Mon Paris Yves Saint Laurent 2016 Eau de Parfum

Mon Paris is one of the fragrances I really wanted to test, because a lovely perfume company was so enthusiastic about it. Said perfume will know that I mean her when she reads this ;) In the department store I had already smelled it on the paper strip - just before the current pandemic - and I liked it. But it is well known that scents develop on the skin very differently than on paper and so I knew that I had to test this scent on my skin. But how, where here in the USA at Sephora at the moment scents are only presented on paper strips by staff - for safety reasons? As fate would have it, Sephora Online had a special offer this month: for purchases of $35 or more, a miniature of YSL Mon Paris or Givenchy Irrésistible was added for free. So I didn't hesitate for long and ordered the really phenomenal Forever Skin Correct Concealer from Dior, of which I had tested a miniature, which was then added to a purchase at Sephora, where I had the chance to see the... Yes ok, it could be that I've been shopping too much online lately and I don't mean food. No, make-up, perfume, shoes...What else can you do where thanks to Corona you sit at home all day long and can only go out for groceries or a walk...I guess I could get some cheaper hobbies...reading for example...But I have to read all the time in my studies. Mountains. Hundreds of pages a week. So I don't really feel like reading in my spare time anymore. And make-up and perfume are a fine thing...but I digress. So to the mentioned Dior concealer there was a sweet 7,5ml miniature of Mon Paris with a little bow
The miniature looks basically like the original bottle, only in a small size, complete with a cute little bow. I must say I really like the bottle. It looks girlish and thanks to the black color of the bow, it looks grown-up and simply elegant and valuable. The miniature has no spray head. So carefully dab some of the fragrance on the arm and wait a little while...

At the beginning a great mixture of sugared strawberries with raspberries welcomes you. Despite the sweetness it smells somehow refreshing, almost sparkling like champagne. I find this top note very youthful and at the same time elegant, and as the Parisians would say, très chic. One literally has a bowl of sugared strawberries and raspberries in front of one's eyes. Beautiful in a crystal glass bowl with whipped cream, just like Grandma's (only that the Mon Paris doesn't smell of whipped cream, of course). Catwalk. Lightning storm. Prêt-à-porter fashion show and haute couture presented by long-legged models. Paris...But unfortunately it doesn't last long. After about 10 minutes, the floral notes of the perfume come to the fore. I smell mainly Jasmine Sambac with peony in a supporting role. And so the perfume becomes even sweeter, if that's at all possible, and yes, unfortunately also heavier, sultry and stuffy. At this stage, Mon Paris reminds me of Black Opium. Basically, they're very different scents, but both are dominated by this heavy, sticky jasmine sweetness. And unfortunately I don't like the smell of black opium. After the great start I am a bit disappointed. Because the fragrance stays like that for the most part and doesn't develop further. It remains sugary, sultry, almost penetrating, and that for several hours. The catwalk has disappeared. I now see a woman in front of me who is too thin, has too long hair, has been in the solarium too long and wears too much make-up, with a slightly too ample bust. Everything screams "artificial". Sorry, dear perfuma, that's my association with it. I hope I'm not hurting your feelings with this description. Paris? Away! It's a shame, really, after the authentic start. Even the base isn't that convincing. In the drydown, sweet ambroxan and cotton candy musk are battling the turgid jasmine. Somehow it smells synthetic. But, you have to give it credit, the durability and sillage at Mon Paris are really very strong and very well developed. If the fragrance would smell all the time like it did in the opening with the wonderful top note, I would buy it immediately. But that way we won't become great friends. In the final analysis, Jasmine Sambac spoils the scent for me. An extremely intense white-flowered note, which makes the fragrance seem somehow artificial, like a false smile.

So, dear Parfuma, please don't be angry with me, but unfortunately Mon Paris could not convince me. Instead, a 100ml bottle of Light Blue Intense by Dolce & Gabbana, which will always remind me of the wonderful time with my sweetheart this summer, and Green Tea Cucumber by Elizabeth Arden, whose fragrances sounded promising, will soon be moving in with me. How I am already looking forward to the delivery! And by the way, maybe you can recommend me a hobby that costs less money... :D