Year: 2013
Notes: ylang-ylang, Tahitian gardenia, benzoin, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood
Created by Frank Voelkl, Ylang 49 is a floral creation that will probably win many admirers.
However, it's not even remotely a floral-chypré but more of a floral-oriental. These fragrance houses can classify their fragrances as they wish, without any regard for the factual truth, but one knows what a bona fide chypré smells like (i.e. with the inclusion of bergamot, labdanum and plenty of oakmoss) and Ylang 49 most certainly isn't one. A ‘new chypré'?! No, that's just glorified marketing rubbish...
Upon the opening, what's immediately striking is the alluringly clean and buoyant banana-like accent amongst the white dainty florals. Its overall structure is both simple and effective, with a soapy linearity that surprisingly continues to captivate. With subdued woods and a hint of benzoin, there isn't much evidence of any oakmoss, and any musky nuances are of the clean aroma chemical variety. During the drydown, a sandalwood accord is faintly noticeable but remains in the background.
With decent projection, and staying power of at least six hours, it could have easily been viewed as a derivative department store fragrance. However, it possesses enough substance to avoid being labelled as such. Chypré or not, it's still a commendable feminine release.
However, it's not even remotely a floral-chypré but more of a floral-oriental. These fragrance houses can classify their fragrances as they wish, without any regard for the factual truth, but one knows what a bona fide chypré smells like (i.e. with the inclusion of bergamot, labdanum and plenty of oakmoss) and Ylang 49 most certainly isn't one. A ‘new chypré'?! No, that's just glorified marketing rubbish...
Upon the opening, what's immediately striking is the alluringly clean and buoyant banana-like accent amongst the white dainty florals. Its overall structure is both simple and effective, with a soapy linearity that surprisingly continues to captivate. With subdued woods and a hint of benzoin, there isn't much evidence of any oakmoss, and any musky nuances are of the clean aroma chemical variety. During the drydown, a sandalwood accord is faintly noticeable but remains in the background.
With decent projection, and staying power of at least six hours, it could have easily been viewed as a derivative department store fragrance. However, it possesses enough substance to avoid being labelled as such. Chypré or not, it's still a commendable feminine release.
