Estee Lauder • Youth Dew • Fragrances

rated 3.1(237 reviews)

Average Rating.3.1
Would buy this product again.51%
Package Quality3.3
Price2.8
Ingredients

rated 1 of 5 melbell1 on 12/20/2009 2:44:00 AM more reviews by melbell1

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

When ladies wanted me to spray this for them at the counter I would hold my breath! It is so strong and stinks really bad.I noticed a more mature women like this fragrance.Its the first EL fragrance bit definitely the worst.

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Hothead on 11/20/2009 4:59:00 PM more reviews by Hothead

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I was given this as a gift when i turned 30... eek!
All these years later, and I still love this fragrance. I do admit that sometimes when I find it too strong (something which many claim as the reason they hate it), I will spritz it on and take my shower afterwards.. the fragrance just looms and lingers on me and all over me.
My husband loves it and I am so used to the scent that I would not feel ME without it. I am not saying that I have not strayed and used other fragrances.. I do and will continue to do so. Fragrance is one of the many pleasures of life.
But this one is my favorite feminine scent and I will continue to buy it.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 britneenick on 11/19/2009 12:03:00 AM more reviews by britneenick

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I used to work at an Estee Lauder counter and every time a woman (usually over the age of 60) would come test or buy Youth Dew, I would cringe. On its own, and on people who had the wrong body chemistry, it can smell pretty bad.
One day, I went out of town for a Lauder product school. Another BA had to apply Youth Dew body creme and parfum on me to show how to demonstrate to customers. When I heard Youth Dew, I was terrified. Once it was on my skin, however, it settled amazingly. I smelled sexy, gorgeous, confident, and classy.
Later that evening, I went out to a club and was still wearing the Youth Dew. I had SIX! different men approach me and tell me I smelled wonderful! My friends agreed. No one could believe it was Youth Dew.
Ever since, whenever I wear it I am always complimented by both men and women and everyone is shocked when hearing it is Youth Dew. Use it sparingly, as it is strong. I like to layer the scent and use minimal parfum. It doesn't smell good on everyone, and if you just test it from the bottle in the store, you will definitely not love it.

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* novelist on 10/25/2009 5:29:00 PM more reviews by novelist

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

First, a little history of my years with this perfume. About 15 years ago, when I was so young, 39! -- I was at a school function and got a whiff of a delightful and warm fragrance. I asked the woman the name of her perfume; she said, "Youth Dew." I'd never heard of it. This gal was about 10 years younger than me so I thought it was a new fragrance for younger women; that type of marketing was just beginning. back then in the mid-1990's. I asked my hairdresser about it and she said it was her favorite perfume. My hairdresser was my age. So I went to the dept. store and tried it, and fell in love. It looked like root beer in an adorable bottle with the gold bow, so sweet!
At that time, I wore (and still wear) Ombre Rose and Old Spice (got the biggest reaction from men from this classic scent whose ruination I am still grieving). So I added Youth Dew to my small perfume collection. Then my hormones began their circus act when I hit my mid-40's and perfumes did not smell the same on me, for me, to me. I took a seven year break, and when I returned to some semblance of body chemistry sanity, I took a whiff of Youth Dew and fell in love all over again.
This fragrance is not for younger women, and by younger I mean anyone under thirty. It is a scent for a female who has lived life more than a little, and is treasuring the memories of her youth, although she may still be very youthful. Frangrance is ALL about memories; you are either recalling them, evoking them, or making them. Youth Dew is evocative, and it takes some time on this earth to evoke things worthwhile.
The scent to me is warm, sweet, spicy, with a touch of leather and a lushness all its own which I find somewhat embracing. My husband loves it. One saleswoman in the perfume section of a high-end department store adored it on me, was certain it was Chanel, and was amazed it was humble Estee Lauder Youth Dew. She said on me it was very very nice. I tend toward spicy powdery ambery scents and I think that my chemistry just naturally agrees with a perfume like Youth Dew.
Do not bathe yourself in it because a little is all you need. There is a bit of moss to tone down the spicy floral scent, and I find the total experience of wearing it throughout the day and into the night (it will last till the next morning) a very sensual feeling but not in a harsh way. It soothes me but also stimulates me.
Perfume is such an individual matter that I recommend it only with certain caveats: not for girls, not for grumpy gals, not for women who are too busy to sit back and savour the dew of youth. I was raised among old ladies, and among old women who were not ladies, and I never inhaled anything this lovely in their presence.
I am almost through my latest bottle, and plan to repurchase eau de parfum in the spring.

26 out of 26 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 fcirone1 on 10/14/2009 11:41:00 AM more reviews by fcirone1

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am soooo loving this right now. Perfect Fall/winter fragrance. I feel so special when i wear this. It actually puts me in a better mood i find. Sort of perks me up when im feeling down. I spray it on a few time thru the day.......and actually it goes quite soft. I find it actually doesn't last too long on the skin but more so if you spray it on your hair or clothes. I want to try the body powder, oil, and lotion. Wonderful fragrance, very distinctive. I highly recommend!!!

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rated 1 of 5 marticica888 on 9/26/2009 6:18:00 PM more reviews by marticica888

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Pretty much everything about this perfume makes me laugh... just look at the name, smell it, look at the color of perfume in the bottle. Its all very ironic. Just go smell it and you'll know what im talking about.

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rated 2 of 5 Jenblossom32 on 8/15/2009 11:24:00 PM more reviews by Jenblossom32

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I'd like to buy a bottle of this the bath oil and ONLY put 1 or 2 drops in the bath on a cold day. Only then, I imagine I might appreciate this stings-the-nostrils-1950's perfume
**Update Nov.2012** I really like this now. I wear the bath oil. Although my mother said that it smells like "band-aids", I don't care I like it..

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rated 2 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* JenJenofAz on 8/6/2009 2:59:00 PM more reviews by JenJenofAz

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Youth Dew.........Or as I like to call it, Youth Pew. This stuff really does reek to high Hell. Seriously, this smells like something's decaying! Why it's called "Youth Dew" is something I cannot fathom...........NO ONE smells youthful when they wear this! My mother has tried it, my sister has tried it, and even I wore it and we ALL stank like the corpses from the Living Dead! Now, I really don't get "old lady" with this; what I get is a death like stench! See my other review on Knowing and you'll "know" just what I mean! This smells moldy, old, musty, like something left rotting! MOTHBALLS come close. Maybe even rotting meat. I've never smelled this "Dew" stuff on anyone and thought it smelled great. And most "old ladies" that I knew were wearing Chanel #5 and they smelled great(and looked great!) compared to some of the other stinkies we have out there!

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rated 1 of 5 clarestella on 8/5/2009 6:45:00 PM more reviews by clarestella

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Although I am an older lady this fragrance is way too strong for me. I am active on some perfume forums and Youth Dew is rated quite highly by most of the members but I find it totally unwearable. It is so strong it gives me a headache. If you do like the scent, you certainly get your money's worth because a couple of squirts will last for at least a day.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 msgenie516 on 8/1/2009 11:16:00 PM more reviews by msgenie516

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

All of you Youth-Dew HATERS (I KNOW you‘re out there), please READ THIS! Okay, many of you would consider me an “old lady” but I’m not the “old lady” type at all. I actually feel that the older you get, you need to put a little more effort into your appearance and you can still be quite attractive. That is why I joined MUA in the first place! The ratings given by all of you helpful members have been invaluable to me in choosing my beauty products.

So, about Youth-Dew…

I have been one of the “HATERS” of this fragrance for many, many years. I sniffed it right out of the bottle and all I could think was “Ew-w-w! This is awful! How can they even sell such a thing?“ Gosh, with the dark color, it even LOOKS intimidating!

But one fateful day, I was at the store and there was a Youth-Dew tester available. So the thought came to me “If this product has been on the market for so many years, there has to be SOMETHING good about it. Why don’t I just try it for once?” So I GENEROUSLY sprayed my self and went about my business of the day--grocery shopping, banking, trip to the post office, etc.

To my complete and utter shock, several people commented on how wonderful I smelled! I think my mouth must have dropped! The funny thing was, after the fragrance dried, I hardly noticed it and became very comfortable wearing it. After I went home, I decided I would buy a bottle of this darned stuff and wear it every day for a while just to see what happens. For the next week, I was getting compliments left and right on this fragrance from men and women of all ages!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fragrances and have been wearing many different ones over the years, but could never find the RIGHT ONE. I got some compliments here and there, but nothing like with the Youth-Dew. Just yesterday, a woman stopped me in a convenience store because she had to find out what fragrance I was wearing. When I told her it was Youth-Dew, she looked surprised and said that she had that fragrance at one time but it never smelled the same on her as it smelled on me.

So I am really convinced that it is a matter of body chemistry and that fragrances change according to who wears them. I decided to write this review to give others the inspiration to actually try Youth-Dew. Some of you may find that it is really entirely different from anything you could have imagined.

Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought Youth-Dew would have become my HG fragrance but now I wish they made more Youth-Dew scented products, such as shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and even deodorant! It is THAT GOOD on me and I have purchased it again, and again, and AGAIN! My HG fragrance for sure!

36 out of 38 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* aquamarine11 on 7/31/2009 8:43:00 PM more reviews by aquamarine11

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This perfume has an ironic name, because it really does have that "old lady" smell. Not anything in the ingredients, just because it is so popular among older women that the association is there when you smell this one. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so strong, but I can't imagine wearing this.

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rated 2 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Codeblue on 7/12/2009 3:08:00 PM more reviews by Codeblue

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Dark and brooding like an approaching thunderstorm, this one was way ahead of its time insomuch as it's SO Goth! I wear it infrequently since it urges me to kick off my high heels, head for my chains, leathers, dog collars, black lipstick, dark cloak, and Doc Martins, grab the candles, and glide blackly out the door to attend a seance or a mysterious gothic rite. Old dolls like me shouldn't even be thinking of such things! So smack me upside the haid and call me granny, but it's gloomy, moody, and a perfect scent for Morticia of the Addams Family or Cruella DeVille. Which, in retrospect, isn't particularly a bad thing.

14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 mkhongms on 6/9/2009 3:44:00 AM more reviews by mkhongms

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

HG!! First started wearing the Parfum that came with my Christmas set of minis. On me this is sweet but needs to be used sparingly. Too much and it smells like strong baby powder.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 meltorme2005 on 4/7/2009 1:13:00 AM more reviews by meltorme2005

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

reeks like a$$. scrubber after trying on in ulta, yikes!!!

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rated 1 of 5 Glam1 on 4/7/2009 1:08:00 AM more reviews by Glam1

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

My mom uses this perfume and I decided to try it.
It smelled awful and I had to get in the shower right away to take it off.
Not for me.

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rated 5 of 5 hapababy on 3/8/2009 4:03:00 PM more reviews by hapababy

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Like many of the other reviewers, I didn't care for amber fragrances when I was younger--I didn't like Opium either. (Estee Lauder reportedly dismissed Opium as "Youth Dew with tassels" when it was introduced.)
I wanted to find a warm, Oriental fragrance that I liked and my DH could tolerate (he's not much of a perfume guy) and this was the one. It won out over the similar (to me) Cinnibar, because Cinnibar dries down to that fakey cinnamon spice candle smell.
One spray lasts all day, and I do enjoy the scent, but because of the perfume's popularity, I'm afraid that I'm walking around reminding people of their great-aunts.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 pricep2399 on 3/4/2009 5:47:00 PM more reviews by pricep2399

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I am obsessed with this fragrance. A friend wore it and I hated it on her ... but now I love it. My personal theory: once you're around the halfway mark of life, things that smell loamy become weirdly appealing as a way of getting used to death. Not that I think YD smells like 'death' but I do think that's the source of the 'old lady', 'dirt', 'funerals' and so on revulsion regarding this fragrance. I'm especially into the weird rubber note ... it's like a skid mark or a strip from a blown tire, or even like a big fat tire itself just sitting in the middle of this frag. It keeps me coming back to it. Too bad I live in a hot humid place and cannot possibly wear this year around.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Magixz on 2/2/2009 12:29:00 AM more reviews by Magixz

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Every time I use this one, or smell it on someone else, I remember the 60's all over again. ;-) Guess it has to be the age thing, but I really do like this fragrance. It does seem to smell different on most people though. I say that because sometimes I think it is a different perfume on a lady and when I ask, she usually says it is Youth Dew. Youth Dew to me has a spicy, woods, leather, and incense smell all rolled into a blend together. It only takes a very light spray to go a long way and to last all day.
UpDate:
I recently bought a new bottle of this one. I noticed it on a lady in the store and mentioned how nice she smelled. She told me it was Youth Dew. I decided then to get another bottle for myself. I was nicely shocked to see the price is still very reasonable. $30! Most of my fragrances cost over $100 so this was a real treat. I still only need a little to go a long way which makes this fragrance a great deal if you are old enough to wear it. ;-)

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 sarasweetie99 on 1/27/2009 11:19:00 AM more reviews by sarasweetie99

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This perfume has to be one of the worst smells ever! My Mom dropped a bottle of this in our basement once and it smelled like soiled laundry!

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rated 2 of 5 switchbladie on 1/27/2009 11:08:00 AM more reviews by switchbladie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

cute bottle, vintage looking. but honestly not my cup of tea.
i get mixed reviews at my job. the younger people and men say it smells like hippies and inscense. the older ladies at my job love it. and my circle of friends hate it and screamed old lady when i sprayed it.
funny thing is i have no scent glands in my nose so i cant really give it my own personal review. other then im told on me its not a good scent. with the name "youth dew" you would think it would be a light colored/scented purfume.
i got it as a gift from x-mas from an old man (that explains it!) so i feel bad not using it. i only wear it when i know im going to be walking around or outside alot becuase one spray honestly goes a long way and i feel like after airing out for a bit it can be pleasent.

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