YSL Babycat Review: Notes, Longevity and Who It Suits

YSL Babycat is a unisex vanilla and suede Eau de Parfum by perfumer Dominique Ropion¹, launched in 2022². It opens with sharp pepper and incense, then settles into a warm vanilla that is not dessert-sweet and, Essence reports, lasts through the day³. YSL France lists the 75 ml bottle at €230⁴.

• Notes: pink pepper, black pepper and elemi, then olibanum and saffron, then vanilla, cedarwood and a suede accord¹.
• Wear: the opening is intense for the first five to ten minutes, and Essence says the scent lasts easily through the day³.
• Best for: autumn and winter, and evenings^3,1.
• Trying it first: Scento sells Babycat as a 2 ml decant for €22.90.

Babycat at a glance

Curious? Try Yves Saint Laurent Babycat as a decant, from €22.90Try it →

What YSL Babycat smells like

YSL lists pink pepper, black pepper and elemi at the top, olibanum and a saffron accord in the heart, and vanilla, cedarwood and a suede accord at the base¹. In plain terms, that is a spicy, resinous opening over a warm, leathery vanilla. If you like the idea of vanilla but not of sugar, the suede and olibanum are what keep this one dry and smoky.

Ropion describes the idea himself: “I wanted to emphasize the leathery nuance naturally found in vanilla and to work the perfume around the contrast between this aspect and the gourmand character of the ingredient with its creamy, warm, sensual facets”¹. YSL calls the suede accord “a sensual, enveloping suede accord combining exotic spices and sizzling resins”¹.

Parfumo summarises the scent as sweet-smoky, with sweet, smoky, spicy, resinous and leathery as its main accords⁵. Essence agrees on the sweetness: “the vanilla here is sophisticated rather than dessert-like”³.

The cap is textured like grain de poudre, the fabric of Saint Laurent’s tuxedo².

The name comes from YSL’s leopard print. According to the launch text quoted by Now Smell This, it “was first sighted in the couturier’s collections on a silk dress in 1968”⁶.

How it wears: opening, heart and drydown

The opening

The first minutes are the divisive part. Essence describes “an intense blast of pink and black pepper paired with incense notes that are honestly quite sharp”, and says it is “almost overwhelming in the best way possible” for the first five to ten minutes³. Its verdict: “While that opening might not be for everyone, the payoff is absolutely worth it”³.

The heart

As the pepper softens, the listed heart of olibanum and a saffron accord comes forward¹. This is the resinous, incense-like stage. If that is a family you enjoy, our guide to the best incense perfumes covers it in more depth.

The drydown

The vanilla then arrives. Essence writes that it “emerges warm and enveloping, wrapped in this gorgeous suede accord”³. Cedarwood sits underneath¹. For readers who want to compare other vanilla styles, see the best vanilla perfumes guide, and for suede and leather the best leather perfumes.

Longevity and projection

Three sources point the same way. Essence says “the projection and longevity on this are impressive. You only need a few sprays, and it lasts easily through the day with good sillage”³. Parfumo’s summary reads “Projection and longevity are above-average”⁵. YSL itself promises “an exceptionally potent trail”¹.

One Parfumo reviewer gives hours: “Projects like a maniac for 4 hours or more .. then up to 8 hours stays like a skin scent”⁵. That is one person’s skin, so treat it as a guide, not a promise.

YSL’s own application tip is “Apply on pulse points: wrist, inner elbow and neck”⁷. Given how strongly it projects, start with a small number of sprays.

Who Babycat suits, and when to wear it

YSL lists Babycat as a “Unisex Fragrance”¹, and Parfumo lists it for women and men⁵. It suits three kinds of wearer in particular:

• People who like vanilla but find most of it too sweet, since Essence calls this one sophisticated rather than dessert-like³.
• Fans of incense and leather, who will recognise the olibanum heart and suede base¹.
• Anyone looking for an evening scent. YSL says “Think intimate dinners, dimly lit bars, and late-night rendezvous”¹.

For season, Essence calls it “perfect for autumn and winter weather”³. Anyone who dislikes a sharp, peppery-incense start may find it is not for them, as Essence puts it (“that opening might not be for everyone”)³, which is a good reason to test it on skin before buying a bottle.

Babycat and Babycat Raw Bourbon

You may see Babycat sold as “Babycat Eau de Parfum Raw Bourbon”. YSL Beauty Canada lists it with the same notes and the same Dominique Ropion text as the standard page, under the same product code⁸. Fragrantica lists Babycat Raw Bourbon as a 2025 launch by Ropion, with black and pink pepper, olibanum, saffron and resins, and vanilla, suede and cedarwood⁹.

So the newer bottles carry the Raw Bourbon name with the same listed notes. This article covers the Babycat Eau de Parfum as YSL lists it. At launch in 2022 it was sold as a 125 ml Eau de Parfum².

Where Babycat sits in Le Vestiaire des Parfums

Babycat belongs to Le Vestiaire des Parfums, YSL’s collection that also includes Muse, Tuxedo, Cuir, Gold and others¹⁰. Scento stocks three of its sister fragrances. Each shares at least one material with Babycat, which is a useful way to see how the collection fits together. They are different perfumes, not versions of Babycat.

For the wider house, see our Yves Saint Laurent page and the guide to the best Yves Saint Laurent perfumes.

Babycat price per ml and trying it first

YSL France sells 75 ml for €230, which is about €3.07 per ml⁴. YSL itself prints €306.67 per 100 ml⁴. That is a serious commitment for a perfume with a divisive opening.

A 2 ml decant costs more per ml than the bottle, so it is not a saving. It is a way to find out whether the first ten minutes work on your skin before you spend €230. By our analysis of YSL’s French list price, a 2 ml decant at €22.90 costs about a tenth of the bottle price. Scento’s Babycat decants come in 2 ml (€22.90), 5 ml (€40.95) and 8 ml (€62.90). Across Scento’s paid decant units from October 2025 to September 2026, 76% were 2 ml, 11% were 5 ml and 9.5% were 8 ml (Scento Fragrance Index, Europe).

Essence’s conclusion is that the payoff is worth the opening³. If you want to find out for yourself, wear it for a full day.

How we compiled this

Notes, perfumer and occasion come from YSL Beauty’s own pages. The price was read from YSL Beauté France on 4 November 2026. Performance comes from named published sources, each attributed in the text. Decant prices are Scento’s retail prices, and the size mix is a share of paid decant units in Europe from October 2025 to September 2026.

Sources

1. 1Babycat Eau de Parfum, YSL Beauty International, read 4 November 2026.
2. 2Yves Saint Laurent Babycat — New in Le Vestiaire des Parfums, Fragrantica, Sanja Pekić, 31 March 2022.
3. 3ESScent Of The Week: The YSL Babycat Hype Is Real (And Here’s Why), Essence, Kimberly Wilson, 24 October 2025.
4. 4Babycat Eau de Parfum, YSL Beauté France, read 4 November 2026.
5. 5Babycat by Yves Saint Laurent, Parfumo, read 4 November 2026.
6. 6Yves Saint Laurent Babycat ~ new fragrance, Now Smell This, Robin, 7 April 2022.
7. 7Babycat — Le Vestiaire des Parfums, YSL Beauty US, read 4 November 2026.
8. 8Babycat Eau de Parfum Raw Bourbon, YSL Beauty Canada, read 4 November 2026.
9. 9Babycat Raw Bourbon, Fragrantica, read 4 November 2026.
10. 10Explore Le Vestiaire des Parfums with Master Perfumers, YSL Beauty, read 4 November 2026.
11. 11Cuir Eau de Parfum, YSL Beauty International, read 4 November 2026.
12. 12Tuxedo Eau de Parfum, YSL Beauty International, read 4 November 2026.
13. 13Muse Eau de Parfum, YSL Beauty International, read 4 November 2026.