Yves Saint Laurent Opium Review

I can see why Opium is such an iconic and well loved fragrance. My mum has loved YSL's Opium for decades and wears it on a daily basis. Its a very mature, sophisticated oriental and amber scent. Has powerful silage and great longevity. Not my cup of tea on me but love it on others, I do adore Black Opium though which is more up my alley. Opium had rightfully earned it's iconic status in the perfume world though.

Opium is my one true love. I'm 27 and have finally ended my gourmand, sickly sweet candy phase. Don't get me wrong, I still love the scent of warm vanilla goodness but I swear every New Zealand girl is wearing the same three perfumes - Black Opium, Flowerbomb & La Vie Est Belle.

Girls in their teens and twenties flock to the same scents every time and I can't stand the thought of being just another cupcake smelling sheep. I've been an avid collector for some time now and have always had a love for Opium. It was so different, so warm, so inviting and so comforting.

To me this is an indoor winter in a bottle. Sitting in front of a hot fire with snow outside while playing board games with the family. When I was younger a friend and I collected stickers - part of the collection included these scratch and sniff ones that smelled of cinnamon. This is exactly what Opium smells like. I have no clue when it comes to specific notes but this is heaven, warmth and Christmas in a bottle - and scratch and sniff stickers - delicious.

Only came across this perfume after the Black Opium came out. Was fascinated by its ad, wanted to pick up the new one. However I was actually more attracted to the original Opium. The scent is enchanting, cannot get enough! Just like its name, very addictive; a smokey but pleasant scent. My co-workers all gave me compliments when I wore it, which is very unexpected since this is such an unique perfume. The Black Opium, in my opinion, is stronger than the original. Also, I mostly wear it in winters as it's heavy.

YSL’s Opium is an extravaganza of a perfume. It’s inspired by the late designers fascination with exotica and has been around since 1977. Opium is so different from anything you smell now in mainstream perfume. Opium is not a rollover with your paws in the air perfume. It’s a vast brick of smouldering resin and spices. Opium is this total gypsy camp fire perfume. It’s eastern spices, resins, sandalwood, myrrh, opoponax, but what Opium is all about is the spices, clove, carnation, which is a flower but has the same molecule as myrrh, that very sharp, aromatic spice. It still, has some flowers in there but very much in the background. Opium is very radiant and has a large throw, a spritz is all you’ll need. It’s a production you need to make sure your stage is set before your wearing Opium.

I've been using Opium for years. And I mean y e a r s! I love that it's Yves Saint Laurent - having such a flashy moniker automatically makes me feel richer.

So anyway, it comes in a fairly simple bottle that looks like an old fashioned hip flask. And sprays. Simply.

The scent is both spicy and musky and very sensuous for evening wear. I bought it originally to replace my all time favourite Max Factor's Epris when it went off the market, the similarity being they are both very sweet and feminine and make me feel sensuous and sexy. Well, I did when I bought it originally - at my age sexy isn't my first consideration any more, but it still makes me feel feminine.

Price? well, anyone who's been around for a while will remember my complaining in the forum when I bought my most recent bottle, that I couldn't find it anywhere and ended up paying $250 for a 50ml bottle at Farmers. That has put a barrier between me and Farmers that has persisted in the intervening years as I saw it later in a pharmacy for less than half that price. I know it's my own fault, but really?

Anyway it's a gorgeous sweet perfume for anyone who likes sweet, musky perfumes. I highly recommend it - an oldie but a goodie!!

Opium is a expensive smelling perfume and it would have to be one of the first perfumes that I think of when I think of the classic perfumes. For me the bergamot came through the most strongly with very subtle jasmine. One of the things I like about this perfume is that it seems to last particualrly well on the skin. Which makes it far worth its dollar value than many others.

The bottle is more retangular than the picture here, with clear textured glass and a reddish lid. The perfume bottle is also great quality, lasting for years without the colour fading or the spray part breaking.

I do think it is possibly a more mature perfume. I grew up with my mum wearing it, so it is a perfume that for me has been around my entire life. But when I compare it to many other perfumes out there, it also smells like perfume, not chemicals.

Like red wine this fragrance was an acquired taste for me. I shunned this fragrance right from the first spritz. It was a rush of pungent potpourri aftershave which gave me a headache.

I didn't revisit this perfume until I asked one of my besties what she was wearing one day, it smelled delicious. Needless to say I was gobsmacked when she pulled out the reddish brown bottle with gold lid. I couldn't believe how something so dreadful could smell so amazing.

When I spritzed it again, it wasn't as bad as the first time but I still wasn't a fan. I figured it had to be the chemistry of the skin and fragrance. This all changed when I was given this for my birthday one year and so began the journey of appreciation haha.

Over time the harsh masculine scent had turned into a spicy soapy blend of musk and jasmine. It's quite funny when I had this perfume I spritzed it for friends to smell and they had the same reaction as I did the first time!

This is one of the few perfumes that I don't get "spritz happy" with because with only 2 spritz this scent is still as fresh 9 hours later. I haven't repurchased this mainly because it's not a must-have for me but it's a lovely perfume to have in the collection - you just may not agree the first time haha.

This is one of my long-standing favourite scents after being lucky to receive a bottle on my 25th birthday - that first bottle lasted me for many, many years, largely because this (to me at least) is not a day-time scent. Instead, it's ideal for an evening out or a fancy event. I associate this scent with luxury, night time, seduction and deep conversations over wine. And frankly, I don't get much chance to do any of that! I do so love the smell though, especially the notes of jasmine, which is one of my all time favourite smells. As soon as I spray it on my wrists, I feel like going out to a swanky wine bar and listening to jazz. So if that's your vibe, then this is for you. The bottle is also beautiful, though not stand-out in the beautiful perfume bottle stakes. Nevertheless, I love the colour and the Oriental look, like sun shining through dark clouds. Finally, price-wise, I think this is very reasonable given how long it lasts and the quality of the scent: I can always still smell this the next morning.

I was so excited to try this perfume. The price scared me but only because I'm use to spending no more than about $60 on perfume so I never thought I'd get my hands on my own. However, I got gifted a bottle and I absolutely love it. You don't need too much as I find the fragrance quite strong. It has a pleasant fragrance and although after a while I can't smell it on myself, I've had people comment on it throughout the day so it (the fragrance) obviously lasts on your body/clothes for a long period of time.