Estée Lauder Youth Dew

Estée Lauder Youth Dew is described as a Spicy Resinous Oriental. It is my signature scent for fall and winter. I adore this perfume! I got my first bottle in the mid 70's and wore it while I dated my husband and he loved it. It's so interesting how scents reach into a part of our brains that conjure up memories and and even emotions from the period in time in which we wore them. I had run out of my Youth Dew for a few years and my husband gave me a new bottle for Christmas. After I sprayed it on, we both were transported back in time and memories of our courtship flooded us both! So I won't go without my beloved Youth Dew anymore; it feels like a comforting, cozy, beautiful, blanket on a crisp fall day and the fragrance is so unique and it makes me feel very happy. Lasts a good 10 hrs on the skin. I know this scent is not for everyone- it's not a light, sweet floral or a syrupy sweet gourmand. But if you like spicy orientals and/or patchouli, this is a totally unique and wonderful fragrance. It's been going strong since 1953 so something about it is very right!!

Classy, mysterious, oriental magic. My mom and I agree on these points when it comes to describing this amazing perfume. Ps: if you are a type of person who prefers floral and sweet scents this not for you though you can try it you might like it. This is because I prefer these types of perfumes: No5, chance, coco, aromatics, cinnabar, No22, coromandel, miss dior originale, crystal noir, Jo Molan patchouli &amber and incense & cedrat.


I need to add something this purely oriental scent no joking and I'm not surprised when I read some comments decribing it as overwhelming and powerful because the majorty are used to "french scent" this what we call floral or sweet perfumes. So if you are not familiar with oriental ingredients it might be hard for you to adjust with it basically because it is something really and entirely new to your sense of smell

I love this mysterious rich fragrance. To me, it says sultry siren, not giggling little girl like so many of the fruity bubbly scents so prominent this decade.

Youth-Dew is the soul food of fragrances. Next to today's watery fruit cocktails and pink-peppercorn pseudo-chypres, it stands like an impressive wall of complex richness. I mean, you have to give credit to a distinctive classic fragrance that still sells well after 63 years on the market. And the packaging is distinctive, too: the powder-blue boxes with "EL" in pale gold script make you think you're getting a sedate, innocent floral fragrance... But open the box and WHAM! What a surprise. Spicy smoldering oriental, at your service!

I've always loved YD. My mom and grandma both had bottles of the bath oil on their dressers, and as a young single person I would buy a bar of the bath soap (when that was still sold separately) and shower with it for a luxurious treat. I've only recently branched out past the soap and tiny dabs of the bath oil, and begun using 1-2 sprays of the EDP on my wrists and neck. I don't know if I've gotten bolder with age, or if Youth-Dew's gentle "facelifts" (reformulations) have made it more wearable. I suspect the latter. The juice has gotten a little lighter and brighter; the heavy skunky animalic notes have been quietly cast aside while the spicy, powdery, rosy bone structure remains.

It still takes me a little courage to spray this on, but I'm always glad I did. That first rush of wine-dark resins and crackling cloves is just satisfying down to my toes! I LOVE THIS STUFF. Try it. Just try it!

Wow, I'm so happy that this magical elixir completely melds with my body chemistry!

I'm starting to really get into the oriental spicy category of fragrance, and I recently bought Obsession. That worked beautifully on me. I'd heard a lot about Youth Dew, and I've read tons of polarizing reviews. So I went on Ebay and blind-bought a bottle of Youth Dew just for the sake of trying it.

Upon first spray, it's very aldehydic. That scared me. Then these beautiful, warm, spicy notes took my fear away. I mean, wow! This is my kind of scent. I'd read so many reviews claiming that it stunk, and that it only works on certain people with the right chemistry. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I'll also add that I only put one spritz on my neck. It's very strong. I read that the EDP contains 30% perfume oil, that's why the liquid is so dark. The color of the juice is exactly how it smells: dark, mysterious, powerful, and sexual. Definitely a femme fatale scent.

I would recommend sampling before buying. And don't let the top notes scare you off. This is a late autumn/winter scent. I'm 26, and I love this stuff. So it's not about age, it's about your taste and body chemistry.
My only regret is not buying this potion sooner!

by far this is the most offensive noxious fragrance ever made. You know that strong overwhelming smell from the old lady in church with the dirty tissues tucked up her sleeve, she is no doubt wearing youth dew. THERE IS NOTHING YOUTHFUL ABOUT IT. It is so strong and headache gag worthy. I hate this fragrance so much I think it should be banned as poison. Chemical warfare in a bottle.

This once great fragrance is now a shadow of its former self - sold in discount chemist stores for 30 bucks or less, reformulated, watered down and tamed. In its heyday it was the quintessential smokey incense oriental. The good thing is that the bath oil still smells fantastic.

If you love this, just go for the bath oil instead and dab it on instead of perfume. The other great thing about the bath oil is the fact that you dab instead of spray. Youth Dew, even in its watered down state, is one of those fragrances that can clear a room and send people into coughing fits if used too heavily.

If you love the fragrances listed below, you will probably love Youth Dew.

Opium
Obsession
Tabu
Bal a Versailles
Ciara

Please, please, please, go for the bath oil instead of the perfume. Yes, it costs more, yes you'll have to purchase it at a department store or online instead of the local chemist, but it's worth it. If you're unwilling to spend the money on the bath oil, then just skip Youth Dew altogether and buy Tabu instead.

SamiDin hit the nail on the head with this one - I actually cringed because I was instantly time-machined to 1983 when I was 10 and my parents were still pretending it was 1973.

It is indeed extremely "Tweed"-ish. Blue eyeshadow and plucked-and-redrawn eyebrows behold, cigar smoke, Pernod-and-black(currant).

My Mum wore this for years and while I miss her terribly I do not miss the scent of Youth Dew (and it''s true that it's neither youthful or dew-ish). It's smokey, woody, spicy, and while the patchouli is meant to be in the foreground on me it just disappears which is a shame because I do love me some patchouli. I also found the citrus-y base notes went AWOL never to be seen again.

It also stays on your skin permanently forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. It's a perfume tattoo. Really!

I can understand why some will absolutely love it and it's hard for me to actually grade this since it's sooooo subjective. Then again, so is all fragrance, I suppose.

If you like Opium and the like, give this one a try.

(Opium was another scent that everyone and their dog bought and wore which is quite unfortunate since I knew very few people who could actually wear it successfully - with everybody else the fragrance ended up wearing them, and that's never good)

One more thing. If you do like it, please spare a thought for your friends and family (and specially co-workers); one spray. No more. One squirt. No more than one squirt. Please.

so I was by the Estee Lauder fragrance counter, decided to pick this Youth-Dew up and smell the bottle nozzle and it just called out to me. This is such an amazing scent.
I have never owned a bottle of this myself and have not smelt it on many people as far as I can remember. The few times that I have smelt this I had thought it was some wonderful incense close by and not actually a persons perfume.
It smells so warm and cozy and amazing, reminds me of the incense I've always been searching for.
I find comfort in the aroma which lasts for many hours on me and my clothing, I enjoy the whole trip but except for the very end, it needs washing off or applying again.
The reason I'm not put off scents some reviewers say are old-lady is that if I like a fragrance on me then that's all that counts. Youth Dew is gorgeous. I can't get enough of this scent.

Someday (if you're lucky) you will be an old lady too! So bah on these age shaming comments making senior citizens sound as if their olfactory senses have departed them with dementia onset. That is disrespectful to humanity & the dignity of both senior citizens & the charming escapades of Mrs. Lauder & her signature scent. Mrs. Lauder sounded like a classy lady. I think I would have liked her. I love YD, I think it's classy, if you have to demean it (fecal, elephant pen, funerals, making fun of people), check your taste at the door. I've always been fascinated w things of a bygone era. I wouldn't expect some folks to understand the classic boozy cola incense patchouli unique scent of YD. but no need to insult a great fragrance! Juicy & Bath&bodyworks isn't in the cards for us all, dahhhhling!!!! The bath oil & deodorant together are optimal but I got this in perfume form & couldn't stop smelling it!! Not for everyone. And men love it unless men call other men by "bruh" instead of their proper names.