Black Opium Extreme

I intentionally tested this for the first time shortly before getting in the shower because I’m sorry to say, Black Opium has always been a scrubber for me. I have *never* been able to detect any coffee in the original nor any flankers I’ve sampled, and the “orange blossom/jasmine” notes are always very much like grape kool aid/bubble gum and do not agree with me at all. I was delighted when I sprayed this with a light hand and immediately smelled coffee! Strongly! Not quite Intense Cafe Ristretto strong, but it was very distinct, and really nice! Combined with the sweet, immediately recognizable opening of Black Opium, except with the (awful) grapey orange blossom accord toned waaaay down, with a little bit of dry cacao. Do not get me wrong, I do not agree with reviewers who describe it as “omg a macchiato vanilla frappe, with whip cream, pumpkin spice, and hot chocolate syrup!” It absolutely smells like perfume. But it’s a very nice, gourmand perfume, and I love the coffee note. Awesome! Love this! We have a winner from this line, finally! So after an hour or so I took a shower, got dressed, and applied this as my fragrance of the day. Wtf now I don’t smell any coffee, at all. Now this just smells like regular old Black Opium, just slightly better. Like it was reformulated by a different perfumer who used slightly different ingredients. I wore it all day, it performs just fine, is fairly linear, but the coffee note never came back! I guess I’ll test it again later, because clearly the perfume didn’t change, the issue is me but I do not know why! :( Edited 5/26/23: I still can’t smell the coffee like I did the first time I tried this, but I’ve been reaching for this a lot lately. I don’t think”addictive” is a very good descriptor when it comes to something this subjective, but I’ve found myself oddly compelled to smell it, and several days I’ve regretted wearing something else instead of this, so, addictive it is! I’m in this game for happiness, and evidently sometimes happiness is a disgustingly sweet fruitchouli ̄_(ツ)_/ ̄

I find the reviews fascinating...different people seem to be picking up different facets and impressions of this perfume compared to the original Black Opium and its flankers. Here's my take - Black Opium Extreme's drydown is almost identical to the original BO, except it's quieter/has less sillage, and I prefer this. I like original BO - I once asked a stranger what she was wearing because she smelled amazing, and she said it was BO - but on me and and for my nose I found it was too loud and strong. Original BO smells like an extrovert. BO Extreme is a sister who is darker, less overtly sweet, and an introvert. It has a similar olfactory structure which projects less but comes across as more smooth, as another reviewer described it. There's a heavier dose of unsweetened coffee/cocoa upfront which is delicious and which I struggle to detect in the original. A tart red berry note provides some refreshing brightness alongside the toned-down florals and vanilla who are part of the choir instead of being overpowering. The absence of pear in the opening makes me glad; I never really understood why pear was in the original because I don't really crave eating pears alongside my coffee, haha...I think it was a carry-over decision from the blockbuster success of La Vie Est Belle, but whereas the sweet fruity-floral gourmand design makes sense for LVEB, I consider it to have been unnecessary for BO. On the other hand, the red berry acidity naturally occurs in some unwashed sun-dried coffees due to the coffee berry...there is something really harmonious about that fruitiness. Black Opium Extreme genuinely smells to me like a re-edited and perfected iteration of Black Opium (specially for coffee lovers). I'm so glad I picked this up, there is nothing in my collection that smells like this.

Black Opium Extreme is my most favourite of the Black Opium line, tie with Black Opium Le Parfum. I genuinely believe that even the biggest haters of Black Opium could appreciate one of these two flankers, depending on what they look for in a fragrance...It’s a designer perfume done well. So, how does Extreme smell like??? Like a more gourmand, rounded, less white floral, less sweet, more chocolate powdery, warm spicy (hello patchouli) version of the OG Black Opium. Maybe this could be your cold weather Black Opium! If you like an affogato or a creamy latte with a healthy dose of bitter cocoa powder dusted on top and few pumps of vanilla syrup, you’ll like this. It might not be blind buy safe for those who hate patchouli (it’s really noticeable here) and white flowers in general because even though it’s stronger on coffee, vanilla, cocoa than previous iterations, the jasmine is at forefront and it’s heady. But for the rest of us, who look at the notes and expect something delectable and gourmandish, we’re in for a treat! I wouldn’t go as far as to call this scent as an Extreme as far as the performance goes, because it’s not that strong as I would like it to be. I adore a beastly fragrance me!! But it lasts about seven hours with moderate sillage. Don’t hear many people talking about Black Opium Extreme anymore but I still love it and every time I wear it, I receive compliments! It’s a great flanker and hopefully the price has gone down since it’s been released for about four/five years now. I am planning to repurchase the biggest bottle available when I run out of this one I’ve purchased when it was released.

Black Opium EDP Extreme (38U802Y, August 2021, 65 USD) 2nd hands, Male Skin, First Impression I tired Black Opium Extreme a few times before I put my entry. Because, I do really like it. After few full wear, I am ready to put my review. Black Opium Extreme is very in-line for other Femme Fatale scent That Man totally can use similar to TomFord Noir pour Femme & Guerlain Black Perfecto. The scent seems unpromising in the opening as Vanilla blast is Dominantly sweet but later on scent develop in the way difference other than other Black Opium. White flower is not strongly show here, Coffee is strong but it is not the star of the show. I found the Powdery Cocoa is very dominant and it is bitter. It is on the base of Vanilla (that not that sweet) and Patchouli is also there, cooling and clean similar to Guerlain Black Perfecto. I found that, this is slightly harder to wear as it is bitter and unsweetened. But I could see me garbing this from time-to-time, but the scent leans unisex than most Black Opium of the line and this will be another kept in my collection. Final score Score : 9/10 as male user Projection : Strong for several hours, become moderate never skin-scent Longevity : 9-10 hours Classification : Unisex, Femme leaning (Femme 60%, Homme 40%)

I happened to buy this on a rainy day, and this was just what I needed on a cold, wet day. The coffee and cacao complement each other well. I don't detect the jasmine (especially compared to the original Black Opium), but I suspect that it and the orange blossom (which I do notice, ever so slightly) are helping to round out the other notes. The lightly boozy bourbon vanilla in the dry down seals the deal for me. It's warm and the bourbon gives it a more mature edge, but it doesn't pull saccharine sweet on me. Usually, gourmands make me nervous because I don't want to smell like food and sugary scents in particular remind me of middle/high school, but this somehow manages to hit all the right notes for me. This doesn't have the most intense projection, but I'm okay with that - coffee is a strong, bitter note, and I could see that being problematic for others if it's too aggressive. Overall, I love this and will likely come back for more in the future. Longevity: Moderate (leans a little longer in cold weather) Projection: Moderate (leans a little on the intimate side, depending on how my skin is doing that day) Vibes(TM): Drinking an Irish coffee with cocoa powder sprinkled on top Overall: 8.5/10