Eclipse Ghost Nocturne Alchemy 2003

The opening is an enjoyable blast of tart berry juice and sparkling synthetics. As it dries down it remains very fruity and sparkly with a fresh peony note and the suggestion of some low key white florals, cottony musk and just the tiniest smidgeon of clean patchouli. The overall effect is fresh-fruity, bright, optimistic, and frankly effervescent. It is not as sweet as you would think based on the notes. Those who have likened it to champagne are right on the money IMO.

To those who are wary of trying something with a calone note, have no fear. Calone is used judiciously and to great effect here as an accent to the fruitiness. There is not cucumber/melon here, no 90's aquatic vibe. I suspect that the calone in tandem with some soft aldehydes are responsible for the sparkly effervescent quality.

Final verdict: Fun and easy to wear, perfect for someone who wants a fruitier and less patchouli forward option than Miss Dior (2012) or Coco Mad. Way, way, less sweet than LVEB and Flowerbomb and with a much less woody base note than either of them. Casual and flirty.

A juicy strawberry with a patchouli backbone rounds out the opening. There is a tanginess that almost calls to mind cheesecake or shortcake. The delicious opening lasts about 30 minutes or so, by far the most exciting stage of this fragrance.

As time goes on, the berry calms down and blends into a familiar sweetened patchouli heart. Somewhat more generic but still highly enjoyable.

Unfortunately, it all fizzles out into something that smells like a Victorias secret spray after about 2 hours. Sweet, berry, musky, sits very close to the skin. Similar to the dry down of Parisienne, but far weaker. Disappointing.

I like this fragrance and I see comparisons to Miss Dior Cherie and maybe even the 2012 Miss Dior.. In the opening. The dry down just isn't it. If you have the cash to lay down to respray this supposed EDP every 2 hours, it's worth it! If not, go ahead and give this one a pass.

I had bought a bottle in 2016 when it first came out. Now, I tested the most recent batch at a Sephora and it’s definitely been reformulated. It used to be a muskier, more refined perfume, patchouli-dominant and still with a youthful aspect. But now, all I can smell are pink fruits like raspberry and strawberry.

This is very, very fruity. It reminds me of a liquid soap and hand lotion from a Bath and Body Works type store—in my case, it was a Fruits and Passion soap/lotion set I got for Christmas once...I think it was called Cranberry Love. It’s an okay fruit scent, especially for inexpensive hand soap and lotion, but I’m kind of surprised to be reminded of it by a high end perfume from YSL.

There is an echo in here that reminds me of Calvin Klein’s Escape, which I find quite pleasant. Not sure what it is though. Probably the orange, oak moss, jasmine, musk and cedar, which the two have in common. Also, I always detected a calone note in Escape, even though it’s not listed. However, Mon Paris is just too fruity for me to wear easily. The berries are overpowering despite my caution in applying. I’d say I put on half a spray, and it is a beast.

What was once my signature fragrance has been altered to a shell of itself.

I believe changes have been made to this fragrance. My original bottle was 30 ml EDP, purchased sometime around launch (maybe 2017). I wore it almost daily until around autumn of 2019. I then purchased a 50 ml EDP, but didn't open it until after quarantine restrictions ended in 2021, due to wanting to cycle through some older fragrances. Both bottles were purchased at Ulta. New testers in-store also smell completely different from what I have at home.

Once labeled Chypre Fruity, what made Mon Paris unique for its time was the perfect blend of fruit, white florals (datura!), and oak moss, making for a delectable, sensual, and somewhat earthy fragrance that could be worn during any season, at any time of day. With the new bottle, I can detect a hint of strawberry and peony. It's much sweeter than it used to be. Others tell me patchouli sticks out like a sore thumb. Oak moss seems to be completely missing (I know regulations have changed). I wonder if larger bottles are watered down. Or perhaps it's a case of YSL wanting to promote their endless cycle of new flankers. What a disappointment. This used to be my favorite perfume. The current iteration is too similar to the current crop of sweet perfumes. It no longer stands out. I don't get asked what I'm wearing when I wear this anymore. Mon Paris no longer feels like "me." If I wanted something like this, but wanted to avoid patchouli, I would get Nest Lychee Rose.

Here is my original review from 2020:
This fragrance quickly became a favorite of mine and everyone around me. I always get compliments on it and most of my coworkers are wearing it now, too! It's the perfect combination of fruity and floral. It's not overwhelmingly sweet, is somewhat sexy, and transitions well into night. I like to layer it with other fragrances as well.