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zulu2150 – :
There was a bottle of this on my parent’s dresser that must have belonged to an uncle. I was eleven when I wore it to school, to impress people. Boy, it was strong and polarising. I didn’t use it much afterwards. By the time I was 15, the bottle was empty.
Now aged 35, it haunts me.
Sanches7 – :
This is a review of the first reformulated version in the black cap and glass bottle before it was discontinued. Same as the photo above.
At the start you can smell soft sour lemon mixed in with rosemary. Soon petagrain can be smelled within this fresh herbal mix. The scent is very unique and smells so natural. It’s like the creators left the lab and decided to create the scent at the local botanical gardens. lol
The lemon soon disappears and is overtaken with the rosemary and woods with soft spices. It is very nice, fresh green and as time goes by it becomes drier and musky in the basenotes. Now here is where things get interesting although it’s not listed in the note breakdown, I can smell castoreum. This is a animalic note that smells leathery, smoky and musky. Mixed in with rosemary and light woods and spices makes the scent very sensual at this final stage.
The scent projects well for the first few hours and then stays closer to you. Longevity is four or so hours but it does linger on your shirt/clothes a lot longer and can still be smelled.
All in all a very lovely natural smelling fragrance with top notch ingredients.
One thing to note is there are two versions, the original from 1983 in a black bottle which is very rare. It also smells a bit different as well as longevity and projection been a lot stronger. And then there is this one with the black cap and clear bottle which I believe was a post 2005 reformulation. So this explains the disparity in the reviews.
punisher626 – :
An oakmoss-rich, packed full of light herbs, citrus and luscious woods, YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentration is perhaps one of the longest-lasting designer scents of all time.
It’s been well over 30 years since this gem came out and in my opinion was way ahead of its time. Chanel had Pour Monsieur, Dior had Eau Sauvage, Givenchy had Monsieur de Givenchy, so the bar was set quite high for YSL to compete with. But they came out with this!
Of all the ‘homme’ or ‘monsieur’ fragrances this one cuts above them all in my opinion. Fresh yet slightly dirty, smooth yet herbaceous, strong but not overpowering and very long lasting, Haute Concentration oozes quality and class.
I have the first edition bottle, with the large YSL letters on the bottle and the box. But despair not! Vintage is not the only way to go these days. The regular YSL Pour Homme in the La Collection square bottles is remarkably similar to the vintage and now long-discontinued Haute Concentration.
I’ll never be without a bottle of this as it is just too classy to skip over. A thumbs up and an easy 5/5 for me.
minoga555666 – :
Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme Haute Concentration…
Pour Homme Haute Concentration is very daring, it takes balls to wear this one. Not because it’s weird or dated (It’s not dated) but because it’s so different from any other fragrance, when you wear this you are making a statement.
What you will get out of this on initial spray is a BLAST of Lemon with a soapy edge, very realistic and natural smelling.
Then as it drys down you will get to the dirty herbal heart while still maintaining the beautiful lemon note.
Further into the dry down it just smells clean, woody, still herbal with lingering lemon that won’t let up for the whole 10+ hour duration.
Scent: 10/10 – Unique, statement making fragrance. I get compliments that I smell amazing and “Clean”
Sillage: 10/10 – 2 Sprays MAX the sprayer disperses a lot of juice and you will be noticed, trust me.
Longevity: 10/10 – 10+ hours with a long lasting citrus note
Versatility: 10/10 – All seasons fragrance right here! For me personally it’s a warm weather workhorse, excellent for work, or weekend play.
This is a fragrance that needs time to understand and appreciate. Try before you buy. I highly suggest trying this one out if you like classical summer fragrances that put hair on your chest!!
drakonlev – :
This is one of my favorites.
It corresponds to the time when YSL was concerned with a true quality of its products.
It is unfortunate that they have “tear down” the founder YSL signature perfume “Pour Homme”, to give origin to a continuous production of clones/flankers of the new one (without charisma) “L’Homme”.
p.s.: Please do not extinguish (the King) “Kouros”, as they did with ‘Pour Homme’, ‘Jazz’, ‘Rive Gauche’ and ‘M7’.
alexeyey – :
This is pure brilliance! Very well said by hadrian, it needs a certain age and expertise to be fully appreciated but its just so wonderfully complex yet so simple at the same time that it makes your jaw drop. The dusty, slightly dirty or “off” citrus note just keeps on hanging around and boosting your mood to the moon and back. The performance is perfection and I am crying to see this disappearing…I want the days back when fragrances like this were made!!!!!
mehanik18 – :
I can very easily imagine Gordon Gekko wearing the hell out of this stuff. What an amazing masculine fragrance; better than most niche fragrances that are hot items today. If you ever get a chance to grab a bottle, do it. This stuff is becoming rather difficult to find. Truly a man’s man’s scent. 10/10.
pumba72 – :
I love YSL Pour Homme and it will always be in my rotation. But some of these reviews are just f()ing hilarious!
An embalmed lemon! Dusty Dude Scent!
So, so True! HAHAHA! But I’m gonna put it on anyway. 😛
metrolog-86 – :
I am wearing this for the second time today and enjoying it. I much prefer this to the original YSL Pour Homme, red cap. Overall, this one seems more evenly blended and I really like the powerful citrus at the beginning.
After what spartan has written I got the idea of combining it with Beckham’s Instinct and I must say the result is more office friendly but still with this fine fragrance ever present.
It also lets me use up the Instinct I have which I was a bit indifferent to. Instinct never smelt so good. 🙂
furunka – :
STUNNING! Just bought this blind because I like bright, sour, bitter and bit old fashioned fragrances and this totally delivers. Thanks to all the accurate posts in Fragrantica this was a totally successfull blind purchase, Thanks to All!
This fragrance has a very distinct aura which is extravagant yet not as dated as you might think. It just radiates a sort of simple sophistication which puts you in a good, self assured mood. Theres a story I would like to share; actually back in 1990 we had the Italian national football team in the city (Budapest) playing against the hungarian team and I was a huge fan of the italians. We decided to follow them to the Hotel and to their training session in the stadium. I remember my idol, their ultra cool goalkeeper Walter Zenga exiting the Hotel and as I was approaching him for an autograph and an exchange of a few words, I could smell a bright, lemony, cool scent which he was wearing. Since then I often wondered what that could have been. It got stuck in my mind and senses ever since. I have searched to try to find it but never really got it close with any scent I tried (I own over a 100). But now, I think THIS could have been it. It has everything that I remember smelling which captivated me as a great scent 24 years ago. Again thanks to Fragrantica and all the Members commenting on this perfume which made it possible for me to find this treasure! YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentreé I salute you!
AlexD – :
As I said, last year, in a humble review for YSL Pour Homme, you will need time to fully appreciate this couple of masterpieces: YSL PH & YSL PH Haute Concetration. You will need time – or shall I say “age”? – in order to completely understand their majestic simplicity.
Is YSL PH dated? Of course, it is. Despite the reformulation, it is NOT a “modern” frag. But it is that kind of perfume easely recognizable by any real connaisseur – the scent of the cleanness, the aroma of a vibrant and also pacefull & self-confident virility.
I recommend YSL PH for the day and the same in “haute concentration” for evening & night (I have both of them in current formulation – both are very good). Both of them share the same DNA – and, if you like the classic vibe in perfumes, go for them!
Three shots, two times per day, will teleport you in a space where the scent of a man is an unambigous proof of his masculinity. Nine of ten women will welcome you with a genuine and promising “ummmmmm”.
A deserved 9+/10
Айфи2 – :
old school…but still magic..love it so much..very good projection and Longevity..good work.
djkatsap – :
I own the 1971 version of this cologne as wel as the 1983 Haute concentration version and they’re both very similar. This 1983 version is a little cleaner, by that I mean that it’s fresher. It starts out very lemony then settles into a nice oakmossy wood scent with just a touch of patchouli, although not as strong as say Givenchy Gentleman, and it retains the lemon notes for hours unlike the 1971 version. One thing I noticed was that the ingredients piramid listed for this cologne is wrong; it doesn’t include oakmoss, even though it’s listed on the ingredients on my box. It has both Evernia Furfuracea extract and Evernia Prunastri extract. (oakmoss.)
kinokesc – :
Nice citrus floral woody frag. It opens with a huge shot of lemon like everyone else here mentions and I think I get a little of the carnation too. After about an hour the petitgrain comes out in a weird way on my skin and hangs around for 30 minutes. Definitely don’t like that part of this ride. Then it goes away and the lemon slowly fades into a semi-sweet(Tonka),cool, woody, with maybe a hint of powder, fresh scent. I like this one but the ride only lasted 3-4 hours. Still….not bad.
298381 – :
Very much like Pour Homme. This is a fabulous scent. It has something in there…a note that makes it special. Lasts ages and sillage is great. Pour Homme Concentree is a sort of “sweaty mellow citrus” – but that is a positive comment. Simply, one of the best men’s fragrances on the planet (along with Pour Homme) and a real classic.
csu838elipseskism – :
A clean, animalic, crisp and edgy “old school” scent that exemplifies real manhood. This has become one of my most treasured friends. It starts off strong with a lemon/citrus/dirty punch in the face and then gradually transforms with the help of your personal scent into a majestic manly adventure. If your looking for something safe, please continue looking. If you want a scent that will let others know that you control your own destiny with class, then you have just made a lifelong friend.
playsleby – :
Blind buy based on positive reviews. Three hours after applying one shot to the back of my hand, my son asked me to roll the windows down in the car because he felt his nose burning. Similar to lemon pledge but not as friendly. On the positive side, bottle vaporizes very nicely.
Shipped bottle to frangrantica member.
AbnommaSonjar – :
Brilliant, classic scent – it is what you can call “Real man’s freshness”. The big citrus storm on the opening , and fresh and warm spices little bit later… just excellent aroma… so naturally masculine. Masterpiece – 10/10 in every point.
FReDneformal – :
BEAUTIFUL bottle!
xkp967speagoessenda – :
It is a beast in a bottle. A powerful citrus with spice that fills the entire room of an aroma that projects a classic, fresh, woody spicy with slight barbershop fragrance.
There is an animalic feel, aquatic & after shower fleeting along the spices. It is winter evening when I applied this, all over my neck, wrist & chest. My whole room smells far from an air freshener despite a dominant citrus. I went out of the room to prepare dinner & after an hour, my room still smells awesome. This is one of the real powerhouse perfume that does not cloy. I never though this will work on minus temperature/cold nights.
I highly recommend this to men late 20’s & up. This is versatile, all-weather, all occasion because power bottle it may be, sillage & longevity monster, this will please the weare & definitely attract both genders to get near you. Women would love this on a man especially when worn right after a bath. Is this a cuddly scent? Give it an hour and you will be irresistible to your loving partner. This can match those highly reviewed niche fragrances.
Well refined, rich, manly freshness & very pleasant spice that exude “sophistication & a classy gentleman”.
I rate this 9.5/10 for over all quality & compliments. One of the best chypre with citrus & spices. I even smell some hints of leather on heart & base.
ПРАЗДНИК – :
I found this unusual 2.5oz bottle in a forgotten corner of e-bay. This is one of my historic finds. It has a black cap, red collar and clear bottle with juice the color of stout within made in France. I would say its Haute Concentree for its strenght alone. Or it was the original formula from the 1970s? I have never encountered something like this before-other than the original Y-a dark smokey chypre. Perhaps it is from 1971?
OK, its quite old. Nothing has gone off. One spray on the back of my hand resembles a thick dark oil. The citric notes are quickly rushed off stage by a field of green herbs. Its so carefully composed that nothing can be picked out. Its like the botanicals
were put in this giant compressor and left for years to merge together. Its inexplicable, really.
I wonder how this devolved into office safe fluff?
There is a heavy, richer, resious amber-musk note that give it a deeper, more dense almost smokey quality. I detect no coumarone. It is still a chypre, yet one of the darkest richest chypre for men I have ever encountered. Yes, this YSL PH is sexy. I guess it needed to be before Kouros. Its more of a whispered seduction. Its clean, sharp and cozy-wrapped in a big thick blanket with your lover. Those are but a few words I can find for this epic liquid.
Alas, this version has long since left the market. My original bottle was from 1983, lighter, yet definitely of its lineage. This tops it. I always felt I was the world biggest YSL fanatic, yet this slipped by my nose.
This was the empire builder. The rest is history. Sadly, I believe there are only a few of these bottles left on the planet. If you are familiar with it, please share your experience. If you are lucky enough to find a bottle, grab it. Mine was $17-worth $100s!
celebrity=Sean Connery 007
vitek5 – :
when you didn’t need niche perfumery to fly high, this stuff was the real stuff
narKOTIK – :
I just got my bottle today.
A blind buy after so many great reviews. So now, this bottle will be given away or will just end up in the trash.
I HATE it. The lemon top is brash and synthetic with something that reminds me of moth balls. The animalic phase is pure scrubber, think “gas station washroom”, and on me it lasts a good hour. The drydown is pleasant, but I have to go through 2 hours of something that I really dislike. Of course, it lasts a long time. It is obviously quality, and I am sure that it can smell differently on someone else. It should absolutely be tried on before buying. Be warned!
anollaZidlins – :
YEAH BABY! YSL broke the boundary with this by using such an intense citrus yet undeniably keep an eau de cologne structure. The citrus and aromatics are so strong in the beginning it almost resembles the smell of citrus on an unwashed person’s pits. Classic French perfumery, I tell you. Let the scent breathe a bit on your skin and you will find underpinnings of a warm, herbaceous and spicy and hesperidic harmony.
You have to understand its heritage or at least respect or have a nostalgia for classics, much like seeing and experiencing the look and feel of a vintage Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
I’m sure there has been a reformulation at some time. It has been so long ago–I do remember smelling it just like it is now, but my memory tells me that the old version of the original EdT had much better balance and an unmistakable warmth at its base. This recent edition of the concentree seems to carry its warmth, but diminished because of the higher strength of citrus and aromatic florals.
This is a joy to wear when you crave old world gentlemanly sophistication. The atomizer is great in producing a light and controlled mist. Disperse it evenly on yourself–smells nicer that way.
jenfromcandp – :
Dare I say – brilliant! YSL Pour Homme’s original bottling came out in 1971 while this entirely different composition arrived in 1983, a full dozen years later. For fans of the genre, familiarity with the classic bottles is essential to understand this composition. It shrinks the note pyramid of YSL Pour Homme, and is not stronger (both are Eau de Toilette) – but it shows us how aromatic compounds can be deeper and more focused. A huge blast of lemon opens this scent but is immediately blended with petit grain. The depth of citrus here is phenomenal – it will last the entire wearing…up to 10+ hours and stay on clothing for several days! The carnation-clove in the top, while just a light nuance in the traditional YSL Pour Homme bottling is much more prevalent here. A key note that brings this together, which I believe is missing from the scent pyramid above is verbena (or lemon verbena) that blends brilliantly with the rosemary and sage to give us the herbal heart. I get a great earthiness in this from the deep, herbaceous patchouli – possibly the best use of patchouli in a citrus fragrance! The wood here is important, but blended well – cedar, sandalwood and a nice, slightly-dirty/bitter vetiver accord that is rounded out by the nutmeg offering a dustiness into the base notes. Rounded out by a nice damp and elegant moss in the base (not listed in the pyramid above). Treemoss (Evernia Furfuracea) and Oakmoss (Evernia Prunastri) are present – both listed ingredients on the back of the box. Not mentioned above, but one does get a nice note of warm moss in the base (quite noticeable and very good for a reformulated bottle after 2000/2001). Final point to note is a well-done, integrated note of musk. It has a radiance and slightly animalic tonality – bringing body chemistry into the wearing of this scent. It is exquisite. I love this overall texture…the depth is stunning and the composition is harmonious!
Some people say this is a very strong scent. While it may awaken your olfactory senses – it is aromatically rich and a different scent than its older brother. This is, to me, one of the best Haute Concentrations of an Aromatic Citrus Chypre ever produced – because it does what many attempt to do, perfectly…it decreases the number of notes from the original and, yet, makes the composition deeper and richer (than ‘standard’ formulation).
A modern classic – to be worn with swagger, confidence and honesty. This is a scent with confidence in just a light to moderate application. While I find myself torn on which is better, I reach for the YSL Pour Homme standard bottling to feel its warmth, coziness and natural beauty that feels so ‘organic’ – this is the one I wear when I want to be noticed. It is more refined & focused. Excellence in a bottle. YSL Pour Homme Haute Concentration is a scent that stays within the lines of the genre, yet goes at least one (or two) levels richer in olfactory depth – awesome. Profound and to be respected!
Only for those who adore what an aromatic citrus can offer when it is turned up to full volume. This is much like feedback on a tube amplifier – loud & noisy to some; beautiful (and harmonically-perfect) to others. Cheers! Very near perfection.
kyzapunk – :
Wow! I received my bottle couple of days ago, and I`m impressed! This is the type of classical citrus-woody-aromatic scent I`ve been looking for. I thought I liked Boucheron P-H, Armani eau pour homme, Dior eau Savage etc, but YSL Pour homme Concentration beats them all by a large margin. The citrus top-notes are very intense, natural and strong. After 15-20 minutes the woody aromatic spicy notes starts to appear, and the scent becomes more elegant and classy. This is not a modern scent, but a timeless concervative classic that reeks of sophistication. I think it will work well in all seasons and for most occasions (maby not the most casual). Go easy on the trigger, because the sillage and longevity are excellent. One spray to the chest and one to the neck – thats it! This has become one of my top favorits, and I give it 10/10.
I hope this masterpiece will stay in production forever!
339933 – :
Goes on like a lion and settles down like a lamb, so don’t get grossed out by the opening (which has a strong animalic quallity too). This is a great alternative for those who are used to “fresh” or aquatic fragrances, but have come to perceive them as “synthetic,” thin, boring, or too youthful. For me, the base is more dynamic and interesting than fragrances like Eau Sauvage. One word of advice: do not smell it up close on the skin. Let it drift up to your nose.
UPDATE: This has an animalic/musky quality that is definitely out of fashion but the blending keeps it in check. A lemony quality hangs on for a very long time, along with the herbal rosemary and florals element. The base has strong tonka bean but I’m not getting strong patchouli or woods. The nutmeg seems to smooth things out more than anything else. I think I prefer vintage Woods of Windsor to this one, because the notes seem to contrast better. Here there is a bit of a clash, I think due to the lemon being so strong. However, if you like lemon it may be just what you’re seeking. !
DarioSmir – :
I´ve been using the Concentrated version of YSL Pour Homme for a while and I´ve come to a rather sad conclusion: they don´t make these kinds of perfumes any more. In the tsunami of light, ozonic/aquatic fragrances, YSL Pour Homme must come across as a creature from a world light years away from ours. I love its lemon opening- so juicy and invigorating, its musty yet sexy herbs, as well as its longevity which enables you to enjoy the presence of this rare beauty for hours and hours. Will it ever be discontinued? In my opinion, as long as style, elegance and the desire to stand out from the dull grey crowds endure, so will this fragrance.