Opium Eau de Toilette 2009

Luca Turin gave OG Opium a five-star masterpiece review with the nominal description of “Spice King” and called it “unquestionably one of the greatest fragrances of all time”. That review was in 2008, prior to this 2009 reformulation about which there are more complaints than praise. Let’s just get it out of the way: yes, yes, of course it’s not like the original, nothing from decades ago ever is, and so say we all. But for a bright aromatic spicy myrrh-carnation-centric oriental, it’s pretty damn good. This lives in my top 5 and is easily the longest lasting perfume in my entire wardrobe. Aside: if you take the EDT and add a spritz of Estée Lauder’s Youth-Dew, that comes close to the OG Opium of my 1980s olfactory memory. There are always layers you can add to fill in remembered olfactory gaps but not everyone likes to do that. 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. I’ve put drops of Opium on cotton for my scent pendant and can still smell it weeks, possibly even months, later, just slightly changed. The progression of Opium is more like the grinding and erosion of tectonic plates than the evaporation of volatile aromatic compounds. There is far more going on in this scent than the 3/3/3 structure would indicate. There is spice and floral and citrus and balsam and a constant interplay between bright and dark. Myrrh is a complex accord on its own, and this one has been fashioned with loving spicy care. The more I smell other myrrh fragrances—and I have Opium Legendes de Chine, which is almost entirely a myrrh accord—the more I come back to this bright-dark scent. 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.

OPIUM EDT: In this reformulated version launched in 2009 I can clearly detect the Opium DNA, however in my opinion, they are only reminiscent of the Original OPIUM from 1977. Now, the similarity of OPIUM and Opium Edt is not only in the spicy sweetness but in the structure of the perfume. Some notes such as plum, clove, peach, laudanum, coconut and the animalic power of ambergris were removed from the current formula. And despite being slightly similar to the original fragrance, little by little it is possible to perceive the hereditary connection between the two. EDT opens in a brilliant symphony of fresh, green, effervescent, somewhat citrusy and slightly soapy notes of lily of the valley, quickly merging into a somewhat spicy and floral balsamic heart. As time passes, the fragrance settles, the smells with soapy and creamy nuances persist throughout the life of the perfume, intertwining with incense, and despite the aromatic softness it continues to maintain good intensity. As in the original structure, here too everything is harmoniously rounded by two main notes: opoponax also known as "sweet myrrh" with an amber-vanilla-balsamic scent profile and especially Myrrh (balsamic, warm, spicy- aromatic and sweet) that envelop and soften the bouquet of creamy and intense jasmine and carnations in amber, incensed accords, intertwined with vanilla notes (vanilla and benzoin), sweetening the entire composition and adding aromatic richness to it. The woody and earthy notes of patchouli and vetiver move alongside the amber and always smoky accords, presented in just the right measure. Imparting refinement, depth and beauty to the drydown. Despite the reformulations OPIUM EDT is technically still a good Perfume, perfectly orchestrated and balanced. The smell of Luxury and Extreme Elegance remains. An absolutely intoxicating perfume! The substantivity on my skin reaches 10/11 hours. The latter close to the skin. With moderate to mild diffusion and sillage.

I recently got the Opium EDP and became completely addicted (I have written about this at the Opium EDP page). Shortly thereafter I just had to buy the "new" Opium EDT as well, getting it at a good price in the holiday sales. I also own an older Opium EDT (in the bottle with the rounded golden cap), which was the incentive for me to test these newer versions. Both the "new" EDP and EDT are quite far scent wise from my older EDT (they share the strength though), but each is excellent on its own. I think the new EDT comes closer to my old EDT: they both have that dryness about them; the incense, and the spiciness. The new EDT additionally kicks off with citrus and an alcohol vibe that is neither in the older EDT nor the new EDP. It also lets the white flowers shine through more clearly. To me the new EDT seems more complex and mature compared with the EDP, but less resinous, less sweet, not so ambery, and not as cosy. Almost as if the EDP is a rawer and less refined version of the EDT, although more fun with its Coca-Cola and cinnamon-buzz opening and adding depth where the EDT is all breadth. As someone else has mentioned, you don't necessarily need both the new EDT and EDP, they are quite similar anyway, but I will enjoy and wear them at different occasions, and in different moods.

I am so in love with Opium eau de toilette! It's just stunningly gorgeous and classic. Now that fall is drawing nearer by the second, I am craving this so badly! Upon the first spray, I receive the intoxicating mix of carnation, myrrh, incense, and a beautiful powdery vanilla on the dry down. This toilette lasts as if it were an EDP! It can be worn by anyone/age/sex/gender, and honestly, it is far more interesting and alluring than most of the more "now"/"modern" scents I have come across thus far. I own the EDP right now and with my purchase, received a few samples from the store's Opium tester bottle which is the toilette, and I can't get enough and will probably be back to purchase the EDT next so that I can have both in my rotation to wear for different times of the day, occasions,etc. but they also mix beautifully and create a memorable trail. When wearing the EDT to work with just a few sprays, I have already received many compliments from coworkers who are my age, so in their mid thirties as well as complete strangers chasing me through the grocery store to ask "what beautiful fragrance are you wearing?". Opium makes me feel confident, warm, alluring, and mysterious. It is a true masterpeice, and I am grateful they still have it on the market.

Opium’s warm, resinous spiciness is, without question, its dominant accord for at least the first couple of hours. It's a type of spiciness that is both sharp and broad: a punch to the nose, unapologetic and smoldering hot. But Opium also has a luxurious underlying base of amber, sweet florals, and vanilla, which round the fragrance out beautifully, grounding that potent spiciness and adding depth and breadth to the composition. Without enough sweetness, Opium could've easily been a shrieking nose-deafener, while, with too much sweetness it could've become cloying and syrupy. But the balance here is just right, in my opinion, creating a gorgeous combination of brash elegance and warm coziness. Glamor and languor. After a couple of hours, Opium mellows considerably. The amber and vanilla become prominent, while the spice and florals keep the composition warm and lush. Opium is a sexy fragrance in a very timeless sense. It’s passionate and sensual, yet it caters to no one but the wearer. It’s sexy like a tall, beautiful, dark-haired woman who builds a fire in the hearth and sits beside it naked, enjoying the heat, with no one else around. Ask me any day of the week and Opium will always be in my top three.

Hello fragrance fam, on todays reformulation guide were covering the greatest Oriental scent ever created, Opium EDT by YSL For Women! The original formulations of Opium are known for being a deep resinous cinnamon, jasmine and clove bomb. It's a dark and alluring scent with notes of myrrh and oppoponax, that is often compared to Estee Lauders Youth Dew. In it's modern form, the synthetic notes have lost a lot of the natural appeal they once had before reformulation. Generally I would state it's been reduced to a sort of sweet incense fragrance. The good part is, it's relatively easy to identify vintage Opium bottles. Basically the square red bottles, with the glass circle in the middle are the post 2009 formulations of Opium. Any of the rectangular Opium bottles with a red cap, will be vintage Pre-2009 formulations. The older the bottle, the more bold of a scent profile you will receive. * USA, visit our web store VintageDecants If you would like to sample this fragrance in it's vintage formulation, along with hundreds of other discontinued and rare fragrances to choose from. Hope this helps, and enjoy the journey!

I was SO stoked when I picked this up the other day & waited for just the right moment to re-experience OPIUM. First off, I hadn't realized it was the EDT until I got home. (Don't ask). ONE. SPRAY. Wow. Ok....NOT the fragrance I remember from the 90's, but still worth a second look & second chance. OPIUM is goddess mode...otherwise, why would I want it...but ONE SPRAY & I'm living for the dry down process! If you do more than 3 sprays of this, then you have OVERSPRAYED. Be prepared for the choking to follow. There's something "sharp" - could it be "synthetic?" that I have to wait to dissipate & then it's party time! Yes, it's a bit....nostalgic & definitely not "modern" but I am 58 & this is royalty status! I imagine a younger lady would not appreciate the gravity of OPIUM just yet, but if you got your ISH together & are finally comfortable in your own skin, then OPIUM it up!!

I don't know about anyone else, I got a bottle of 2012 batch. On my skin, I got a hint of lily of the valley opening, then seconds later, straight to the myrrhe and a well blended flowers, so it creates some deep dry rich freshness, if that makes sense. And that's it, on my skin it's pretty linear with the flowers somehow fading and I got Myrrhe with some resinous amber somewhere in the background and some sweet patches vanilla.. sadly it lasted only for 7 hours on my skin, then gone, with only 3 hours solid sillage, love the scent, SLP not really But, I wear perfumes for myself, so yeah, sillage and power doesn't really matter for me, as long as the price equal scent quality

The first time I tried this a few months ago I really disliked it and thought it smelt like a new age store full of incense. I tried it again today (along with the EDP version) and now love it. I can now strongly smell the citrus and amber notes. The carnation and jasmine is also gorgeous. I weirdly couldn't smell these notes the first time just an incense smell. Absolutely heavenly. Really coming around to loving oriental fragrances lately. I personally don't smell a huge difference between the EDT and EDP versions. I do however find the EDP can be slightly overpowering so prefer the EDT which is good since the EDP version is being phased out in stores in my country.

For back when they called these scents "oriental" and *meant* it. Opium is the reigning empress of designer oriental/ambers in my opinion. I'm a fan. And listen: if your skin is as perfume-averse as mine, and never holds a scent longer than an hour - this is the scent for you. It is the only fragrance I have come across so far that stays on me for hours and hours. And it's great - I smell like a sexy, confident, and mature woman. Perfect for the office when you're in position of power, or a date night when you're not the shy type. If you're one of these young girls looking for yet another marshmallow candy vanilla dessert scent, this is not for you.

I bought Black Opium first and sometimes I wish it was less sweet. I stumbled upon Opium EDT earlier this year and this is exactly my cup of tea. I love this so much and it hits all the right spot for me. One day, I layered the two together. 2 spritz of Opium EDT and one spritz of Black Opium and it was crazy good. So if you have the two, try this combo. The longevity of Opium EDT is very good and the sillage is great. I will definitely repurchase this version. I don’t even remember what the old formula smells like because I never owned one and must have tried it in the store back in the 90s. This one is more than good enough.

I love this fragrance. It's a warm and spicy comfort for the fall and winter. On my skin I get the tangerine and bergamot that really lets you to settle into the rich spiciness without diving in too deep right off the bat. Once the citruses fade, I'm left with a slightly floral carnation and myrrh that are undoubtedly the stars of the show. The spice from these two notes is divine. This fragrance, for me, truly shines when the spice mixes with the subtle sweetness of the amber and vanilla. It adds a balance that makes this such a cozy and comforting fragrance in the cold. This is completely unisex.

I had to have it... -And so l bought this beauty from a lady (thx a lot!), a new bottle 1FLOz with box, and it smells divided, l think like manna from Heaven! The magic is in the drydown on my skin, and, have l got any problems left in my world? No, l'm like sitting on a flying carpet, waving to Aladdin down there, and in the distance l can hear the lamp calling my name... This is such a beautiful perfume, and all the notes are blended so very well, and l must say, this perfume is for women, not babies

Just got this today, but first impression is that I really like it! I love the myrrh note, it really makes me feel I am wearing a niche scent. It is cozy and long lasting. It mixed with another vanilla perfume I wore earlier and it smelled SO good to ME. I only care about how I think I smell, and I love this, don't think it smells 'old'. Actually smells more expensive as I got my bottle on clearance at the drugstore for $17 ;)

I've been wearing all the lastest, hyped, powerhouse 'n deep Middle Eastern fragrances so I sprayed on Opium EDT to refresh my nose. It does exactly that. The top is almost effervescent, quite a French confection. One forgets Western Orientals concoct their own magic. It lasts a day on skin but it's best the first hour or two when all the notes are mixing with a complex perfume impact.

Probably more unisex than most women's fragrances i wear. I only don't own a bottle because it costs more than the women's fragrances I wear. It makes spice bomb look like a drooling baby. And I really respect spice bomb's creator. He did some big faves. But this is my favorite department store designer spice-forward, dark, smoky, vanillic, resin ravager.

I love that they update classic scents and make them more palatable for the younger generations. This Opium is just perfect. It has no sticky sugary sweetness of Black Opium but neither it smells dated. My 14 y.o. said it smells like you mean business and ready to conquer the world. I thought she would get scared of it, but she actually appreciated it.

An office-friendly, incense-based flanker to the original Opium. Really good if you do not compare to the original. The original had a seductive jolt the reformulation lacks. The sillage and longevity are moderate. I prefer the edt to the edp. Edt is more complex and has more emphasis on the citrus/spicy opening before descending into incense/amber.

I never ever want to be without a bottle of opium. A harmonious mixture of amber, florals, citruses and beautiful drydown of the patchouli. Dont be fooled by the edt this is a beast with amazing sillage and longevity. Definitely get the vintage vibe from it and not a safe blind buy. Also a billion times better than the garbage that is black opium ;)

Wore Opium EDT to bed a few times this month and it delivers the jasmin and vanilla from the top. My nose has developed, and I've thrown all sorts of barnyards and super contemporary synthetics at it, so now Opium is no longer the complex oriental it used to be for me. It's airy, flowery, and borders on sweet. Great for a guy in my opinion.

An oriental-spicy scent with notes of opoponax and myrrh. What I like about it is that it has very few floral or powdery notes. It also doesn’t have an animalic musk scent. I think it would suit men as well. The longevity is quite good. Please note that it’s completely different from Black Opium. Both are wonderful fragrances. 9/10

To my untrained nose, it is a warm powdery scent (probably the myrrh), a bit dark, a bit incense-y but not smoky. I saw some comments mentioning church and retro-smelling, and I agree. I cannot pick out all the different notes, but overall I quite like it :) EDIT: It develops into a really nice warm beautiful and comfortable scent.

Adore this fragrance, when I went to buy a new bottle on the YSL Beauty website I noticed it was in the Last Chance section. Sadly a sales associate on the website confirmed this perfume has now been discontinued and will only be available in EDP format :(. Really sad, as whilst I love the EDP, the EDT is infinitely more wearable.

Re: Scentfrommanna's comment about discontinuation. It seems that with Opium (and Paris) in certain markets either the EDT or EDP is much easier to find than the other. Or only one is available. I live in New Zealand and the EDT for Opium (and Paris) are extremely easy to find while the EDP formulations are no longer being sold.

The most wearable version of Opium in my opinion. It's The Perfect Scent for winter and Christmas season: ambery, spicy and sooo sophisticated, yet you don't have to worry about drowning everyone around you in a huge cloud of intoxicating perfume. Opium edt behaves very well and feels light, dry and even green in a way.

I wrote my review a while ago in the page for the EDP 2009, because at that time this page didn't exist. I adore this EDT 2009, but since I also have 2 bottles of the vintage version (circa 1994), I'm postponing the purchase of this new EDP which I never tried but I assume is also gorgeous.

Opium is such an underrated perfume because it smells heavenly to me. Yes, it's been reformulated and the scent profile kind of changed slightly, but I also love the new reformulation version. Need to buy some back up bottles since YSL choose to discontinue this beautiful creation.

My absolute favourite fragrance. 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.

Intoxicating spiced amber fragrance. The myrrh in this smells incredible. This reminds me of walking into an incense shop in the best way possible.

It smells literally so feminine and gorgeous

This is the bomb! Nothing else really to say

The vintage version of this is divine!

I received Opium from a family friend a long time ago and I never knew how, where or when to use it. I recently started testing it on my clothes in my closet spraying it sparingly to see what aura it created and found it to be very cloying and strong. Today I decided to wear it to work because I have a full bottle that it would be a shame if it go to waste and I can ́t gift it because no one in my circle wears this kind of fragrance. I can say what I like the most about this is the drydown, its very alluring, comforting, warm, like powdery in a beautiful way. I can see why someone would wear this as their signature scent, is very wearable just in the drydown, so if you can wait atleast 2 hours for that, you ́re up for a very good experience, it really grows on you. Will buy it again? Maybe no, because I have other fragrances I ́d like to staple to my collection better to my nose, but I wouldn ́t mind if someone gifted me this. It ́s... very pretty. Edit: This is lovely! It ́s like sweet spicy cola with cloves and cinnamon. One kid today hugged me and told me I smelled so good like dreams haha! I didn ́t know kids could appreciate complexity but apparently they do. Edit: Ok, I ́m OB-SESSED with this fragrance! So much so that it has become my signature scent lately. What changed? Idk, maybe my taste? Was it a spell? I don ́t know but this has enchanted me, is addictive and I can ́t get enough of sniffing myself, this develops beutifully on my skin and the sillage it creates is so warm and comforting, people seem to love it only as I ́ve gotten regular compliments on it, and my boyfriend seems to love it too as he always kisses me on the neck. I only wear this for him tho hihi-. Anyways this and Angel by TM are forever staples. I don ́t think I want to smell like anything else, finally I ́ve found my signature scent after so many perfume purchases looking for ́ ́my scent ́ ́ and all this time it was in front of my nose, I had this frangrance since 2016 and never reached for it, I even had black opium and loved it but it was too ́ ́night life ́ ́ for me, I wanted something versatile. It was like it was waiting for me patiently this whole time, like on the corner, lurking, stalking until I took the turn and looked and realized that this is enough for me. Now I look at my other scents like...ugh I want y ́all to be over so I can focus on my love. Maybe I ́ll only have 3 to 4 perfumes, I feel like I rather get into people ́s psyche and memmory, instead of smelling like bunch of different things all the time. Tbh I prefer to not smell like everyone else.

I was interested in this fragrance after learning that it came out around the same time as Cinnabar, a fragrance I quite like, and has some similarities with Coco, a fragrance I legit love. Then I found out that it was the signature scent of my husband's French lover, decades ago, and I was curious to learn if he'd recognize the reformulation. I bought a travel-sprayer decant of the EDT (the EDP wasn't even available when I checked), and I sprayed it on a tester strip. He said it smelled familiar and that he liked it, but he didn't recognize it as the same scent that his ex wore, way back when. My guess is that it's probably one part reformulation, one part hazy memory. He said this smelled shriller to him, so it's possible that the top notes had worn off her version, or that he smelled her mostly hours into the drydown. She could have worn the EDP or even the extrait, and chances are very good that her bottle was from the late 70s or early 80s; she used it sparingly. I like this a great deal, but I always love a good floriental. I'm relieved that if I wear it I won't remind him of her, at least! I probably won't buy a full bottle's worth anytime soon, but I do find the bottle design impossibly beautiful, like so many YSL packaging. Even though Opium EDT reminds me of my beloved Coco quite a bit, with a smidge of Cinnabar and Youth Dew, it's distinctive enough that I wouldn't consider it redundant. The myrrh/carnation combo is pleasingly butch, and I love this vaguely churchy-incensey, dry-wood accord with the juicy citruses and almost indolic jasmine. A sexy scent for sure, but also clean and bright, at least in the EDT form. Update: Strength is deceptive. Even though this is an EDT and I just sprayed it twice, on each inner elbow, my husband said he could smell it from 7 feet away, so the throw is pretty good. He finds it strangely masculine-spicy and doesn't dislike it but also doesn't seem crazy about it. I like it enough, but it's not as good as my Coco EDT to my nose, and that's probably because it's less floral and more "about that bass (no treble)."

I once owned a few bottles of vintage Opium EdT and one tiny extrait bottle. I was enamored with them, but I never wore them. They wore me. But the first edition of Opium I ever knowingly smelled was the infamous 2009 reformulation, shortly after it was released. I loved it, and sprayed it with youthful abandon. Yes, it was launched under shady circumstances - the initial packaging for it actually had "A new bottle for the eau de toilette you have always loved..." printed right there on the box, bold as brass and lit with gas. But this version is the only Opium I can wear without feeling as if I'm dressed like Sylvester at Studio 54. It's a leaner reinterpretation of the baroque oriental classic. Less emphasis on aldehydes, spices, and animalics; more on the silky florals, smoky woods, and amber. But it's genuinely good and refreshingly wearable. The feeling here is more relaxed than the high-strung O.G., less strident, less camp. You can even wear it in summer, I swear to Grace Jones! It smells luscious on a balmy evening, with a clean heart accord of jasmine and carnation that was present in the original but hard to appreciate under all the ornate oriental gilding. And "in the air", this formula reminds me enough of old Opium that I don't feel deprived. (The differences between modern and vintage are more dramatic when sniffed up close.) I'm entirely okay with it. P.S. In case I'm making modern Opium sound like a benign little thing, I should clarify that it's still a full-bodied scent, strong and long-lasting. It'll get you through an entire working day and into the evening, and sometimes I can only get the smell out of clothing with prayer.

after falling in love with the recently discontinued ysl opium pour homme edt. i got my self a sample of this one while i was at it. id wear this as a guy. this is so unisex. you get welcomed with a fleeting bright opening of sweet tangerine that comes out quite soapy for a bit. after the opening theres still a soapy nuance but predominately it will become balsamic till the end. what stood out to me the most is the strong ambers and sweet resinous myrrh. but at the same time it has a bright clovey carnation supported with a slightly indolic jasmine with hints of creamy smooth vanilla and hidden incense note in the background. it didn't had the same addicting quality pour homme has. it took on a much more classic warm cozy feel. but as someone who really enjoys the note of myrrh i found it addictive to myself. however just like pour homme. a bit one toned. not very complex but a good quality blend. i cant help feeling that there is something missing tho. maybe an animalic musk or some kind of fruit note like peach to make it lean way more sensual n feminine. like i genuinely enjoy it but it seems to be marketed a bit wrong. almost as if it was unisex by accident. like i cannot imagine a perfumer putting this concoction together and calling it complete... THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING. it's still a very smooth and elegant and strong scent that lasts quite a while and projects good. it literally grabbed my attention cuz of the myrrh other than that it came off bit lacking in presentation. still a very nice cool and different scent for today's standard!

should be called something like Opium l’Encens or Opium l’Oeillet, in my opinion. not renaming it in 2009 was probably a mistake. this eau de toilette is lovely, either way — and STRONG for an EDT nowadays. i love the myrrh and carnation. it’s like a less mossy Youth-Dew with a much lighter floral hand — or a spicier Coco without the honey. less whorehouse, less bakery, more church. very tasty. EDIT 7/25/22: 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. EDIT 4/24/23: comparing the two concentrations again today and— i think the EDP is winning now? sweet myrrh and cloves on my fingers and hair, jasmine and bergamot on my sleeve, and the faint soap of lily-of-the-valley wafting over everything... the EDT is giving citrus bathroom cleaner today. =_= the EDP is less citrus, more powder, still a hint of clove/carnation... i can’t stop sniffing my own personal incense cloud. what a difference a year makes? /current edt

Comparative analysis of EdT vs EdP. They are not dramatically dissimilar, with most of the differences concentrated in the opening. EdT has a brigther opening (but it is not by any means a light fragrance. Opium is dark, deep and gloomy). I think that this is because EdT has another citrus note aiding the bergamot, whereas EdP is all about this old school bergamot. EdT has also a spicy accord, which I cannot name, particular evident in the opening but still delectable all the composition long. After the opening, this spicy note is basically the only difference between the two, let aside for a faint touch of sweetness of vanilla sometimes delectable in EdP. Hower, these are only secondary naunces of the main theme. The dry down of both fragrance is in fact dominated by the myrrh + amber accord, Opium's signature. Both fragrances have similar performances (lasting power, projection etc...), So choose the naunce you prefer, taking into account that are only small variation one of the other. My favourite? Still not fully sure, likely the EdT for the spicyness.

I was looking for the EDP, but found this at Macy's instead in late November 2020. The saleslady thought I was asking for Black Opium at first, but explained that they currently only had the EDT instore and gave me a sample. Overall, I was impressed; I try to get EDPs whenever I can because they usually last longer, but I wouldn't mind this if I can't get the EDP version. It starts off with a pleasantly sharp tartness that lasts for about 4 hours before going all herbal and aromatic. I'm especially fond of the longevity since I'm used to EDTs wearing off after a few hours. The sillage on the other hand is quite strong, so unless you work in a fairly liberal (in regards to scents) workplace and have your own office I wouldn't wear it to work.

Anche la versione 2009 dal suo lancio appunto nel 2009, ha gia subito alcuni cambiamenti. La sua prima edizione col tappo che non si tappa era piu buona di quella successiva cioè attuale. Era piu dolce di benzoino vaniglia e patchouli alla fine e c'erano più agrumi frizzanti all'inizio e anche un tocco di peperoncino rosso,mughetto ,gelsomino, garofano,rosa,mirra, sandalo,cedro,cannella.. La versione successiva col tappo che si tappa è molto piu leggera. Per me dura troppo poco ed è sfuggente e trasparente. La prima 2009 era ancora multisfaccettata, si sente incenso,mirra, vaniglia,rose e gelsomini molto vivi. Ricordo di averlo comprato appena uscito,ottobre o novembre 2009 e di averlo indossato per tutto il 2010 con grande entusiasmo.

Smells like church, my grandpa (he had similar notes in his colognes), the 80s, my mother’s friends in the 80s, big parties, big hair...basically reminds me of my childhood. I smell benzoin as well. Lots of carnations and spices. Makes me think of the holidays like international womens day where carnations were everywhere. Myrrh. Basically me back to being a small kid again. It is very strong for EDT by the way. One spray is enough to last all day. I think it would be great on men too. Leans more masculine by today’s perfume standards.

On my skin, it opens with a very straight-forward patchouli. As it dries down, the patchouli tones down and the carnation and myrrh become more prominent, adding a touch of sweetness. The drydown has a resinous and balsamic quality, reminiscent of incense in temples. It's definitely not as lush as the older formulations of Opium, but it's easier to wear. The body lotion has additional notes of citrus and opoponax.

The first time I smelled it, in 2004, I said to myself: this is the perfume I want to wear, to be my signature. And when I actually bought it, after 2009...it wasn't my love at first smell anymore. Like, but not love. But, actually, i remembered the edp version, so I just ordered an edp, which i tested today in a perfume shop.

Huele genial en perfume Opium super muy feliz!

I got a decant of this in my monthly Fragrancenet subscription. I have a vintage bottle of YSL Opium and I was curious of what the new version of Opium smells like. I could only get the toilette in the subscription, but it is only a weaker version of the 2009 version of Opium parfum, same notes. This new version of Opium is nothing like the rich, dense and very sexy original and YSL should be ashamed of changing the formulation. I wish they would bring back the old formulation because I would love to buy another bottle. I hate searching for things on ebay but I will probably have to start because my bottle of the original will not last forever. That being said Opium Toilette 2009 formulation smells like a weaker version of Estee Lauder's reformulated version of Cinnabar. I own the reformulated version of Cinnabar and like it but don't love it. I wear it during the holidays, but it has a candle vibe much like this formulation of Opium but as I am comparing my bottle of reformulated Cinnabar w/ this formulation of Opium, Cinnabar wins hands down. This formulation of Opium is alright, I can't give it a dislike but man it isn't even a shadow of what the vintage is. It isn't even as good as Estee Lauder's reformulation of Cinnabar is. Jesus, YSL just bring back the real Opium. It was everything! One of the best perfumes ever. A signature for me in the 90's and early 2000's. I still haven't found anything like it. Estee Lauder's new formulation of Cinnabar is better than this and cheaper. My husband really likes this. I will give the decant to him. It's ok, a more unisex version of Estee Lauder Cinnabar. I just wish they would bring back the 1977 Opium.

I bought a bottle of 30ml blindly as it is in good discount. I read the reviews below before I ordered but this turned out to be very different to my expectation. The initial top note is something sharp and citrus but is gone on me within a minute. Then the soapy scent kicks in. I didn’t realize what kind of smell was it at first. Then I suddenly remembered LUX beauty Soap from my youth. It is therefore very clean in a way, and even unisex to me. Next to soapy, it is also very spicy. I don’t dislike it but I wouldn’t have bought it if I have smelled it first in the shop. I am still hoping this soapy spicy changes into something more sophisticated... To be continued... Well, since I sprayed once behind my ears late in the afternoon, and then I went with it to sleep last night. This morning, when I woke up, I smell my pillow as a sweet and tender incense which is after all, very sensual and pleasant. But the same type of incense is what they also use in the public toilet in China, which again puts me off ... In the end, this is a bottle of scent, which I still lack in my collection... It might be suitable to wear every now and then, when the mood and space is right... It is definitely office friendly I would say, if you don't over do it. But for a night out, or shopping with a girlfriend, I would choose something else...

One of the few fragrances that smells better on me than on a test strip. There is a very prominent note in it that is a little bit soapy or medicinal, perhaps the myrrh? I am not yet familiar enough with myrrh to know for certain. It is off-putting at first and then becomes warmer and more inviting. I'm still not certain I like it but I'm glad I tried it. I hope to try the EDP soon as well and compare.

My initial thoughts of this fragrance were "wow that is a beautiful cinnamon ...that turned to a very pungent leather" (unfortunately for me I am very sensitive to leather smells or in this case anything that reminds me of leather). So I was surprised to see there are no notes of cinnamon or leather. This perfume is so well blended that my olfactive memory perceived it that way. After looking more into the notes I believe what I am smelling is a very sweet myrrh note combined with a dry clove-like smell of carnation that I perceive as the "cinnamon" smell. As for the leather smell in the dry down must be the amber or whatever was used to create the fantasy note. Overall this fragrance is a blast of sweet spice that transforms into something warm and comforting. It has eternal duration and the sillage gets stronger with time. It can defiantly be pulled off by anyone of any gender and is perfect water for autumn/winter.

Reads to my nose as a sour floral and very one-note at that. I'm not very familiar or used to carnation notes which might explain my crude interpretation, it feels almost acidic. Straight off the nozzle I got a gingerbready spice mix, but there's none of that when I wear it.

amber makes me sick and headache ..... I really wanted to purchase it because of vintagy look dry down smells like sour benzine terrible