Estee Lauder • Youth Dew • Fragrances

*TOP REVIEWER* snarkyharper on 4/3/2008 3:05:00 PM more reviews by snarkyharper

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Four words: Try The Bath Oil. It's an entirely different experience. The edp is as dark and heavy as the grave, so thick and dense you can't hear what it is trying to say. But a bare drop of the bath oil on your wrist, and you are suffused with the glow of warm-spicy-woody-musky goodness.
My mother uses just a bit of the bath oil every once in awhile; she is quite the old-school perfumista, and she ALWAYS smells fabulous.
Seriously. Try the bath oil and you might be pleasantly surprised. It is hard to believe it is the same fragrance as the edp.

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ACJ78 on 3/26/2008 11:28:00 PM more reviews by ACJ78

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Whew! My aunt sprayed this on me so I could see what it was like. I think she has the perfume concentrate, and after scrubbing with soap and water (twice!), it still smells so strong. I am not sensitive to perfumes, but obviously this is an exception. It is uncomfortably intense. I know this is gross, but it makes me think of an old lady that hasn't showered and sprayed on a ton of perfume to cover it up. To call this cloying would be the understatement of the century.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Brunneria on 3/21/2008 4:53:00 PM more reviews by Brunneria

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

My partner and I went into a department store yesterday, and he passed me his Xmas bonus gift card, and said 'We don't leave here til you have spent it on yourself.' Wonderful man, eh?
So I wandered around, looking at a few things, and we reached the perfume section. Well, my problem with most perfumes is that they turn to cat's pee on my skin - don't think I am joking! There are very few that stay acceptible, and only 3 or 4 have ever been pleasant enough for me to wear for more than an hour without resorting to soap and water. Some of them even make me nauseous.
Add to this joyous picture the fact that the vanilla-fruit-sweet-sickly-light-as-a-froth-celebrity-whiffs that seem so fashionable always remind me of a friend who breathed bubblegum over me for most of my childhood... and you can guess that my trip round that perfume counter was fairly fast. Grin.
And then I saw the Youth Dew bottle and thought, haven't I heard of that? Wasn't there something about how horrible that one was...?
So I picked it up and took off the lid and took a suspiciously tentative sniff. Oh my, I was flooded with warmth, with spice, with resinous woody, hints of floral, depth and colour.
Immediately, I knew that even if it didn't suit my skin, even if cat's pee followed any physical contact, even if I was spraying this on my clothes, not me, it was coming home. But of course, the next stage was to try it, and then it got better!
On me, on my funny, acidic, temperamental, irritatingly inconvenient skin, this perfume softens, mellows, the sweetness fades, the tones balance and harmonise, it gentles, deepens, dries widens. And... my partner likes it too.
So, for all of you who don't like this - and there are many - just spare a thought for the few of us who get on with this sublime creation. It has taken 41 years for me to find this glorious scent, and I hope to be enjoying it for 40 more.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cavalletta on 1/29/2008 10:11:00 AM more reviews by cavalletta

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Funny thing, i was just reviewing a rare frag that gives me a headache and I thought of this. This is the rare other headache-inducer. And the person right below me agrees so i dont feel so bad! I can appreciate a good vintage perfume (l'heure bleu comes to mind) but this is horrid. I cant believe they still make it. Who knows? Maybe its marvelous on someone, but i couldnt imagine...

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GRUDGRIME on 1/3/2008 2:47:00 PM more reviews by GRUDGRIME

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

Headache in a bottle is the only way to describe this truly repulsive frangance.

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erika511 on 12/18/2007 5:26:00 PM more reviews by erika511

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I never thought I would actually want to wear Youth Dew. It was my paternal grandmother's scent and my mother wore it off and on in the 60's and 70's. When my grandmother died, in her bathroom were about 12 unopened boxes of Youth Dew. I took one and have had it ever since. Last weekend, I was looking for a spicy scent for the cooler weather and there it was in its box. I tried it out and thought that this might have been a mistake! It is very strong upon initial application, but after about 30 min, it is so much better and spicy and woody! Just a wonderful winter scent, and only one spray will last all day long. It makes me smile every time I wear it, thinking of my grandmother!

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carela11 on 11/20/2007 4:22:00 AM more reviews by carela11

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I can't express how I feel about this fragrance. I can only describe it as trully repulsive. I know these are harsh words, but it is one of the two fragrances that I do not enjoy. It is too potent. It is a very strange fragrance. I guess people could wear it to be different, but should not spray too much (please!!!!).

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*TOP REVIEWER* Nickylily on 11/1/2007 5:37:00 PM more reviews by Nickylily

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I have to agree with Mellimello's review point that this is just too musky and strong, My mom loves it, but I have always found it overwhelming of acidic musk, rose and some sort of earthy scent. Very artifical too.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mellimello on 10/20/2007 2:13:00 AM more reviews by mellimello

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I know this reminds a lot of people of their grandmothers, but both my grandma and I are in agreement over this scent: we think it's nasty. It's so overly musky and heavy that you feel like it's choking you. I'm usually a fan of rose notes but this is like bashing you over the head with it. My grandma smelled it once and said it was worse than anything she had ever smelled before and I have to agree with her.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Gracious_Lady on 10/1/2007 5:00:00 PM more reviews by Gracious_Lady

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Youth Dew was my maternal Grandmother's HG ever since I could remember. Grandma is gone now, but no matter, a mere whiff of Youth Dew to this day stops me in my tracks and transports me back to a very happy childhood and times spent with my Grandma Edna. Whether we were running errands, or heading to church, or preparing for one of her "ladies social club" meetings, Youth Dew evokes a certain space in time that is among my most cherished memories to date, and reminds me how grateful I am to have been blessed with her in my life. Youth Dew is a spicy number with a depth that bewilders, and no other scent could personify my Grandma Edna. She left her mark on me and in my life in more ways than one... among those marks, an eternal connection to this very quality perfume called Youth Dew, which she proudly wore as her signature scent for over 50 years. Advertised Notes: Top notes: Orange, Bergamot, Peach, Aldehydes, Middle note : Clove, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Cinnamom, Base notes: Amber, Tolu, Patchouli, Peru Balsam

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ditzycubanita824 on 9/27/2007 9:26:00 AM more reviews by ditzycubanita824

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This was my grandmother's signature scent.. This is what i remember her by. I remember growing up and she always wearing this. It would linger around the house for days. After her passing, i wanted something of hers that i could hold on to her by. I remember my mother spraying this around her clothes, and house so her memory would never be forgotten. I think in a way my mother would do this as a way of feeling like she was with her. My mom now wears this and i love it. This perfume is home to me. I will always have this perfume in my possesion. The 2 most influencial women to me have loved it and now so do i.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Kelly9 on 9/24/2007 10:58:00 PM more reviews by Kelly9

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

I like this, and never knew anyone who wore this (aside from a lady I worked with once) to give me any negative associations. To me, it is a sweet cola scent, heavy with amber and sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli. Flowers upon its opening, but they are mingled with the scent of a crackling fire. Oddly enough, I occasionally catch a clean laundry vibe from this also. Possibly aldehydes?
I agree with other comments about buying the bath oil instead, and dabbing it on as a perfume instead of buying the EDP. The bath oil is richer, more resins, and less of airy sandalwood and powder that is prominent in the EDP.

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saucyblossom on 9/1/2007 11:45:00 PM more reviews by saucyblossom

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

Well, I was inspired, as I was passing the Estee Lauder counter, to try Youth Dew again after several years. It reminds me of Christmas , when all my female relative on my Mom,s side got LOTS of Estee Lauder goodies...
Here's what happened on me. I sprayed some on a tester card, it smelled great. So I tried it on my wrist. .........
The first blast of the juice was downright unsettling. Yikes, What have I done, I thought. But after about about 20 seconds it evolved into a wonderful soft powdery woodsy rich scent. It went though a few minor changes for about 1/2 hour, lemony, sweet ect. , then settled into a weird "body odor" smell reminiscent of a baby with a pee diaper that is overdue for a change. And that's the small that stuck on me for several hours. Somewhat removed by washing.
Having said that, I would actually buy this however, because the tester card (and the sweater pocket I put it in) smelled WONDERFUL for hours/days. Rich creamy , vanilla, lemon chiffon, powdery and light as a cloud.
So, it doesn't work on my person..... however on the right person this would be heavenly..... I plan to use it as a sachet in my sweater drawer.

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CandyApple85 on 8/22/2007 12:22:00 PM more reviews by CandyApple85

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

This perfume is hideous! i bought it without having sampled it, on a whim, because i generally like quite heavy and old fashioned perfumes, and i adored the elegant vintage bottle. On first spray, i was pretty unimpressed, it just smelt like a powdery, dated perfume that had been sat in a cabinet for 20 years decaying. It smells like furniture polish and alcohol on me. After about half an hour, the scent became oppresive, people around me were commenting on it and not in a good way. i began to feel a bit suffocated by it, so i headed off to rinse my wrists with some soap and water to hopefully remove the perfume. however, after doing this TWICE, the scent still raged on. i tried it again on another day and suffered the same way. i wont be wearing this again, ever!

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Carlollie on 8/5/2007 1:10:00 AM more reviews by Carlollie

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

OMG a powerfully overwhelming synthetic blend that is unforgettable! And not in a good way.

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carlienyc on 7/14/2007 1:23:00 AM more reviews by carlienyc

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a very sensual and sexy fragrance. It's ultra concentrated so a little goes a long way. Men love it when I wear it. Again, just a touch does the trick. Very woodsy but feminine.

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*TOP REVIEWER* labegude on 7/13/2007 10:14:00 PM more reviews by labegude

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I love Youth Dew. Mom wore it and I sometimes wear it too. The thing I most love about Youth Dew is the way it lasts. In the old days when Youth Dew first came out, you used to get a little bottle of fragrance to put into your dryer to make clothes smell sweet and Youth Dew smells exactly like dryer scent; which is not a bad thing.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mermaidmaenad on 7/13/2007 1:35:00 PM more reviews by mermaidmaenad

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

i this is a MUST HAVE for me.. why? for reasons only marcel proust would understand:
my mom wore this in the mid to late 1960s, and she would bend over to kiss me goodnight and i would smell it. i was born in 1963, so in 1966 or so, i didnt know it was perfume she wore, i thought it was her natural scent. this is what moms are supposed to smell like, and if you had a good mom, it evokes good, happy memories. this will never ever ever be a bad choice of fragrance for me.
odd, my mom, now in her 80s.. wears ANGEL by Theirry Mugler!!! alas and alack-- it isnt the same...
i like wear youth dew now and then...reminds me of home..

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*TOP REVIEWER* youdroppedabalmonme on 7/12/2007 9:27:00 PM more reviews by youdroppedabalmonme

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Just to be clear on the enormous difference between YD spray and YD bath oil: the spray is by far the worst thing I have ever applied to my skin (the aldehydes remind me of bug spray or disinfectant, and I literally gag!) and the bath oil is among my very favorite scents in the world. So please, if you are intrigued by this non-conformist classic, try the bath oil before you decide! It's a better bargain anyway-- it's nearly 100% pure fragrance oil and lasts forever.
I sprinkle YD bath oil in my bath, and when I get out, I rub a few more drops between my hands and apply all over. The whole bathroom soon has that haunting YD aura of complexity: soft, cool rosy/powdery notes melded with rich spices. It is glamour and sex, old-school style. Makes me want to put on matte red lips and pearls. A beautiful, instantly recognizable scent that has made it nearly 60 years for good reason. A fragrant delight for those who enjoy woodsy, spicy, sillage-rich potions.
As some others have said, YD can be challenging to wear if you are used to sweeter and more sheer modern scents. On me, there is the initial lovely powder, then about 30 minutes of very musky jasmine (not my favorite), and then it settles into a spicy, luscious skin scent. When I dab on Youth-Dew, I feel like I'm having a relationship with a very complicated but stimulating person who is definitely going to keep my interest for the next 8 hours. And I like that!

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coolfreshair on 6/16/2007 11:54:00 AM more reviews by coolfreshair

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

You'll certainly knock 'em out with this one! This will destroy your nasal cavity with one breath. There's nothing subtle about this 'fragrance', it's a migrane waiting to happen. It's giving me a headache just reminding myself of its scent. My mum used to wear it on special occasions but it had the same effect as sitting in a room filled with cigarette smoke. Burning eyes, difficulty in breathing, feeling stifled - *bleurgh!!!*. It was such a relief when she ditched it and moved on ...

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