome vintage scent for the right people but my chemistry so far isn’t agreeing with it. It just keeps amplifying the worst nuances. Still rating it a “like” because I like it more on others!

I think Classique by JPG works better for me. It has a few notes that remind me of perfumes like Ysatis, but it I doesn’t turn indolic and has a bit more of a chic powder vibe to it. If you’re looking for the ultimate white floral, though, Amarige is queen, though that one doesn’t even register as vintage to me, it’s timeless!

I sampled the vintage edt. The opening, to me, was very heavy on oak moss, which I love in vintage perfumes, but as it dries down it became a little sweeter, more floral, and oh so beautiful. There is a reason this perfume is considered a classic! I’m so glad I got a chance to try this in its original iteration. This perfume harkens back to the days when perfumes were big, unapologetic, and lasted forever on skin. I highly recommend getting your nose on the vintage version. Wait for that dry down, it’s divine.

Pristine, sparkly aldehydes. Massive bomb of indolic ylang-ylang and creamy, honeyed white flowers, with the oily sandalwood note that defined this decade. Fruity and green, powdery, with soft spices (Ropion loves his clove), but these aspects are subtle touches that contribute to a seamless whole. This floral has fantastic progression that reveals a ton of nuance, with a solidly constructed earthy, ambery chypre base.

I ache for warmth, I smell this, I feel sated. Pure olfactory decadence. I adore Ropion's orchestral florals.

I understand why it gets compared to Liz Taylor White Diamonds, and White Diamonds is a beautiful perfume. It's a sparkly, soapy, clean powder puff floral. I prefer the redolent carnality that is Ysatis. Smoother and deeper, with less noticeable soapy & alcohol off tones.

Please buy vintage. Vintage Givenchy is vastly superior to contemporary Givenchy, it's true of Organza, Amarige, Givenchy III, etc. All of the modern formulas smell discordant and soapier.

Ysatis reminds me more of Passion than White Diamonds.

I’ve only ever worn the vintage and it’s sublime. Pure class in a bottle. It’s has a depth and complexity and richness unseen in current perfume. The throw and longevity are nuclear. Ysatis is one of many 80s heavy hitters (the ones we refer to as “everything but the kitchen sink” scents.) I think Ysatis stands out in terms of how well blended and smooth it is…there is a ton of animalic honey and civet blended into the big floral bouquet but it’s just so nicely done. There is nothing harsh or discordant. If you want to smell like a million bucks, look no further.

I got a bottle of Ysatis for Christmas, as a gift, unfortunately was not the usual skyscraper shaped bottle, but a new one little ugly, nothing special,and when I opened I discovered that my beloved perfume doesn't exist anymore. Replaced by something watered, without character... Sadness 😔

I have an art deco bottle, which is gorgeous and the one that looks like a sky scrapper. I am not getting it at all. Maybe, because it was not something I was using in the 80-ies and 90-ies like Dune, Lou Lou, Amarige, Byzance.

The sky scrapper version is richer to me and has some spiciness. The art deco (it is now being discontinued too) smells too much urine to me. Maybe, someone can explain me the greatness of this perfume.

@BERENGARIA: I think the vintage is the one with golden metallic cap and the YSATIS written in the lowest part of the bottle, whilst the new one has transparent plastic cap and YSATIS written at the top. I don’t know about the newest, but the vintage is LIQUID GOLD.

On ebay there are two different boxesbothe of them say Eau de Toilette, can anyone tell me which is the best one, and is one of them Vintage?

I started as a teen with Chloe and moved on to Ysatis - massive luscious floral bombs both - put on Depeche Mode, some Madeleine Mono glitter eye shadow, and come back to the 80s

@Yseult your review made my day :D
It seems that your Tristan needs some education in the world of quality perfumes ;)
As for your mother-in-law...OMG hillarious!
I sure hope you don't live with her in the same apartment :D
I love Ysatis, I have a vintage bottle from the '90's but I never smelled the new version. New bottle looks totally uninteresting to me.
It is a classy scent, for classy ladies. Ageless, timeless.

I bought a half full vintage bottle for 20 bucks and boy oh boy is it intact. One of the best purchases of the year! They really don't make perfume like this anymore!

Buy vintage and savor the luxury.

My first encounter with Ysatis was back in the early 90s. It was Mrs Dora's, my teacher's signature scent, who was preparing me to take exams and enter the University. I love it so much! It reminds me of my youth, of my beloved teacher and of that crucial time of my life...

Yes it's a chypre from another era. I do not agree with terms like "old-fashioned", "granma/granpa frag" e.t.c. not only for chypres, but for all fragrances in general. The thing with chypres (new and old ones) is that they always smell classy and expensive, regardless their price. Chypres has been and still are a family of scents that, to me, represents "old money" quality and status.

Now, back to the frag. I remember it being woody and floral, warm and serious, greenish (in autumn mode), "expensive smelling", luminous, bitter and sweet at the same time... Ysatis is a scent for the strong and determined women, who have a vision for their lives and the lives of others... It is not a "people pleaser" scent. The woman who wears it doesn't need the others' approval to wear "Ysatis". The scent has her approval and this is enough for her...

I love it and respect it for the above reasons and, of course, I'd like to have it in my collection.

Ysatis is holy opulence, a high roller in a Rolls Royce wearing a sable. As a man wearing it? Do I feel like Liberace? No. Do I feel like I am wearing a costume? Nah. Do I feel feminine? No, but that shouldn't even matter anyhow. I just feel my olfactory receptors telling my brain "yum yum" and "me want more" like Cookie Monster.

Or rather, Ylang Ylang monster. This ylang ylang is wearing one of those "dip me in honey and throw me to the lesbians" badges popular in the early 90s, wearing sunglasses from the total eclipse of the aldehydes. All the other flowers are just scuttling around at its coattails like crustaceans, the carnation being the most colorful maid in waiting.

Ysatis you are pulling me closer to your heaving golden yellow bosom! You whisper "you sly dog" like Peppermint Matty to Charlie Brown. My best friends were often tomboys anyhow, but never ones that smoked cigarettes from a long cigarette holder, all Marlene Dietrich like. The key to this powerhouse is the civet (is it real or is it Memorex?), like Grace Jones making a cameo appearance on a Pee Wee Herman special. I think I need to straighten my little red bow tie.

In a word: massive. Ysatis is one for the ages. 

Review for Modern Tastes, Vintage Dabber bottle:

Ysatis hasn't kept up with the times the way some vintage scents have, but I think it's still special. The opening is very...carnation powder with peach that makes younger noses think, "grandma" but the heart is different. It reminds me a lot of the carnation heart of Vivienne Westwood Boudoir, a cult fav. This is her mature older sister.

In my collection, my nose groups Ysatis, Faubourg 24, Boudoir, & JPG Classic in the same category. None are dupes, but if any one speaks to you, the others will too.

If there is too much carnation for you, try Amarige. It's from the same era, same nose. More peachy, less powdery.

If you're a white floral powder nut, this will rock your world. If you use terms like "smells like Grandma" it's probably because your Grandma wore this. Your nose will subconsciously connect the two, and little noses can't detect complex scents.

If it wasn't for Ropion, I probably wouldn't have gotten this. My chemistry leans unisex. Vintage bottle is worth it for collectors, modern bottle isn't unless you've got a memory attached.

I grew up with this perfume lingering in the apartment, early 80s. I found a vintage splash bottle and it is very beautiful. This is a sparkling yellow floral scent enriched with civet. It stays beautifully on warm skin. Very feminine fragrance, golden and glamorous. Highly recommended.

I just ordered a travel size from Microperfumes because of nostalgia. I used to wear this in my earlier years and have forgotten what it smells like so am refreshing my memory. I have always loved the lower noted perfumes. Thank heavens we are all different as otherwise we would all smell the same. My favorites have been Coco, Coco Madmoiselle, Opium, Paloma Picassa, Aromatics by Clinic, Bal a Versailles, Euphoria, Maroussia (Portuguese perfume) L'air du Temps (because of the carnation in there and Bellodgia by Caron (not made anymore). I love this site. Some people hate you when you wear scent so I try to be careful where I go but at least we have a safe haven here to talk about our love of frangrance. I wish they made diffusers that you could put your favorite scents in but they say they are toxic when breathed in. Oh well.

Mom's vintage skyscraper bottle.

When she took it out, she said, "A girl I used to work with wore this all the time." I think that's one reason I appreciate scents like this, the ones that had massive popularity as staples in the perfume world. As much as I love scouring the internet for niche scents, I also appreciate the simplicity of a true signature scent-- having a friend that always smelled good, so you had to drive to the store and buy it for yourself.

This is like opening an early 90s time capsule ... I'm reminded of my mom getting ready for special occasions: birthday parties, Christmas, christenings. I picture beautiful women in the late 80s shopping at the mall and hanging out with their friends in their straight leg, tapered Levis.

A true 80s powerhouse scent - so complexly blended, so many notes, so loud, yet smooth and beautiful all at once.

Ysatis is so beastmode… talking about my vintage bottle. I love it but my significant other absolutely loathes it. He says the whole apartment smells like his mother when I spray just two sprays of this. I don’t get it. Mother in law doesn’t wear any expensive French perfume. She only uses a cheap musk deodorant because she’s an opinionated nagging old cheapskate who does not enjoy life and never goes anywhere to save money. She would rather die that buy a Givenchy perfume and she always was this way. That’s why it makes me even more mad that he associates it with her because Ysatis is gorgeous!! He doesn’t like my other perfumes either. Ysatis is definitely staying. Not so sure about the….

Vintage skyscraper bottle, glass stopper: After a pinching/sharp opening that brings me solidly back to the 90s, this mellows in a few minutes into a sweet floral freshness that has me pausing to smell my wrist throughout the day. As someone who filters out new fragrances based on whether or not they have patchouli in them, the patch in this one is so well-bended that it's not only tolerable, but adds depth and substance. Only Kurkjian did a better job hiding patch in My Burberry Black. Ysatis is beautifully sweet, not cloying.

I'm old enough to remember the smell of Ysatis in the '90s. Now, is still a good perfume, but is like to smell a pale imitation of this fragrance. What a pity...

@DionaCartez: re. Poison similarity to Ysatis: I beg to differ. I really see not even distant relation between the two. I am writing this because I feel strongly about both: as much as I adored Ysatis, with same vehemence have I hated Poison, I don't recall any perfume being so offensive to me. The sweet, radiant, spiced Ysatis with just a hint of bitter laurels. Poison, heavy, dark, Gothic, spiced plum with its headache inducing composition. No. Anyway, that is just little me. 😎 🍹☀ Cheers!

I am currently wearing vintage (continuous spray, no barcoded vintage) Ysatis today and it’s absolutely incredible. It remains one of the most sensational chypre fragrances in my collection (a perfume family I love). Dominique Ropion is one of my all time favourite perfumers. This is woody, floral and heady sweet on my skin - each component note perfect, easily wearable. I love this fragrance. I don’t have any reformulations to my knowledge. I have a few bottles as back up all vintage. I could bathe in this perfume.

@DionaCartez- "I had this in my salad days". Lol this is one of the best review openings. 😉 I know what you mean though. 🥗

Strong, musky white floral absolutely divine. Smells mature and exotic and sexy, super long lasting no sweetness which I love! I love strong florals with that yellow color

Ok, my nose must be broken because my experience with this perfume was nowhere near what's being described in these reviews. I blind bought, which was my first mistake. But I was sure it was a crowd pleaser based on the reviews. When I smelled it for the first time I had to make sure I had the correct bottle. There wasn't anything that I liked about it. To sum it up, it smelled like something even my grandma would refuse to wear. But I guess that's the beauty of art, which perfume is. It's completely subjective. This is was honestly on the list of some of the worst perfume I've ever smelled if I'm being completely honest. Just a no for me.

This perfume has been on my list of fragrances I have been dying to try, for longer than I'd like to admit. Now that I have it, I have been unable to put it down for days. A quick obsession and completely fascinating liquid, I have fallen under her spell. Strangely sour at times, and at other times, so hauntingly tender. I feel as if I have stepped into a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, meandering deep into the forest; walking low under boughs and branches, and frequently distracted by the menagerie displayed in technicolor all around me. Lost from view, both obscured and obscuring movements conjure concurring breaths of sweet flora, sweeping on the breeze, taunting the mossy earth with the pungency and dripping-sweet animalic notes of honey, jasmine and civet. Such a delightful journey, discovering after each turn the fresh evocations of gentle petals. Orange blossom and iris sway peacefully, while thunder-claps of tuberose and galbanum keep beat at a distance. A mesmerizing rhythm naturally placed, as if it had always been and would always be so. This world, encapsulated within a crystal sphere of aldehydes, contains at its center a core swathed with the emerald tones of herbaceous laurels and unmanicured oakmoss - left to grow wild. Occasionally I wander back to reality - aloof as I am; as if waking from a glorious slumber, still smiling. I reach again for the same amber concoction that transported me, for a moment, to utter paradise!

First perfume ever that I was totally smitten by, when I first smelled it on my high school classmate back in 87. I was hooked by its richness, opulence, seductiveness and it clearly stood out from all the other perfumes by the discreetly bitter note (laurels?) midst its sweet notes. That was why I adored it. Radiant, sweet, spiced and unique--to this day I have never smelled anything like Ysatis. I finally bought it in July 88 in London, in a perfume store close to my language school, in Graham terrace. I was nearly 17, happy and felt really sophisticated. It was my first signature scent. Ysatis, you are my first perfume love 🥰

A glorious musky floral fragrance, with super radiant opening, so vibrant and bright, this contemporary old school perfume settles down to a bewitchingly beautiful powdery floral with great projection and longevity. I was so lucky to be able to scout a full size bottle of this for a fraction of its price. I am thinking of having one more, crossing my fingers for another super great deal for this timeless perfume.

Perfumed honey. I really get a lot of honey out of this on my skin, and quite realistic as I didn’t realize this has a honey note and was sniffing about to locate the sweet nectar. It’s this! So good. I get a lot of civet sniffing out of the bottle. I have 2 vintage minis that I found at a local antique store. It is sunny and comforting, yet sophisticated and feminine. Very classy smell.

Perfection!

This has been my favorite perfume ever since this was launched many many years ago. I was wearing this in my early 20s and I'm 51 now. Still my favorite, no fragrance has topped this scent. I just LOVE this fragrance and I have quite a collection now. Classy, rich, sophisticated, feminine, sexy, elegant, gorgeous scent. Lasts forever on my clothes. I'm wearing vintage, never goes bad or fades, lasts eternal. Smells like the 90s but still works today. LOVE LOVE LOVE this fragrance.

It’s difficult for me to explain how much I adore this. Because so many of you have done so very eloquently.
It’s very powdery on my skin, not so much vanilla amber or sandalwood. It’s huge sillage. But I just want to add, I remember this from the 80s, I wore it of and on around 87/89 because that’s when I started going to clubs, and Pubs, back in London.
The room was saturated with this, after a night out. But I remember it smelling much more spicy, warm honeyed vanilla.
I believe as we age, our body chemistry changes, quite a lot. This is not so spicy, or loud on me these days. But beautifully elegant, quite sophisticated. And feels just right. In my younger years, I think it wore me! Lol now I wear it, and wear it I do indeed.
Soft, ever so slightly spicy, powdery heaven. It’s so stunning. Nothing today smells like this.
Some compare this to white Diamonds. Which I own and love. I feel this is nothing like it. IMHO. It’s a love , I’m glad to have this in my collection again.
Hello old friend, good to see you again.

🗣Givenchy Ysatis edt:

This Is Simply One Of The "BEST" Fragrances Givenchy Has Ever Created, Alongside Amarige That Takes A Firm Second Place!! I've Loved And Been Wearing This Stunning Perfume From It Was First Launched Onto The Market Back In 1984!! (A Bottle/The Very First Perfume Bought To Me By My Then Boyfriend, Now My Husband) This Fragrance Excludes Pure Undiluted Class, Wealth, And Luxury!! And Is A Real Head Turner And Compliment Getter!! This Is A Fragrance That An Actress/Film Star/Princess Would Wear With Absolute Ease!! Why Though The Change Of Bottle Design? Can't Understand Really Why They Done That, As The Original Bottle It Arrived In Was Just Stunning To Be Honest!! But Just So Glad That Givenchy Has Not Discontinued This Stunning Gem!! It Wear's To Perfection On My Skin For Around 12hrs, Which Is Excellent For An edt!! And Again The Usual Givenchy Quality Really Shines Through!!

My brother gave this to me back in 1989. I was 17 at the time and it became my signature for years. Amazing 80s scent, I wonder how I would like it now...

Aldehyde bomb with everything but the kitchen sink in it. Busy and complex. Really strong opening, and quite in your face. It’s an 80s flower explosion. Dries down ok though, but I do struggle to get past the opening. Long lasting and huge sillage. Powerful scent for sure. Reminds me a bit of White Diamonds (which I really don’t like much), not in the smell but in the personality of the scent. I’ll have to persevere with this one.

Edit: Sold it. Too loud for me and way too floral.

This to me is a timeless scent and I'm not surprised at its longevity in the perfume market - just shy of 40 years now.

On first spray I get sparkling aldehydes; the ylang ylang and most definitely a warm bright woody scent - which I attribute to the rosewood. From the start and right through dry down though, I get a distinct gingery note which isn't listed in the ingredients but is most definitely present. It adds a lovely warmth through the obvious tuberose and jasmine stages right down to those base spicy notes - of which cloves and patchouli really stand out.

Ysatis is a lovely sweet, spicy, woodsy concoction that exudes wealth and class. As one reviewer put it, it smells "out of time" - like the type of classic worn by a woman in a late 1950s movie. I get black and white scenes featuring Audrey Hepburn or Cary Grant in Paris or Rome. It gives me strange nostalgic vibes - a glorious melange, perfectly matched with an elegant vintage evening dress for a chic date.

Hi All, Once you warm up to Organza (vtg naturally) it is just a little step forward to appreciate this woody nutty lovely scent. The Amouage Interlude for ladies has similar notes to this and Organza, but as per a lot of us convinced by the vtg formulation, that is the way to go in this case as well. So if you like Organza and Interlude, you probably going to like and adore the vtg Ysatis too. Good luck!

This is lavish and opulent in a very 80s-90s way but somehow it's not annoyingly outdated. It feels both timeless classic and comforting modern powdery-coco lotion vibe. There is a lot going in on the pyramid and at first the spices and the yellow flowers are quite prominent but in the drydown all of this subsides to a very soft luxurious cosmetic type of scent. A very strong like.

Absolutely stunning. One of my top ten fragrances ever created. Just glorious.

After 2 decades of being firmly in the aquatic haze of the late 90s perfumes I am now definitely moving over into Old School Powerhouse territory (maybe it has to do with age, since I'm mid 40s now..). Dug out the small sample bottles of vintage Ysatis (the skyscraper version) I had left from my now-defunct perfume shop and dabbed some on my hand. And.. yes please! Definitely one for the 80s Power category, with a lovely soapy facet, at least on my skin. Definitely buying a big bottle of this, so I can own the room wherever I walk in. ;) For me this is the same style as Giorgio, which I love. It is not an old fashioned scent, it's vintage, just like me. ;)

Has anyone tried the new bottle design of Ysatis? Does it smell the same as the old version or a more mass-appealing version of it?

I remember the first time I smelled Ysatis--it was spring 1989 and I was 23 y.o. on a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo. In those days the flight attendants would sell duty free products on the plane--liquor was the hot seller for the mostly Japanese passengers. About 2 or 3 rows in front of me a Japanese man was discussing his purchase with the flight attendant. She must have recommended a fragrance and I saw her spray a perfume for him to smell. The scent drifted back to my seat and I was instantly hooked. When she came to my seat I asked to purchase the same fragrance the man had purchased. It was Ysatis. I couldn't even pronounce it, but i was in love. It was my first designer fragrance and I wore it daily for the next 5+ years.

It was a bold, powerhouse of a fragrance--woody, spicy, floral notes all perfectly interwined to create an exotic opulent fragrance. There was nothing like it on the market at that time. It was unique. And, sorry other reviewers, it did not smell like anything put out by Elizabeth Taylor--I remember those scents coming out in the 80s and remember finding them vile and old fashioned.

Ysatis was all in your face from the first spray, no need to understand the pyramid structure of fragrances with this one. As I recall not many people wore it when compared to the big sellers of that time--Opium, Giorgio, Poison, Obsession, etc. I was often asked what fragrance I was wearing back then.

I never knew the notes in Ysatis all the years I wore it. When I read them now, knowing my taste today, it amazes me that I loved this perfume as much as I did especially at the tender age of 23. It amazes me I wore it daily, but it was a different time. People who worked in an office dressed for work back then, unlike today where most are wearing sportwear of some sort.

I could never wear this again (too powerful and I loathe tuberose) and given the reformulation I don't even want to smell it again. I enjoy its memory. It was magnificent and totally captures my life in the late 80s and early 90s.

ETA: Those buying vintage bottles should know that this hit the shelves of Walmart sometime between 1995 and 1997 for a fraction of the price. It was basically discontinued when I came back to live in the states in 1995 and I could not find in any department store until stumbling across it in Walmart of all places.

I purchased a decant and it's awful. I've never smelled the original from the 80s but wish I could. I'll keep an eye out for a vintage bottle and give it a try. The new version reminds me of industrial cleaner and urine...maybe urinal cake? Either way, it's disgusting.

I like a lots the fragrances world and I know hundreds of them, Todays date Ysatis of givenchy has no rivals fragrance yet,for me is a master piece of all times and keep counting.

I used to wear this in the clubs.... best compliment ever " you smell like Blanche Devereaux from Golden Girls!

I almost forgot what a treasure this is. It’s low-key spicy, somewhat sweet and crystalline bright with darker woodsy undertones. This is very much a late spring or early autumn scent to me and I’ve worn it a lot in my youth and a little more lately. Ysatis is indeed one of the most beautiful chypre florals ever made.

I bought a bottle of this in 1991 as a reward for quitting smoking. I'll just say the perfume lasted longer than my resolve. I remember this as an intoxicating, almost narcotic scent. Dizzying. It may have been the narcissus especially that drew me in. I think about revisiting it from time to time. I wonder if it will still have the same narcotic effect.

Big & bold perfume, like no other. Respectable. Animalic, soapy floral, creamy, beautiful blend of aldehydes. Perfume for deep personalities, someone, who thinks before they speak. I picture a tweed suit & large gold jewellery. Aristocratic. This perfume has that old money vibe! She knows who she is 100%.

Ysatis, Lauren, Chloe. I wore this in Junior High and thru high school. My eldest sister past away in 1984. Lauren was her signature fragrance and Chloe was second. Ysatis must have come out very early 1984 or maybe Xmas of 1983. It was the last new fragrance she purchased. As a 13 year old kiddo missing her sister I would sprits little amounts of Lauren on a pillow at night hoping to see her in my dreams. Back to Ysatis since the bottle was relatively new it did not hold a memory of my sister. I made it my own signature fragrance. It was such a grown up fragrance I used it more through high school parties and dates. The bottle was sooo elegant truly a piece of art. It was not a spray but ayou had to use the glass stopper to dab it on. I know this made this fragrance an extra elegant experience. It was a marvelously complex. Not too flowery, not too musky civet. Just a balance of womanly femininity. I still remember feeling so grown up. I wish I still had the bottle but I think it broke during the 1994 earthquake. I think Ysatis became the primer I would grade all perfume there after. There would be many hyped up perfumes but Ysatis would always stand out as truly perfume. Ysatis had a unique presence.

I have four mini 3.5ml skyscraper bottles of the pure parfum, manufactured in the '80s, I got off eBay. Man, this stuff is good. Perfect for a sunny spring day. It lasts and lasts, and is very elegant and classy. What a beaut! I haven't tried the current formula, but maybe I will to compare.

Givenchy Ysatis (1984) - Orange Blossom Chypre - #dominiqueropion starts the perfume with waxy aldehydes and bright orange blossom. This transitions a lush floral chypre accord: Tuberose, Jasmine, Rose, Iris, Carnation and Oakmoss. He complements the florals with a lot of aromatic Cloves and sweetens the accord with Honey, earthy Patchouli and animalic Civet.

Beautiful, but I would not have guessed 1984 for this scent. It smells like the rich girl in a late 50s or early 60s movie who has to get over herself to find true love. The smell to wear when you're being pursued by / given a hard time by Cary Grant or Bing Crosby.

Smooth and lovely, but not an everyday scent for most people, and I'm very much a "wear what you want" sort of person. This one is too classy for the grocery store, too elegant for the post office. If you're a lady who lunches between gallery trips and fundraisers Ysatis can hold up its end of your exquisite ensemble. For me this is a special occasion fragrance (and it is very special.)

Dabbed skin test on a 40 degree clear day while running errands. Greater than arms length projection for the first hour, nearly skin scent within five hours. Gorgeous enough that I reapplied instead of moving on.

Hello to all fragrantica friends from Decodawn, it's February 2022, I hope you are keeping well and safe. This is my review of vintage Givenchy Ysatis. Firstly may I just state you need to fully appreciate the outer packaging (box) and the bottle of a vintage I.e Gold Lid in art deco styled glass bottle to really experience and appreciate the real fragrance bomb of Ysatis. It was total love for me when this fragrance was first launched and I absolutely loved the magical quality. It really was quite groundbreaking at the time, completely unique. The entire package is sheer luxury, quality and perfection. Reminiscent of a by gone age. The 80s an amazing time to be an 18 year old girl with your whole life ahead of you. It was a fantastic time. The fashion, the music, the movies, the TV shows, everything was about excess, exuberance and fun. This fragrance is exciting, sexy, and romantic. Huge explosion of flowers, warm heart, then sensual dry down. I can honestly say I bet not one single man alive would not fall under the spell of Ysatis, sex in a bottle. Don't just try it buy it. I recommend only vintage bottles as I have described. Gold lid art deco shape glass rectangular bottle. One of my true favourites. Enjoy x ❤

This is such a beautiful scent. I believe anyone that is a fragrance lover can appreciate this scent even if say, they aren't interested in wearing it. It starts out quite sparkly and the aldehydes are mixed very well with the white floral. There are only smooth edges to this scent and no sharpness. Perfumes like this, with so many notes from the 80s/90s period, are so special. This perfume reminds me of a more powdery/irisy version of Lancome's Poeme as it has the yellow floral.

The Formidable Matriarch

This scent commands respect: it’s self-assured, assertive, maternal, steadfast, smooth, romantic (though not sexy), and has depth.

It’s opening is dazzling, almost enchanting with its sparkling aldehyde, airiness and fruits. It feels expansive and impressive, like the large iron gates are opening up so I can come in. As it ages, however, the scent reveals herbal and bitter (medicinal) notes that project masculinity and stateliness while remaining categorically feminine. Champagne, a classic black dress and mink coat are becoming of this woman “of a certain age”; she is hospitable, possibly generous, but friendship is by invitation only.

Several scent groups that retain on me, by order of greatest strength to least, are aldehyde, animalic, musk and floral.

Ysatis vintage is the Queen of honeyed and affectionate Civets ...
It is a splendid fragrance, today the vintage version is still more creamy and elegant.
If you like the current version, do not hesitate to buy the vintage, it is much better.
There has never been an aldehyde, ylang, civet, honey and thousands of better combined flowers.
The harmony that precedes beauty, the beauty that is not touched and not seen ... the beauty that is felt.
There will never be a perfume that can be similar, it is unique. And whoever wears it feels Unique.
I recommend the vintage version because it is less sharp. Today it is available and at prices much lower than it costs. It really should be a vintage at the price of Australian opals, but we are in luck ... we can buy this jewel that also does not spoil over time ... it lasts and lasts as the best Elixir.
Dominique Ropion was born to create this perfume

Hi, Ysatis, it's me.
I just came here again to tell you how beautiful you are.
In the 80s you must have adorned every classy lady vanity along with their jewelry and finery, perfuming mink coats in visits to the ballet.
You know time is cruel sometimes. Nowadays day dare not to even mention you on their webpage, where they feature flankers and flankers of the same stuff.
But that is ok. You are an eterna queen and you will never lose your majesty.

Ysatis reminds me of both Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds EDP and Passion. It smells like you mixed the best parts of each of those perfumes and made a new one. I will have to try layering WD and Passion to see if I could get the same type of fragrance as Ysatis. I bought a travel spray decant of Ysatis to give it a try and I really like it a lot. I think it is less aldehydic than WD and Passion. And it has more yellow florals than WD, the coconut is amped up in Ysatis more than it is in Passion. The more I am smelling it the more I think it is a stand alone fragrance even though it does remind me of WD and Passion. It is a beautiful woody yellow floral (heavy on the narcissus which I love) w/ a creamy coconut and honey sweetness that I really love more and more as I keep smelling it on my hand. I think I have to change like to a love. This is really beautiful. Full bottle worthy.

I have mixed feelings regarding this perfume. I have a bottle of the 80's formula and one of the current one.I really love the opening notes but after a while I am really bothered by the civet and cannot think of nothing else about the perfume. To be honest I have to admit I am a civet hater.

I’m sampling from a Fragrantica members traveling box, and I admit that I have never heard of Ysatis before today. And until a few days ago I had also never heard of Scherrer 2 or 20 Carats, two other vintage Divas that have won me over.

I’m thanking whichever Frag member put all three of these samples in my box, because Ysatis is also stunning.

The only notes I can pick out are aldehydes, soap, musk and floral. The opening is in overdrive, and it takes over an hour to settle down, but once that happens, WOW. I understand the love. This is a perfume that announces your arrival, and lingers on your departure. It is the opposite of skin scent, and a contrast to the “natural” and lighter scents we wear today.

Vintage Ysatis can be found for an exceptional deal on eBay. Having a large collection—and knowing full well I will never get through all of it in this lifetime— I’m contemplating a purchase. I can not imagine where I would wear this classy lady in public, but in private I would like to spend the day with her. Wonderful.

YSATIS

Whoo wee! I’ve tried A LOT of perfumes over the last 2 months. More than a dozen. I will say that most of them have a tough opening note. I eventually like the dry down on them, but that opener can be ROUGH. (Looking at you Paloma Picasso).

But I actually like the opener of Ysatis. I don’t know if this is an Opium copycat but it’s dark and sexy like Opium is, right from the outset. there is a slight sting of civet but it’s counterbalanced by something darker. The amber? The cloves?

It’s like the struggle of Dark vs Light contained in a bottle.

I’ve never heard of Ysatis before I ordered a sample and I feel like I really should have. This should be up there with Opium and Coco Mademoiselle Intense. Hell I even find it strange that I’d heard of Aromatics Elixir long before I’d ever heard of Ysatis.

In some ways I’m glad I don’t know it, but it’s still available. Because I would love for people to smell me and ask me what I’m wearing and be intrigued when I say, “Ysatis.” Like it’s some rare, oriental secret known only to a few people with good taste. I don’t know if I have good taste, but Ysatis makes me feel like I do.

It’s not youthful or light and breezy in any way. Which is good. I’m 44 years old. I don’t want youthful. I want to smell like a mysterious sex bomb when I walk into every room.

Good God! I just put some on for the first time five minutes ago and started writing this review and I cannot stop smelling it on my wrist. It’s addictive, like Opium. I just keep going back and every time I do I get a hint of something else.

I’ve never had a perfume with ylang ylang in it and I’m anxious to try more to see if I can isolate it’s specific contribution.

This going on my Top 10 list. Maybe even Top 5 so far. And I’m going to buy a full size bottle. So far the only full size bottles I have are Opium, Magie Noire, Byzance, J’ai Ose, and Aromatics Elixir. I only buy samples at first so I don’t get burned with a full $200 bottle of something I will never wear.

But Ysatis has made it to the Top 5 and the Buy a Full Bottle list INSTANTLY. It hasn’t even dried down yet. I don’t care. I would buy this and just keep spraying for that dark, luscious opener.

Have I found my signature scent?

I think I have.

I just snagged a vintage bottle on bay for comparison. It’ll be here in a week. Feels like too long. I’m wearing the new version and I love it. I can’t wait to compare it to the vintage in the skyscraper bottle.

Update: so the skyscraper bottle came. Interestingly enough, the new reformulation of Ysatis is both stronger and more complex than the "vintage" bottle. No real reason that I can see for tracking down skyscraper bottles on eBay.

Exceptional !! (For the vintage version with the golden cap)

It is a very flowery opening, very opulent almost oily / sticky accompanied by a sweetness (without excess .. on the contrary) and radiant, warm and inviting us to discover the rest

There are a lot of flowers in this one, and it is quite difficult for me to find the singular notes of each one, on the one hand it looks like a very complex bouquet but it is of such harmony and that I would not like not separate them. The aldehydes give it for a very short time a note of insecticide that I have only smelled once. Then and this is the part that I prefer: comes the magical moment of the appearance of this honeyed note, as if you were this bee ready to return to the hive and as rich as Croesus with a thousand sampled flowers. When you smell this perfume it gives off such an olfactory radiance that you are not basking on a beach of flowers, you are the sun itself, above them.

It is so pleasant to be able to feel such a mirage / miracle again in 2020 that it can only do good and unveil a smile on your face ... This civet and this oakmoss are so contrasted with the honey note and the floral bouquet but so harmonious together, that one is entitled to wonder the work it will have taken for such a compromise! It is obvious that it took a real love for his work as a perfumer to make it as I know it today.
Many perfumers try to bring these notes (civet / oakmoss) up to date, but I do not know of any perfume capable of such a feat (of course I am not an expert, and I have only smelled a little so many perfumes there are on the market); Anyway for me this perfume is a miracle, and although I rarely wore it and at home, little by little it carried me away in its magic and this magic will not be confined anymore!

It has a shiny and dark side: it is at the same time a ruined village in a field of flowers under the sun, a dark cathedral in which comes to pray a woman with assertive and assumed sensuality, a burst of bursting laughter from childhood in a bereaved family ... it's the risky bet to show the soft and the rough, to assemble the fire and the fragile, the beautiful and the dirty ... it seems to be an artistic mirage, it becomes a miracle olfactory
Unisex or not, I don't care, it will suit me very well on the days and nights when I will want to wear it; it can in no way disfigure Man, it can only beautify and warm all those it touches!

I wear this when I want to feel like a boss… aromatic sexy suit with shoulder pads and silk stockings (in the best way).

Ysatis is a bold, aldehyde-heavy chypre, timeless yet evocative of its era. I don't have the original formulation, so presumably there is no civet, oakmoss or galbanum in mine. However, it retains the spirit of its era, and is a big, spicy, floral-woody aldehydic beast. I get the similarities to Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds - another loud woody/floral/aldehydic scent, but while current iterations of WD smell cheap (yet cheerful), Ysatis smells luxurious - of vintage opulence. As @gin42 says below, it smells like a lady who comes from old money. It is quite a mature scent; elegant, vintage yet timeless. As a fan of chypres - this is a pretty good chypre.

Ysatis opens with a bright blast of No 5-esque aldehydes, with a hint of citrus and a tart green note giving freshness. It gives way to a delicious, well-rounded floral-woody accord that dominates this scent until its drydown. The white florals are rich, sweet and feminine, yet somehow manage to not overwhelm. Ylang-ylang, jasmine and tuberose stand out. The rose note creeps in a little later, and powdery iris emerges as it begins to dry down. The florals are complemented throughout by soft spicy notes.

As it dries down, mossy, earthy green notes emerge. The base manages to be clean, unlike other patchouli-heavy chypres. There is also a subtle sweetness to the drydown, most likely thanks to the vanilla and honey notes. The vanilla in particular is soft, subtle and natural-smelling - notable for me, as synthetic vanillin seems to overpower many modern scents, including reformulations. The combination of these elements make for an unusual, intriguing twist in the tail of what could otherwise be a routine, if well-made, chypre. It fades to a musky, woody skin scent with a hint of ambery sweetness.

An elegant, ladylike day scent (a rare thing for such a powerhouse), Ysatis should be an inescapable modern classic. Instead, it is a road less travelled. Made with high-quality ingredients, it is long-lasting with good sillage (as to be expected from an eighties-era scent). Best worn during autumn/winter. Givenchy as a fragrance house is quite underrated, as is Ysatis itself in comparison to its contemporaries. Beautiful. 4/5.

Forgot how wonderful this is. Absolutely timeless, gorgeous, head turning, boss lady, bold and iconic. She is the moment!

Back up bottle worthy. Smells like a woman who comes from old money. Beautiful fragrance and bottle.

Good classic powerhouse. Don’t let the new bottles you see on social media fool you, it’s still in production which is awesome, but this is not a young persons fragrance. It’s not fresh or girly in any way. It’s an old school 80’s powerhouse that even though I see as almost unwearable, I’m still a sucker for those fragrances. This is similar to Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, but even less sweet than that one, more earthy. I find with these 80’s fragrances, you really only get the base notes, I do not detect any Ylang ylang, citrus or coconut etc. This is straight up civet, oakmoss, honey, patchouli, musk, cloves. I do get the carnation, rose and Iris notes. If you have a thing for old school compositions, Try to find a sample of this!

everybody leaving a review here seems very cultured and refined, which maybe should have tipped me off before purchasing this perfume lol. unfortunately, i don't like this perfume very much at all. i don't seem to be able to appreciate it the way some others can. the scent is very woody and definitely pungent--a very bold scent i would say. it does also smell quite spicy and oriental, and reminds me a lot of burning incense.

i picture the woman wearing this scent to certainly be older and more mature, with a very particular and definitive taste. i imagine her having a tight bun, always being put together (in dress and in character), and generally wearing shades of brown. she is as eloquent as her eyes are sharp, and every thing she does is with purpose. i would imagine her as a strict but fair professor perhaps. as somebody just an inch past the legal drinking age, i don't think this scent is for me quite yet.

update: this scent has grown on me! i always felt this pefume smelled somehow familiar but now i can put my finger on it--it smells like the perfume version of my dad's study, chock filled with books with eons of wisdom, and i say that in the best way possible!

In the depths of the quarantine I took the plunge and blind bought this sweet baby at frangrancenet for a discounted price. Once I opened the order I was very pleased by the look and feel of the bottle but the fragrance itself reminded me of some grade school teachers I wasn't very fond of. I gave the almost unused bottle away to a friend and regretted it, almost immediately afterwards. There is an accord or note it shares with a perfume that was also popular in the 80's, White Diamonds, which I outright despise to this day but something about Ysatis redeems it; lacking the sophisticated schnoz and the vocabulary that goes along with it I am at a loss to pinpoint it's attributes but I now miss the bottle and the chance to sniff it at will.

Ysatis has been one of my favorite perfumes since I discovered it. I go through phases where it will be in my collection and then I will wait awhile before ordering another bottle -- always missing it when it is gone.

Catching a whiff of Ysatis is like passing a gorgeous elegant vase filled with a stylized bouquet. There are notes in this collection that are unique, making it more exotic than the typical variety of florals, but it is not moving into the extreme spicy range where a lot of the 1980's heavy hitter perfumes seem to orbit (Coco by Channel, Paloma Picasso, Fendi - or Youth Dew by Estee Lauder which was popular long before the 1980's).

The tuberose and honey notes are more present in Ysatis and tuberose is one of the first notes mentioned in the middle notes. Ysatis's tuberose is more honeyed and tame compared to a lot of extreme tuberose perfumes. The pitch of Ysatis is not quite as bright and high as some other predominantly tuberose perfumes - such as Fracas, or Madonna's Truth or Dare...(these tuberose fragrances almost move from flute to piccolo, because the tuberose notes present rocket into the air giving it a lift and a certain level of crispness).

Ysatis is an obvious floral which is slightly sweeter and more honeyed than Beautiful by Estee Lauder.
Beautiful has some distinct grassy-grainy type notes in it where it smells more like a field of flowers.
The reason that I compare these two is because they come in with the exact range of chord which I really like and prefer in a signature fragrance. Both are chords within the alto range and the two could be worn on different days to create a strong signature, with only slight variations between the two. Ysatis registers a couple of notes higher than Beautiful but is not ascending into the rafter range like some other soprano fragrances.

273 Rodeo Drive by Fred Hayman is in the same chord range but a couple of doses more towards tuberose, making a few notes in the chord go a bit higher octave than Ysatis or Beautiful. However, 273 has peach notes which ground the fragrance, with the tuberose lifting up more into a slight soprano range, but not so apparent that it would pull the full fragrance into a soprano chord.

The most memorable thing about Ysatis are the compliments that I have received while wearing this.
Once the first 30 minutes to an hour have passed, Ysatis moves into a heavenly floral zone. It is close to some of my favorites, but there is a unique signature expression with this that makes it thrilling to have within my collection.

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Comparing Ysatis to Passion by Elizabeth Taylor -

Several reviews compare Ysatis to Elizabeth Taylor's Passion. I didn't at first realize that this was such a close comparison until trying these side by side. Yes, they both resonate in the same type of alto chord...so if you really like one - you should try the other perfume too. Passion leans more towards a spicy deep cinnamon with a leather and a smokey incense quality. There is also the hint of a classic lotion type scent. The impression that I get is as if you walked in while a woman was preparing for a night out on the town, slathering lotion on her arms and legs while wearing a sexy slip before stepping into her formal or cocktail gown and zipping it up. The image that I see is Elizabeth Taylor when she played the part of Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Elizabeth Taylor's Passion seems slightly more naughty, there is something about it that has a sultry sexiness... so it really does represent Elizabeth Taylor extremely well, particularly in the role as Maggie.

Ysatis is a little lighter and fresher (however, it still stays in the ranks of the 1980's depth). Ysatis is not a push over, it still has enough depth to have power, but has a softer floral scent that you notice first. Ysatis moves more into the "blonde" range - more like a Veronica Lake type pinup girl/actress motif. Ysatis begins to soften first while Passion comes across much stronger in the first 30 minutes of wear.

Upon first spray, they both wear astonishingly similar. I'll have to see how this wears through the first hour and dry down to really know for sure.

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Update:

I think this would wear better perhaps without the civet notes.
If they were going to modernize and update this fragrance, I would leave out the civet notes altogether. (I don't like the idea that an animal has suffered in any way for a perfume/fragrance).

[Someone contacted me in a personal note and said that the civet in this is NOT from an animal; which makes me feel much better about it.]

This perfume is really gorgeous. Yeah - the first hour is sometimes a bit tedious, but the dry down to this perfume is really worth the wait. It has a special air about it that goes really well with the holidays and Christmas! This is a great one!

This review is for the pre-reformulation vintage version from the late 1980’s with the gold-coloured ‘skyscraper’ lid.
Big, bold and unabashedly beautiful Ysatis de Givenchy! Classic, sassy and potent 80’s heavy-hitter.

I first discovered this beauty in 1988 when I was just 20. It was my favourite for nights out, dressed up to the nines in my royal blue taffeta dress, bold red lips and matching nails, and glittering diamantés, teetering on stilettos, with my long wavy hair cascading out behind me...It gave me such an air of glamorous confidence as I strutted into the posh and stately nightclub that I used to frequent all those years ago, enveloped in my lovely spicy & woody floral, honeyed tuberose cloud.
Sweet and creamy dry-down. Incredibly long-lasting with enough impressive sillage to fill a room.

I recently purchased another vintage version with the gold-coloured lid in its original box and it is just as stunning and memorable as I recall.

Whoa I feel like I trip back into my teenage (70's) years this has a total vintage scent that is heady and super strong in scent with only one spray. Please heed me on this please one spray at a time or it will over power you which it has me making me not like perfume at all.

The cloves, the ylang-ylang the Glabanum are just too much, too powerful, to be pretty, Just way to many notes trying to work together in so much that crash into each other. If you like a strong smelling perfume then this it is but sadly the first Givenchy I don't like. Not sure how long it last for I'am going to scrub it off.

I just got a bottle with the skyscraper looking plastic cap. What do I have here??? Please help, thanks!

The scent bubble this gives off is amazing i get lots of sweet dense ylang and some spice from the carnation and cloves also obviously aldehydes which typically can come across screechy to me this is not that the aldehydes are just bright and shiny, the heart and base are complex and satisfying SO SO glad I got this. It's comforting and nostalgic.

I find it very odd that Fragrantica are concealing negative reviews of this perfume. This is a ''hate'' for me, thick, overbearing Ylang Ylang and very much of that 1980s OTT era of unsophisticated perfumes.

Oh my goodness, this is absolutely sickening to my nose, I strongly dislike this perfume and would rather go without. It is an overpowering combination of Ylang Ylang and Jasmine, two notes I am never particularly keen on. It is nauseatingly thick, sweet, indiscrete and cloying and I had to wash this off my skin. It conjures up images of harsh, unsmiling elderly ladies in bright red bleeding lipstick, high heels, pearl tights and fur coats. A very artificial, heavy scent that is deeply unpleasant on my skin chemistry, appearing dated and trying way too hard. Though it seems a much older fragrance, I agree with another reviewer that this would not be out of place on a 1980s Dynasty set. There really is nothing I like about this, including even the colour of the scent and the bottle. I suspect I just don't share the same taste as the ''nose'' behind this who also created another of my most disliked perfume experiences, Carnal Flower. I think this is for those who love ''perfumy perfumes'' that are floral heavy and have a lot of sillage.

I scored a full mini bottle of this, another full mini of Givenchy Organza (both labelled "Parfum") and an almost full 50ml bottle of Miracle Forever edp by Lancôme, all in a little plastic Ziploc baggie marked for $5.00 at a value village (second hand store). For what they are all worth, I felt like I was robbing the place. I rushed out to the van before anyone could change their minds there, to check Fragrantica's notes and reviews and find that my guesses for their value were greatly underestimated.

I had won the perfume lottery.

This, being a Parfum, and not an edt nor edp, is so so rich and pure, I can not explain how powerful it is, but reading the reviews here of the original, I can only imagine it's a deeper, richer and more pure version of those. A better nose than mine would have a hay day with this.
I wish you all could smell it. If you love this perfume in any form, try and get your hands on the Parfum mini. It will be too much for many, but absolute perfection for others.

I chose to wear Miracle Forever last night to bring in the New Year at our fire, everyone commented how nice I smelled, and I told the story of how it came into my life. I rarely spray it as it is discontinued and way overpriced online to replace and now with only a 1/4 left in the bottle, it is rationed, only being sprayed a couple of times a year. This morning, I chose Ysatis Parfum as my 2nd... Tonight or tomorrow I'll wear the Organza. It's my way of thanking the Universe for these gems, and encourage the universe to draw more like this to me. That was a really special day for myself and my sister as we (in our 30s) got to finally meet an uncle that was being kept from us our whole lives, and my other uncle who we hadn't seen since we were kids actually paid for my purchase that day. He chose to end his life 2 years ago.. I remember his face in the van when I told him what that baggie was worth. His mind was blown, he was speechless and had to see the screen to believe it. The look on his face was priceless. You likely don't want to hear all this, but I'm wearing these into the New Year to honour my Uncles and encourage abundance from the Universe.

Here's to the end of 2020.. and a welcomed greeting to 2021. 🥂

PS don't wear this in the dead beat of summer.. you could be charged with harrassment lol this feels like a deadly weapon, in the most beautiful of ways. This is NOT office safe. Cheers!

Oh! And PPS I'd love to smell this on a man!! So, men... Find this and test it! Then come over here and walk by me... ;)

Day 2 Edit: Im wearing this again and like it even more after wearing Gucci Flora today. There’s a grit to this, I like. It may be the oak moss, patchouli or the galbanum but it really balances nicely. Day 1: I have a small sample of this and I’ve never had the original. This is a quite beautiful and intense perfume. I’m not sure it’s one I’ll have to have but it’s definitely an elegant, very feminine tuberose perfume. I didn’t smell much of a dry down but that opening is wild, big and floral with no apologies, which I really like.

This one smells almost identical to Jil Sander No. 4 on me, but is weaker than that one. I like them, they both have a very 90's vibe to them, quite an old fashioned scent. They remind me of my mother when I was a kid. The bottle of Ysatis is very beautiful though.

I own the vintage from 1998. A white and yellow flowers bouquet with a lot of incense and some aldehydes. I am over the moon happy to have bought it. It smells very strong, very luxurious and very dramatic. A true deep floral dark gem... it never fails to make me feel powerful!
EDIT: I have the reformulated Ysatis now too :) it is less incense based, less dramatic and less dark. Easier to wear, more approachable, the flowers take the centre stage. I would say the vintage is colours black, dark brown and yellow; the new one is dark brown, yellow and orange. It shares similarities, definitely, shares the same idea but are two different expressions. Both are gorgeous and both are worth owning.

mshilov, I would LOVE to smell Ysatis on a man! I suspect that it might smell a bit like the classic Lagerfeld, which the bassist in my band wore back in the 1980s.

This is a reinterpretation of III, from my point of view failed. It's a harder, sweeter and more "sensual" scent. But not sensual in the sense of a strong woman who defies sobriety, elegance and power, no more like I'll show you everything, look at me I m a diva, what recommend me, the men beds.....The good part is that they have reintroduced Givenchy III in their exclusive collection.

I bought my first bottle of this when I was 19, and still living in a dorm. This was the original version, not the reformulation, which I have not smelled. This perfume is not for the meek or the weak of heart.

I ADORED this fragrance, and for a couple of years, it was my go-to, whenever I went on dates, (or on the prowl). I went through about a bottle and half before I moved on to something lighter.

This scent made me feel powerful, beautiful, and unstoppable.

When I wore it, the main notes I picked up were the ylang-ylang and the aldehydes, with a heavy dose of rum, honey, rose, and orange blossom, and lesser notes of carnation and iris.

If I were to find a vintage bottle of this magic juice, I would certainly revisit it, if only for the nostalgia.

I had this perfume in the 80's.
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the old one and the reformulated one?
I've tried a couple of the reformulated perfumes like Cinnabar and Opium and I realy dislike the scent. These perfumes are completely different from the original ones.

I have just a little left of the bottle of bath gel, that I got as a christmas gift from my beloved mother in law, I think more than 15 years ago. I fell immediately so much in love with that smell. A friend of my husband, who was celebrating christmas with us, also took a sniff at the bottle - his eyes went round and his eyebrows went up - ”oh THAT is good!!” he said, and sniffed some more!
At that time, most of our money had to go to the children’s needs, so I did not even think of buying the very fragrance for myself. But I have always cherished that bottle of bathgel - though since I have so little left, it is a long time since I used it. I just take the cap off sometimes, and sniff it, and sniff it... but at some point (really soon, preferably) I will just have to buy it. There was a time when I actually went into a perfume shop to ask about it, but the lady told me it was discontinued, and she was just as sad about that as I was.
But after a while, another perfume saleswoman told me it was back!
I don’t know if it will still be the same, but since I have never known anything else than the bath gel, maybe it will be good enough for me - hope I will recognise it!!
I will come back with another review, when I have got it...

What a lovely surprise! In addition to having mixed feelings about Ropion's work (I adore Dune and Carnal Flower but a lot of his work for A Lab on Fire isn't my favorite), I was worried that Ysatis would be redundant in my collection, which already features a fair amount of aldehydes, ylang, civet, and honey.

I didn't worry long! So many of Ropion's fragrances are overwhelmingly sweet and floral, and in that regard, this is one of the least Ropionesque. It is also considerably more subdued when it comes to the aldehydes and civet, so it doesn't resemble a lot of its deliciously dark chypre cousins.

Ysatis is a gentle ylang-jasmine-honey breeze on a sea of fizzy aldehydes with shimmering notes of rose, iris, carnation, orange blossom, and citrus cresting the waves and some deep-seated oakmoss, galbanum, woody notes, and patchouli dancing along the ocean floor. Pardon the maritime metaphor; this is not at all marine or aquatic. However, there is something so warm and sensual about it that it does remind me of sultry summer evenings, the promise of a caress floating in the air. Definitely one of the most delicate treatments of honey I know of—this never veers into overwhelming sweetness of some of his other creations (I'm looking at you, And the World is Yours).

The performance is excellent, though in the drydown, it does become much woodier and almost soapy, with the rose and iris becoming more prominent. Not bad by any means, just lacking the shimmer and glimmer of the opening and middle. This may smell dated to some, but I think it's timeless and gorgeous. Very unisex, and equally formal and casual. Works in everything but high heat, day and night. The bottle is quite unique too!

I have a full 100 ml bottle to swap or sell, not my type really, UK only please, new version but I wouldn't know the difference since I never had the vintage version, blind bought based on reviews just does not agree with my skin.

Hello from Deco Dawn. Its September 2020 & the nights are drawing in & Autumn is on it's way. The Gold Top Art Deco Glass Vintage Bottle in the Black box is the true fragrance & the only one to have of YSATIS in your collection. It is Magical,refined, sophisticated & completely unique in comparison to today's version. I was very fortunate to purchase a vintage almost full large bottle on a charity sale on ebay. This is an updated review from the new version I purchased in 2017. Good luck with hunting down a vintage bottle it is so worthwhile.

I didn't wear this in the 80s but an acquaintance of mine did. She was older and more sophisticated than me, and I envied her poise. This was a bit silly because I was wearing Chanel No 19, Magie Noir and White Linen in those years. Still, Ysatis seemed to have something else again.

I always smile to myself at the custard-y note of ylang in Ysatis. Ysatis makes other 80s scents of that era, like Poison, Opium, Giorgio and Coco look like try-hards. There is a wink of humour in Ysatis. This girl can laugh at herself. When I'm in the mood for an 80s bombshell, this is the one I reach for.

This feels so old school to me. It is elegant and mature. It's a dress up, night out somewhere upscale kind of fragrance. But then, there is also this feeling when you close your eyes of being in a metaphysical shop with the incense and calmness surrounding you. This is a unique fragrance.

Just received a 1998 EDT spray, which was from a private collection, stored safely in it's box.

I've read that Ysatis is considered an "oriental chypre", and if so, it has to be one of the most versatile chypres ever made. I can see how this could be widely appealing to many different tastes. It's rich, creamy, well-blended, and smooth, with just a touch of animalic spicyness to give it roundness and depth. Aside from the early animalic notes (which might throw some) it's really just a stunner. Very womanly, grown-up, and sophisticated. Not for the shy or those wanting to remain unnoticed I think. This fragrance makes a statement.

This opens BIG, with a powerful blast of well-blended florals, and not the overwhelming aldehyde mess I would have expected based on the notes. For the first twenty or so minutes, the animal notes are very discernible, bordering on prominent, and almost compete with the opening notes under close scrutiny. A more naive nose might be truly offended and wonder if their bottle had gone off, but I find it edgy and interesting - a little naughty to temper the nice.

By thirty minutes in, the animalic note settles at bit, if very slowly, leaving a creamy floral that projects well. Then I'm getting honey, jasmine, ylang, and spicy carnation, which could be clove as well. At an hour in, some of the stronger openers smooth out a bit and I get some sandalwood and musk.

It's definitely a smooth, rich floral, without those over-the-top aldehydes that so many of the heavy hitters have. I'm not smelling coconut very distinctly, but again, this is so well-blended I don't smell many of the notes individually.

I was expecting more from the dry-down. Not getting any vetiver or oakmoss, but perhaps they're just more subtly done here.

I will say that the animalic notes are stubbornly enduring, and I can see how this could be quite sexy as it becomes something that stays very close to the skin.

This is a lovely, lovely frag, but after four hours it was very close, almost a skin scent, and I realized I had the urge to reapply. Not the longevity monster I might have expected with the heavy base it has. I will wear it again over the next few days and reevaluate. Perhaps for me it will need a bit heavier hand with application, but if it doesn't last better, it won't be something I wear for an occasion when I don't have the chance to reapply.

And perhaps it's simply so strong that I no longer smell it, but my sense is that my skin simply devours fragrances.

I can see why so many think this is smooth and comforting while still feeling sophisticated and elegant. Hope I can figure out an application method that increases longevity for me.

This is a very well-blended and sweet masterpiece, with incredible depth and roundness for an EDT. My experience is typically one of disappointment in the EDTs of the richer fragrances. I can only imagine what a powerhouse the EDP would be, but at this point I don't know if it's worth the considerable price for the tiny bottles available now.

Feeling - calm, grounded, confidently pulled-together

Texture - dewy, moist, creamy; heavy flower petals

Color - Milky off-white edged in pale yellow

Ysatis goes on with a sharp sweet note dominating the rest of the perfume. To me I believe this is a combination of ylang-ylang & Honey (creating a sort of honeysuckle-ish scent) and Carnation.

I'm not a big fan of the scent of carnations,vanilla, or aldehydes so unfortunately for me, this is not a scent that I particularly enjoy. Before the scent even settles in I get a headache.

I have scent sensitivity which could be completely distorting the scent to me. With that in mind, this gives me a headache and a pretty moderate dose of sinus issues such as watery eyes and a tickley (not in a good way), runny nose.

However! This is a very elegant floral scent, feminine, and doesn't smell cheap or low quality. I just personally have way too many issues with the notes and my sensitivity to be able to wear it personally. I think this could be a real hit for those who love well-blended floral perfumes OR for those who like the scent of carnation.It also has a light syrupy aspect of it that I believe is a result of the Honey + Vanilla, not that any of these notes predominate once the scent settles.

Edit to add: On the dry-down, by the way, my son calls this a "walmart" perfume. I've never understood it until I asked him about it today. He doesn't mean cheap. He meant it like, it smells like Wal*mart. And, it's scarily true. I just smelled my writs and now I can't unsmell Wal*mart on my writs. I'd imagine every Walmart, depending on the location, will smell different, but it was way too striking not to come back and say in a review.

Oh, now this is beautiful. A stunning honeyed chypre fragrance that I see small similarities to Poison in. This makes me love it even more. The honey, oakmoss and tuberose sing and it feels perfect for all weather. I see mentions of this being only for women over 35, but as a male under 30 I see this working for me spectacularly. However, as I'm not overly elegant or sophisticated, I don't really pay attention to occasions or outfits I wear this with. It's all just what smells good and what doesn't and, honey, this smells good.

This is very elegant and for evenings when you wear silk dresses or blouses and you meet extravagant sophisticated people. A perfume for over 38 years olds as it is very very sophisticated and elegant, not for the naive youngsters, this is mature elegance and sophistication.

This was one of my step mother’s perfumes back in the 80’s when I was a teenager and didn’t wear perfumes.. Been reading many reviews today. As I budding perfumista I had to score so I ordered two 1/4 oz bottles of vintage parfum juice for only 25 (+4 or 5 shipping). So I remember so clearly the bottle and the box, but not yet the smell. But I love chypres, love Chanel #5 which was my signature for many years but now? It’s a time of crazed learning which is a lot of fun. Will update when my package arrives and I wear it. So excited!
I got it today! I love how strong it is- so sick of weak fragrances. I’m not sure the scent is really for me though, and now I remember it lol..

Ysatis
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Tester card, there is a brightness to this on tester card, but you will smell like the 80’s/90’s.
Do try if you’re in yuor 20’s there’s enough of a gap so there’s no mum or gran references. I think this generational, I can appreciate this scent and others like it (the many notes, and often superior longevity and complexity).
But, from reading reviews I would blind buy thinking I was getting one thing, but I would actually get a not so nice surprise.

On skin, talc, floral?, slight bitter, cool.
Aldehydes are hiding within the talc/powder, and florals. The florals are not green/powdery/fresh they are dried like the potpourri sort, not Spicy though.
It’s a substantial scent, imagine all those notes pictured but they are covered in a layer...I don’t know what it is, but I will say the wood accord, white floral accord, honey accord are not the same as what you might smell in testing frags today. Ysatis accords are not realistic per se.
I guess the picture of the civet animal is a bit of a giveaway, but so long as you know what you’re in for :-)

I remember reading one review where they said that the chypres are a mysterious bunch, I quite agree. They exude a sense of studied detachment.

Ysatis is one with an oriental backbone but with a heft of that dusty and mossy backdrop. It's quite boozy, dry with lingering notes of honey and civet and with a good dose of vanilla. It's an 80's babe with lots of restrained temperament.

What really is beautiful about this is that even the reformulation smells powerful. The vintage has more of that seamless and somewhat gourmand accord beneath the rum and mold. The modern one, however, has lost that delicious dessert-like accord which appears mid-phase but drydown-wise, they're the same.

Only the French can exaggerate femininity and make it look this good. Only the French can combine several fragrance categories in one composition making it a whole and never a disparate. Only the French could design Ysatis: a lovely, intriguing, audacious, and almost abstract symphony of aldehydes, blossoms, greens, and sultry amber. Coco Chanel, you didn't expect a Floral-aldehyde like this one coming, didn't ya? Neither did the rest of the women in 1984... Thank you Monsieur Ropion for this unexpected, voluptuous miracle.

My mom wore this when I was a kid. Reminds me of when she would leave the house for a date night with my dad during the winter.

i like it combinate with versace crystal noir :D

This is a Top 5 for me. Back in the 80's I worked in a clothing store and my boss opened up a world of perfumes that I had not known before. That and classic movies. She must have worn this one day and I fell in love with it instantly! Off to the department store I went. I froze when the sales clerk asked me for the name of this and I said Ystatis-pronouncing the Y 'why' instead of the long e, then added the T. I was a farm girl and very sheltered but I was so glad to get this. I remember that when I chewed spearmint gum after applying this the scents combined in a swirl around me and it was heaven! It's a rich juice that reminded me of pineapple juice and diamonds. The aldehydes in this are perfectly done creating a halo effect. I have a vintage in my Ebay cart and can't wait to revisit my old friend.

A fragrance for formal evenings. 100% feminine, nothing fruity or unisex about it. I still have a small amount of pure perfume from the 1990s. I can't attest to any more modern formulations, as I'm afraid to even try. But, the original, at least, will always be among my most beloved and luxurious scents.

WOW! This one has some awesome longevity, that's for certain. I can't say that I love it because it's got a lot of civet and aldehydes at the start, though they do settle down after the first 1-2 hours. This is a very complex blend of notes, many of which I love, but the aldehyde stays a bit too prominent for me. Now, that said, the far dry down is much better on me, but it took about 6 hours to get there! I did wake up this morning and it smelled very pretty. So, my plan is to keep wearing it to see if it grows on me. And I think I can safely say that, after trials of several aldehyde based perfumes, I will approach them with great caution. BTW, I am not a fan of Elizabeth Taylors White Diamonds, either. I can definitely see why many people adore this one, though.

I've already reviewed this, but since I am wearing it right now, a few thoughts have sprung to mind. I wore and loved both Ysatis and Amarige back in the day. Ysatis was somewhat of a signature scent for me, until Amarige came along and Ysatis had to share the spotlight. Of course there were others I wore. I usually could only afford the smallest 1 oz bottles so I went through a bottle quickly and would purchase something I wanted to try before returning to my two beloved Givenchy stars. I knew what I loved, though I did not have the language to describe them in terms of what notes I was smelling, in any perfume, beyond such common notes as rose or citrus. So when I loved a perfume, it wasn't because I loved jasmine, or sandalwood, or civet. I loved the composition as a whole, an object in it's own right, not a series of notes with a beginning, a middle, and a dry down. To me, they brought to mind specific images of who I was or how I wanted to be perceived.
A lot of words to start explaining to you about what Ysatis was, why I loved it, and what it meant to me. It smelled intoxicating and sexy, but mostly it smelled exotic to me, conjuring up images of ancient civilizations. Byzantine specifically, prior to experiencing Byzance which was another great love. I pictured old churches, candles, and icons - things that were sacred but mysterious. There is nothing of smoke or incense listed as a note and I now realize it's not there, but it was part of the experience for me, part of a persona I wanted to share with the world!

Thank you for indulging me in my reverie! Happy to say that while wearing my vintage Ysatis this evening, the same image came flooding back, and I truly enjoyed the ride!

Oh my gosh..I am reviewing a vintage bottle.

Imagine a train whistle sound.....red lights flashing, my brain lighting up....

I have ylang ylang oils that I use very sparingly...but somehow Ysatis has incorporated all its complex scents into something that smells like forest to me, maybe a train roaring through a forest with an open car.....I would probably wear this scent outdoors or for myself.

My mother hated it. I love it.

Soapy, sharp and spicy. A classic and common smell from my early childhood in the late 80s when every perfume smelled the same (heavy Soap). A pure nostalgia trip to smell but not for me to wear.

Passion, White Diamonds, & Privilege equals Ysatis. Just gorgeous.my bottle is from the 90s

I love Ysatis both because of the scent and the packaging. Mine, bought on ebay is an old version in a black box with a 'skyscraper' golden cap, a lovely piece of architecture or massive jewelry in the style of 80's. I wear Ysatis myself, daytime as well. On my skin it's much less flowery and more animalistic, soft but very long lasting. It has a beautiful sillage which I feel and enjoy every moment. Ysatis is playful, exotic, rich and ever changing. Despite the description above Ysatis is perfectly unisex. It fits a person not because of its gender but because of personality. It's a second skin fragrance with a character. Go for a vintage version if you want to meet an undiluted, shining and gorgeous Ysatis.

Aldehydes, sunshine and heady ylang ylang. Such an overlooked gem, I find it hard to believe it's so reasonable to pick up. As they say, an oldie, but a goodie.

Bokonon12 I agree with you completely and I share YOUR truth. It is MINE as well... Got this jewel for my 27th birthday back in 1996 and everything you said is true. Beautiful, never forgotten, always making a statement without a word. One of those never to be discontinued, hopefully!

I have now a 90s bottle sand it has way more civete than the current one I had when a teenager a couple of years ago. Shoulder pads and rock in roll, lets rule the city with this amazing fragrance!

There are plenty of vintages available for purchase so fortunately buyers aren't stuck having only a single option. I now have two bottles. I was given a bottle by a friend's mother which smells wonderful, and was even able to discriminate the civet note the more I wore it. Strange, but the civet in this scent didn't bother me as it does in other fragrances. I purchased a newer edition, though not the new reformulation, which also smells great. Best yet, the one I purchased was still relatively cheap in relation to many scents being sold today - especially when one considers the quality of the ingredients used to make it.

If you don't like the scent return it. Manufacturers might get the message, though in fairness to them I don't think the downgrading of perfumes is entirely their fault. Manufactures have to work within the confines of the law and in Europe regulations have gutted the perfume industry and left them few options but to use the only ingredients that are available to them. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

To Stephdray :

White Diamonds smells a thousand times better than Ysatis now , or hundreds of other perfumes with fancy labels and shoddy fragrance with no soul. You are correct !

I deleted my review of Ysatis , a long time favorite . I had to delete it because there is really no Ysatis to purchase these days, just a CHEAP and vulgar imitation of a timeless classic . The vulgar imitation is in the same old bottle and the label is the same. But no perfume really is present inside the bottle.

How long must perfume lovers endure having their favorite perfumes turned into garbage?
And the perfumers have the audacity to call it the same name and hike the price up instead of down.


Call me negative if you want . I am not here to be a cheerleader for sorry products . There seem to be fewer and fewer perfumes worth purchasing now. It is almost a miracle to find a perfume that lasts longer than two hours; even those who sell perfumes think the majority of the products on the counters are sorry performers .

Ysatis was a GLORIOUS creation ! I would not pay $3 for the latest bottle being sold now.

I will commit Ysatis to the graveyard of masterpieces that have been destroyed :

Chanel Coco
Chanel Allure
Chanel #5
EL. Beautiful
EL Cinnabar
EL Youth Dew
El Intuition
EL Aliage
Givenchy Organza Indecence
EL Spellbound
Paloma Picasso ... and a hundred others ....
Every day it gets worse and the people who are supposed to be making perfume are making mostly cheap, boring, sugary, honeyed, fruity JOKES that do not last as long as the Calgon Body Sprays at the grocery store . NO KIDDING!!

Do these fools think we can’t tell the difference between a masterpiece or a piece of CR@P ? How insulting to consumers .

I can’t say what Ysatis was in its heyday. It sounds as if it was beautiful. This is a review of the modern formulation as of 2019. And I can say exactly what this is. It’s a less opulent version of the drugstore classic White Diamonds. I did a side by side comparison. Save yourself the money and buy the latter which is the same scent but richer and with more nuance. Sorry I couldn’t have known Ysatis in her glory.

The vintage version from the 90s is what I'm reviewimg, this version smells just like passion without that leathery note. This is beautiful. The current smells more like White Diamonds which I don't like. Hunt down vintage there are great buys on Ebay. Longevity is until its washed so very long lasting and great sillage. 10 out of 10!!

Having just acquired a vintage FB circa 1980s and wearing it for the first time today, I thought of this analogy to describe the difference between the vintage versus the new formulation. It's the difference between an original document and a Xerox copy. The copy resembles the original in every way, except shade and nuance is lost; it's not as clear! So while the copy may suffice and get the job done, it is only an imitation of the original.
I have sprayed them side by side, and the vintage is still going strong with such a gorgeous dry down. The reformulation has dried down to virtually nothing.

I have the fondest recollection of this dating back to the early 90's. My husband and I splurged and plunked down what was for us an enormous sum of money for a suite at the Carlyle in Manhatten. Bobby Short was playing in the bar; Bill Clinton was staying there at the time...to add to this wonderful time was a bottle of the beautiful pre-reformulated Ysatis, gifted to me by the hotel for my bath. I haven't worn it or even smelled it in the physical sense for years, but this beautiful scent will forever be with me.

Strong 80s blast. Smells like chanel n5, hermes foubourg, orignal boucheron, oscar de la renta original, dolce gabbana red and so many more from that era. You have to put this on an hour before you leave the house so it settles in. It's heavy and strong at the beginning.

There are few fragrances that I love more than Ysatis: it's a classic long-lasting, elegant, almost smoky, beauty. I remember when it first came out really liking the name, and all the associated ads in the magazines back then. I realized through reading reviews here that it's been reformulated, that makes sense based on the new bottle. What I currently have is pre-ref probably late 90s, and when I want to feel fancy, I put this on. There are so many interesting things going on in Ysatis: animalic, rum, spicy clove and carnation, so much to love in one fragrance. I feel like hugging when I wear it.

I used this when it first came out it was amazing. I was living in Cairo and I would get compliments all the time. I wanted to try it again but I read one reviewer mention that it has been reformulated as many of the wonderful 80's fragrances have been. Such a pity. If you find the original grab it! It's a beautiful exotic Ylang-ylang, floral incense sexy sultry ......

I adore this perfume. I first smelled it back in the late 80's before it was reformulated, and it was love at first sniff. I left with a small bottle of the pure parfum; not even thinking to wonder how such an adult scent would be perceived on my youthful self. Happily for me, I did not care! I was just utterly in love with this perfume and wore it every day. It was, and remains, my signature scent. The reformulated version is missing the warm rich heart of Vintage (oh I feel so old now) Ysatis, but it is like a beautiful *copy* of the original and, therefore, still very wearable today.

I recently received a vintage splash bottle from a friend's mother who was downsizing her house in preparation to move to a small apartment after her husband passed away. I, and her daughter (my friend), were cleaning out her bedroom closet and it was on a top shelf still in the box. She said to us, "If one of you girls wants that you can have it. I smelled it and didn't particularly care for it." My friend said she didn't want it as she's not a perfume girl, so she told me to take it. It looked like it had never been used and there was no evaporation.

When I got home I put some on and didn't smell anything but tuberose. Not a heavy tuberose, like White Shoulders smells to me, but tuberose nonetheless. It smells nice, but that's all I smelled. I'm not getting any aldehydes, spices (it's not listed in the notes anyway but some people here claim they can smell it), honey, citrus, or anything else people say they can smell, and I am soooo disappointed in that lack. I definitely do not smell any oakmoss or wood either. Maybe this bottle went bad, though it doesn't smell bad. It smells like a sweet, soft, tuberose to me.

After taking a shower last night I decided to give it another try and then forgot about it as I went about doing some tasks. When I slowed down I suddenly smelled this really beautiful scent and thought, wow, something smells really nice, only to realize it was me. It smelled like a pretty, soft, deep, high quality white floral fragrance with honey overtones. I don't find it loud at all. I find it very refined and elegant and appropriate for any time of the day, and any situation. I wouldn't equate this scent with any time period or era, big, small, or otherwise. It's a beautiful scent and one that has me appreciating heavy white flowers like tuberose a little bit more because the tuberose here isn't suffocating.

Since smelling this now I want to seek out another bottle to see if it smells the same to me or if all the notes in this bottle have dissipated over time. If that's the case I'll update this review.

This is a very beautiful chypre floral that stands out from the crowd. To me, it does not smell dated but remains timeless. This was my signature scent for many years, until recently. I had no issue wearing this for day or evening, in warm weather or cool. I never came across anyone else wearing this, which made it even more special to me.

Since getting divorced and starting a new career, I felt like I needed to change my perfume too. Sometimes you need to leave things in the past, even if you cherish them... like memories. But I will hang on to my last half-empty bottle.

I got this as a blind buy, as part of an "80s perfume search".
It's vintage (1997, old enough I guess) and I absolutely love it.
I literally have no words to describe it. It's 80s retro but in the best way, because I sense that complexity and quality, but it's not loud or agressive, and certainly not old-ladyish. It's heavy on ylang ylang, which is my favorite note.
I wear it in every season (even 40º C heat) and occasion (for work or for a party), and it's always perfect and it always makes me happy.
The only thing I don't like is that it's in a splash bottle, so I can't control very well the amount I put on, I think maybe I apply too little, in fear of spilling it.
An absolute masterpiece!

I remember of YSATIS, back in the 80 's. I smelled it for the first time in 86, on a classmate who used to wear it and even carried a big bottle of it in her backpack for school. OMG, when she re-applied it at school, such a bomb scent! I was only 15 at the time and only wore CACHAREL Anais Anais, more teenage appropriate. I remember how amazing my friend Natalia smelled, very strong, sexy, hypnotic and mysterious. The sillage she left was just stunning! Back then I was just an immature girl to even think about pulling out such a grown-up scent... Years later, maybe when I got 20, my boyfriend offered me a 50ml bottle of YSATIS ( the one with the gold cap )and I loved it !!! It was amazing and I already felt confident enough to rock it! :) It was LOUD like the '80s! Big shoulder pads, puffed hair, high waisted jeans, masculine oversized blazers, big earrings... YSATIS has that vibe :)
I started at that time being crazy about perfumes until today... I can say that I am quite obsessed collecting them!
I still wear it today, on very few occasions. I still have a small vintage bottle and recently repurchased a new re-formulation bottle to compare with the vintage one. The new YSATIS is more wearable, less intense, less animalic and intense. I guess they cut down on civet notes...
A classic chypre floral perfume, very well blended, worth to have in any perfume collection!
Well done Mr Ropion! Love your creations :)

this is a big 80's smell, everything was big and over the to in that decade. big hair, shoulder ppads, rock ballads, everything...this aroma is wonderful in my opinion, edgy and sophicated

While most definitely a pale shadow of it's former glory, I think this may be a somewhat satisfactory replacement. I received it yesterday and it was very cold out, so the bottle was cold as well. Still, I eagerly applied her, and was bowled over thinking how low the once mighty had fallen. It was a shallow,sharp and pungent mess! I knew I would need to let her settle a while before I tried again. I tried it this morning and there is already and improvement so I have reason to believe she will be wearable given a bit more time. However, I have little hope that time is going to restore the depth and richness this scent once possessed back in the very late 80s, when my younger self was first captivated by it's exotic charm. Reformulations just suck! I may seek out some vintage juice, but at least this will work until then. Verdict - vintage is an extreme love, reformulation is a moving towards a solid like.

Ysatis de Givenchy - even the name of this lovely fragrance is beautiful. Ysatis is a masterpiece of classic French perfume making. I love everything about it: the powerful opening notes of yellow flowers, the lasting power and sillage, the elegant flacon and stylish box. Givenchy did real good with this one.

Ysatis is what great perfume used to be in the 80's and 90's. Bold and intense, opulent and luxurious, Y never goes unnoticed. It's the darker counterpoint of Eau de Givenchy, the epitome of early spring flowers. But where EdG is piercing and even a little sharp, Ysatis is honey smooth and velvety. Unapologetically powerful but never vulgar, this fragrance is one of a kind and has no equal.

A little Ysatis is good, a lot is even better. Yes, it's an intense fragrance, esp. for those who prefer modern fruitchoulis and candy sweet scents. It may be a little too strong and not sufficiently fresh enough for younger consumers. There's no hint of unisex about it, this scent is absolutely and definitely feminine. Ysatis is of a different age and time, and yet it isn't dated.

Some reviewers have stated that the reformulation is a poor shadow of the original. There's also a flanker available. Well, I will stick with the vintage original. Frankly, it seems impossible to improve on the beauty of Ysatis.

A classic, I have owned 4 bottle of this so far and I am only 20. It reminds me of my all time favourite Coco by Chanel, a very sophisticated and timeless scent. It makes me feel very sexy when I wear it, and I always receive compliments from both men & women. It is perfect during the day or at night, it is a very oriental feminine scent. The lotion version is also beautiful.

Trying this for the first time made me feel like Cleopatra of Suburbia! Ysatis is a gorgeous, musky, spiced floral with a wisp of luscious coconut - the perfect perfume escape for whoever is lucky enough to be wearing it, or to be in its presence.

I loved this scent the moment I sniffed it on paper when it was first introduced. The tuberose-like note that roped me in; creamy and a little earthy. I am a sucker for tuberose!

I love the mix of white flowers and spices in this one, and the musky dry-down is a pleasant surprise. A little loud, yes, but if you apply a light touch when you spray it or just use the lotion, it calms down quite a bit.

Ysatis is especially effective in the winter, because of its boldness. When you walk into a fire-lit room wearing Ysatis and a winter gown, you'll certainly stand out in white flowers when everybody else is wearing deep, spicy chypre scents.

I splurged and bought Ysatis when it first came out, even though I was on a very limited income at the time. But at times when I was especially short on disposable income, I would buy Quintessence Dare as a cheapo substitute or for Ysatis. My now-husband couldn't tell the difference between the two and liked them both. Sometimes I layered one on top of the other. On my skin, Dare has almost the same top and middle notes as Ysatis. The only thing missing in Dare is the deeper, musky dry-down of Ysatis. I'm surprised that nobody else has mentioned the similarity between the two fragrances, unless I've missed a post that notes it.

Ylang jasmines, and honey aldehydes.

Overdose of ylang with honey, civet, and jasmines. The aldehydes adds that vintage effect upon the whole blend. The orange blossoms, the narcissus, rosewood, roses, and the oakmoss appears right after few minutes in.

It settles on a very sharp ylang, narcissus, animalic roses blend which is the major powerhouse 80's stamp blend. Very interesting.

About a year ago I used up the last droplet of the vintage version of Ysatis. Yesterday I was buying some toiletries in Boots, and Ysatis was displayed on the fragrance counter and offered for only 28 quid. I wasn't familiar with the reformulated scent, so I decided to test it and perhaps even invest in it. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. To my nose, this 21st century version of Ysatis is all about very sharp aldehydes and the synthetic civet note, which dominate for at least an hour, before other notes kick in. Somehow this version is even louder than the original, but it lacks its complexity and layeredness - it's like all elements in the mix are now 'lite', or 'skimmed'.

In the top it is a headache punch of ylang and tuberose; then the aldehydes emerge in a big way with the civet (mainly in the vintage parfum) and musk in the vintage EDT. The iris gives it some powdery in the base. Lovely and perfect floral aldehyde.

Ysatis doesn’t shout but talks in a commanding yet soothing voice. The ylang-honey-aldehydes-civet blend for the first hour or so of wear is insanely beautiful. Bold but still understated. For a woman that is supremely confident and at ease when she is noticed, but doesn’t crave attention. The dry down is softer and creamier - tuberose, coconut, soothing amber.

I have the old version of this with the gold lid. It is absolutely worth searching out (not too hard on eBay). Class in a bottle. I never want to be without Ysatis!

My latest blindbought and I definitely don´t regret buying this. It is beautiful really classy and elegant. I can smell flowers and even a bit of coconut and spices. I don´t think this is too loud, not on me. I have no problem to wear it to office. I am really happy to have it in my collection, next to Dioressence.

I want to love it as my deceased friend & neighbour wore this, but I struggle with the opening. She was grouchy, mean, set in her ways and stubborn as hell. But I loved her. She was in her late 80's and did things her way no matter what. She was a force to be reckoned with and outlived three husbands and her only child. What else would a woman like her wear? Ysatis of course! I only have a mini splash bottle and I'll pull it out when I want to remember Denise.

My mother's perfume in the 80s. She would come home late at night, after a concert, and kiss me goodnight. My room would still exhude her fragrance the next morning.

Still smells like Mom! Pure fetish!

Classy, feminine and sophisticated, mature, for the special occasion, for the evening.

Ysatis is pure class. I love ylang ylang and this is a wonderful example of it. It also has other notes I really like including honey, carnation, and sandalwood. Sweet and woody perfection!

This is an aberration for me. I don't usually gravitate toward yellow floral or chypre adelhydes scents. While this has similarities to White Diamonds and Tresor (both of which I wouldn't wear) this is more elegant, less synthetic and dries down on my skin to a lovey, warm rose ylang ylang scent with just enough powder and a hint of sweetness. The initial spray is a bit " hairspray" like Alyssa Ashley but it only lasts a half hour. Its not a perfume that " feels like my signature" but its classy and and I like to wear it sometimes. Its appropriate for church, a meeting with your kids teachers, a book signing etc. Enjoy this!

This is the perfume I wore when I was 16, in the late 80s, almost exclusively, until Eternity came out that same year, and then I would alternate. When I wore it, it was classified as a semi-oriental chypre floral fragrance. It contained floral and citrus tops notes plus aldehydes, rosewood, coconut (which my nose did not detect, and the perfume was not gourmand); jasmine, rose, carnation, tuberose, iris, rum and narcissus; musk, honey, frankincense, amber, vanilla, vetiver, clove, patchouli, laurel, oakmoss, sandalwood, and civet.

It smelled rich and classy, I loved it. I remember wearing sleeveless turtlenecks with mini-skirts and flats, my hair would be 80s-big and streaked with Sun-In, and I'd have on large hoop earrings and red lipstick. Sometimes I'd wear nice pants and a blazer with shoulder pads. Of course I was also tan, from going to the beach and using Coppertone spf 2, or Bain De Soleil Orange Gelee spf 4 if I wanted a "high' spf (thank god I stopped all of that pretty much when the 80s were over!). A cloud of Ysatis would follow me wherever I went. This perfume, the way it was then, makes me think of those days.

Today's version is another story. It's now classified as a floral chypre. The oak moss/ civet/ musk were removed around 2006/2007, and I believe it's been through several other tweaks and reformulations since then. The version that's in stores now is not recognizable as "Ysatis" to me, it smells to my nose like a haze of aldehydes and old Avon perfumes that have "gone off" and smell like chemicals. One of these days I'm going to get a vintage off of Ebay, though!

This is a beautifully crafted fragrance in the genre of L'Interdit and 3.

It is distinctive, elegant and pretty - on someone else. Never really hit a home run on me; perhaps it's the white flowers.

But if you like a chypre/floriental with a charming note, this is the one to try.

Nice not overly sweet. I swear my family doctor in the 70's wore something similar. I can still see his arms and emanating the beginning of this scent.
It does change though.

I haven't looked at the notes yet, but I smell cloves.
So, now I think of the dentists' office.

Don't get me wrong, it's not medicine-y. Indeed, it's a professional smell....to me anyway. It's a doctor's frag....lol
I will update when I wear it. This was only on paper.

My first spray was in the early eighties in the shop when it was just released and I found it horrible! And now it has been my signature for many years. I always buy the old formula on EBay . Because the new formula is nice but lacking something, perhaps civet? In fact,this perfume smells different on me from day to day. For example, sometime I clearly get the creamy coconut which is completely absent on other days. The same goes for the hint of cat pee. And all the other ingrediënts. I still don't appreciatie the opening that much, but I adore the dry down. It is comforting and never bored me after so many years.

OMG, my mom's fragance, so many good smell memories. This is a strong and good taste perfume...those were the days!

I remember a scene from Baywatch where David Hasselhoff sprayed a single spray of Ysatis into the air in his lifeguard-office, reminiscing a lost love. Since then I have always taken a spray every time I had a chance at airport shops. Just to conclude that I simply don't get what's so special about this one.

Years have passed, and I have no idea what has happened to my olfactory sense, but over the past year or so I have changed my opinion about several perfumes that I have previously disliked. Amongst them Ysatis. Have I grown into liking them, or is it a matter of reformulation? I am addicted to perfume, and maybe I have developed my sense of smelling to pick up notes that I didn't before. That also makes me wonder; do the people around me smell what I smell, or have I become this "old lady smelling" person?

Well, do I actually care? When it comes to Ysatis, I really don't. This perfume is divine!! So extremely feminine, sexy and elegant. An instant and big LOVE after testing this newly purchased gem. And the bottle design! This is 80's/90's at its' most elegant.

Again, less is more with this beautifully blended floral stunner. So glad it's mine now!

This was the very first fragrance that was ever gifted to me, strangely by my boss way back when as a birthday present (No, he had no intentions of any kind, as an editor-in-chief he got a lot of samples, and so us girls got either gifted fragrances or books he received for reviews. But I received the big bottle and used it up eventually). It is not really me, but I liked it then and still like it today. I only wear it occasionally like a reminiscence of years long gone by, but it is almost too flowery for me to really LOVE it.

Little to smoky for me... but drydown is much better

Horrific I'm sorry

Something in it I cannot endure

Chanel number 5 has this too.

Is it aldehydes??

Panache has it. Couldn't deal with if even in a tester card let alone on my skin.

Ysatis (1984) Dominique Ropion For Givenchy

"You remind me of a poem I can't remember and a song that may never have existed and a place I'm not sure I've ever been to" - Grandpa Simpson The Simpsons

I never dreamed that I'd have this yellow diamond in my hands after all these years! Thank you eBay the world's rummage sale. I wore Ysatis in the years 1985, '86, '87 and '88. By 1990 I was already sick of it and never saw her again. I could never figure out what that exotic word Ysatis meant but it was all it took for me to get into the fragrance. I recall the samples on paper and the ladies in perfume department stores spraying it on me as a test. For the Eighties this was nothing particularly innovative, impressive or outstanding. It's a floral Oriental with nods to such fragrances as Byzance by Rochas, Rumba by Balenciaga, Poison by Dior and both Passion and White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. What I remember most was the summery freshness in the opening, the white floral heart of tuberose and golden ylang ylang, my floral fix at the time. Smells like an exotic far away island you've never even heard of, never been to, or only read about, far out in the Indian Ocean, a remote planet in itself with a small population and some islands being so small there's nothing there but low growing vegetation. Think the Seychelles. Think Bali Hai the song from South Pacific. The enchanted island is heady and redolent with the permeating aroma of ylang ylang and white tropical flowers of jasmine gardenia and tuberose. In this sense it is most like Rumba Balenciaga to me but this is far voluptuous and seems to pick up where Rumba left off. It's far more seductive, mysterious, female-earthy, and musky, a dry down of downright animalistic secretion of civet cat, which actually smells good and heightened by supremely sweet intoxicating scents of flowers, honey rum patchouli sandalwood, and green moss. A jungle that one loses one self in for one glorious summer.

Your 'special island' is less fruity than Rumba with only a few simple detectable notes of sunny orange blossom and citrus (mandarin and bergamot) with the tiniest bit of coconut. The aldehydes and ylang ylang greets you at the first spritz a fresh juicy banana flower. The rosewood is also present in a small dose with galbanum, a greenish note with an herbal and nocturnal air. It has that 'enchanted evening' magic feel to it. Smells of a late afternoon around sunset or twilight time in the cool of the early evening. The fruit fades quickly and it becomes a distinctive floral with pronounced gardenia and tuberose. Now the gardenia note in perfume is rather challenging to recreate so most noses in this case Monsieur Ropion used the tuberose to give it a realistic white gardenia smell. It's definitely tuberose and it's a showy regal flower evocative of many white flowers growing over moss and carpets of grasses and shrubs and leaves and trees all around the entire island. The flowery scent is beyond amazing. If you don't care for flowers, honey, forget about it! This is a fantastic floral fragrance. The ylang ylang is still there to my nose throughout the performance of this magic potion. The carnation is there, the jasmine, a white rose (not pink or red) narcissus and a slowly emerging powdery or smoky iris. The iris floral note was common in most 80's perfumes and in fact the iris here would make a return in the 'sequel' fragrance to Ysatis called Ysatis Iris. Beautiful flowers and ones I love. I adore tuberose and ylang ylang.

Ysatis when dry is a very engaging fragrance. It's warmer smokier and darker more mysterious and yes unisex as many frags at the time were unisex by today's standards i.e. Passion Elizabeth Taylor Coco Eau de Parfum Opium Yves Saint Laurent. The green accords of vetiver grasses and earthy cloves laurels and bay leaves, and that oak moss. The galbanum and oak moss in this formula are no longer used in perfumery as they were banned by the IFRA. So when you smell the original formula to Ysatis you are experiencing long lost notes that made a perfume smell so amazing. It gave the fragrance magnificent longevity all day all week, and sillage that filled a room. This is one epic fragrance. When it is at it's most dry stages and finally fading, I detect a quiet and elegant cloak of musk some civet and a warm vanilla amber. The amber is balsamic and Oriental a la Shalimar in that it blends well with the leathery musk and turns into a your skin but better type of scent.

I would peg this perfume as more a unisex by today's standards and it has a real EDP concentration with a rich lustrous and extravagant air, glamorous and exotic, a bird of paradise. In 2017 it's rather hard to pull off by most of us but it can be achieved. For instance many people wear Diva by Ungaro and that's equally as ostentatious a perfume. Ysatis can be worn as a formal evening fragrance to wear with an expensive haute couture gown or dress if you're a fashionista or actress seeking rare perfumes to match up with your wardrobe. If you're just a regular little old lady like me it works just as well as White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor and in smaller applications smells powdery and sweet-spicy, suited to day time affairs but formal with a dress. Great for wearing to the theater, a wedding, a party, that kind of thing. Forget all about the associations with the 80's and big hair and colorful make up and lipstick. Instead enjoy the exotic adventure that is Ysatis. It will whisk you away into that magic place that only perfume can take you.

Hello from Deco Dawn this is my review of Givenchy Ysatis. At the time of launch in the 1980s big powerful fragrances were in fashion.
Top - Aldehydes, Ylang-ylang, honey,
Mid - Jasmine, Tuberose,
Base - Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Musk
This is a true Oriental it brings visions of Egypt, and walking amongst the Valley of the Kings it's the fragrance that Cleopatra would have worn herself. Incredible silage and longevity. For a more affordable dupe try Elizabeth Taylor Passion. The notes are almost identical, It is fabulous and a huge bottle available on ebay for £17.00. Try it you will love it. DD x

OMG. This is not a discreet/office-safe scent at all in the beginning, and I love it then. After half an hour/am hour or so it becomes much more tame. Still beautiful but it becomes a like instead of a love.

As it is applied, this is animalic, very animalic, sexy, complex, boozy and almost tropical. It is intoxicating, rich, strong, very very complex and very sensual, while at the same time beautiful and not cheap-smelling at all.

Just after applying, the civet and coconut and tuberose are really loud. The orange and rum come out as well but are more discreet.

As it dries the civet gets tame and almost disappears. It becomes more floral, soapier and less animalic, but still very tropical and sensual. I would rather have the civet stay strong and almost overwhelming as it is in the beginning, but this phase is beautiful in its own way. Sunny, warm, summery and refined but very human.

From other reviews, I believe the sample I tested (a decant I got in a swap here) must be the vintage version.

If the animalic phase lasted longer, I would certainly want to buy it. As it is, it's only a maybe.

UPDATE: some hours have passed and while this has indeed never gone back to the animalic beginning and has lost the initial strength, it has morphed into a very beautiful warm complex tropical floral which is very comforting and actually can be office-safe if you don't wear too much.

I think I would want it after all.
---

I own a sample.

I tried this on a paper strip, it is a very intensive and potent scent. It is overpowering. It smells strongly of powdery tuberose on me, and strongly reminds me of Rasasi Blue Lady, which I dislike. I wonder if anyone else gets this resemblance, or is it only me.

I have the bottle with clear lid. It smells like an older german lady i used to know whom this smelled devine on her. I could never wear it after i purchased it because it kept reminding me of her and i felt strange wearing it. She was a relative on my partners side of the family. My partner and i have been separated for several years now. I was going through my perfumes and thought i will give this 1 last spray. Immediately it reminded me of a little georgio mixed with white diamonds and a very faint whiff of red door. It settles down and smoothes out after about 20 minutes and no longer reminds me of those perfumes and now i love it i think i just needed to give it a chance to settle. Whatever that lady smelled like with this on is her chemistry i am not going to let it stop me from wearing it as on me i think it smells less stern and matronly which used to turn me off it, it actually smells quite sweet but sophisticated which ar my age and stage of life right now suits me perfectly. Very good staying power. I still cannot see much younger women liking it as it is just too different from what they are used to testing at the moment.

Icy, cold weather. Fur coat. Velvety red lips. Understated eyes. Ysatis!

Apparently, I have the vintage formulation - my bottle has the gold cap. This surprises me, because I picked up my bottle a few years ago for a song at a drug store, thinking at the time it must be a reformulation. This was right around the time of the reformulation, and maybe this was their way of clearing out the old stock to make way for the new. These bottles still can be found for a bargain on ebay. With all of these classic strong scents, I apply them like they are extrait - spraying on a cotton ball first and then dabbing gently on my skin. This way, they are so much easier to wear. I can enjoy these exquisite, classic beauties in a modern, tasteful, much quieter way, with much lower sillage, and not overwhelming my own nose either. This one is no exception. It's so velvety and decadent - fit for a queen, but I still wear it with jeans and feel totally comfortable. The opening smells rather spicy to me, strange, because it doesn't appear to have any spices. The dry down (after about 3 hours) is something to behold - I really can't believe how cheap this stuff is - it certainly doesn't smell like it. If you're a fan of exquisite and decadent scents, it's definitely worth giving this a try, but to enjoy it's true beauty, it must be applied with care - or it will likely be overwhelming. I can't speak for the current formulation - I haven't smelled it, but the older bottles actually seem to be going on ebay for cheaper than the new - go figure. As for the similarity to White Diamonds - I can see why people are making that comparison, but maybe those comparisons are for the new formulation, which is supposed to be lighter. I like WD as well, but this one smells much more complex and expensive than WD.

Just never a fan of White Diamonds, this smells way better than WD but Ysatis just doesn't lay right on my skin I will stick with my beautiful! I ended up giving this to my sister she loved WD and she of course loves this also money well spent!

A strong dislike for me, perhaps it is the civit!

There are a lot of reviews that call Ysatis a power woman type of fragrance. Or that say it smells like the 80s. I have to both agree and disagree.
I grew up in the 80s and yes, I do remember this being a popular scent. But I feel like Ysatis transcends any one era. To me, it's a timeless chypre floral and it doesn't require shoulder pads to pull off properly.
I don't see this as being a boss type scent. It's quite floral and romantic without being soft. I would be more likely to wear this with a flowing ruffled skirt than with menswear. The ylang ylang is the most stand out note to me, and I like it in any season's weather. Ysatis is a classic for all the right reasons.

I hope I grow into this perfume some day. So graceful and full of vitality.

This is like 24 Faubourg's kinder older sibling. When Faubourg hurts your feelings and storms off leaving you reeling, Ysatis swoops in to gently touch your arm, ask you what happened, and stay with you listening quiety until you feel whole again. They both strike the same powdery bittersweet kind of soapy white floral notes, but Ysatis is warmer and brighter, while the Hermes stays cold and distant.

Ysatis is a perfume for a Lady- capital "L". If I smelled this on anyone under 30, I'd assume they were wearing their mom's perfume.

Yeah, yeah, I KNOW perfumes don't come with age requirements and I'm still going to wear Ysatis, but just as I don't feel like "myself" while wearing Pink Sugar even though I enjoy the scent, I don't feel exactly like myself wearing Ysatis. ... yet.

That said, it's just absolutely gorgeous.

It's such a perfect balance of honeyed summery white/yellow florals, cool soapiness giving it a classic and refined feeling, and a hint of civet that makes you stop in your tracks to take another sniff. I really do find it intoxicating and as it changes it gets better and better, which is a rare thing these days in the perfume world.

As a woman in my mid 30's I still feel a little girly to pull this off but maybe it'll work as my wedding scent. I'll add it to the list and if not, someday, I WILL be the woman this was made for.

Review is of the most current formulation. Thanks to the extremely kind member who sent me a decant of this so I could get to know it.

Class all the way. This is 80´s class. The power house white floral opening is a booming down the house,sort of sweety jasmine blaster... I refer today to the vintage original.

Wait about ten minutes and then WOW soft, rich, really head and posh smelling.

Great stuff. I have only a little left, ...dry down to die for, spectacular dry down. Remember 80´s were nuclear fuel perfume era, so tiny tiny spray...

Drydown survived soap and water wash. Smells nicer after plain soap and water wash.

This was my first "real" perfume. Although I no longer wear it, it holds a special place in my heart.

When I first tried Ysatis, it was the current formula. I thought it was nice but extremely weak and not worth the trouble.
But I really enjoyed the scent so I decided to hunt down a vintage bottle, finally securing one from 1984. It was this or nothing else.
And my, what a difference!

Immediately recognizable as Ysatis, this first batch is also out of this world, i.e. It contains everything that is missing from today's formula; richness, power, oakmoss and civet, strangely a leathery facet, creaminess, indulgence.
In a time when every powerhouse was focused mostly on tuberose (Poison), and oriental notes (Coco, Opium), Ysatis came to showcase the languid sensuality of Ylang Ylang, dressing it with exotic flowers, rich spices and mosses, and animalic notes to bring out the innate warmth of the flower. And it succeeds!

The opening, highly recognizable to anyone familiar with the scent, is a creamy, banana like ylang ylang, that is accompanied by jasmine (the dirty kind) and orange blossom. Not aldehydic on me.
Soon after, some carnation and bay leaf spice up the floralcy, making it grow wilder, more sensual, floriental. Becoming the definition of the word, Ysatis is spicy flowers dancing on warm skin. Sexy and sweaty, with just enough greenness to tone down the lushness.
But this doesn't last long. Mid development and the animalic breath of civet appears, to stay until the drydown, making the florals once again light up with fire.
There's a leathery feel that I don't know where it's coming from, which makes Ysatis even more dirty. Leather? Castoreum?

The rum note is missing from my nose, it might be there, hidden under the drunken flowers, contributing to the creaminess.

Smelling vintage Ysatis is a whirlwind of emotions. The current version feels diluted, flat and somehow 'cheap' in comparison, something more evident when you compare the two, and notice they share more differences than similarities. And because of this rich and layered complexity, the vintage works great on women and men alike.
Lovers of strong perfumes, skanky florals, orientals and vintages in general, this one is for you. Decadent, luxurious and power built, it struts through the streets letting everyone know Ysatis is here.
Amazing sillage and longevity.

In my humble opinion the 1980s were the best era in perfumery. So many bold, powerful, legendary scents were created then - Poison, Coco, LouLou, Paloma Picasso, Samsara, Paris, Obsession, Ysatis, Jacques Polge's 1986 Chanel No. 5 EDP, and many others. I was too little to wear them back in their heyday, but I happily wear them now, although they are nowadays considered old-fashioned. Frankly I don't care, because a classic perfume is always IN - if it makes me smell good and feel good, that's all that matters.
Ysatis was the scent that launched the career of the one and only Dominique Ropion. I own a bottle of the vintage juice. Ysatis is quite similar to Paloma Picasso and Chanel No. 5 EDP - all three scents feature the bombastic trio of aldehydes, ylang ylang and jasmine, and they also share the same base notes - musk, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, etc. However, Ysatis is a bit sweeter than the other two, because it contains loads of vanilla, orange, coconut and honey, which give it a very Mediterranean feel; not to mention the boozy note of rum, emphasized by the aldehydes. All in all, this is a phenomenal scent that can be worn all year round, on any occasion. Thank you Monsieur Ropion.

Ahhhh, Ysatis..!! It's been 20 plus years since I last wore this and today this heavenly scent 'landed' in my lap. Thank you to the lady who 'didn't like it it'. She didn't want any payment, so I bought her a bottle of Baileys. Best trade ever..!! One can have Baileys anytime...but not Ysatis, sadly discontinued here, down under.

It's a heady quartet of woods, flowers, fruits and spices...mmm., bedded down with an almost dangerous liaison of earthy, sexy animal notes. This perfume is not a traditional, three-movement symphony, of top, middle and base. Ysatis, hits it all in one. The myriad of ingredients are so beautifully meshed that, what you smell first is virtually what you get and keep on getting.

Ysatis loves stylish, polished dressing...be it night or day. It's not a jeans and t-shirt fragrance. I can picture the screen goddesses of the golden era of Hollywood...the likes of, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Vivien Leigh wearing this.

This magical nectar is, sultry and sexy. It makes me feel a little bit luscious, mysterious, tantalising, oh so alluring and dare I say, ready for anything...wink, wink.

This perfume has to be fairly fresh in my book to be a winner.
I read reviews saying vintage bottles was the way to go, well go I did , to wash it off err what an awful 80,s cheap pong (sorry vintage lovers).
The gold cap vintage really did belong in the 80,s even though the bottle I tested was from 1999 so still very old.
It lacked a very very needed fresh note and was awful.mothballs dated and sad really,stuck in the past ,well almost it certainly was not on my faves list.
All was not quite lost
However , when I was passing a perfume counter I tried the newest version, now that was lovely mmmm I enjoyed it's more woody notes and aldehydesand freshness,These seemed lacking in the vintage. So my advice is get a new version as it beat the vintage hands down and I feel it had been modernised just a touch but in best possible way, not all reformulations are bad this is a great example of reform done just right.

I have a decant of the vintage formula and a mini of the current, now comparing them side by side. The vintage is sweeter from mandarin orange and the milky coconut is more prominent which brings an exotic wibe to it. It's also more warm and voluptous from the civet and very well balanced. The current formula is more aldeydic in the opening and overall more dry and woody. I find it a little flatter, like a sweet warmth from the heart is missing. It's nice too and I like it but I much prefer the vintage formula.

This review is for the EDT. Definitely a big-shouldered, sweet/cloying 1980's style scent with all but the kitchen sink thrown in. But if you spray and wait for the raucous opening to dry down, a beautiful, animalic tuberose note starts to take the center stage. At this point it gets more tame and starts to remind me of a lightly green tuberose scent that's a cross between a more low-key Carnal Flower by Frederick Malle and Annick Goutal's tubereuse.

Ysatis, my signature fragrance.

This exudes elegance, and I can pull this off perfectly.

It matches my character which is a woman who has confidence in herself in her 40's and has lived through the bad times and come through the fire unscathed!

It is opulent,decadent,has so much depth with the beauuuuutiful notes it exudes, it is powerful yet is not arrogant,it is inspiring and it never follows the crowd, the crowd looks in awe of the leader!

A master of a chypre floral that deserves every recognition from the house of Givenchy.

The longevity is long and the sillage fills a room. When applied correctly with one spritz on the neck and applied at the pulse points leaves a beautiful trail that people will actually stop and admire the sillage it gives.

When you wear Ysatis you have arrived!!!! My signature forever......

Very elegant.. However, Is anyone else getting a very strong Channel No. 5 vibe from this? Like, I almost think the store I got the sample from decanted the wrong perfume.

It's sweet, but in a sexy and elegant way. It's not loud or old lady-ish. Not soapy or powdery. A beautiful flower dipped in sweet honey and sprinkled with pepper. It's great on the skin. It doesn't smell like you put a perfume on, but more like you just naturally smell beautiful. It's very calming. It's not the perfume that you wear to the beach, but the one put on after you get home and shower and your body is cold and worn out. It's the blanket you wrap yourself up in, and the candle flickering in the dark. This scent could be worn by younger or older women alike. It isn't at all masculine. I'd wear it day or night during fall and winter, but only at night during spring and summer. Long lasting with moderate silliage.

I really really like this. Perhaps not love, but Ysatis (the reformulation, it's the only one I'm old enough to know) is certainly special. I keep going back to her. There's something wonderful about it that most of the other perfumes I've tried so far have lacked. Elegent, sophisticated, classy, very feminine but in a way that completely bypasses the current trend for gushingly sweet. (Thankfully.) Ysatis is confident, mature; she knows who she is and has wonderful character.

I was only spraying it onto my scarves, but yesterday I tried it on my skin and delightedly thought "This smells like white flowers!". It was brilliant, and for perfume newbie me, a very interesting example of why you should always try scents ON your skin.

It took a while for me to realise what Ysatis reminds me of, but I think I've finally got it - the scent of ripe, juicy (spicy?) pears with waterdroplets on their skin. Does any one else get that?

I think she's really cool.

An elegant, soft, powdery classic with monstrous sillage. A touch of bitterness to keep it from being sweet and cloying. Lovely and warm.

On me it smells like chanel 5 cologne. Too obtrusive, too old lady-like, too overpowering, too sweet, no way I would wear this ever. So I have an almost full bottle that I won't use. Stupid me with these blind buys:(

When smelling "Ysatis" one can immediately understand where legs of such perfumes as 24 Faubourg, Boucheron etc. grow from. While the latter tend to be more popular due to marketing campaigns, "Ysatis" rests to be the perfect embodiment of an often cited attribute on Fragrantica "old money", referring to a somewhat established perception of European bourgeoisie till the 1970s. Lacking the obtrusive notes typical to its 1980-1990s inspired perfumes, it conjures up a scene of its wearer living in a refined environment starting from interiors up to the smallest toiletries.

Fragrance Review For Ysatis Givenchy

Top Notes: Aldehydes Orange Blossom Coconut Citrus Mandarin Galbanum Ylang Ylang Bergamot Rosewood

Middle Notes: Jasmine Rose Iris Rum Tuberose Carnation Narcissus

Base Notes: Honey Sandalwood Amber Patchouli Laurel Leaves Musk Civet Vanilla Cloves Oak Moss Vetiver

Vintage 1984 Ysatis by Dominique Ropion

This is an epic masterpiece! It's a work of art every note is a color on the palette that was used as brush strokes of pure genius in the creation of this chef-d'oeuvre. Ysatis is a gorgeous aldehydic floral fragrance with honey, spices, sandalwood and cloves which also give it an Oriental character. Ropion is a master modern perfumer - Boucheron, Cacharel Amor Amor Alien, Escada, La Vie Est Belle, Kenzo L'Elephant Olympea, Lady Million L'Homme La Nuit De L'Homme and many others. Ysatis is a signature 1980's fragrance which ranks among the best of the 80s power perfumes like Dior's Poison, Rochas Byzance, Bijan, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Chanel Coco, Yves Saint Laurent's Paris, Ungaro Diva and so forth. This also reminds me of White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. The fragrance is built around a rich, creamy and sexy white tuberose flower. Most of the flower power perfumes of the 80's were big on the tuberose scent (i.e. Giorgio Beverly Hills). It has additional flowers of jasmine, ylang ylang, orange blossom, narcissus and carnation. Each of these flowers are noticeable and have a life of their own. Orange blossom and ylang ylang give it a sweet sunny yellow floral scent and this also really matching up with the honey and amber. It has a golden aura to it. There is also fruit, of course there would be fruit, but this is more a fresh and sweet but not cloying fruit scent of bergamot, mandarin orange and coconut. In it's own way it's a floral fruity but it has the longevity, the sillage and the personality of an Oriental and a chypre. The base notes are the Herculean notes that give this scent it's true power and opulence. Every base note I love is here civet musk, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, oak moss, vetiver and some vanilla. For me the sandalwood and moss/vetiver were the strongest accords. It gives this scent spice and oomph. The civet might be a problem if you have not experienced classic civet a la civet in Diva Ungaro or the real musk in Coco or Elizabeth Taylor Passion. This is not terribly musky or animalic to me as on me the opening of aldehydes gave it a sparkling femininity. This is like a radiant angel to me. She is very strong and if you douse yourself with this perfume the angel can turn into a banshee so just don't over spray. This is actually much better when applied lightly. It becomes powdery and soft. The reformulation is identical buts more watered down and shorter lasting. It's more like an EDT version. I've always loved the bottle which reminds me of a skyscraper in Manhattan NYC. Ysatis is a luxurious fragrance that wears like a thousand dollar plus haute couture and should be in your perfume wardrobe if you love vintage 80s perfumes and white floral scents. If you liked Poison, Coco, Amarige, and White Diamonds this is for you.

Loud, very power-bitch '80s early '90s vibe. Instant headache. I had to stop reading magazines in enclosed spaces for awhile when this was most popular because of the fragrance strips.

i was talking to my closet friend about my childhood memories in 80s and the perfumes of my parents as I remembered... then I received a gift from her, ysatis was in the box between poison and cartier ,this was in 2005..
now i have too many empty bottles of ysatis
if you love chanel n5 you will admire this
but really I don't like to tell people about it.. because sometimes they buy the same of your scent just to copy you .. it's boring when you copy someone's life.

In the 80s perfumes were sold mainly as eau de cologne , so perhaps they needed to be loud to be smelled and to have some lasting power.Eau de parfum was very expensive. Ysatis' conception is early 80s and that probably explains. Late 80s and 90s saw the rise in use of eau de toilettes and parfums and vaporisateurs (early on scents were only dabbed) and a big change on how perfumes were perceived.

People who say this is a loud perfume are not lying. I received a vintage bottle today and all i can say is WOW! Ysatis comes from an era when perfume was worn to be smelled from afar by others and admired- even envied!! The combination of notes is very reminiscent of the 80's- as SuzanneS says, it's very similar to Giorgio Beverly Hills, but much more refined. I think it's fabulous and i adore the tuberose/ jasmine drydown, but i wouldnt spray it just before rushing out the door! In fact this is one i might just enjoy in the confines of my own home. People who dont understand the beauty & luxury of this fabulous scent might complain about the huge sillage. Personally though, what's not to love?!

Ysatis. This is just a classic every woman needs in her perfume wardrobe. She will never go out of style with her white florals and then her rich spicy drydown.

It is similar to Bijan but Ysatis floral presence is larger. The tuberose and jasmine is a really a feminine, classic combination.

Some can handle tuberose, some cant. Thats where it may be too much for some and a overdose on love for others.

She has fared much better than most with the reformulations and I even enjoy the current version with the clear cap. It has a richness that isnt found in a lot of current formulations.

Its much classier than original Giorgio, more refined, but still gives you the big punch like a 80s frag would. If you are a lady that likes to have a proper perfume and a trail behind you, this is a great option.

Its a year round fragrance, heady florals for spring and summer and the spicy rich drydown for autumn and winter nights. If you had to buy one versatile, feminine scent..Im not sure it gets better than this.

I just vibe better with the house of Givenchy than Guerlain. Ive worn Ysatis since the 80s and never grow tired of her. She is always in my rotation.

Wore this in 1984 when it first came out and I gave birth to my first son.
Revisited Ysatis today in the new formulation and its just as beautifully creamy and custard like as it was back in 1984 - re formulation hasn't killed it off to any great degree . I think what happens is that an older pre- reformation bottle deteriorates with age and people get used to the degraded versions and so of course, the new versions smell different . Its not just about re formulation , its what time does to perfume that's been sitting in a bottle for 32 years !
I have 1984 on one wrist and it smells a little cooked - that's the degradation of the aldehydes and a 2016 version on the other - the new version is what the old version will smell like in twenty minutes time when the degraded bits have settled.
I still love it - its loud and brassy and at the same time feminine and intelligent in a way other big hitters of the eighties were not ( Poison, Opium, Georgio) - it kind of reminds me of Lady Caron but less chewing-gummy and more delicate .
I am glad I found it again - its not a dining out fragrance as its sillage is too big but I could see me wearing it to the theatre or anywhere where I am dressed to the nines ready to demand attention.
Lovely - you just need eighties chutzpah to carry it off !

I can see Patsy Stone from Absolutely Fabulous wearing a huge amount of this perfume <3

I have an old (late eighties) bottle of splash EDT, took it from my mother because she didn't wear it anymore. I love it. Whenever I smell it, I'm nine years old and going to the cinema with my family, my mother is wearing her fur coat, it's cold outside but I am very excited about the film we're going to see...

I usually loathe big florals with tuberose these days but I wore this when it first came out back in 1984 , the year I had my first child - today I bought the re formulation - it smells slightly different due to necessary re formulation but the heart remains the same . Its a party fragrance - not one to take out to dinner as it truly is a stonking great tuberose - I don't have a signature scent , with almost 300 in my collection , my handbag is weighed down with goodies - I use what I use depending what mood I wake up in - this is lovely - developing nicely as I type into a soft dry down - very feminine , quite loud still but the original intent is still nicely there . I rich Tuberose laced oriental that I would normally loathe - but for Ysatis and Ysatis alone, and because Dominique Ropion can do no wrong - I will keep wearing it on the days it calls to be from the cupboard or the depths of my handbag .

Fragantica forget POWDERY in its description ...

Absolutely adore this perfume! Smells like a woman should. Its sexy,confident and everybody notices it. 10 out of 10.

I tried the older version of Ysatis today (with the gold cap) but am curious to try the new version with the clear cap because people who have been wearing Ysatis for a long time seem to hate the reformulation.

I LOVE YSATIS. This fragrance is genuinely pleasant to me - voluptuous and fun with creamy, big florals, smooth woods and a rounded, fruity sweetness. Ysatis helps my mood settle into a happy, balanced groove. It might sounds kind of dumb and dramatic, but I feel like I fully connect to this fragrance. All the notes that my skin can turn into a horror show are, in this composition, PERFECT. The ylang isn't too banana or waxy, the galbanum isn't too sharp or leathery, the spices aren't too "oriental" or kitchen-like, the honey isn't too syrupy...but all are there and beautiful.

While Ysatis would certainly match an outgoing personality, I don't feel like this is a "loud" perfume at all - well, not compared to sugarbomb banshees like Black Opium et. al. Ysatis is the Dolly Parton of perfumes. It has intelligence with its sweetness; it seems to fit a woman who has lived and loved, yet still carries optimism and excitement about the changes that life brings. An Ysatis woman is happy to be present.


The older formulation of Ysatis reminds me of Byzance, which I tried (and wrote a review about) last week! I am relieved to read that others had called that out. I like Ysatis better than Byzance, though, as it seems sunnier and more versatile. I could wear this every day, and I know that fellow perfume people know how serious that statement is...

:)

My opinion on the vintage version posted a few years ago remains firm, possibly even firmer with its reapplication today on a record high (but still chill and blustery) December day...

The most recent "quote, unquote* modern version? The olfactory equivalent of Bette Davis's character in the 1962 b&w film " Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" complete with the off-putting alcoholic opening, from the case of fraudulently acquired +undoubtedly cheap+ gin.

Attempting to reformulate (even to rexpose such a classic to more youthful market...um, flanker?) such a stunning and glamourous icon as Ysatis is like taking something as cherished as Jane Hudson's adorable child star career and making an absolute mockery of everything that made it special in the first place.

Desperation and bad pancake powder makeup paired with flowers that were, at one time decades ago, full and resplendent; yet are now dessicated and crumbling. Possibly good intentions became perverted while attempts at the honeyed majesty of the premier parfum degraded into a caricature, thin treacle faintly echoing the once wholesome satisfying sweetness...now completely artificial.

This metaphotrical exemplar I posed above may be an inversion (one groovy old gal, stripped of power and dumbed down through forced obsolesence, the other groovy old gal trying,albeit unsuccessfully, to recapture her cherished and long departed innocence) but ultimately both happened for the wrong reason: someone needed more CASH!!

Ysatis is what she is because of who she always was. It is anachronistic to stuff her mature full eighties figure into trendy outfit, no matter how cute, from the Young Miss rack comes off just weird... even if it might look okay. Jane Hudson refused to let go of the past trying so hard to capture it she reached the breaking point ultimately undoing herself. If more Givenchy executives watched more Bette Davis movies, perhaps they would have seen (unlike Jane) sometimes it's better to grow old with grace and dignity...if they let you.

It would seem soon Ysatis will be liked Ms. Davis herself: gone...but never ever forgotten. And, to beat the Davis Movie Horse even closer to death, if the vintage EDT were Margo Channing and the reformulation was Eve Harrington (her first fawning then ultimately nefarious understudy in "All About Eve"). The award that year for excellence in the theatre went to Eve. Her methods were not exactly as pure as first assumed. Everyone in that room that night KNEW Margo the better actress, yet applauded and showered Eve with praise.

Me? I'm sticking with the ole gal, "my glorious junkyard" to quote Margo's beau director Bill. Eve, though tenaciously clever, amazingly svelte and very pretty, is, after all, like he said "just a kid". I'm with Bette...get her a milkshake and tuck her in BED!

I'm not surprisingly also with All About Eve narrator and film critic Addison DeWitt. He was speaking of Margo; but it could and does apply to Ysatis: " She was born a star...and always will be one."!

Though released five years prior to her death, I could find no print of film references showing any connection between scent and starlet; yet I would like to think Bette would have at least admired, even if she didn't ever choose to wear, Ysatis. It's boldness, its beauty its passion and, why I love both Ladies so, a total scene stealer.

Fasten your seatbelts, folks...we're in for bumpy night!!

I have mixed feelings about this perfume. When I first put it on smells like a classic 80's perfume strong,sweet and rich ! It almost feels like it's going to be too much but it fades away very quickly on my skin . I like the opening a lot it's very strong sweet, with a vintage feel to it . The thing I don't like at all is the dry down of this perfume . On my skin after an hour or so it smells like a men's cologne, a floral men's cologne mixed with after shave . The longevity is very poor on me it doesn't last more than 2 hours and after an hour or so it starts to fade and becomes a skin scent and then it completely disappears .I dont get at all the classy elegant feel that oher reviewers have mentioned to me this screams 80's The best way I can describe this is like the Prada Candy of the 80's . If Prada Candy was made back in the 80's it would smell something like Ysatis . The packaging is ok I guess nothing special. All the Givenchy fragrances to me dont exactly scream high quality or luxury and that is such a shame ,The overal feel that I get from this perfume is a sweet scent it's a quite complicated scent it's very well blended and it doesn't reminds you of one thing I smell some flowers in it I smell some spices in it I smell some vanilla in it but nothing stands out too much I get an overall sweet colorful feel from it I will definitely use mine up but I don't think I'm going to buy another one

A lovely perfume, created before the mass market had been conditioned to shite its knickers at any of the darker, mossier, more animalic notes. I get so many compliments when I wear Ysatis.

I like all perfume genres, but I long for the easier availability of opulent, womanly perfumes like this. I look forward to the day when the market once again embraces deeper, sexier notes. I'll never forget a quote I once read by a man taking a sex survey: "I want to make love to a woman, not a strawberry sundae."