I'm writing this review after trying the EDT, EDP, live and le parfum and I'll try my best to compare them as objectively as I can.
I own the EDT and EDP, and the le parfum and live I have tried multiple times from a sample.
All of the fragrances of this series are some of my favorites. Even though these fragrances are from the same series, it would be a mistake to assume they're the same.
Overall, their openings are similar, going for a fresh, natural and aromatic smell and all of them are great actually. They also have the same vibe, going for a natural walk in the forest idea. However they present you with a bit of a problem that if you would only try them for a short while it would be hard to notice any differences.
The differences start when you get to the drydown. Each one has a different note in the drydown that has the major role. The drydowns also have a very different level of warmth to it which makes them suitable for different occasions or climates.
Openings:
If I had to choose, I would say the the le parfum has the best opening. It's deeper than the others and very intense.
The EDP probably has the least stunning opening because there are no aldehydes in this one. The opening is still good however.
The EDT has a more fresh opening but it lacks the intensity of the way the notes envelop you at the start like the le parfum does.
The live version has an opening that is a bit unique compared to the others as it contains some added sweetness. Besides this, the store I bought this from has different info on the notes, those being: Top: Bergamot, lemon, ginger. Middle: Orange Blossom, geranium, sage. Base: Cacao, tonka bean, juniper. I think fragrantica is wrong on this one because there is definitely tonka bean in this one.
Drydowns:
Here the EDP is in my opinion the best. It really encapsulates the walking in a spring forest vibe extremely well with the natural and woody scents. Especially the amberwood in the drydown is just too good. The only bad thing that I have to say is that if you compare the EDP to the le parfum that the EDP is a lot less noticeable, which is weird because by itself it is my favorite. I would argue this is because the drydown of the le parfum has stronger smells.
The drydown of the le parfum is the most warm scent of the series. The other ones go more for a fresh drydown but the le parfum does no such thing. It's more of a wood and mild spicy kind of smell, resulting from the ceder and tonka bean notes. I say mild spice because they have a certain softness to it. In this sense it's also pretty different compared to the other ones. The le parfum is clearly the most long lived as well. My only issue with the le parfum is that the woody-spicy-tonka bean smell is kind of predictable but that doesn't mean it's bad.
The EDT is the more fresh. It is also the one I would prefer wearing in very warm weather. The musk note is very noticeable in the drydown and a nice addition. The musk is also not too dominating (which often happens) and well balanced with the other ingredients. The projection and longevity of this drydown is a bit weaker compared to the other ones. There is nothing wrong with the quality itself, it's more that your nose gets used to certain smells so if you own multiple of this series you might want to consider spraying some extra to make sure you get this one.
The live version has a drydown that trades the slight woody smell from EDP for some added sweetness and freshness. After about an hour to 2 hours the smell can be very dense if you smell it up close so maybe don't spray too much, or take that as an indication that you have good projection, you choose. The EDT is also fresh but I would say this one more so and I actually like that a lot. The added sweetness however is another story, I would argue that it limits it's potential because it makes this one a lot less classy than the other fragrances in the Y line. It's a more straightforward smell and it doesn't have the depth the other ones do but it does smell amazing.
