YSL L'Homme La Nuit vs Prada L'Homme: which one is for you?

YSL L'Homme La Nuit and Prada L'Homme are two of the men's fragrances our customers buy most, and they're often shortlisted together. Both are elegant, grown-up and built with cardamom and cedar, but they go in very different directions. Here's how to pick.

Side by side

YSL L'Homme La Nuit: warm and close

La Nuit opens with spicy cardamom, moves into lavender and cedarwood, and settles on vetiver and sweet, hay-like coumarin. It's smooth and a little seductive, the kind of scent that's noticed up close rather than across the room. It's made for evenings, dinners and colder weather. The version we stock is Le Parfum, a richer concentration of La Nuit.

Prada L'Homme: clean and polished

Prada L'Homme is built around iris, which gives it a soft, powdery, freshly laundered feel. Neroli keeps it bright, and black pepper, amber and cedar give it structure. It's the easier of the two to wear every day: at the office, in warm weather or anywhere you want to smell put together without making a statement. We carry both the Eau de Toilette and the richer EDP Intense.

What they have in common

Both share cardamom and cedar, both are refined rather than loud, and both suit a tailored jacket. Neither is sweet or sporty.

Which one should you choose?

• Mostly evenings, dates and colder months: YSL L'Homme La Nuit.
• Mostly daytime, work and warm weather: Prada L'Homme.
• Want the Prada feel with more depth: choose the EDP Intense over the Eau de Toilette.

They also work well as a pair: Prada for the day, La Nuit for the evening.

Still undecided? Our scent quiz asks a few quick questions and suggests perfumes from our shelves that match your taste.