Fizzy, fresh, soapy, woody, funky are some words I can use to describe YSL’s Jazz Prestige.
Right out of the bottle Jazz Prestige isnt a typical, its more tangy than anything mostly from the classic, tart bergamot and sour tinged anise and a slap of lavender. This smells rich and thick, you know you’re in for a treat.
The mid loses that addictive fizzy combination of notes and opens up to a bit more of a soapy, rounded, woody floral.
Carnation and Geranium give this soapy, funky feel. There are some sharper elements peaking through the rounder soapy notes from ginger and cypress. Theres a bunch going on in this and its difficult to unpack and describe, but it all works! Its a completely three dimensional fragrance built on contrasts.
No doubt about it, Jazz Prestige is a a fougere, but it doesnt have that soft and sweet tonka bean backdrop I’ve come to expect from a fougere.
The base is, without a doubt, a brick of Mysore Sandalwood. A rare ingredient now, in this fragrance its used with a heavy hand in the base.
With that in mind, there are some parallels with Guerlain’s Heritage EDT, but Jazz Prestige keeps it more business casual than a suit and tie. The sandalwood is similar, but the lack of patchouli is the biggest difference.
With the sandalwood driven base, the fragrance doesnt last too long beyond about 6 inches away.
The fireworks start to fizzle out around 5 hours, warm sandalwood and dash of earthy patchouli remain.
Jazz Prestige is an easy stroll down 90’s boulevard, just like the advertising campaign.
If you enjoy fougeres but dont like them sweet in the base give Jazz Prestige a look.
Ratings
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9/10
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5/10
Summary
An easy, breezy, woody fougere from the 90s with some unexpected feature ingredients that include Mysore Sandalwood, used in abundance. A great fougere but unfortunately its performance is very average.