Dear Perfume Guy! You did the right thing going to Galeries Lafayette Haussman. They have all the limited editions. A few years ago it was the only place that still had my favorite, Narciso for her - Oil perfume!
The problem to me is not the price, it's that it comes in such big bottles. In my country I can only choose 75 ml or 125 ml, which are both way too much product. I have a lot of fragrances, so that big of a bottle I will never ever finish. I prefer buying 30 ml or maybe 50 ml.
Ropion has a great partnership with YSL, he was behind the Y line and many of the L'Homme and La Nuit flankers. Wish he would talk them into reviving Rive Gauche again.
You are particularly handsome today Sebastian..I have been waiting to hear your take on this fragrance. This one is getting a lot of hype..and I am so tickled that you know of a more affordable alternative! It is soo cool they are both created by the MAN Dominique Ropion! I mean- it's almost impossible to get your hands on Babycat right now anyway...so, I will check out the alternative first! Thank You...xoxo
I have both Babycat and Vanagloria (thanks to your recommendation, Sebastian) and I love them both! On my skin, I find that the Vanagloria is definitely lighter, especially on the opening with fruity notes from the pineapple accord. The Babycat to me is deeper and richer, more smoky. Both are similar, for sure, just those subtle differences on my skin. Also, just fyi, the YSL’s Le Vestiaire collection is generally available in both 75ml and 125ml bottles, so there are two different price levels accordingly.
Babycat is available at Holts in Canada, so I did test it out and it instantly reminded me of Mateu #5. Insanely so. I did purchased it, because it's stunning, but I'm really questioning my decision. On my skin, they are very similar.
Thank you for this review/info! I just ordered a sample of the Vanagloria (LOL it sold out on Ministry of Scent so quickly after you posted this! But, Etsy to the rescue). I have a small decant of Babycat and just got the "inspired" version by Dua called "Vanilla Baby" delivered today, hoping it would be close. I only sprayed a half hour ago so this is early thoughts...they are VERY similar in the opening, but then the Dua version leans heavy on the frankincense note (at least on me) the longer I sit here, even though that's not a note listed, that's almost all I'm getting...I am totally transported back to the church pews of my childhood lol. It's a lovely scent, but the vanilla seems to be SO quickly lost, whereas the Babycat vanilla note lingers and is what makes it feel like such a beautiful balance of the sweet and smoky/incense-y notes all the way through.
Agreed. Black Peppers = incense to my nose. I have real trouble distinguishing between the two. Rosendo Matheu 5 is near identical to Vanagloria, so we've got another dupe
Hey Sebastian, awesome video. You are right. Babycat is quite similar to Amouage attar Vanilla Barka. Also Rosendo Mateu no. 5... Looking forward to the Le Vestaire Top 10
this is a fenomenal fragrance! sprayed myself with it in the shop and on myyy I am getting it! expensive but so worth it. mind blowing for me . appreciate your alternatives
Für mich riecht Babycat fast zu 100 Prozent wie Valjues Six der zumindest hier in Deutschland sehr gut zu bekommen ist. Und er ist günstiger. Danke für die tollen Beiträge
I noticed this trend that perfumers kind of copy themselves across different brands. Little disappointing tbh, considering the fact that Mr. Ropion is indeed one of my favorite perfumers as well. Thanks for the review!
Babycat is very nice, but ysl Caban is nicer! Have you tried that release yet! Can you do a video on Caban! I've gotten so many compliments wearing that one. Very strong, stays on my shirts for days, even after I wash them!
With the euro and pound so close to the usd, now is probably the time to get stuff from Europe. Because what goes up.....well, it won't be so fun after that. Appreciate that alternative Sebastian. Perfumers love to recycle ideas.
I appreciate the review. It's nice to see something I've never explore. It's nice to learn from someone who is knowledgeable and doesn't act silly. As,I have mentioned before I have bad anxiety and Frangrances help me with that. Weird for most people to understand. I'm building a great collection and have come along way from my 1 bottle of Armani code 5 years ago..lol.Tha KS again for your reviews and knowledge.
This is giving similar notes to BDK’s new Ambre Safrano. Wondering which of the two to pick for that ambery, leathery vanilla I’m craving. Have you experienced that one yet? Also, Babycat is a reference to a famous YSL print. Those who know the house well will appreciate the reference
I compared samples of the two as many people said on fragrantica they saw similarities between them and indeed Babycat starts to smell like Vanagloria half an hour after application. However, if I had to choose I would prefer Babycat because it is warmer and more cozy to me 🐱
I've got to sample Babycat when I was in Berlin, but the first fragrance that came to mind was Rosendo Mateu no. 5 and to be honest I prefer that one more, so in the end I didn't buy it. I have Vanagloria at home, but to me Vanagloria is more similar to Penhaligon's Babylon, but without the incense. I guess I must try them all again. Thank you for the video!
@@marisamountaki Yes, you smell the rubber in the opening similar to no. 5, but not so intense and after it is a mellow version of no. 5. It is nice and sexy, but pity it has that rubber note.
It seems to me that it's common practice among master perfumers to use similar formulations when creating different perfumes for different houses. Alberto Morillas comes to mind: Chopard Nuit des Rois vs his very own Perfect Oud.
@@unicornifelici6135 Yep, I bought mine in Milan from Rinascente for 151€ (they gave me 10% discount), but on the Italian YSLbeauty website it's still 104€ for 75ml and 150€ for 125ml! They are sold out, though, unfortunately!
I don’t know why Dominique Ropion “the master perfumer” is keeping copying his creations once& twice, he did the exact thing with FM the promise & OmanLuxery Oud Acquilaria, they’re almost identical, with little minor differences.. Nice video as usual Sebastian..
When I tried this one in store, it didn't do anything for me. I walked out instead with their other new release Lavalliere. I'll have to revisit Babycat another time. Fortunately this collection is fairly easy to get in store in Dubai.
Thanks for doing this review Sebastian , I have been wanting Babycat for so long . I almost pulled the trigger on Vangaloria last week from a previous review . This sounds like a great alternative . Cheers Brutha 😎
I just received Tuxedo in the mail from Neiman Marcus which is the only place that had it. I guess it’s been discontinued, it’s absolutely a beautiful scent. So far it’s my fiancé’s favorite, I have always heard Women love Tuxedo. And I compared it to Moustache and it’s not even close. Tuxedo is far superior perfumery. I’m definitely going to get more into this line, can’t wait for the video on the line to drop today. Great review.
@@Xtina19 yeah now it is, Babycat is hard to get now, but my 10ml has been getting me by until they get some stock in. It’s as good, maybe I dare say better than Tuxedo.
Fragrances are so much cheaper to buy in France now because of the conversion rate. It’s so annoying because I’ll look at the French website and things will say like 190 euro and the Euro and the dollar are about equal now so if you bought in France you’d be buying for $200, but the US website will say like $350. Makes me want to wait till I go back to France again before I buy some of these expensive fragrances
I buy a lot of my perfumes from Europe for this exact reason. You can get a selfridges membership for I believe $50 for free shipping if for a year and have access to a lot of exclusives and niche fragrances that are much cheaper than here in the states. It’s worth it if you buy a lot. Also jovoy has a minimum spend of $400 for free shipping or else I believe it’s $50 shipping, but when I order there I always do at least $400 worth to get free shipping and I can get 4 niche fragrances for the price of 2 over here in the states. Another good site is nose perfumery, they have free shipping to the states with a 200 dollar spend and again, way better prices.
@@vannamae__ thank you for these tips! I've been incredibly frustrated not being able to get these new scents in the states so I am going to check out self ridges right now! 👍
I’m subscribed with Selfridges. So I pay $40-$50/year, then add the tax. Which really isn’t that much of a discount. I’m fortunate to be able travel once or twice a year to Paris and will wait till then … and get reimbursed at custom airport.
It really depends on what perfumes you’re buying when it comes to selfridges. I buy a lot of my BTV perfumes from them and even after tax, it saves me 60-100, sometimes more depending on the perfume because on the BTV website you have to pay $300 plus tax for free shipping and I just bought another BTV the other day actually and paid $258 for it tax included on selfridges. I saved $80 on it purchasing it that way. Jusbox is another brand that you can get a good discount on and not to mention the exclusives that are only sold there you have access too. I have some awesome limited editions I snagged at a great price. Even Babycat is soooo much cheaper on there. It’s 230 with tax for the biggest bottle meanwhile sellers in the states are selling it for $350 and up. Totally worth it imo to shop on selfridges and take advance of their membership program. And the cash back from rakuten when using the site also helps save even more.
I finally got a decant of this and it was almost an instant love. about 30 minutes later i couldnt stop smelling myself. I didnt think I would like it since I hated Mateu Rosendo 5. But this smells a tad like Rosendo mateu 5 but not overwhelming rubber i also get a similar vanilla to Guerlain SDV. This is sexy and yummy. its 10 celcius today and its a bit sweet. I dont so quickly buy a bottle but i did quickly after trying it and sadly a year later almost i got it from debijenkorf in the Netherlands and it was €297 the prices must have really gone up. I love powdery fragrances and this smells how i wanted tobacco vaniile to smell i love the smell of tobacco leaf and i know theres no tobacco note in it but the smokiness gives me that smell and its delicious and sexy!
This is a weird one. He's right about it being a smokey, incense-y gunpowdery vanilla. if you want to smell like a suede jacket that someone loaded up with fresh baked cookies and left hanging in hippy head shop, go for it. It doesn't repel but it doesn't draw you in either. I'm left wondering, why? I might consider it, if they cut the price in half.
I want, I want Sebastian. Just for the name and even though I have Vanagloria thanks to you and your review from last year. I love Babycat name and been wanting since you announced in a video. Great review.
So glad to hear you’ll be covering the Le Vestaire collection. I’m slowly getting into it now and really enjoying it. Interested to hear your take. Cheers.
Haven't tried any of the two but if they're that similar I go for Vanagloria. I also heard that it's similar to Rosendo Mateu No. 5. Thanks for the review Sebastian!!!
To me it's not similar to Rosendo Mateu No. 5. This is Vanilla and Rosendo is more Amber plus this is very dry and the Rosendo is very syrupy! But then again all noses are different! :)
I have Penhaligon’s Eau the Audacity: same perfumer, same scent. Babycat copycat. Surprised is not mentioned. I actually prefer it to Babycat which is slightly rougher.
Babycat isssss EVERYTHING! 😻😻😻Why are you not a fan of Attars? Just curious. Vanilla Barka is amazing too but it is a little pricey. I love anything Dominique Ropian does.❤
Would Babycat be a good replacement for the discontinued Prada original amber perfume? I really enjoy the way you explain the fragrances and similarities!!! Great video!!!
Dominique Ropion used to copy his own creations and market them in different perfume houses, another example of this is Promise from Frederic Malle and Oud Aquilaria from Omanluxury, they are typical dubes with way different prices; how shameful
I'm definitely interested in trying this YSL fragrance, and I've been interested in trying the L.O. I'm almost certain that Dominique Ropion would use those ingredients in a good way: I enjoy Costume National Homme (EDP and Parfum) and Issey Miyake Noir Argent. Also, thanks for the info. concerning the price differences between the U.S. and the E.U.
My boy( 12 years old) once dropped Amouage and the bottle broke, as weel as my heart :( The boy is fine, no emotional damage, we just talked a bit about this, so it hopefully won't happen again. Bought the perfume again :)
I'm not sure what's happening...but I emailed YSL corporate right after Christmas about Babycat and their response was that it was discontinued. I got on Scent Split in Houston three weeks ago browsing around, and they had Babycat decants AND full bottles for sale...to the tune of $450.00 a bottle. Needless to say, I got a decant and thought I would have to live with that the rest of my life. Watching another RU-vidr out of San Diego Saturday and she said she got her Babycat from Fragrance Lord (New Jersey), so I jumped on their website. They were offering it for $330 plus an additional discount code on their banner. I wasted no time ordering...and it was actually in the hands of the post office on Saturday to be delivered to me TODAY, which is Tuesday!!! Total price $297.00...and literally in my hands 3/4th of the way across the country...in THREE days!!! I'm shocked after my response from YSL Corporate...but very very very pleased!!!
I have never smelled Vanagloria, so I cannot comment on that, BUT when I first smelled Babycat, I thought it was a near dupe of Rosendo Mateu 5. It’s just as sweet and has the right type of smokiness, the only diff my nose detects is a bit more oud in the RM5, making it a bit more edgy. But I mean, they are so close, i feel owning both would be somewhat redundant. Right now, I cannot get my hands on a FB of Babycat 😢, so I’m enjoying RM5, but when I do, I might get rid of the 5… 🤷🏼♀️
Great review. I smelled it but didn't get a sample. It didn't grab me but I might go back to Holts and grab a sample. I just have so many samples to work through, even if I got a sample, it could be months before I try it.
Just received a sample of Vanagloria, and all I'm getting an hour after application, is the sense that I fell into a vat of Lagavulin (a very peaty scotch whiskey). No vanilla so far. Actually Vanagloria reminds me more of Xerjoff's LUXOR sans the cinnamon.
Everything is way more expensive in the U.S., because companies know that Americans make way more money than people in Europe. The salaries in America are incomparable to any other country.
@@ThePerfumeGuy 😢😢😢 so sad! It bought it at YSL boutique so the perfume is legit. The downside is that they changed the presentation and now is crap! And the price is ridiculous
Nice review! as always! You are one my favourite reviewers and love love and trust your advices. I found Babycat online and bought it for 297 euro for 125 ml and I've didn't dare to open yet since I want to find the 75 ml first or buy Vanagloria(actually that will be next). However I need to do my research since is sold out everywhere except on that online store. I don't know why is sold out everywhere since is a 2022 fragrance?
I loved your demo of the box. The same thing happened to me - how frustrating. I couldn't understand why when I put the perfume back in its little square indent, the top of the box would not attach smoothly. So easy to drop.
I have a fragrance with a similar box design and the problem is that the top fits too well creating high air pressure to build as you're closing it. What I do is wiggle it at an angle to release some of the pressure.🤔🤔
Can’t find Babycat anywhere 😭😭 Honestly, to me, Babycat smells the closets to Rosendo Mateu 5. The latter is a bit less refined and maybe it has a little pud in there or just more incense, not sure, I didn’t look up the notes, just going by what I smell. Extremely close.
I was looking forward to this video. Selfridges carries Babycat but they sell out really fast!! I go on their website every day I might get lucky 🍀 😂. Is Babycat different from Lune Feline? I am waiting on my Lune Feline to come in. But I’m also thinking if is worth having both or are they different?
