Well, let me tell ya ’bout this here perfume, the “illicit green ysl,” or whatever them fancy folks call it. I ain’t no expert, mind you, just a plain ol’ woman, but I know what smells good and what don’t. And this here stuff, well, it smells kinda…interestin’.

First off, they say it’s got somethin’ called “green mandarin” in it. Now, I’ve eaten plenty of mandarins in my day, but never seen a green one. Guess it’s one of them fancy things city people like. Anyway, this green mandarin, it smells kinda…zingy. Like a lemon, but not quite. More like a…a sweet lemon, if that makes any sense.
Then there’s this “coffee” smell. Now, I love me a good cup of coffee in the mornin’, but this ain’t your grandma’s Folgers. It’s strong, real strong, but kinda sweet too. Like them fancy coffee drinks them young’uns get at the city coffee shop. It’s kinda got a kick to it, you know? Wakes you up a bit.
- Green Mandarin: Smells zesty, like a sweet lemon.
- Coffee: Strong and sweet, like fancy coffee drinks.
- Fig and Fig Leaf: A little bit sweet, a little bit green, kinda earthy.
And then there’s this “fig” smell. Now, I ain’t never eaten a fig in my life, but this smell, it’s kinda…sweet, but not too sweet. And kinda green, too. Like when you break a branch off a tree and it smells all fresh and earthy. They also say it’s got “fig leaf” in it, which I guess just means more of that green, earthy smell. It all mixes together somehow, the sweet and the zingy and the earthy.
Oh, and they say there’s “jasmine” in it too. Now, jasmine, that’s a flower, right? I used to have some growin’ in my yard. It smells sweet, real sweet, but kinda…flowery, if that makes sense. Like a fancy lady’s perfume. But this ain’t just plain ol’ jasmine, it’s mixed in with all them other smells, so it ain’t too strong. Just a little bit of sweetness to balance out the zing and the coffee.
And somethin’ called “orange blossom.” That’s another flower, I reckon. Smells kinda like oranges, but sweeter, and…well, flowery, like the jasmine. It all gets mixed up together, you see? The green mandarin, the coffee, the fig, the jasmine, the orange blossom…it’s a whole mess of smells, but somehow it works.

They also talk about “patchouli”. I ain’t too familiar with that, but if I had to guess, it’s kinda like that woodsy smell you get after it rains. Not like pine trees, but somethin’ earthier, deeper. It’s in there, kinda hidin’ under all the other smells, but you can still catch a whiff of it if you pay attention. It gives the whole thing a bit of…well, I don’t know what you’d call it. Depth, maybe? Makes it smell more…grown-up, I guess.
And last but not least, they say it’s got “pear” in it. Now, pears, I know. They’re sweet and juicy. And you can kinda smell that in this perfume, but it ain’t like bitin’ into a fresh pear. It’s more like…a hint of pear, mixed in with all the other stuff. It adds a little bit of extra sweetness, I think.
So, what’s it all smell like together? Well, it’s hard to say exactly. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s zingy, but not too zingy. It’s earthy, it’s flowery, it’s got that coffee kick…it’s a whole bunch of things all mixed up together. It’s kinda like a fancy drink, the kind them city folks pay a lot of money for. But instead of drinkin’ it, you put it on your skin.
Now, I ain’t sayin’ it’s the best smellin’ thing I ever smelled. And I ain’t sayin’ it’s for everyone. But it’s different, that’s for sure. It’s got a little bit of somethin’ for everyone, I reckon. If you like sweet smells, you’ll like it. If you like zingy smells, you’ll like it. If you like earthy smells, you’ll like it. It’s kinda like…a party in a bottle, I guess. And it lasts a good long while too, which is more than I can say for some of them cheap perfumes they sell down at the dollar store.
So, that’s my take on this here “illicit green ysl” perfume. It ain’t the kind of thing I’d wear every day, mind you. But for a special occasion, or when you want to feel a little bit fancy, it might just do the trick. It definitely ain’t your grandma’s rosewater, that’s for sure.
