YSL dupes: every Yves Saint Laurent twin, counted and priced

Black Opium, Libre, Y, La Nuit de L'Homme. Yves Saint Laurent's perfumes are worn everywhere, and copied almost as widely: by our count, YSL is the third most copied brand in perfume. We counted every YSL fragrance we track and every cheaper twin made to smell like one.

The YSL bottles everyone copies

Black Opium leads, with 42 twins on sale. Libre is next with 33, then Tuxedo with 29. 59 of the 149 have no twin at all: the dupe houses pick their targets.

1. 01 Black OpiumYves Saint Laurent · 2014 42 twins
2. 02 LibreYves Saint Laurent · 2019 33 twins
3. 03 TuxedoYves Saint Laurent · 2015 29 twins
4. 04 Black Opium Le ParfumYves Saint Laurent · 2023 27 twins
5. 05 Black Opium Eau de ToiletteYves Saint Laurent · 2015 26 twins
6. 06 BabycatYves Saint Laurent · 2022 21 twins
7. 07 Libre Le ParfumYves Saint Laurent · 2022 20 twins
8. 08 Libre Eau de ToiletteYves Saint Laurent · 2021 20 twins
9. 09 La Nuit de L'HommeYves Saint Laurent · 2009 19 twins
10. 10 ParisYves Saint Laurent · 1983 14 twins

One name, many strengths

YSL sells most of its hits in several strengths: a first release, then an eau de toilette or eau de parfum, an intense, a Le Parfum, an elixir. The copiers do not chase them equally. In 6 of the 7 lines below, the first release is still the most copied, by a clear margin. Pick a line to see every version with a twin, and the cheapest twin of each per 100ml.

What the original costs, and what the twin costs

Black Opium lists at $280 per 100ml. The cheapest twin we can measure the same way is Grandeur Elite Optimum Noir, at $20. Slide to set how much you get through in a year.

What you would keep

If you get through 2 × 100ml a year

YSL Black Opium

$560

Optimum Noir

$40

Back in your pocket

$520

The lowest price per 100ml for any YSL twin is Fragrance World Bubbly, made after Babycat, at $16. Why we always compare per 100ml: the number every dupe list leaves out.

Which twins are actually close?

Wearers have scored 28 YSL twins so far, and 9 of them land at 80% or better. The closest are below. A twin is judged in the first hour; read the review for the drydown before you buy.

1. 01 E Maison Alhambra · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent BabycatEbeneMaison Alhambra Ébène mirrors Babycat, but with smoky depth 92%
2. 02 Maison Alhambra · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent LibreLeonieLéonie captures Libre’s lavender heart for a fraction 90%
3. 03 French Avenue · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent BabycatFierteFierté mirrors Babycat’s smoky vanilla – at a fraction 88%
4. 04 Armaf · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau de ParfumDunescapeArmaf Dunescape echoes YSL Y with a citrus twist 88%
5. 05 Riiffs · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit de L'HommeFareedFareed mirrors La Nuit’s spice without the price tag 88%
6. 06 Montagne Parfums · sold as a twin of Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit de L'HommeLa Nuit 2011La Nuit 2011 hits the mark, with a citrus twist 85%

Your turn · reader poll

Which YSL would you buy as a twin?

Black OpiumLibreYLa Nuit de L'HommeNone, I buy YSL itself

Every YSL we track, with all its twins cheapest first, is on the Yves Saint Laurent page. For the twins wearers rate highest across every house, see the twins that actually work.