Opium Pour Homme Eau de Parfum

Opium pour Homme EDP (Blue Case - 1995) Damn!!! Sexy Sexy Sexy!!! What an outstanding accomplishment by a master of his craft. I can’t quite believe that Jacques Cavalier gave us this true gem 25 years ago now. To create one icon in a career is an achievement but you can’t forget that he also brought us the original YSL M7 and Rive Gauche Pour Homme too, plus the Zegna Essenze line & TF Noir de Noir. I mean...... WOW. I remember my old business partner coming back in to our studio the day this was released in the UK, absolutely smothered in Opium EDP....... I swear I could smell him from the end of the street! Whilst his initial wear was way, way beyond what would be deemed civilised by any standard and was subsequently absorbed by osmosis by yours truly, the beauty of it has never left me. He kept the bottle at work and I would often pinch a spray or two until I could bear it no more and bought my own a few weeks later...... and I’ve been hooked ever since. I promise you.... once you’ve tried the original, you’ll crave it forever! The beauty of this beast is the sum of its parts: relatively few components yet so superbly well rounded, rich and utterly unapologetic in its boldness. It’s the louche lounge lizard in the velvet smoking jacket, cigarette holder in one hand and a martini in the other. I own both versions but the original is just smooooooothe from beginning to end, whereas the newer version, whilst still fantastic, does open up with the anise note being a bit spiky but then calms down and purrs along, just like it’s older brother. One of the most beautiful aspects for me though is the black currant because it just stays the distance almost from the opening, despite it being at the heart & it’s sweet/sharp nature just balances out the vanilla in the base so perfectly. The resinous Tolu Balsam in the base is due a big round of applause too, with its sticky, rich, slightly cinnamon & amber tones contrasting with the gingery galanga...... sigh! It’s become incredibly difficult to find the original EDP in the blue case & refills but they do pop up on rare occasion if you’re lucky. Failing that, you won’t do yourself a disservice if you can get the newer glass bottle version because in my opinion, whilst it’s not exactly the same as the original for its all-round performance & smoothness, it’s pretty damn close. The original gives me a solid 8+ hours longevity with incredible sillage and a good 4ft projection for 3+ hours before slowly tailing off. Be mindful of your sprays though...... no more than two on skin & one on clothes is plenty or you’ll anger the room! I’d say for the 25 or older crowd; early spring, late autumn & winter and best as an evening fragrance but will work fine with colder daytime wear. For me, one of, if not the best oriental spicy in the game & undoubtedly a 10/10, no question and as a slight aside, if this were to be brought out today by one of the niche houses du jour, the YouTube reviewers would be all over it, lauding it’s magnificence; let’s not lose sight of that either! Merci Monsieur Cavalier. Opium pour Homme EDP - Legend - Masterpiece - Icon

YSL Opium EDP class, style, exuberance... Yves Saint Laurent Opium Edp is one of those perfumes that does not take into account the time barrier, a beacon of French creations, which should be found in the wardrobe of any man. Tailored by an artist's hand, it expires through all its pores luxury, maturity, managing at the same time to be chic, seductive and to create addiction. Practically the whole composition, from my point of view, comes down to three notes. The star anise together with the black currants compose a fruity-spicy opening and the almost carnal, sweet-flavored vanilla ... puts the sacred monster on its feet, now, difficult to find, because it is already part of the book of legends and perfume myths. His performance is as heavy as the legacy he leaves behind. Balsamic and gourmand, like a star on the red carpet, Opium attracts attention, obeys you but at the same time keeps you in respect. Jacques Cavallier, who is responsible for many works of art, both classical and modern, has created here an epitome of French luxury, good taste, a sensual, masculine fragrance that envelops you like a scarf and ventures you through the brightest event halls. Its performance undoubtedly makes you noticeble among the others, captivating and mysterious. Compared to EDT, I consider it has turn on the maximum volume the vanilla and fruits. An oriental in all aspects, polished in Paris. The presentation further reflects the nobility and masculinity of the perfume. Exuberant, dressed in a blue tailcoat, with a heart of gold, he offers the arm to the one who wants it, seduces and does not let go. It smile and submit ... It is undoubtedly a mature perfume, to be worn on special occasions. It shines on the coldest autumn nights. A magnificent creation that we can no longer find on the shelves but that I am happy to own. Au révoir Monsieur!

i have both the edp and the edt from the Sanofi era. i dont know if the edp with the blue cover is discontinued but i heard is not available in most of countries. i never smelled the current formulations but if opium now is on the shelves with a cheap price something's going wrong, because the vintage versions were dense and rich, and the prices were not so cheap, edp in particular. regarding the scent,vintage edp and edt are basically the same, the edt is a little bit lighter and the edp is slightly boozier but the scent is not so different. i prefer the edp for the density and richness but old edt is on the same level, buy it if u can. the fragrance is very oriental, i love the spicy and vanilla notes and i want to point out that opium is not a "beast", it has a great performance but is smooth, elegant, exotic, classy in the same time. nothing intrusive or "kourosy" in this juice. and another thing: it's not a 90's scent, is definitely out of time, a "universal parfume". i have to say it can be used by women because it's masculine but close to the unisex side. i hope the current formulations are great as the older versions. seasons: winter and fall. occasions: nightout, dates. age: 25-30 and up. l'oriente in bottiglia! scent: 9 longevity:8,5 sillage: 8 versatility:7,5 uniqueness: 9 bottle: 8 with the blue cover my vote: 9 in one word: orient

Absolutely love this, YSL Do still make the EDP but in limited amounts, it's available from Escentual and some other sites (UK) It retails at around £70 but I purchased mine for £59 on special offer. It seems to have been reformulated but is still very much like the original EDP, lasts a long time, one light spray on my arm at 11.30am and at 22:42 I can still smell it and I'm getting wafts every so often, the original formulation in the blue refillable bottle is still better performing though, the newer formulation does last long but it whispers after a few hours although on clothing it just seems to hang on in there. The new formulation is still worthy of repeat purchases as it's still a classic scent. Thankfully it has not been ruined but I have heard that there's only a certain production amount per year and YSL website it states it is a luxury variant now. It's summer now so my new bottle will be saved for winter time. Also I'm 31 and have been wearing this since I was 25, it's certainly not an old man smell but a classic. If you don't want to smell like everyone else does then give this a try. I've gone through loads of various types of fragrances, from the likes of JOOP at the very start of my fragrance journey right the way to the likes of Guerlain and Dior and obviously Opium. I could never wear JOOP now though

If I was to define this in three words, I would label it as an Oriental Barbershop Gourmand. In a few more words, I find this has a fougere structure, hence the barbershop association. And in this case, I would say the anise replaces the typical clean top note (coriander / sage / salvia / pine / eucalyptus / menthol take your pick), the black currant, pepper and ginger (or galanga) replacing the lavender, bergamot, and geranium notes, the tolu balsam the tonka, and all the aforementioned together with vanilla and cedar replace the patchouli hum at the base. In gourmand terms, if this was edible, I would say this is a digestif or better yet a dessert cocktail. It would be a coupe of Creme de Cassis liqueur, with a generous layer of vanillic lightly whisked cream on top, decorated with a sprinkling of black pepper, one star anise, and a slice of ginger at the edge of the glass. Mmm, should try that actually... In simple terms, simply delicious and sensual marmalade of a perfume. Hardly ever do I feel this being appropriate for day time wear (thought on a crisp fall day it could work well), I mostly get the association of an elegant social evening event, dimmed lights, frivolous chatter, and (aforementioned) great cocktails.