YSL Comparison: Myslf vs L’Homme EDT

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Myslf and L’Homme EDT from YSL occupy a similar use case, as an easy to appreciate daily wear fragrance. L’Homme came outa few decades ago and so has established itself as a mainstay in the Saint Laurent universe. Myslf, is a more recent option, which has quickly become popular.

But, how do you decide between these colognes? Which of them is better? Lasts longer? Well, this is my page comparing and contrasting these fragrances, and break it down until we reach a decision.

Tale of the Tape: Myslf vs L’Homme by YSL

Myslf

Notes include: bergamot, orange blossom, woods, patchouli, ambrofix

Click here to try: Myslf by YSL

My Full Review: Myslf 


L’Homme

Notes include: Virginia Cedar, Ginger, Violet, Citron, White Pepper, Basil Flower, Ozone, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Click here to try: YSL L’Homme

My Full Review: L’Homme

Opening

L’Homme EDT opens up with a nice mix of citrus and spice. The bergamot and citron aren’t too sharp, as they’re really held in check by the other notes. I like the ginger and basil, here.

Again, the balance of the composition comes through, since the spice doesn’t overpower. The emergent tonka bean adds a creaminess and the violet brings a floral touch. There’s an herbal or greenish quality to the scent, but still enough of a kick to keep things interesting.

Meanwhile, Myslf opens with bergamot and orange blossom. It’s fresher than is L’Homme and it also has a slight creaminess to the aroma, thanks to the orange blossom note.

But, the very opening stage is definitely about the bergamot. That will flip a bit later, but for the start it’s a fresh citrusy cologne.

Which is better? I like each of them. Though, I would probably give an edge to L’Homme. There’s more complexity and thus more to appreciate versus the rather simple Myslf.

Edge: L’Homme

Projection

Both of these fragrances are fairly light. L’Homme is the more airy of the two. Not really going to have a monstrous projection and it will mostly sit quite close to the skin.

With Myslf, I think the first hour is actually pretty strong. Not heavy, but will create a scent trail in your wake. After that, it’s more of an intimate scent bubble. I’d say it sticks in that 1-3 foot range off of the skin, but it’s still noticeable.

L’Homme, by that point? Skin scent with very little substance.

Edge: Myslf

Longevity

YSL L’Homme has never been a performance beast. In fact, it’s gotten worse over the years, in my experience.

My latest bottle is from 2021 and now the fragrance only lasts for 2-3 hours. Whereas it used to be, 4-5, and sometimes longer. Really disappointing.

Myslf is much better than L’Homme EDT, but still nothing amazing. I got 6-7 hours of wear out of it during my testing. Still, even with that decent level of performance, it’s an easy win for the newer entry.

Edge: Myslf

Versatility

I don’t see really any difference here. They’re both best in moderate to warmer temperatures. Both of them can be worn in just about any environment or situation, without issue. These are fragrance that are designed to be extremely versatile and both do a great job at occupying that space.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two colognes do I prefer?

While L’Homme EDT, has long been one of my favorites from the YSL lineup, it’s quality has for sure degraded over the years. The bottle that I purchased in 2021, will be my last. I’ve basically relegated to a gym fragrance or just something to spray on occasionally.

Mostly, it sits on my shelf.

Myslf, isn’t an amazing fragrance. I really like the opening act from it, though. It was close to edging out L’Homme, in that respect.

The citrus and orange blossom duo is great. There is a light spice, woodiness, and earthiness in the dry down. I do think the first half of the wear is better than its second half, however.

But, if I’m comparing these two scents, I’d pick Myslf as the one that I’d buy. The newer L’Homme EDP had promise, but ultimately fell flat with its performance too. ‘d pick Myslf over that one, as well.

If we were talking the original batches of L’Homme, it’d probably get the edge. However, nowadays, I’d definitely pick up a bottle of Myslf, before the older fragrance release.

Winner: Myslf

Apple Brandy on the Rocks by Kilian

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Apple Brandy on the Rocks was a new release by Kilian Paris, that I really wanted to try ever since I first heard about it. Update: This post is from 2021, with some new additions. So, I ordered a sample to have as soon as I got back into town and have been testing this fragrance out. Does the Kilian Liquors perfume live up to the hype? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a buy?

Apple Brandy on the Rocks Overview

Notes include: cardamom, bergamot, ambroxan, apple, pineapple, cedar, rum, vanilla, and moss

Click here to try: Apple Brandy on the Rocks from Sephora

My Full Review

Here’s how Kilian describes this scent: Inspired by the city of New York, KILIAN PARIS introduces its new addition to the Liquors olfactive family: Apple Brandy on the Rocks, an olfactive soundtrack to nightlife’s liberation to come.

The opening to Apple Brandy on the Rocks doesn’t fully work for me. I’ve tested it multiple times on multiple days and still…meh.

There’s an aspect in here that I know I like, the apple and cardamom. However, the pineapple, bergamot, and ambroxan together are heavy and not very appealing.

Those do settle down and this Kilian fragrance will get better. After some more time passes, the apple not fully emerges which gives it a crisp finish, and I start to pick up more on the boozy rum note.

Apple, cardamom, rum are the keys to the second wave. Thankfully, that pineapple note pulls back. The ambroxan? It’s still around too much. It’s warm, slightly sweet, with a fresh coolness peaking through from apple and moss.

The next stage is apple and vanilla with woodsy notes, mostly. Oak, moss, and cedar sitting underneath apple and vanilla. The rum and cardamom, aren’t distinct any longer and provide a general warmth to the fresh woods.

It does simulate the apple brandy smell, well enough overall.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I thought this one was going to be pretty powerful. The opening does hit strong and projects very well. That is short lived, however. Ultimately, it’s pretty moderate for a few hours. Then, it will sit close to the skin for the rest of the time.

The longevity isn’t great. I get somewhere in the 5-6 hour range, on my skin. That’s pretty bad for a Kilian perfume, as many others I enjoy will hit double digits.

It just doesn’t seem to want to stay around at all. That’s probably my biggest gripe with this one. I know it’s ‘fresher’ aspects can be short-lived, still rather disappointing for the price.

Seasonally, stick to autumn and winter. This is going to be at it’s best in colder temperatures. In the heat, the performance is much worse.

In the chilly air, Apple Brandy on the Rocks has its moments where it catches my attention. That being said, it does have a freshness to it that you might be able to sneak into the springtime, in many places. It’s not as ‘thick’ as Angels’ Share.

It’s a pretty casual fragrance that can be used for nightlife. Unisex for sure, probably leans a bit more towards the traditionally masculine side of the spectrum.

Daily wear too. But, I guess that depends on whether you can get away with smelling like apple brandy in your day to day life. Probably not the most office-friendly perfume for most people out there.

Overall Impressions of Apple Brandy on the Rocks

Overall, do I like this scent? It’s decent. I really like the original Apple Brandy by Kilian and was excited about this one, coming heavier with the fruit notes and freshness. But, ultimately it didn’t live up to expectations.

I was wondering if I was going to have to buy a full bottle of this, right after I did with Angels’ Share from the Liquors collection. Nope.

It’s not terrible and there are aspects that I enjoy. Mainly, the apple and cardamom when they are joined by the rum. The opening pineapple and ambroxan, I don’t like.

The dry down, with vanilla, woods, and moss added to apple and the remaining general warmth from the rum and cardamom is pretty good. It do get the comparisons with Legend, but they aren’t anywhere close to being the same, just have a few similarities.

So, even if the performance was awesome, I wouldn’t be inclined to get a bottle. The mediocre sillage and longevity, just compounds the reasons.

I don’t hate Apple Brandy on the Rocks. At this price range though, I do want something spectacular. To me, this just never hits that level. You may actually like it, but I don’t think it’s one to buy blind.

I did try a fragrance from the Dua Brand called, Blackberry Brandy. I know they have other fruit note brandy perfumes. That one is cheaper and quite good for this style of scent.

Ranking Armani Stronger with You Colognes

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Stronger with You has been a big hit under the designer’s Emporio Armani label. Since the release of the EDT, the brand has released a whole lot of flankers to this original formulation. Which, can be kind of difficult to sort through, if you haven’t come across them all.

Not to worry, as I will sort through the Stronger with You colognes and rank them in order from first to worst. Hopefully, making it easier to narrow down your search and find the right SWY fragrance for your style.

Ranking the Best Stronger with You Colognes

I do have to note that I have yet to try the Amber and Tobacco versions of this series. So, the ranking is based on all of the other current fragrances. I will update once I’ve gotten around to those newer scents.

Stronger With You Intensely– For me, Stronger with You Intensely is the best of the series so far. Not head and shoulders above the next two fragrances on the list, but it’s the one that I prefer.

Pink pepper, sage, and cinnamon really rock the opening of Intensely; helping it live up to the title. Those spicy notes contrast with the toffee accord and the sweeter use of vanilla and caramel.

There is a lavender note which has its time in the middle act. Intensely becomes less spicy over time, with the back half being very much a blend of toffee, vanilla, and amber notes.

It’s a bold fragrance that’s great for nightlife and has 11 to 12 hours worth of staying time, on the skin. Intensely review

Leather– SWY Leather is my next pick on the list. It actually shares a lot of overlap with Absolutely, but I think the leather note gives this one a slight advantage. Plus, these two are fairly different from many of the others on the list.

Chestnut, leather, and vanilla open things up in this cologne. It doesn’t have that same spice as Intensely, it’s smoother with a resinous aroma from the elemi note. Sage and some spices are here, just much softer in this mix.

The tail end will be mostly vanilla and leather. Some hints of oud, chestnut, and the remaining elemi. Really though, the first two notes will be the focus.

Great performance, also. Leather can go well into the double digit total number of hours. Stronger Leather review

Absolutely– Stronger with You Absolutely is another edition that I really like. If you have a tough time getting a bottle of Leather or simply don’t want a leather accord, this is a great option.

This one starts off with a light citrus, but what really stands out is the glaze of the chestnut note. Very similar to SWY Leather, but here the mix is sweeter. Slight cinnamon and rum also add some warmth/spice.

But, it’s not that dominated by the boozy accord. Really, that’s what was intriguing me about Absolutely before I tested it, and I wish they had given this more of a rum kick.

Chestnut is one of the differences between this and Intensely. Here, you get a good deal of it and it is the main note for a good portion of the wear. If the chestnut is the note you really enjoy from this series, Absolutely might be your best bet.

Again, this is technically ranked third as of now. But, it’s a really tight race between Absolutely and the top spots.

SWY EDT– The EDT is the one which started the series off. Now, I’d say it’s middle of the pack among all of the releases. Still a nice fragrance, but there are better options for most people on this list.

Cardamom, pink pepper, and mint. It’s spicy and fresh up top. Still, has a nice sweetness throughout. The warmth and sweetness will grow over time, but you still have the additional sage to get through.

Vanilla and cardamom will share much of the focus, after the opening. Amber, chestnut, and woods also come through. The tail end is really dominated by the vanilla note, with some drier woody influence underneath that.

All in all, I like it. Can be a good one to pick up, especially since it seems to be the one, which can be had for a bit cheaper price than the others. Stronger with You review

Oud– To me, this one has a lot of overlap with Leather. But, it’s a mix of that one, Luminous Night, and A Midnight Stroll.

Sweetish, smoky, woods, and a rubbery tinge like in the aforementioned Gucci. Smoother in the dry down, still with a leather accord, but plenty of woods and lavender. Less sweet for sure, in the latter stages.

Between this and Leather, I prefer the leather accord to the oud. The oud isn’t even super present in the mix. It’s there for sure, but it’s a part of the mix and doesn’t have that aggressive use of the oud that some might be hoping for.

Still, this one is pretty good. I’d just prefer the others and the most closely related fragrance to wear SWY Oud. Stronger Oud review

SWY Only– The first of the lighter versions of this formula. Which, I’ll give Only a slight edge between the two.

Grapefruit, lavender, geranium, and chestnut are the main draws early. So, that bright citrus mixed with the calming lavender and the cooling freshness of geranium.

During the middle, you get vanilla and more of the chestnut. Very much in line with the original Stronger EDT. The chestnut will fade and it’s basically a lavender and vanilla cologne that is just a less heavy representation of the series.

Don’t hate it, but also don’t really see a point in having this cologne, unless you completely love the SWY series. Stronger with You Only review

Freeze– To me, Freeze at the bottom of the list. Actually, I don’t think there is much separation between it and Only. These two are the lighter offerings from the lineup, neither of which is great. It seems SWY is at its best as a more substantial cologne.

Coming into trying Freeze, I was certain that I would really like this one. Nope. It’s okay enough, but it never reaches the level of being anything all that memorable.

Frozen lime, ginger, and sage are the strongest notes up top. You get some further fruity notes with apple and orange, but they’re never as strong as that lime, which I do actually like.

It’s lighter and becomes much closer to the original in the dry down, when the citrus has faded.

Freeze isn’t bad, it’s just the worst of the line. Stronger with You Freeze review

Comparing Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

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Santal 33 from Le Labo and Oud Wood from Tom Ford are two very popular releases that people seem to have a tough time deciding between. I have never been a mega fan of either of these fragrances, but have tested each out repeatedly over the years.

So, today I am going to try and provide my own personal in depth takes while comparing these two perfumes, to see if I can help you get some clarity in this head to head matchup.

Tale of the Tape: Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

Santal 33

Notes include: sandalwood, violet, iris, amber, cardamom, leather, papyrus, cedar

Click here to try: Santal 33 on Amazon

Read my original review: Santal 33

Oud Wood

Notes include: rosewood, sandalwood, oud, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, cardamom, and vetiver

Click here to try: Oud Wood on Amazon

Read my original review: Oud Wood

Opening

Oud Wood starts off with a strong blast of the oud note and cardamom. Underneath that, is a peppery sort of spice. It’s warm and dry, with sandalwood and rosewood, already being prominent at the base. It’s a very spicy and woody, sort of aroma up top.

Santal also has the cardamom and dry woods. Just without the oud. It’s not remotely as spicy as Oud Wood is either. This notes are joined by leather and violet. Papyrus is a wood which distinguishes itself from the oud used in the Tom Ford scent.

Which is better? The opening act of Oud Wood is a great array of the various wood notes and spices. It’s not completely amazing, but it captures my attention.

I like the leather facets, the use of the papyrus in Santal. Though, even with that I feel the opening act is the weakest of the perfume.

Not a huge win, but I’ll give this category to Oud.

Edge: Oud Wood

Projection

Both of these are perfumes with a moderate sillage which then turn into lighter fragrances. I don’t think either is weak and both of them are detectable for most of their wear.

That being said, the Tom Ford perfume feels heavier and like it has a further reach at its peak. Yes, Santal 33 is more sustained on my skin, but I think Oud Wood is technically the stronger of the two.

Edge: Oud Wood

Longevity

Oud Wood has always been a strange one for me. Anytime that I’ve tried this fragrance out, I’ve gotten 4-5 hours of wear from it. The Intense version, lasted over 10 hours for me, however.

The Le Labo perfume will hit the 7-8 hour range, on my skin.

Neither of these is an absolute beast with their performance, but Santal 33 takes this category fairly easily in my experience.

Edge: Santal 33

Versatility

Seasonally, Oud Wood always struck me as being built more for the autumn and winter months. Santal can do that too, but it also extends well into springtime. Honestly, outside of the height of summer, I think the Le Labo works.

Both of these are unisex, of course. But, I think Santal has a wider range of use cases as a signature scent or a daily wear. Neither is a nightlife beast, but Santal also just has a wider appeal than you’re going to get with the oud based scent.

Edge: Santal 33

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these perfumes do I like more? I’d go with Santal versus Oud Wood. Which, I think that Oud Wood Intense was the better of the two anyway. Of course, it’s the one that got discontinued.

Oud Wood starts out nice, but never really interests me much beyond that. Sure, it has similar vibes at times to Santal, but I just think that the Le Labo smells better.

Santal has a weaker start. It’s never been bad to me, just kind of meh, who cares? Though, it really gets going as it transitions into the heart of the wear.

Along with the scent itself, Santal has better performance and will fit the style of a wider range of people. Plus, a more extensive use case. Santal checks more boxes and gets the win here.

Winner: Santal 33

3 Great Scents Like Prada L’Homme

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L’Homme is a very popular fragrance for Prada. It is a line of colognes, that I have had plenty of experience with and have enjoyed testing out over the years. Though, sometimes you may want something a bit different. A fragrance that smells like it for cheaper or another one with a closely related style.

On this page, I keep track of such options that I’ve come across. Whether it’s the original L’Homme, L’eau, Intense, or other flankers.

Colognes that smell alike or have a similar style to Prada L’Homme

His Royalty L’eau– This is an ‘inspired by’ option from Dua. But, the inspiration is based on L’Homme L’Eau and not the original L’Homme. I actually have a bottle of L’eau, as it and the Intense version were my favorites.

The difference is that L’eau is a lighter scent. It starts off with a bright neroli note standing in contrast to the iris powder and the light spice of the ginger. It’s fresh and feels more like a pure powder when compared with the original, as it does have additional powdery notes in the base.

Pretty simple stuff, some light woods with the iris and powder, and an amber finish. His Royalty is the alternative version of that. So, if you want a version of the designer style without the price, check this one out.

Dior Homme Eau– I’m going to include this one, even if it’s been discontinued for a while. Just on the off chance you come across a bottle.

Eau is very much like the old Dior Homme formula. But, without the cacao and leather notes. Which gives this its lighter presentation of the iris and woody notes, that lends it to favoring Prada L’Homme.

Now, it’s not going to be exactly the same as our target. However, as an alternative this can be a great one to get a hold of. The iris is magnificent, the grapefruit helps to keep it lighter and brighter, and the cedar holds down the base. Not to mention the use of coriander to give Eau an extra kick.

This may be preferable to a lot of people when compared to our Prada target. Again, you’ll just have to track down a bottle. Dior Homme Eau review

Bleu Noir Parfum–  Here’s another one that’s not the same as the Prada release, but does have a very closely related style to our target and to other scents in this space.

For me, Parfum was the better of the Bleu Noir fragrances. As far as its similarities go, I would say that is has more directly in common with Dior Homme Intense with some additional overlap with Profondo Lights.

Iris, muskiness, and the citrus note up top bring in the relevant notes to what we’re looking for. But, we get a darker and woodier aroma than with L’Homme. Cardamom and cypress are powerful here early.

Then, I really got a smoother dry down with this Narciso Rodriguez cologne during testing. Iris with suede and tonka bean, sitting on some light musky woods. That’s when it has the most in common with Prada L’Homme.

This is a good one to try out, when you are wanting something a bit different, but well within the same ballpark.