Yves Saint Laurent
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The blackcurrant and mandarin combination hits with admirable vibrancy—tart, bright, and vaguely jammy—whilst the wine grape immediately adds a deeper, more complex undertone that prevents this from reading as a simple fruity-citrus composition. Within moments, you're navigating between sharp berry notes and citrus brightness, with an unusual fermented quality threading through that keeps the opening genuinely intriguing rather than merely pleasant.
The peony and rose settle in with a soft, dusty character that paradoxically makes the fruit feel fresher rather than diluting it. The wine grape accord now dominates the middle ground, creating an almost winey, slightly honeyed sensation that's distinctly sophisticated. The sweetness becomes more apparent here without tipping into gourmand territory, creating a gentle powdery-fruity harmony that feels both comfortable and considered.
The musk and blackberry form a quiet, somewhat indistinct base that's less about projection and more about creating a second skin sensation. What remains is largely the peachy-berry sweetness of the blackberry married with a subtle musk warmth, though by this stage the fragrance has retreated significantly into intimate space. It becomes almost imperceptible, less a grand finale than a gentle fade—the fragrance equivalent of the last sip of a glass of Beaujolais.
In Love Again arrives as a distinctly autumnal proposition, built on the unlikely marriage of Cassis and wine grape—a pairing that immediately signals Jean-Claude Ellena's intention to blur the line between fragrance and aperitif. The blackcurrant doesn't announce itself with the typical jammy sweetness; instead, it carries a subtle tartness that plays beautifully against the mandarin's bright citrus snap, creating an almost spritzed quality in those first moments. What's genuinely compelling here is the wine grape accord, which doesn't smell of grapes at all, but rather amplifies the fruity-tart profile whilst introducing a subtle fermented quality—like catching the last breath of vintage tannins.
The peony and rose emerge as delicate foils to this fruit-forward composition. Rather than competing for attention, they soften the sharper edges of the berries, lending a powdery, almost dusty femininity that prevents the fragrance from tipping into cloying territory. This is a scent that refuses binary gender assignments, which explains its unisex positioning, though it will likely appeal more to those seeking something distinctly fruity with restrained florals than to traditional rose enthusiasts.
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3.5/5 (76)