Black Opium Intense

Black Opium is a less sweet, more aromatic version of Black Opium, that much is true. The initial blast is the most avant garde part of the scent, as the absinthe translates into a double dose of alcohol, combined with the initial alcoholic blast from the fragrance composition itself. It is not unpleasant and translates into a very zesty scent. Unlike a lot of people, I smell the coffee quite clearly in this fragrance. I would not say that is it a *pure* coffee fragrance, because it is not. But the note is there and it provides a sturdy support structure (along with vanilla) for the rest of the notes. About an hour into wear and the absinthe and berries have disappeared, and the coffee, vanilla, and licorice combine to give a sweet, aromatic (almost spicy) scent. What I love about this fragrance is that though the vanilla feels spiced/aromatic, it never really veers into true "spice" territory, so I feel I can wear this fragrance in any season. I think this fragrance is more complex that people give it credit for. After all, it is a flanker and it is a flanker to an INFAMOUS party girl, sort of basic fragrance. But I think the Intense version really gives that bad girl, femme fatale vibe. It's sweet, but with a little extra something. And yet, it's not totally inappropriate for day time wear either. I really, really like this fragrance. And, not that it matters, but it's among my husband's top 3 fragrances for women that he has smelled. I hope this does not go the way of Nuit Blanche and get discontinues, because in my opinion, this is the strongest, most attractive offering from the line. From start to finish, I really enjoy my wear of this and I am never sad that I put it on. For those curious, I am an over-sprayer. I put on 5 sprays of this fragrance (one on each wrist, one on each side of my neck, and the back of my neck), and I get overnight longevity out of it. I think during day-to-day activities, where this skin is more warmed and the oil will disappear faster, I am anticipating about 6-8 hours of realistic wear. I'm happy to have this as a part of my collection :)

YSL Black Opium Intense edp: I Actually Couldn't Wait To Get My Hands On This New Black Opium Fragrance!! & I Sure Wasn't One Bit Disappointed Either!! Firstly The Bottle Is Absolutely Stunning Set In A Dark Blue Glass Bottle With Inlayed Silver Sparkle Which Deffo Reminds Me Of A Cloudless Cold Clear Night & Standing Gazing Up At The Twinkling Star's!! As Some Other Person Asked "Why Did YSL Not Call This New Release "Black Opium Nuit"? As Personally I Think It's More Suited To Evening Use!! Although This Follows On From Where The Original Black Opium Left Off,You Deffo Can Smell That Black Coffee Note In It's Heart!! This Time Around In This Version YSL Have Added Blue Absinthe & Boysenberry & That's Why The Glass Bottle Is Done In This Fetching Dark Blue Colour!! I Think It's The Blue Absinthe & Boysenberry That Gives This Fragrance A Unique Twist On The Original As This One Adds A More Medicinal Note That Others Have Picked Up On & Maybe Dislike!! Personally I Love It As It Gives This New Black Opium A Minty/Menthol Kind Of Opening to it!! The Heart Notes Then Kick In After About 30mins & I Can Deffo Pick Up The Sambac Jasmine,Orange Blossom & Strong Fresh Black Coffee Note!! The Base Has Sandalwood,Liquorice & A Raw Vanilla Aroma Followed By The Most Beautiful Soft Spice Aroma For A Different Twist On It!! Personally I Find This Version Not As Sugary Sweet As The Original & Very Different With The Added Blue Absinthe/Boysenberry,Liquorice & Raw Vanilla Note!! I Also Find The Longtitivity To Be Excellent At Around 16+ Hours!! Have Already Wore This Stunning Beauty Twice Now & Received Really Lovely Compliments From Family Members To Total Stranger's!! But As Myself & Other's On Here Have Said The Name Intense Does Absolutely Nothing For This Stunning New Fragrance!! & YSL Should Have Deffo Called It Simply "Black Opium Nuit" When Daylight Ends Let New "Black Opium Nuit" Take You Out Dancing For Hours!! So Yes All In All It's Deffo All In A Perfumes Name!!

I received a sample of this perfume with an order. It sat in my sample bin for over a year. When I received a second sample, I decided to give it a try. I already had the original Black Opium and the Black Opium Nuit Blanche. I sprayed a tiny bit of the sample on me, my grandson and a cotton pad. I wasn't very impressed. The next day I kept getting a whiff of a pretty, sweet smell and I didn't know where it was coming from. I realized that the cotton pad where I sprayed the Intense was source. Two days later, I could still smell the fragrance. I decided to try it again. What I realized is that this particular flanker is very sensitive. Wearing it after bathing with two different soaps result in two very distinct scents. How well my skin is moisturized greatly affects the longevity. The fabric type of the clothes I'm wearing also affects the scent. That issue isn't as prominent with the other two Black Opium products that I was currently using, probably because both Black Opium and Black Opium Nuit Blanche are more dominant fragrances. Bottom line is that I ended up purchasing a full-sized bottle. The first spray is a little bit overwhelming, and to me, not very pleasant. However, the scent totally changes as it dries down. It becomes a sweet, more feminine fragrance. I like the sweetness. This BO is very long lasting on me (as long as my skin is moisturized) and the scent gets better with time. I spray my perfume on my skin, yet the fragrance lingered for a week on a shirt that I wore. It isn't as seductive as the Black Opium Nuit Blanche, nor as heavy as the original Black Opium, but it's good in it's own right. I like it, but it's not on the same level as the two versions I already own.

The Blue Fairy Black Opium Am I dreaming? I’m lost in a twilight forest when I come upon a clearing under a big leaf maple tree. Nestled beside gnarled roots lies a wooden bowl that looks to be filled with berries soaked in some type of liquid. I bend down and take a sniff, and the unmistakable scent of absinthe fills my nose. “But it’s blue...” I think. This has the unmistakable look of an offering, but I’ve been wandering for so long and I’m so hungry. Before I can stop, I’ve greedily stuffed berries in my mouth. Boozy and ripe, the juices escape greedy lips and travel down my chin. Immediately I feel guilty. But also? I feel strange. Fireflies have come to gather beneath the tree, as well. As I watch, their light coalesces and a blue tinkerfairy steps forth. It’s immediately clear she’s not happy. Hot and fast her words burst forth. I don’t understand them, but one thing is clear. I shouldn’t be here. She takes my hand. “Am I small?” No answer comes, as we walk beneath a now terrifyingly large canopy. After some time we came to a garden. Monstrous pale blooms glow in the moonlight. She leads me to a viewpoint. Far in the distance, the orange glow of dawn is breaking on the horizon, a thin golden band topped with sparkle-star studded blue black night. As I take in the beauty of dawn, the blue fairy tips her hand into the milky nectar of the night bloom, and motions me to do the same. We sit together and sip the morning sap of poison flowers, and slowly, the world comes into focus. I realize I’m not lost any longer. And the blue fairy? She’s gone.

Interesting complexity of this. It can get too cloying if you spray too much. I like original EDP too. Intense is smoother, less fresh, and confusing in a good way. I am intrigued by these blue fruity notes that make it swap between blue koolaid, blueberries, cake, touch of play-doh and a sweet cappuccino. Sadly the play-doh lingers on me a tad. The bottle is beautiful and almost cosmic. I loved this more at first, but I'm probably more of an original EDP gal. The original EDP seems fresher, lighter, and a tad sharper but not in a bad way. Count me fascinated! Edit 3/19/22: I was crazy for doubting this before. I love it now and am so sad it'll be discontinued. It is a bit powdery, but not in a bad or overly mature way. It's a deeper, coffee version of what I wanted Lince by Tiziana Terenzi to be. It has less coffee and is less earthy than Illicit Green IMO, and it has a higher sweetness for a flanker, rivaling Nuit Blanche in spiciness and sweetness. But Intense is deep, dark, and mysterious. Like a chocolate chip cookie, it has the vanilla base and "interesting" morsels inbetween. It's another weird flanker of BO, which I like. A win in my book <3

I want to begin my mini review by saying: I don't like the original Black Opium EDP. I found it way too heavy for my skin, to the point where it was suffocating me. But for some reason THIS version is ridiculously delicious to my nose. It's definitely a much fresher version of the original, the DNA has changed. First spray you can definitely smell the absinthe, but it's not cloying, along with the fruits & vanilla. Hours later the florals along with the licorice slowly emerge BUT the absinthe doesn't disappear. 10+ hours later a woody creamy vanilla is left on your skin. Now I know the notes are vastly different except for the vanilla BUT the dry down 8+ hours later smells EXACTLY like Dior's Poison Girl EDP, which I'm a fan of. Performance: The longevity on my skin is standard for eau de parfume. Nothing extraordinary. The sillage is just as strong as Dior's Poison Girl EDP. Acceptable. A fantastic crowd-pleasing scent from YSL in my opinion the moment I tried it on I knew I had to give it a chance. Purchased it immediately when I tested the performance thoroughly! BUT don't blind buy! The fragrantica community seems divided.

A review here about the cigarette smoke scent made me smile. I liked the story. I remembered it later when I tried this perfume for the first time. I got it massively discounted as it's discontinued now and I thought why not, even if I don't like it, I can gift it. But omg what a successful blind!!! ... I truly got a hint of cigarette smoke in the beginning lingering as if in a distance, very faint, not in a bad way, very unique, I don't know what note gives that kind of smell. I am not a smoker and I hate cigarette smoke but this one wasn't repulsive. Then the smell quickly changed and it became very sweet and pleasant, not overpowering, very comforting, something like fresh sugar cubes or sugar cane with vanilla in a good way. Coffee and orange blossom are present too and the combination is so good and long lasting too, I don't have words to describe it, it's so unique and beautiful to me. I wore it at work and I got so many compliments. I think it's safe for every occasion and people will notice you and turn their heads :)

This was the first large bottle of perfume I've ever gotten, so whether I liked it or not I was stuck with it (it was a gift I couldn't return). So, first impression: meh. I loved super-sweet, fruity perfumes usually, so absinthe and coffee threw me off. But as I got older I appreciated the scent more. The initial scent is alcohol and fruit, with some of the vanilla and liquorice peeking through. It's a striking smell that feels unisex, dark, and interesting. I think that fruit scent is both the berry and orange. Within a few minutes, the alcohol scent wears off, and the jasmine comes in more along with vanilla. To me, coffee is a supporting scent, just adding depth and a richer element rather than taking the center stage. It's like a bouquet of flowers in a cafe, rather than just a coffee scent (at least on me- I've found my skin projects florals really strongly). After an hour or more, it becomes very coffee+vanilla, and the sandalwood begins to emerge. It lasts like that for a long while, usually 6 hours for me.

I'm wearing this today, possibly the hottest day of the year and I'm lying in bed cause it's the coolest room in the house. Window open towards pure nature at the summerhouse. It was bought in September three years ago and I'm afraid it would remind me of fall but I brought it anyway. If you've been to a Danish hard candy store, that makes their own 'bolche' in the old fashioned way this is exactly how it smells on me now. I didn't know how to pinpoint the liquorice before, cause to me sweet Panda liquorice (if you've tried it) and Bassetts Allsorts have a sting to it like a faint ammonia. The liquorice I finally found is 'exactly' the same to me at this moment is how it mingles in the Danish store. The cooling, herbal, slightly sharp notes from the absinth fills in the missing peppermint you would also find there. Wormwood, anis, fennel, lemonbalm. It will take you to the candy store. Wherever you are in the world you'll find a place that smells like it, perhaps from childhood memories.

This finally arrived in the mail today, and I'm in love! It definitely has the original Black Opium EDP DNA, but the absinthe note gives off a cool, almost cold vibe in the top notes. To my nose, the coffee and vanilla are much more pronounced than any of the other flankers, and while it doesn't project any further than the original, it does smell stronger and more intense indeed. I don't get an intensely floral vibe, which is good for me personally. I can't say much for longevity since I've only sprayed it an hour ago, but reading the other reviews, I'm guessing it'll be along the lines of the others. Excellent for cold weather, and for nights out - or any time you want to smell damn amazing! This is unabashedly gourmand, yet sultry and sophisticated so that it doesn't smell juvenile in any way. If you love the original, or really any of the other Black Opium flankers, you must try this one. An instant love!

I am extremely glad this new perfume came out. Although I like Black Opium on people and on paper for some reason it doesn’t work very well on my skin as it quickly becomes sickeningly sweet. With this new Intense version the result is completely different: I can detect licorice, coffee, vanilla and what I believe it’s absinthe; no sweetness taking over within an hour from first spray. The scent is so well blended that has a long projection, good longevity and a strong character. Like other friends pointed out I think it’s more like a night scent, dark, deep, I cannot see it as a day one or as an office friendly perfume. Black Opium Intense is probably the most masculine of the whole family, and the blue bottle is just very pretty. Damn I like it! Find it perfect when in the need for some energizing vibes all around.

I bought it blind as the notes and composition were intriguing. I think the name is apt, the coffee note is very strong intoxicating and hits me first, coffee coffee coffee, I LOVE it. Then the white flowers begin to mix in, then the berry. The absinthe note comes in the mid for me, and it's quite accurate - minty, slightly medicinal and cool, mixing with the now toned down coffee and florals and I believe the liquorice keeps this scent deep and dark. It just becomes a gorgeous medley after this, really it's intoxicating. In the dry down, I get a creamy very lactonic sandalwood vanilla combo, for me its very creamy and stays that way. If the notes speak to you, if you like coffee and cooler fragrances, and if you like scent journeys - try it out. BTW the blue bottle is gorgeous and very fitting.

This is, by far, my favorite Black Opium flanker and I am very sorry that it has been discontinued, so I have bought two backup bottles. The absinthe note is easy to detect on my skin and, happily, it lasts way longer than the cherry note in Black Opium Over Red does. Additionally, the scent remains quite linear for its entire duration (9 or 10 hours, no joke!) and the only aspect that changes is its projection (it remains closer to the skin after 6 or 7 hours, in my case). I actually like its linear character, because I can enjoy my favorite notes for a long time. Where do I wear it? Basically, in any circumstance or moment of the day, even in the office, because no one finds it offensive. 10/10 for me and I guess I might need another backup bottle, before it is no longer available.

To me this smells very similar to the other black opium edp and edt. They may not smell exactly the same ofcourse, but similar enough to recognize it's a black opium flanker. I'm not complaining because I love this one too. I just love the sweetness of it. I can't pick out many notes except for the coffee note I think and maybe the vanilla in the dry down. So I can't explain the differences between the original and this one like others can, but wanted to share my experience in case someone might find it helpful. I sprayed one tiny spray on my hand 7 hours ago and can still smell it, not strong anymore, it's quite faint by now. The first few hours it had moderate projection. I will definitely enjoy my sample.

Both this and the original Black Opium are beautiful scents. It definitely suits a woman in her 20-30s wanting an evening, boozy, winter perfume. I’m not as great at picking out individual perfume notes as some others on here but this has more of a liquorice note to it than the original. Still pretty heavy on the coffee scent though. Projection is strong at first, but the longevity actually isn’t as long as I expected it to be. Maybe an hour or so and then it would be a skin scent. Despite that I think this is a beautiful perfume and one of my all time favourites. Both this and the OG Black Opium give me quite a gothic/night vibe which is perfect for me.

Black opium intense... the opening is a nice shot of absinthe with some vanilla flavored licorice. After a couple of minutes there are berries. After half an hour I can definitely hear some soapy, powdery notes, like I just took a nice bath after a party. The whole composition dries down a bit. It’s so cozy, pleasant and nice. Perfect for most days for me, whenever I feel Alien is too much. This might not be a love story, but this is definitely a perfume I can wear every day during the winter fall season. Ps absolutely no coffee for me there. Pps. My opinion might be biased, as I like almost all YSL perfumes out there.

I adore this. A deep coffee gourmand with notes of the orange blossom and vanilla come through immediately for me on first spray. It then very slowly mellows into more fruitiness, but not sweet, with a slight edge, which might be the liquorice. I can detect the absinthe , but not a lot, but it could be just the alcohol within the perfume. It’s beautiful and long lasting. I can smell it 10 hours or more later on my skin, from when I first sprayed it in the morning. I have BO original and the floral shock, but this is my favourite. It’s more dimensional than the original and deeper than the floral. Love it.

I just received this as an early Christmas present and hoo boy, has it changed! My first bottle, years ago, was extremely similar to the original. Heavy, sweet coffee with a whisper of something bitter in the background. Now, the blue absinthe and boysenberry are taking centre stage - this feels like a dark blue juice through and through. The coffee keeps it from being a boozy mess and the florals are tamed, making this an incredibly smooth fragrance. Unfortunately it doesn't project well and the longevity is quite short for something named "Intense". However, it is a truly beautiful scent!

WOOAAH! I fell head over heels in love with this! I don't like the original Black Opium EDP, for me it is too sweet. I also don't like Poison Girl EDP which a lot of people are saying this smells like. Both are way too sweet for me, in a way I can't take. But this one Black Opium Intense, it's amazing! I'm blown away. Immediately ordered a bottle. I am also a big fan of Petite Robe Noire EDP, Dior Hypnotic Poison EDT & EDP. I love licorice, almonds and dark fruits... So for me this is right up my alley. Hope they won't discontinue this one for a long time. Otherwise I'll need to stock up.

The opening wow me and I'm digging the rest. It's a perfume with a darkness and mystery to it, I like it. I tend to love licorice / vanilla perfumes, Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire is my signature perfume, I also love Lolita Lempicka, Cacharel Yes I Am... I feel this one is up my alley. On me the longevity and projection are fine, not too overwhelming (or intense!) or too soft, but nice and cozy. I have two samples and think seriously about buying a full bottle. I haven't try the OG Black Opium perfume yet, but by the look of it, I find the notes in the Intense more my style.