Fragrance comparison

Primitif vs Y

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,294 ratings analysed

6 wins

Primitif

Max Factor

4.4569 votes

Rank #5,594 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Yves Saint Laurent

4.161,225 votes

Rank #26,720 GreenWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Primitif takes 6 of 7 categories.

Primitif
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Y
Choose it for a green and white floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring.

Primitif6/7

Y1/7

Ratings & consensus: Primitif
Community sentiment: Primitif
Longevity: Y
Sillage & projection: Primitif
Value for money: Primitif
Versatility: Primitif
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Primitif

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PrimitifMax Factor

YYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 69 votes

Have 53%Had 8%Want 39%

4.16/ 5 · 1,225 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerPrimitifRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

69 votes

44%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

1,225 votes

Category winnerPrimitifMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityY

SillagePrimitif

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value55

Category winnerPrimitifBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

musky92%

iris84%

woody77%

earthy69%

animalic61%

green100%

white floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

aldehydic69%

mossy61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesPeachBergamot

Heart

IrisJasmineBulgarian RoseYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyGeranium

Base

CivetMuskOakmossOrris RootAmberVetiverSandalwoodPatchouli

Top

AldehydesGreen NotesGalbanumHoneysucklePeachGardeniaMirabelle Plum

Heart

HiacynthOrris RootYlang-YlangJasmineTuberoseBulgarian Rose

Base

OakmossCivetVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodBenzoinStyraxAmber

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Peach, Jasmine and Bulgarian Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer36

Fall100

Winter86

Day65

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter43

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPrimitifMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex45

Women55

Men11

Unisex41

Women48

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,594

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#26,720

PerfumerMichel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPrimitifHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Primitif is a vintage floral chypre that wears soft-focus at first, then turns darker, warmer, and more carnal on skin. Reviewers repeatedly point to powdery iris, jasmine, patchouli, oakmoss, and animalic depth, with a peachy aldehydic lift up top. It suits shoppers who enjoy old-school structure, earthy moss, and a …

Reviews →

Y by Yves Saint Laurent is a crisp, bitter-green chypre perfume that opens with a sharp burst of galbanum, aldehydes, and tart mirabelle plum before settling into dewy hyacinth, creamy gardenia, and earthy oakmoss. First released in 1964, it balances brisk botanical freshness with a warm, mossy base of vetiver and pat…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Primitif or Y?

Primitif takes 6 of 7 categories. Primitif is rated 4.45/5 from 69 votes; Y is rated 4.16/5 from 1,225 votes. Choose Primitif for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Y for a green and white floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Primitif or Y?

Y lasts longest (Y 68/100, Primitif 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Primitif or Y?

Primitif projects furthest (Primitif 67/100, Y 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Primitif and Y smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Peach, Jasmine and Bulgarian Rose.

Is Primitif or Y better for summer or winter?

For summer, Primitif is the stronger pick. For winter, Primitif is the stronger pick. Primitif suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Primitif and Y?

Primitif has top notes of Aldehydes, Peach and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Musk, Oakmoss and Orris Root. Y has top notes of Aldehydes, Green Notes, Galbanum and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Hiacynth, Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Vetiver and Patchouli.