Fragrance comparison

Y vs Ylang 49

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 2,528 ratings analysed

Yves Saint Laurent

4.161,225 votes

Rank #25,760 GreenWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Ylang 49

Le Labo

3.851,303 votes

Rank #1,706 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ylang 49 takes 4 of 7 categories.

Y
Choose it for a green and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Ylang 49
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Y3/7

Ylang 494/7

Ratings & consensus: Y
Community sentiment: Y
Longevity: Ylang 49
Sillage & projection: Ylang 49
Value for money: Y
Versatility: Ylang 49
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ylang 49

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

YYves Saint Laurent

Ylang 49Le Labo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 1,225 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.85/ 5 · 1,303 votes

Have 40%Had 13%Want 47%

Category winnerYRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

1,225 votes

38%Love

32%Like

12%Ok

14%Dislike

4%Hate

1,303 votes

Category winnerYMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityYlang 49

SillageYlang 49

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value29

Category winnerYBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

white floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

aldehydic69%

mossy61%

woody100%

earthy92%

patchouli84%

yellow floral77%

mossy69%

white floral61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, earthy and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesGreen NotesGalbanumHoneysucklePeachGardeniaMirabelle Plum

Heart

HiacynthOrris RootYlang-YlangJasmineTuberoseBulgarian Rose

Base

OakmossCivetVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodBenzoinStyraxAmber

Notes

PatchouliYlang-YlangOakmossTahitian GardeniaVetiverBenzoinSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Ylang-Ylang, Oakmoss and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Ylang 49, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter43

Day–

Night–

Spring88

Summer50

Fall100

Winter64

Day100

Night80

Category winnerYlang 49Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex41

Women48

Men7

Unisex41

Women51

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,760

PerfumerMichel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,706

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews185

Category winnerYlang 49Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Ylang 49 by Le Labo is a rich floral chypre centered on lush flowers and deep forest earth. The fragrance opens with an immediate burst of creamy ylang-ylang and ripe Tahitian gardenia, delivering a heady floral punch. Beneath the floral surface, the scent turns dark and grounding. Heavy patchouli and crisp oakmoss fo…

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, Y or Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 takes 4 of 7 categories. Y is rated 4.16/5 from 1,225 votes; Ylang 49 is rated 3.85/5 from 1,303 votes. Choose Y for a green and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Ylang 49 for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Y or Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 lasts longest (Ylang 49 75/100, Y 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Y or Ylang 49?

Ylang 49 projects furthest (Ylang 49 69/100, Y 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Y and Ylang 49 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, earthy and white floral accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Ylang-Ylang, Oakmoss and Vetiver.

Is Y or Ylang 49 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ylang 49 is the stronger pick. For winter, Ylang 49 is the stronger pick. Ylang 49 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Y and Ylang 49?

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. Ylang 49 features Patchouli, Ylang-Ylang, Oakmoss, Tahitian Gardenia and Vetiver.