Nu (2001) (Eau de Parfum) by Yves Saint Laurent

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Nu Yves Saint Laurent 2001 Eau de Parfum

Version from 2001

8.3 / 10 164 Ratings

A popular perfume by Yves Saint Laurent for women, released in 2001. The scent is spicy-oriental. The longevity is above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy

Oriental

Woody

Smoky

Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Cardamom

Heart Notes

Jasmine

Orchid

Pepper

Base Notes

Frankincense

Sandalwood Vetiver

Vetiver

Musk

Perfumers

Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, DSM-Firmenich

Ratings

Scent

8.3164 Ratings

Longevity

8.3114 Ratings

Sillage

7.6105 Ratings

Bottle

7.5109 Ratings

Value for money

7.515 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet · last update on 09/09/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Nu (2011) Eau de Parfum

Nu Eau de Toilette

Secrets d'Essences - Accord Chic

Posture

Epic Woman Eau de Parfum

Kinski

Reviews

13 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/24/2012

10Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Callas
187 Reviews

Callas

Helpful Review 5

Unforgettable

I say it directly. NU lands on the list of things desired!

The smell is more than only interesting. The right word is unforgettable.
This is my world. Smoky, woody, a little pepper and sharp sweet ones which the Esemble rounds off.
I am a little reminded by Amouage at Epic Woman. And this one belongs anyway to my darlings.
And I can imagine him at a male body very well.
Simply slap-up!

01/18/2012

SystemeD
58 Reviews

SystemeD

Helpful Review 4

Brilliantly constructed, with orchid at the center

The bergamot and cardamom opening is enticing, but the pepper and orchid heart is what truly reels me in. This is a big orchid, upon which the fragrance centers - the pepper and jasmine are its frame.

The drydown includes an earthy vetiver and a hint of sandalwood, but is mostly musky on me.

This is beautifully-constructed stuff.

05/23/2011

10Scent 7.5Longevity

Skylab
184 Reviews

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Skylab

Top Review 23

Opium 2.0 - the sexy little box

When Tom Ford moved in as Creative Director of the Yves Saint Laurent empire, he aimed to provoke, shock, and revolutionize just like the great Yves did in his time.

"New brooms sweep well," as the saying goes, and thus the plan was to completely overhaul the image. To bring the sexiness of Gucci into the perhaps somewhat dusty YSL empire and thus be ready for the new 21st century. Of course, this also aimed at attracting new, younger customers!

Tom Ford changed the interior design of YSL boutiques around the world, decorating everything in black, lacquered wood, placing fashion and sex and eroticism on the same level.

Karen Elson presented the new Rive Gauche seductively with thick red lips, while the 7th YSL men's fragrance "M7" was a tribute to the naked Yves, except that the model Samuel De Cubber showed much "more"..., Sophie Dahl posed provocatively and stirred up a new scandal for the fragrance Opium.

With the new "Nu" (Naked), a new women's fragrance was launched in 2001, which also started with an erotically tinged advertisement. The print campaign showed two naked bodies closely entwined.

The bottle, with its round shape, resembles an elegant powder box and appears with its glossy surface on flawless, naked skin.

The name, the advertisement, and even the shape of the bottle suggest a light, sweet, floral scent - not at all!

Nu is a typical oriental. Nu is dark, mystical, and mysterious!
I describe the scent as spicy-woody-smoky-sweet.

Nevertheless, Nu takes its time to unfold the full range of contrasts. The initial clarity surprisingly develops into a nuanced complexity.

It starts smoky, green, and provides spicy pep and stimulation. The heart is floral and warm. The orchid/musk nuances are almost intoxicating.
Therefore, I personally see it as "true" Opium and refer to it as the actual "addictive" scent.
The woody incense note creates a tension-filled, erotic base.
The longevity is exceptionally good, and I also see it as a fragrance for men.

Despite all the eroticism and androgyny - Tom Ford did not forget the loyal Yves Saint Laurent customers who wanted large, gold buttons with the YSL logo on their blazers - they missed the opulence and flair. They longed for the lavishly designed bottles in the typical red/gold packaging. Thus, this smooth, silver-glossy little box in the acrylic packaging was too daring, too modern, too hip.

The younger clientele, on the other hand, found Nu too exclusive and too expensive (100ml cost nearly 100 Euros) - a calculation that did not add up. Tom Ford left the Gucci Group at the end of 2003, and Nu disappeared seven years after its market launch.

The initial disinterest faded, and 100ml are now being sold for 200 Euros - still too expensive for the younger clientele, but perhaps now the kind of exclusivity that the affluent YSL customers are aiming for...?

One has to be clever to figure this out...

11/19/2011

9Scent 10Longevity

Ergoproxy
1131 Reviews

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Ergoproxy

Top Review 16

Le Smoking as a Perfume, or Transparent Blouse!

Nu! The probably last fragrance from the YSL brand that can keep up both visually and olfactorily with the great compositions of the house. The classic perfumes from YSL continue to polarize and provoke to this day. Love it, or hate it! Everything that has come to market since then I categorize as nice to faceless, but that is just my personal opinion.

One thing upfront, I cannot imagine this scent in the red-light district, as it is not sweet and floral enough. This is not a perfume for a key-street-temptress! Rather, I see a strong person as the wearer, with style and self-confidence. Does Nu smell erotic? That really depends on what one understands by that, and I do not want to deny it.

The scent progression is linear and does not have any major corners. The scent statement on my skin is woody-powdery with a hint of spice. The longevity is excellent and the scent aura is perfect. That means you are only perceived by those around you once you are in their comfort zone.

On my skin, Nu easily passes as a men's fragrance, but I can imagine that it develops quite a different effect on a woman. On me, the scent presents itself as "Le Smoking," and on a woman perhaps even as "Transparent Blouse," who knows?

Conclusion: Great!

08/03/2011

9Scent 7.5Longevity 10Sillage

Turandot
843 Reviews

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Turandot

Top Review 21

There was something else...

When I smell NU, all the long-forgotten spirits of life awaken in me again. The perfume fascinates me beyond measure, and only Parure ignites a similar effect in me.

I find the scent provocative and drastic, yes, dramatic, but unsexy and high-necked??? Quite the opposite. But I also don't see lacquer, red lanterns, and fishnet stockings; rather, I envision dark blue velvet, a backless dress down to the butt, and a night one wishes would never end...

Skylab has described Nu exactly as I experience it, and so the effect of the scent has nothing to do with age. Nu is alluring, mysterious, mystical, and with its smoky, spicy, and bitter sweetness, much more expressive and unsettling than Opium. This scent cannot leave anyone indifferent. It evokes a reaction in everyone. What that reaction is may vary. But whoever has smelled Nu once will never forget it.

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