Le Vestiaire des Parfums : Tuxedo
Yves Saint Laurent (2015)

I was very disappointed with this perfume. After spraying it, I actually congratulated myself for not buying it blindly. Let's be clear, the scent isn't bad or unpleasant, but it's not even close to what I expected. To my nose, what dominates the entire composition is a hideous ambroxan (a note that I can barely tolerate), which gives me that fresh sensation of a shower gel, accompanied by citrus and floral notes in the opening, all on a sweet, non-sticky base. Once the opening has passed, it settles into a scent that reminds me of a shower gel (damn ambroxan) with a light amber base; patchouli, at least as I know it, was not present. In short, it's certainly a pleasant, easy-going and flattering perfume, but I find it rather predictable, American-style, unisex, suitable for spring and cool climates but nothing at all special or memorable, certainly not one that would be included in a private line at astronomical prices.

Tuxedo by Yves Saint Laurent (2015) is part of the Le Vestiaire des Parfums range, a "masstige" psuedo-niche private line of perfumes meant to emulate those of Dior, Chanel, and Tom Ford that function the same way. before Babycat by Yves Saint Laurent (2022) came along from the same range, this was the hype monster to beat in the "Le Vestiare" range, hugely popular with guys and gals alike, and constantly pimped by YouTubers hungry for views. Moustache Eau de Parfum by Rochas (2018) came along a few years later, and is oft-compared, being much cheaper to boot, and scratched that itch for a lot of guys at least, looking to get in on the hype train. When I reviewed Moustache Eau de Parfum I had not smelled this, so I couldn't connect the two, and while I still don't think they're perfectly alike, I can see how some might say "good enough" with the Rochas, especially for under $50.

What Juliette Karagueuzoglou does with Tuxedo is simultaneously deliver a jammy rose fragrance, while also giving us a fruity patchouli, blended into a benzoin-heavy semi-oriental chypre-ish base, smooth as silk. The violet plum nuances up top meet with the rest to produce a modern echo of Jolie Madame by Pierre Balmain (1953), which was a Germaine Cellier composition considered to be an early blueprint for a fruity rose fragrance; but to call Tuxedo any sort of true re-envisioned Jolie Madame would have all the vintage gatekeepers screaming at me, because "such beauty was once and never to be again", or some such depressing wistful rhetoric. I'm not about that mindset to be honest, so I say yeah, let's pay some homage to that while modernizing the approach into the base, with sheer musks and rose ketones, a bit of black pepper and vanilla bourbon, tonka and ambroxan. This is full-bodied but also not heavy, and that is very hard to do past or present.

The best way to describe this to someone who is not a perfume snob having smelled thousands of fragrances, is to just take a commercial rose patchouli oud, then simply pluck out the oud for a sheer modern base with resins, clean musks, vanilla, and pepper. There is something for everyone here, except for the price. Hence, clones and also-ran selections like the aforementioned Moustache Eau de Parfum abound. Maison Alhambra The Tux (2022) is the most direct doppelganger you'll find for a reasonable price, but The Suits by Fragrance World (2022) also exists as well. A lot of the things filtering into the market to offer lower-cost versions of this luxe-range YSL are also years late to the party, as Babycat has become "the new hotness" from the line. Tuxedo has also been renamed "Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli" for 2025, but the latter two parts are a subtitle, so I'm not sure if that really counts for much. I understand the former hype with this one. Thumbs up

As it progresses, this fragrance showcases a dominant sweet floral character resulting from the combination of rose and patchouli. However, I fail to grasp the hype surrounding it as it fails to captivate with its scent. The violet leaf note, while present in the opening, plays a minor role, leaving you primarily with the prominent notes of rose and patchouli. Unfortunately, the fragrance lacks the depth or intrigue to make it truly interesting or memorable.

The opening is one of those cliff edge moments. I was looking for a daily wearer cosy multipurpose scent. It starts off perfect. Fresh spicy masculine without being in your face. Subtle yet invigorating. Touch of bergamot but mainly violet pepper patchouli. Outstanding. Then the drydown. Increasingly sweet unisex violet rose Lilly vanilla touch of pepper and less of Patchouli. Perfectly nice and clearly well blended but... Would I want to know someone like me smelling like this? No. A lady with this? For sure. An older gentleman can get away with this as well. Given the hype and price this is a thumbs down. At half it would be neutral at 1/3 it would be thumbs up.
As a hot tip. I just bought Clive Christian Rock Rose. Now that is a stunner. Fulfills my criteria perfectly. Trouble is it's limited edition. When I told customer service that their value for money quotient risked dipping into the red unless there were seasonal discounts they behaved like one of those stuck up sales assistants in Harrods who can't even afford one of their products. He ignored the most important tool when dealing with people which is tactical empathy. Well I feel his pain as I bought it somewhere else.

I think it's important to not make this fragrance out to be more than it is. While I enjoy it very much, and love wearing it, it's not particularly complex, and I could just as easily see it being some sort of Paco Rabanne "NIGHT" release or something like that. In general, it's a warm, comfortable, sweet, toasty benzoin-vanilla fragrance for men with some subtle elegant embellishments of rose and patchouli. It feels very current and designer-like, best suited for evenings. Here's my review:

Tuxedo is a warm, sweet fragrance, with a soft, toasted caramellic accord blended among dark patchouli woods and a very subtle powdery elegance that results from a Rose and violet accord that sits deep in the heart. It almost seems as if it's going to be a gourmand in the way of something like Pure Malt but the rose and violet seem to keep it just on the edge, giving it just enough formality to keep it out of the “ooh I want to eat this” zone, and more along the lines of something that will make others want to lean in closer and eat you! What I mean is it's sweet, with a significant warm and toasty vanilla-caramel flavor comprising the majority of it, but it's also sensual and a bit dark and smooth, a romantic type of scent as opposed to just a “foody” type. From what I understand, Tuxedo contains copious amounts of ambroxan, and considering the warmth, and sweet fuzzy quality of its texture, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Ambroxan is somewhat chameleon-like in the way it can take on different flavors, but it always has this distinct, warmth and fuzziness that give it dimension and a unique, underlying sweetness. That quality is present throughout here. Performance is solid. Tuxedo is very, very long lasting with about mid-range projection. It diffuses very well and has present, noticeable sillage. Though it may be best in late fall and winter, the Ambroxan infuses it with a certain freshness that makes it so it's not too heavy and therefore capable in the spring and summer as well. I can imagine this appealing to a broad audience. It has both mainstream and niche appeal. Overall, it's comfortable and easy to wear, but perhaps best suited for evenings and special occasions (don't let that stop you though, I wear this in t-shirts too).

Final rating: 9/10


Side note: Tuxedo reminds me in a lot of ways of Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Though they are very different smells, BR540 having more obvious woody notes and a different sort of sweetness, much redder, crystalline and sugary-sweet at times, they both have their moments where they intersect, particularly concerning their texture and how their sweetness is ensconced in a very warm, cloudy-fuzzy buzz. I know for a fact that BR540 employs heavy amounts of ambroxan, and I imagine Tuxedo does as well, though I haven't heard one way or the other. I would say 540 is the sweeter of the two, and a bit brighter and more playful (it still smells great), and Tuxedo is the darker, more elegant and sensuous scent. Both are quite different and if you were tonown both it would not be redundant.

Boozy, spicy, smokey, with sweet, dried fruits, tea and a salty, green almost dusty leather note. Obviously, lots going on here.

It does remind me of something that I haven't placed yet. Comparisons are all over the place online. Maybe the best combo is to say this is kinda like mixing Gucci pH II with a little Feve Delicieuse, Ambre Naguile or maybe just a hint of Ombre Leather. I know there's no leather in here but something keeps giving off that vibe.

Not a huge projector but it does project persistently, doesn't fade over 8 hours.

Feels best for cooler weather, dressed up formal, more mature, refined.