I’d like to think this blog will be the apex of my writing career so far with Decant House, but I’d be leaving a lot of really good other musings in the dark. It’s no secret that patchouli fragrances are my favorite, and I love them almost as much as I love egg nog. Obviously, I wouldn’t DRINK Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli by YSL, but who’s to say I didn’t sip a tall glass of egg nog WHILE sniffing Tuxedo on my hand?? Working smarter, not harder, people.
It’s the holiday season and it’s wicked cold where I live. I think with the wind blowing right now it’s 2 degrees outside – another day in paradise. I am however in my warm home with a tux on each hand that have been there most of the day and I think I have enough to go off of to write a perfect compare/contrast composition. On the other hand, I think I could literally sum this entire blog up in three words and just post it – “they the same”.
But I won’t.
The notes for Tuxedo by Yves Saint Laurent (EDP) are:
Opening: Violet leaf, coriander, bergamot.
Mid: Rose, black pepper, lily-of-the-valley
Base: Patchouli, bourbon vanilla, ambergris
The notes for Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli by Yves Saint Laurent (EDP) are:
<see above>
That’s right. The notes are absolutely positively identical in every way; the concentration is the same and I’m 99% sure the ingredients that make up these notes are also the same. We’ve been duped…by a re-branding. YSL Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli is now part of YSL’s Le Vestiaire Des Parfums line…nothing more…nothing less. It is without a doubt that meme of Spiderman pointing at Spiderman.
The winner here is Tuxedo – original EDP or Sharp Patchouli, take your pick. Doesn’t matter. If you have the original, don’t go buy this one. Even as a completionist I’d say hold off friend. Buy the new black label version once your original has been depleted. There’s absolutely zero difference between the two so hold onto that white label as long as you can.
As I said, I could literally end this in three words, but I figure, while I’m here let’s talk about it, shall we? Tuxedo itself I rank very, very high: 9.5 to be exact. This fragrance has everything going for it and I love it unconditionally. Only thing difficult to swallow with this fragrance is the price but that pales in comparison to how it smells. Could you go cheaper and do the route of Moustache by Rochas? Kismet by Alhambra? Or even the aptly named “The Tux” by Maison Alhambra? I mean, you could, but something about Tuxedo and the raw ingredients they use make it better in my opinion. I will opt for the original over any dupe any day.
Final Thoughts
I’m the guy going to the grocery store and buying Rao’s sauce and not the store brand. I also go and buy jeans from American Eagle and not from Old Navy. We’re not just talking price difference here people, but also value in what you’re getting. I could buy three pairs of Old Navy jeans, rip a hole in the crotch in all three and still be on the same one pair of jeans by American Eagle. Are they more expensive? Yes. Do they last longer though? Yes. Quality over price.
For me, the same rings true with fragrances. I’d rather have the original – not the dupe. Even if you have to save for it, give me Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli all day and give me Creed Aventus all day. You can keep “The Tux” and Nitro Platinum or Montblanc Explorer (or any of the hundreds of dupes out there for Aventus). Are any dupes bad? Nope, they’re just a wannabe trying to copy something that’s already been done. Be original. Be unique.
Check out Tuxedo Sharp Patchouli for yourself. It’s an amazing fragrance – so good that YSL literally didn’t change a thing about it. That my friends, is perfection. Have a wonderful and safe New Year, and I’ll catch you in 2026!
