One of my favourite perfumes is an Yves St Laurent creation from 1993. It was launched under the name Champagne until the Champagne makers from France decided the name infringed on their product, so YSL changed the name to Yvresse, which is a cheeky name for a perfume meaning “drunkeness” and sounds fun juxtaposed with YSL. It was launched in an era when a fruity flowery “big” perfume was a good thing, and quickly became a classic. 

It is a chypre, by definition, and the older versions contain real oakmoss. Real oakmoss makes for a deep earthy sexy base that dries down beautifully on the skin. But it is the fruity bubbly top notes that really astound. If someone had told me a perfume could approximate the nose tingling bubbles of a fruity champagne cocktail, I would have laughed but that is exactly what Yvresse feels like. It has the hold over from the 80s kitchen sink list of notes that the creator, Sophia Grojsman is known for. It is a multi layered beauty that does lots of developing as you wear it and is actually like a party of delicious notes celebrating their combined gorgeousness on your skin.

The top notes are peach, apricots and nectarine which brings to mind a sparkling mimosa but it is the bubbly aspect that amazes. I think the minty/menthol notes help elevate the fruits and add that effervescent quality- but wait, it gets better. As it dries down the rose, jasmine and carnation just melt beautifully into the rich base of patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver. I love the way this scent settles- it goes from woo-hoo bubbly dancing to a nice mellow buzz without the headache.

YSL Yvresse never fails to garner compliments but I wear this one with caution. It is gorgeous but it is a whole lotta perfume, so all it takes is a few strategically placed dabs to waft beautifully and make everyone want to lean in closer because I smell so damn good. There are multiple versions of Champagne and Yvresse, with the older ones containing the good stuff. I have an original release Yvresse eau de toilette which I love, but my friend Dane has a precious bottle of Champagne parfum- WOOF. That is the stuff of dreams and I am on the hunt for a bottle. It is small and precious but quite heavy and of course, has the sweet design of a champagne cork. I have tried current Yvresse and it is still beautiful- not as rich and deep as the original but lovely. If you hunt around online you can find older bottles of Yvresse for a very reasonable price. And if you love Champagne and are feeling happy and sexy, I highly recommend you get some. Then pour yourself and someone special a glass of bubbly, and enjoy….