Fragrance comparison

L'Eau Froide vs Yves Saint Laurent Y

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 5,770 ratings analysed

4 wins

L'Eau Froide

Serge Lutens · 2011

3.731,424 votes

Rank #4,293 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Yves Saint Laurent Y

Yves Saint Laurent

3.924,346 votes

Rank #1,894 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Eau Froide takes 4 of 7 categories.

L'Eau Froide
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Yves Saint Laurent Y
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

L'Eau Froide4/7

Yves Saint Laurent Y3/7

Ratings & consensus: Yves Saint Laurent Y
Community sentiment: L'Eau Froide
Longevity: L'Eau Froide
Sillage & projection: L'Eau Froide
Value for money: Yves Saint Laurent Y
Versatility: L'Eau Froide
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Yves Saint Laurent Y

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

L'Eau FroideSerge Lutens

Yves Saint Laurent YYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 1,424 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.92/ 5 · 4,346 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

Category winnerYves Saint Laurent YRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

168 votes

35%Love

40%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

4,346 votes

Category winnerL'Eau FroideMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityL'Eau Froide

SillageL'Eau Froide

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value49

Category winnerYves Saint Laurent YBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

green77%

marine69%

warm spicy61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

citrus77%

green69%

amber61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and green

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

Sea waterMintIncenseOlibanumGingerVetiverMuskPepper

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesBergamotGingerLemonMint

Heart

AppleViolet LeafPineappleSageGeranium

Base

AmbergrisMuskCedarBalsam FirVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesMint, Incense, Ginger and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter46

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter22

Day–

Night–

Category winnerL'Eau FroideMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men20

Unisex67

Women13

Men87

Unisex11

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,293

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched2011

Reviews96

Overall rank#1,894

PerfumerDominique Ropion

Launched—

Reviews210

Category winnerYves Saint Laurent YHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Eau Froide by Serge Lutens is a bracing unisex scent that defies traditional aquatic conventions. It balances sharp, cooling mint with resinous olibanum and incense, creating a crisp, clean aesthetic. Perfect for intense summer heat or high-humidity days, it offers an invigorating experience that feels both glacial …

Reviews →

Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau de Toilette is a crisp, clean woody aromatic cologne built around bright bergamot, fresh ginger, and crisp green apple. It opens with an airy splash of aldehydes and lemon before settling into herbal sage and soft cedarwood. Easy to wear and refreshing, it feels like putting on a freshly washe…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, L'Eau Froide or Yves Saint Laurent Y?

L'Eau Froide takes 4 of 7 categories. L'Eau Froide is rated 3.73/5 from 1,424 votes; Yves Saint Laurent Y is rated 3.92/5 from 4,346 votes. Choose L'Eau Froide for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Yves Saint Laurent Y for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, L'Eau Froide or Yves Saint Laurent Y?

L'Eau Froide lasts longest (L'Eau Froide 64/100, Yves Saint Laurent Y 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Eau Froide or Yves Saint Laurent Y?

Projection is very close: L'Eau Froide 55/100, Yves Saint Laurent Y 53/100 for sillage.

Do L'Eau Froide and Yves Saint Laurent Y smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and green accords. Common notes include Mint, Incense, Ginger and Vetiver.

Is L'Eau Froide or Yves Saint Laurent Y better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Eau Froide is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Eau Froide is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Eau Froide and Yves Saint Laurent Y?

L'Eau Froide features Sea water, Mint, Incense, Olibanum and Ginger. Yves Saint Laurent Y has top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot, Ginger and Lemon, heart notes of Apple, Violet Leaf, Pineapple and Sage, a base of Ambergris, Musk, Cedar and Balsam Fir.