Yves Saint Laurent's Opium is an amber spicy fragrance that originally debuted in 1977, and then was reformulated in 2009. This is the 2009 version. Created by Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac, it features notes of tangerine, bergamot, lily of the valley, myrrh, carnation, jasmine, amber, patchouli and vanilla. This is the edt, eau de toilette.
Yves Saint Laurent Opium Reviews
Fragrantica: "This scent is pretty easy to love. The top notes begins with spices, which are comforting to me (I grew up in a household that used spices listed in the notes). Then the heart notes emerge and it’s this beautiful mix of cinnamon, sandlewood, and florals. Then the bass notes come in with a touch of sweetness and warmth."
Fragrantica - "every time i wear this, it gets more delicious. i tried the eau de parfum as well, assuming i’d prefer it, but no. the EDT performs admirably well and has remarkable gravitas while maintaining that space between the notes which is lacking in the EDP. as i have said elsewhere, the EDP is like “drowning in liquid gold.” an epic experience, to be sure, and much appreciated — but not, perhaps what one wishes to do every day. ;) very pleasantly surprised, given most of my recent EDT experiences. this just went from a Like to a Love."
Fragrantica - "...Turin has a couple points about OG Opium: (1) it was made with drydown materials so didn’t have an arc of progression and (2) 'Opium said one thing and one thing only, with tremendous force. While this was the most cogent statement ever made by balsams, one does tire of it.' Does one? He wrote that in 2008, and this reformulation, I believe, addresses his complaint. There is a progression. A very very slow evolution, to be sure, but that’s what makes it brilliant. It takes time... Compared to the more powdery balsamic EDP, the EDT has more tart spiciness and the citrus top stands out in contrast to the darker notes. That contrast is exactly what I prefer in a perfume. Van Gogh painted with colour oppositions, grunge music works based on a whisper to scream auditory surprise, and black and white is such a sartorial basic that even infants are drawn to it. Renaissance painters call it chiaroscuro; it’s the realization that we can only recognize light when there is shadow.
I have tried to find similar perfumes with the same myrrh and spice and citrus-floral contrast. I finally just surrendered because there is nothing like Opium, past or present. It’s a solid love and I keep coming back to it year after year, decade after decade, especially when that ominous phrase — “Winter is coming” — crosses my mind."
Fragrantica - "Deep, sensual and timeless, this embodies the iconic Yves Saint Laurent quote "Fashion fades, style is eternal" - trends in perfume may wax and wane, but Opium remains exquisite no matter which way the trendy winds are blowing."
