Caftan Yves Saint Laurent 2015

To me this smells straight up like church! I received a bottle of this as a gift alongside a little sample and while it is a beautifully blended scent with (in my opinion) high quality ingredients, I can't get over the fact that this smells exactly like church. Perhaps if I didn't have this association I could more easily wear this fragrance, however unfortunately that just isn't the case! That being said, having smelled quite a few of the other fragrances from the Yves Saint Laurent Le Vestiaire collection, this might be one of the most interesting and unique fragrance from the entire line. I am sure that the right nose can appreciate this more than me.

A positive of this fragrance is that it is INSANELY long lasting! I could still smell this on me after having taken a shower. Therefore, while the perfume itself is quite expensive you really get a bang for your buck!

Dear Calice,
dear Yves,

thank you very much for your wonderful holiday impressions from the Orient. Your powerful words and images made your experiences feel so real that I felt like a part of your little travel group. In one photo, you are wearing a kaftan. Very unusual, as you are otherwise associated with high fashion and haute couture. But it fits your attitude that even the small details must be just right.

Just the description of your hotel (Yves, the casual mention that it was a 5-star resort was unnecessary, because you wouldn't be Yves if it weren't a luxury hotel) with the delightful scent of fresh, zesty mandarin spiced with plenty of pepper already impressed me. I could immediately feel the pleasant contrast between the heat outside and the refreshingly cool air inside.

The markets there must have been a special experience as well. I could immediately smell the aroma of spices and resins that unfolded their unique scent in the shimmering air. Surprisingly, they are not as dominant as I would have imagined. Not brutally spicy-resinous, but more a hint of both. Very invigorating and perfectly balanced.

Although this was not your first trip to the Orient (I only recall the 1970s when you were already so impressed by the Orient that you launched Opium as a fragrance), you continually discover new things. Calice seems to be the perfect travel companion, as she apparently shares your passion. After all, how else can her intense collaboration with Kilian be explained? Of course, you visited what could be visited in such a short time. I know how inspiring new impressions are for you.

The old Sultan's palace must have truly captivated you. Thick walls that create almost an icy cold inside, forming an exciting contrast to the heat. I also found it remarkable that this palace apparently managed without pomp, being rather sober, modest, and almost sacral in appearance. Your impression that a nearly clerical, cold scent of incense lingered in the walls fits perfectly into the picture. Normally, I shudder at this type of incense, as I don't particularly like it, but in this case, it must be a special incense. Who knows, perhaps the bowls anointed with musk ensured that the incense, despite its coldness and severity, also had something soft and harmonious? But one doesn't have to uncover every secret. Sometimes the allure lies precisely in the non-deconstruction.

You asked me how I would describe a fragrance that would capture what you experienced. Well, I would say it is warm and cool at the same time, graceful and noble, dark and light, hard and soft, present yet reserved. But all together in a balanced and very harmonious ratio. What would I name it? Well, Kaftan of course ;-))

I look forward to more travel reports and experiences!

A topic that I have long overlooked in my fascination is incense. The thought of dealing with this cold smokiness left me literally cold. Certainly, there were one or two fragrances that hinted at incense in their scent pyramid, but never so clearly that it came across as a prominent or dominant note. Even "Ombre Nomade | Louis Vuitton," which was in my collection for a long time, was actually an incense fragrance that, however, opened up very well packaged and rather warm on my skin.

However, those really nasty church incense scents stayed far away from me, as I wanted to spare my nose that experience. To further my education on my fragrance journey, I inevitably had to bring the "Blue Beast" Interlude Man under my nose. It was simply necessary as a learning effect for me to experience the scent that many refer to as THE Oriental incense.
What can I say? It was neither very oriental nor a dominant incense. I felt more like I was near a glowing coal stove in the Italian countryside. Mainly oregano dominated, as if the Nonna was just starting the tomato sauce and there was no prominent smoke. Rather, a light hint of smoke that hardly came to the fore on my skin/in my nose. I was already surprised and disappointed that there was little of what I had expected. Perhaps Ombre Nomade had already toughened me up a bit.

During a short visit or vacation in Stuttgart, I strolled happily into the Breuninger there with the goal of discovering something new. I sniffed around here and there and then rather accidentally passed by the YSL stand. Most people went straight for the Opium bottles, while I took the opportunity to test "Le Vestiaire - Babycat | Yves Saint Laurent," which had already caught my attention on the Parfumo site. Besides this, I wanted to try something else, and from the listed aromas, "Le Vestiaire - Caftan | Yves Saint Laurent" quickly shot into my field of vision. Pepper, incense, and resin? I simply had to test it.

The beginning of the fragrance is certainly not easy and not for everyone. For my nose, a very citrusy component clashes with a gnarly, intense cistus. This feels quite exhausting and certainly a bit challenging in the first five to ten minutes; however, the further development is so convincing that a bottle was allowed to join my collection. So let's return to the beginning. This cistus feels dry, dark, and very blunt, as is usually recognizable from the darker labdanum varieties. Mixed with notes of orange and lemon, it feels crazy and totally unfamiliar, hence quite strenuous.

In the further course, this impression is completely replaced by new and harmonizing notes that actually beam you into oriental realms. A fine note of pink pepper comes through. Some spiciness, a slight pepperiness. A fine benzoin note joins in, which comes across as very soft, slightly sweet, and lovely. The used benzoin contains aromas of light vanilla and delicate, rather unsweet honey, which is why the fragrance smells very noble, balanced, and high-quality. Additionally, there is an incense component that contains little cold smoke but rather feels warmer. In general, the light smoke is paired with the benzoin, which makes a great partner that enjoys being caressed by this light smokiness and thus appears suitable for many occasions.

Because one must say directly, this is not a showstopper, but a gentleman who has manners and knows how to dress. A fragrance that does not fill entire rooms in the office but is elegant enough to distribute its wonderful aroma so that the right people notice it. A fragrance that can be worn at a chic party and can also act as a feel-good scent. A great companion in autumn, lovely resting on the neck in winter, and even a delightful companion for romantic summer evenings. You can enjoy the fragrance for at least eight hours, and depending on the conditions, it can last even longer.
It is an oriental allrounder that one can only wish for and that truly knows how to charm the wearer. It is the fragrance that could have been Interlude, but Amouage opted for the Italian showstopper.

Those who want to smell noble, desire a pleasant allrounder that truly fits everywhere, should take a look at Caftan and test it. Certainly, the first minutes may not be to everyone's liking, but the further development compensates for that in full. Of course, ladies can also wear this wonderful fragrance, as this combination of light smoke and beautiful resinousness is definitely unisex.

When I first sprayed the fragrance in the small perfumery, I immediately thought of my grandmother's spice drawer in her kitchen. My grandma could cook fantastically and made dishes from all over the world, which was quite extraordinary for an older Danish lady in the 60s and 70s. Because these were such unusual spices, we grandchildren loved to peek into her drawer, open the little jars, and dive into 1001 Nights adventures, at least in our imagination. Her drawer smelled strongly of oriental and exotic spices. Dry, very spicy, somehow adventurous, yet warm and inviting. That's exactly how "Le Vestiaire - Caftan | Yves Saint Laurent" smells. Extremely spicy, super dry, very oriental and warm, also so unique and a bit addictive. A bit like being in a spice souk in Arabia somewhere. I hardly notice the fruity notes, but I do clearly perceive pink pepper. Later on, a lot of incense comes through, a very, very spicy incense that is made sweet, rounded, and almost warm by a dreamy benzoin. In the drydown, a lot of musk comes through, but overall and until the end, the fragrance remains a dry, warm spice bomb that admittedly smells fantastic. For some reason, the scent exudes a lot of elegance at the same time. A fragrance that Cleopatra could have worn.

I spend the whole day wondering whether I like the fragrance or if it is just too spicy? I love the scent as an experience, as a state, or as a memory of my grandma, but whether I would wear the fragrance is now the big question. Do I want to smell like a spice souk?? Hmmm??

I believe you have to wear a special outfit to carry the fragrance well, if that makes sense; otherwise, the fragrance carries its wearer and not the other way around. Classic and hyper elegant/strict..

H+S is quite good…

During my decision-making process, I need an incentive to choose to purchase an expensive perfume.

Two factors are particularly important here: It must be distinctive and perform strongly.

In terms of the quality and purity of the ingredients, Caftan is undoubtedly a good perfume.
However, Calice Becker has drawn inspiration from many uniquely crafted oriental perfumes.

When you take a close look at Caftan, you can find traces of the following fragrances in the background: YSL M7, Gucci pour Homme (2003), Bentley for Men Intense.
Rather, the character traits of Lupin's Idole are present.

Caftan is oriental, resinous, warm, wintry. Beautiful, but nothing special and widely available on the perfume market. The performance is in the green zone. However, the previously mentioned perfumes are longer-lasting.

The purchase is worthwhile for those who do not have extensive collections of oriental fragrances or who have only recently started exploring the world of perfume. For veterans, Caftan is not unique enough.