Opium Yves Saint Laurent for women

I used to use this perfume when I was in my early 20s. I used to love it. When I was in my mid 20s this perfume just didn't smell the same on my skin.

While I still like Opium, I don't like it on my skin anymore. If Opium works with your skin chemistry it smells lovely. I wish it still worked with mine!

This is a gorgeous and classic fragrance which is absolutely stunningly delicious. Opium is a statement perfume and my goodness, does this make a statement! How I adore this divinely gorgeous smell, oh Opium how I love you and will always love you! I won't talk about the notes as they have been spoken about in other reviews and I think you get the picture, but if you want a spicy and unusual, scent, then this is it! Every perfumista should have owned a bottle of this gorgeous juice at least once in their life.

Opium is a classic oriental perfume with the saturation turned up as far as it can possibly go. It is in excess of excessive. Trailer park Madame and tracheotomy associations aside, it's definitely a unique fragrance worth considering. It basically took the Youth Dew/Cinnabar formula, added some sweetness and more incense, and removed that odd olive salad accord that plagues the others, making it more wearable. Somehow this smokey, woody, cloying thing managed to become hugely popular and is still a best seller. The vintage parfum is definitely the most wonderful version. "Classy" is not a word many would associate with Opium, but it fits with the parfum. The florals are not only present, but rich. The screeching hairspray accord of the lower concentrations becomes a very warm amber. The projection is limited in comparison, but that's a good thing. What's left is a sweet, balmy incense over gorgeous florals. The modern EDP is actually fairly good up close, but its sillage is extremely loud at the cost of being rather unbalanced. The vintage EDT is spicier and a bit transparent, which isn't necessarily a good thing with opium. If you're doing incensed bathed 60s sexpot perfume, it had better be thick enough to cut with a knife. Lastly, the modern EDT is a vile interpretation of aquanet that no one should wear but so many people do anyway.

Although it is oriental perfume, it smells MUCH better on my skin in colder and humid weather. Then its sweeter cinnamon with sandal wood. In dry heat it smells kinda sour and medicinal (like sweaty arm pits with cloves, and without deodorant, yucky:)

To me, it's probably the best perfume I've ever smelled, voluptuous, enchanting, bewitching... :))
I have an old vintage bottle which I bought some 30 years ago, but I think the smell has somewhat changed.
Still, I like to put a tiny bit on my wrists from time to time to enjoy this gorgeous fragrance all by myself (not in public, as so many people seem to dislike it - specially here in Japan where I live and where people barely wear any colognes or perfumes).

What makes Opium so fantastic and still so relevant today is its never-ending ability to divide opinion and pressure people into discovering a different side of the fragrance world. Opium is without a doubt in my mind, THE Powerhouse scent that ushers in thoughts of Powerful women- working hard and demanding attention. Which is exactly what this scent is all about. Attention.

Some people might look at the notes that have gone into this scent and be put off by it, but I must voice that I think whilst there is an overload of different things going on, Opium seems to operate like a machine and each note has its own part and job to do. It's been composed well, and its been composed to shock and to project in the most powerful and obnoxious way possible.

What you're given is an overload of Incense and Spices with a hint of Florals but they all seem to be bowing in submission to the Incense and its role as the leader of the pack. Some people find Opium sexy and some find it to be Disgusting. I personally see it simply as a part of Perfume History. Its a truely incredible fragrance and its timing was impeccable.

I have smelt the new version of Opium, and I can tell you it doesn't even come close to the dedication and refinement that you'll find in this Original Golden girl. Because this is the kind of scent that you'll be smelling on your clothes for Days. So be careful when You spray because before you know it, people on the other side of the world will be able to smell you.

whether u love it or hate it, it is the most sensual perfume on the market. It makes Jean Paul gaultier Classique smell like baby shampoo!

One of the fragrances of my mother-in-law candidate.:)
She smokes and has a deep voice, is creole-skinned.
It suits her.

This is my mothers perfume.She is wearing it a lot of years.Even though it's a strong smell and i don't like it on me i love it on my mother.Brings back my childhood memories.

the real opium doesn't exist any more....

A blast from the past! This is woody, spicy, balmy and sweetly heavy with a musky overpowering aroma of cloves and wood and powder and pepper.
It was a great scent in the 80's but not now, it's too in your face.

now to begin with this opium is a true oriental fragrance , it has become a cult classic no doubt. today bought the edp version of it and i was blown by it, its less harsh than regular edt were as it is very smooth with all its qualities intact , the longevity is awesome of edp. in one word amazing edp. so all those who havent tried edp pls try.

haven't been wearing it more than 3 years. when i wear it again today, i feel old. it reminds me of old book shops, old kitchens, old streets and old woman in brussels's theater (she sprayed 10 sprays on that day, OMG). not any pleasant feelings anyway.
i'm not sure why i bought it. but i'm sure it will has another 3-year sleep.

Funny thing.
I recieved a bottle of Opium for the Holidays. Not my favorite at all. Always seemed too srong, almost Obnoxious as that other scent that came out approximately the same time,......... but I was willing to give it another shot.
Sprayed it on in the bathroom, a half spritz, of course,..... walked around, then re-entered the bathroom after 20 minutes and what do you know...
Boom. Youth Dew!
Now I know why I never cared for it.
Then for some reason turned into Old Spice.(?)

Not a fan.

I don't know if it's because my mom used to wear this in the 80's or what, but I just don't like this. It reminds me of the 80's! It's VERY strong and too overwhelming to me. My husband thinks scents like this smell like "old ladies" (no offense to anyone) and I guess I can kinda see that. I can picture my grandma wearing this, or maybe Chanel No 5. Not a fan.

This (both the reformulation and original) sure was a refreshingly unique, distinctive fragrance to me after smelling fruity-floral after fruity-floral (many I can be vaguely fond of or even like, and some are actually original and distinctive - but rarely enough to dish money out for) to the point of numbed scent-reception, nausea and frustration. I'm sure the reformulation may be a bastardization of the original but among the fragrances that major dept stores (at least in the U.S.) are buffet-feeding us...it's still a classic, original, interesting, beautiful fragrance with character, strength, sillage, original composition - things people have become deathly afraid of, it seems. I don't detect any one note but rather...a bunch of notes come together to create a new scent all together. Stop complaining about the reformulation or I'll hand you the Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture and you can hand me the "ruined" Opium and I'll happily be on my way.

Note: I've smelled the two side by side...yes, they're different. The new one is, as expected, less "potent". I still stand by what I said - put the reformulated version up against - say - Wonderstruck, Viva La Juicy, or Chance and try to say it's a disaster with a straight face. Depleted resources are a major reason for a lot of reformulations. Not a whole lot we can do about that, can we? Enjoy a gem when it's sitting right in front of you, not when you're looking back on it after it has kicked the bucket, so to speak.

A mature oriental fragrance exotic and sensual - in love!

Ground breaking scent! Unmistakable and devastatingly beautiful. The ORIENTAL of orientals. Try to get the vintage edt or the parfum. Nothing comes close. I can never be without it! When I wear it, it is like coming HOME!

It's a very exotic and warm scent. The mix of cinnamon and carnation with something else gives me a feeling of mysterious coca cola:) One of the best in oriental spicy.

how can we make our voice's LOUD enough 2 say . . . PLEASE STOP ruining the original formula's of classic's . . . . it doesnt bother me that they are putting out all these flanker's at all im sure there is a market for them BUT what about the ORIGINALS the classic's even if i was buying a flanker i would want 2 smell the original as a point of refference . . . although i 90%of the time would want the original also if they have not discontinued them they have took it upon themselves 2 re-formulate them with out even leting you know when you go hand over your money for a product i believe you have the right 2 know when its in the same box etc . . .that the company has changed the product & they have ALL done this 2 there original's esetee lauder- channel- christian dior-D&G--Y.S.L . . . . to me this is equivelant 2 going thru a beautiful lil historic town & bulldozing all the victorian & art decco home's down with all there charm & mature tree's & garden's & buliding cheaply made suburban track home's & bulldozing the cafe & boutique to throw down a strip mall & a starbuck's :( . . . . . it destroying HISTORY

I was blessed to be teen in the 80’s; I believe it was the best time in history to have come of age. There are many perfumes that bring back found memories of boys wearing eyeliner, clove cigarettes and new wave music. Opium however, for me, symbolizes all of the worst of the 80’s: cocaine, Hall & Oates and Miami Vice attire… makes shiver and want to write depressing poetry about the meaningless of life. Help the Opium is sinking me into depression, too bad I just spritzed generously at the mall on my lunch hour, now I have to finish out my work day in the malaise of the 80’s. I feel the weight of the invisible shoulder pads.

One day, tired of trying and smelling too many scents in the perfumery, I bought this one because of the box - these warm reddish brown and golden colours attracted me. And it became my signature fragrance for years. I can't judge it - this perfume WAS ME, I felt so natural with this fragrance around me. Then after a few years I wanted to find something new and stopped using Opium. Tried it again some time ago and it smelled different - or was it me that was a different person? Anyway, looks like my Opium romance is over. But I haven't found another signature yet.

In spite of loving the old version, I have to say that i rather prefer the new reformulation. It lasts longer than the old perfume, it is smokier and it has an expressive touch of carnation, that gives it a mesmerizing power.I love to wear it in special moments, and I always receive lots of compliments. Kudos to the new opium!!!

now tis is a real oriental spicy classic party wear scent, it has a huge projection with a good longevity, for nights and specially for winters, great a cult classic which can be worn in modern times.

I have loved this perfume for a long long time, I started using it when my dad brought for me while he was on business trip.
It is still as gorgeous as ever to me.

Classic and rich... never be out of date.

Vintage opium = paradise lost. Suits men perfectly.

10/10

Stunning gorgeous heavy scent, get noticed wearing this, sexy perfume. Not "old lady" at all. Open your mind and love the Opium!! Men LOVE it!

One of the most wonderful oriental perfumes of all time, Opium is as intoxicating as the resin secreted by the narcotic poppy for which it is named. This vintage formulation is a true work of art, to me, as it is true to its name. Exotic smelling, heady and it does cause an almost euphoric response when it graces my skin and enters my nostrils. Containing more top notes than many modern perfumes have in their whole composition, this is a very complex fragrance that has a core of warm resins, but contains soooo much more...

I was graced with a generous decant of the vintage EDT from the wonderful Wardrobe Mistress, and had been saving it for a special occasion (already having Opium PH, Belle d'Opium and a small modern one). On a cold and gray day in late December decided I needed warmed and cheered by a REAL perfume from "back in the day". Opium EDT fit the bill perfectly. This vintage EDT is much more powerful than any modern EDP! Immediately I was met with a resiny oriental cloud from only two small sprays. Cloves, coriander and bay with an undercurrent of fruitiness and sharp citruses swirled about me, with hints of sexy flowers and a rather "naughty" pepper. I floated on a cloud of simply indescribable perfumed power. As the heart notes appeared, the top notes did not fade so much as merge into them. A heady bouquet of "old school" flowers (like rose, lily of the valley, geranium and iris) combined with patchouli, sandalwood and sweet cinnamon was still drizzled lightly with a peachy nectar. At this point, it dawned on me (yet again) that most "vintage" women's perfumes have way more OOMPH! than most men's do today. Bloody gorgeous!! The dry down is almost like a trip to the Orient (or at least the Middle East) as thirteen basenotes become something dark, smoky and (even more) resinous; yet remain creamy and like liquid gold on my skin. *sighs* What is in OPIUM? What isn't?? Oh yeah...no caloney aquatic wateriness, no nauseating frilly fruity-floral bubble gum accord and no pretense. She is serious perfume, and if you do not like the likes of EL Cinnabar or YR Nature Millenaire; I would advise you to give this one a wide berth and avoid it at all costs.

Sillage: amazing
Longevity: unbelievable
Overall: 4.75/5

This is considered "out of style" by many modern women. It is too powerful and (yes) very masculine; but remember, it came out in an era where women burned their bras and marched for equality with men. The era of patchouli dripping hippies and sandalwood burning stoners had just began to taper off, and the era of Disco was just beginning to dawn. Opium is not only a gorgeous perfume (in and of itself) it is an olfactive snapshot of a time in history. You may not like her, but please: respect her!

I put this on when I was 17 and someone told me I smelled like potpourri. Perhaps it was my body chemistry.

This is my favorite! the smell is sweet and classic. but it's not the daily scent though. i would love to have another bottle of it :)

My 24 year old daughter made off with my 2005 EDT spray when she moved to Portland, and I had a craving to wear it again, so I went to get some at Macy's and used a bit from the tester first and it didn't even smell like Opium! Another gorgeous perfume bites the dust.

I won a bid for a 10 year old, unopened spray EDT on Ebay yesterday. Hopefully it's still in good condition, though anything would be better than the reformulation I smelled at Macy's.

eta: The vintage bottle was still in excellent condition! This is a perfume that I wear for myself, at home. It's not really who I am in public anymore, but it's who I am at home on certain nights.


eta 2: I have just discovered that new Opium layered with vintage is not bad at all. My vintage was all about the incense, and the new adds a bit of nice top/middle to it.

eta 3: I just had a memory. When my kids were little in the mid-late 80s, and Opium was still GOOD and you didn't have to save it for a special occasion because you couldn't get the good stuff anymore, my kids would occasionally ask me to spritz their stuffed animals with Opium because they loved the scent and it reminded them of mom and I would.

sigh

My review is for vintage EDT, not the one pictured above but in a glass bottle engraved with leaves and a lid with a golden top. Stunningly beautiful
Once upon a time "Opium" was created.... Then after a long time it was ruined....
I have no memories attached to this scent (i was born several years later than it was released), so my review is purely my opinion without any strings attached.
I have smelled "Opium" qute many times and back then in 90´s i was just a teenager and was interested in absolutly different kind of perfumes, so i wasn´t excited about it. All i knew it was some heavy stuff, extremly popular many years ago that i didn´t like. Then came the first reformulation in a bottle like in the avatar. Still wasn´t interested and didn´t try it. Then came out the newest edition of "Opium" in square bottle and by that time i began to understand more of a value of perfume. When i tried it it was horrible. Even though i didn´t like original one back then i knew this new one is total disaster and it´s not the same. So i was longing to try the original edition, but was scared that it would be something totally unwearable. So when i got a chance to buy a vintage full boxed and sealed bottle of EDT for a ridiculous price i never thought twice. And i´m glad i did! Well, today i am wearing it finally...
What. A. Masterpiece. This. Is!!!! Words fail me....
This is nothing that i was expecting, it is totally wearable and fully ebjoyable one of THE best oriental scents of all time. Full of spices, incence, carnation, labdanum!!! So many notes listed here but i can mostly smell those i have named. Of course it developes and more notes appear later (plum - totally yummy here for example). This is quite strong fragrance, i agree, but totally classy and absolutly worth it´s cult status. But i am talking about the original formula only. I have now also tried the previous formula, the one that pictured above as avatar and it is not the same. It has lost it´s depth, it´s inrigue, it´s power. It totally lacks something very important from it´s ingrediens. So sad!!! The one that i am reviewing has the power, has (sex)appeal, has mystery....
You really have to use it with caution, since it is really strong even for EDT, i wonder how the pure parfum smells then like.
I will be definitly wearing this every autumn and winter, not every day, but time after time. It gives me power above all others when i am wearing it. Many might not understand it nowdays but i don´t care at all. Fantastic projection, great lasting power. WARNING! FOR ADULT USE ONLY! Not for fainthearted and teenagers of nowdays!!!
If you can then DO NOT judge this fragrance based on reformulations, they are totally unremarkable after you got the chance to smell the original. I will never ever want to touch those again, only the real stuff, the real power! And who would´ve thought i would like it since i am more into sweet heavy stuff??? Life is full of surprises.

Saw an increasingly rare bottle of this baby and just had to have it! The reformulated version just isn't a patch on this gorgeous, smoking hot spicey and powdery number, which acts like a time machine for me back to my 70's childhood, when my mum had a bottle of this always. I will be using this very sparingly as I really don't think this has a true rival.

I just got/sniffed Opium the first time in my life:) The original EDT version. After reading all rewiews here (I couldn't wait:), I was expecting something breathtaking, mega heavy, quack remedy sort of thing, shocking or at least controversial.
I had to spray my wrist and cotton shirt twice, to even smell anything! Surprisingly, it smells stronger on my skin, then the fabric, probably the first time I've ever experienced that with any perfume.
Starts like innocuous drydown of Youth Dew - tolu balsam, carnation and labdanum. Then some pepper. And then it starts to get niiiice, soapy clean and lightly sweet orient - patchouli, myrrh, amber and carnation. Im not getting much of the incense or cinnamon, but there is something minty fresh.
The China limited editions of Opium (Orchidee and Poesie) got me down on my knees. Hopefully, this will get men down on their knees, as I heard Opium does.
Oh and 1977, it was a good year :D

ugh. One of my coworkers wears it occassionally and it isn't that it's a horrible perfume, it's just that I never want to smell it again. It was extremely exciting when it came out and I thought it was the best smell it was possible to conceive. And then there was so much of it around in the 80s that if you threw a rock you'd hit somebody wearing it. I wish it would die. The bottle was brilliant though. And the ads with Jerry Hall were really exciting. The ad with Sophie Dahl was also great because I'm one of those people who are deeply into paleness.

A perfectly done oriental that is quite the hard act to follow. An '80's classy bombshell that is still wowing it's aundiences now and hopefully well into the future. To have so many ingredients/notes but remain perfectly in balance is a glorious wonder.
I would say this is definitely a fall/winter fragrance but can also be used in the summer if used lightly. I recommend if you can find it the body veil (lotion) is a perfect companion to the perfume and could be used alone if you wish. It has great staying power but I think it smell a little different on me than when I wore it in the '80s, although I feel it still works with my chemistry.
I don't bathe in it as it can be overwhelming to others but it is nice when layered with the body veil. Thank goodness it can still be found in abundance unlike other classics of that time.

I'll have to reiterate what A. Rose123 just wrote a couple of reviews prior - this is absolutely different on a man's skin - and any man who's a real perfume/fragrance lover really needs to try on their skin at least once. The version above (not the newest reformulation junk now available) is perfect. Seriously - it's that good.

As much as the Pour Homme versions (EDP is appreciably better than the EDT) seems like the logical choice, DO try the original (women's) release. It's headier, spicier and muskier than you might imagine. Many women I've met have NO idea that I'm wearing a fragrance marketed to women. AND they find it very sexy - keep that in mind too ;)

This is one of the fragrances advertised in O magazine for December 2011 with the new Emily Blunt advertisement. Sure enough I lifted the flap and rubbed my wrist back and forth against it to pick up the scent. I love this stuff!
Prior to this, my first experience with Opium was on the associate at the perfume counter one day. She was blond with smokey eyeshadow and a bohemian style dress and she pulled it off like nobody's business. She said men loved it and I believe they do on her. I asked for a sample and she gave me a sample of the EDT. Since then I have occasionally worn this fragrance trying to recreate the smoldering creative persona that was the sales associate that I can see in myself sometimes needing permission to be. Opium is the cool girl...not the popular one. But for now Opium is reminding me that I'm not quite as cool as required to hang out with her.

Narcotic, languid; a dizzying, steady hum of incense, plummy richness, heat and spices galore, evoking the image of ancient, Egyptian temples and pre-Art Deco Egyptianiana Kitsch; polished ebony, alabaster and gold, sweeping in scale and clean in design. The woods are deep, resinous, dry and astringent. The florals are minimalist and engulfed in sweet, foggy smoke and garnished in candied orange peel. "Opium" is a dichotomy of unapologetic trashiness vs. a romantically idealized version of "High Brow" sophistication. It's magnificant.

And that's just it being worn on womens' skin. On male skin, heady and musky, it's something on another level, entirely: It's transcendant. Intoxicating. The clove comes forward and mixes with skinmusk and sears into the brain, the incense becomes activated and sweeter, swirling around in a heady haze, disorienting any helpless objects of affection (or potential objects of affection) into submission. In short, it evokes the sensation of unbridled, uninhibited...

...lust. "Opium" is one very, sexy beast. And I've already said enough. Just try it. But consider yourselves sufficiently forewarned ;)...

opium is the mother queen of all the sexy, alluring, daring scents. this particular one, makes you to stray and sin. this is like all the way to foreign territories and beyond.

I wore this in the 80's and didn't truly appreciate it at the time. After using it up, I moved on. I happened upon a pre-reformulation bottle recently and simply had to buy it, for nostalgia's sake. One whiff and - oh my! I am SO happy I found it. This is a scent you never forget. Opium is spicy to say the least, but also daring, alluring, provocative, assertive, powerful, seductive, dare I say revolutionary. I smell loads of spices, incense and a touch of carnation. When it comes to spicy scents, Opium has lead the way, and set the standard high. This is a fragrance for someone who's not shy, not afraid to be seen or heard. When I sniff my wrists while wearing this, I inhale deeply, it draws me in so much. I wonder how I managed to get along without it for so long. I have not tried the new version but I can't imagine it would compare to this beauty.

I usually go for more fresh/green scents, but I've had a passionate 25-year love affair with Opium that's still going strong. I only wear it at Christmastime though -- IMO, it's just too warm and spicy a scent to wear at any other time of year. Opium and Chanel No.5 are the supermodels of the perfume world!

Two things about me: one, I love autumn; two, I love spicy oriental fragrances. And in my mind they go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, October is the beginning of Spicy Oriental Season in my fragrance collection.
This review is for the fragrance in the bottle pictured above: the pre-reformulation EDT; it's the classic Opium that I remember from my childhood. I recall having a tiny sample vial of that I would sniff surreptitiously because my mother hated any fragrance that was not OCD clean (aldehyde city). I loved the spices, the depth, even the rich amber color of the juice in the tiny flask...and in 30+ years my attitude towards Opium has not changed. To compare it to several other members of its genre, it is less fruity (tangerine/mandarin orange) and more complex than Cinnabar, it has more clarity than Youth Dew, and it has fewer dried-herb notes than Ambre Sultan. Can I say that it is better than the other three, or give a ranking of the four with Opium among them? Can I love one of my daughters more than the other? Opium is beautiful and I love it; it blesses my autumn days with balsams and spices. It is truly a great fragrance.

I adore this scent, it is Christmas in a bottle to me. Too heady for daytime usually, but I have to wear it on Christmas day. It's the last perfume my Nan bought me before she died, so the scent is doubly poignant. It smells warm, luxurious and comforting...and like when all the family were together.

Unique, classy and it lasts longggg!! A real treasure!

I had an idea that opium was a heavy, masculine and old fashioned. I didn’t even consider it. Today I was at the store and saw the old bottle, thought that there is no harm in trying it. That was 8 hours ago and I keep on smelling my palm like and addict! I cannot wait to buy this tomorrow, even if I don’t spray it I will put it on my cushion, the perfume is soooooooo relaxing and intoxicating, really really loved it!

First wore this in the 80/90's, I have been looking for an oriental perfume for a while now and havn't found anything I like as much as this! still smells absolutely gorgeous, strong, spicy, sexy. I dont care that my daughter says its old lady perfume lol, I'm sticking with it, its going back up ther as my favourite!! I'm in love again!

I love spicier scents and this on the blotter was amazing, however trying it on was a different story. On me it smelt purely of incense, and not the nice kind of incense that brings back fond memories but the incense that is WAY to overpowering.

I can imagine this working for more mature women though.

I have a new botlle but it is not the same as the original. I looked on the internet to get the old botlle of edt wich i really adore. I tested my old botlle with the new one and there is a difference. The old botlle smells sweeter more warmer and richer.
The new botlle contains a note i don't like, i will use it but that note stays present. Luckelly i got hold of a 100 m old botlle edt. Thank god because there are not so many old botlles left.

When my grandmother moved out of her house and into a nursing home, she left behind some incense blessed by a priest, with a picture of a nun on the label. The minute I smelled it, I recognized it as the incense they use in her (Byzantine Catholic) church.

The priest walks down the center aisle in a Byzantine Catholic service swinging a giant metal ball filled with incense so heavy I had to leave one Easter because I was on the verge of fainting.

Opium, to me, smells like walking into a Byzantine church when the service has just ended. The incense is still hanging in the air and emanating from the walls and the ikons.

I could never wear this because it is too old and mysterious. Maybe someday?

Suddenly I feel I must have it again. I want to wear this original and sensual creation again along with the 60-ies and 70-ies fashion that is coming very strongly. Not a reformulated version, no, The Good Old Opium that I loved.

One of THE most phenomenal perfumes! I wore Opium all through my nid to late 20's. It simply simmered on me. Everyone loved. It just works.

The EDT is just not good. The EDP is a tad better - more dense and rich - but I find theEDT to be a little overly smokey. Maybe it is my skin chemistry but it gets a tad sour.

I was disappointed because I love the smokiness and incense rich persona Opium is all about! A very difficult fragrance to wear but hats off to all those who rock it!

A spectacular incense of monstrous proportions, it is the scent of midnight mass in a massive gothic cathedral, creating images of a priestly procession, chanting in Latin, where an incognito woman of the night crouches in the knave, lighting candles before an icon of the virgin. Opiums' sensuality is brilliant in that it relies entirely on the protestant imagination's ability to re-envision the unholy corruption of the old church. It may be inspired by the rare spices and resins of the orient, but Opium is as a European as a perfume can get.

I sprayed Opium last night and 12 hours later it's still humming along on my wrist. In small doses, Opium is not incompatible with dining, clubbing or romance. Used excessively it will ward off flies, humans and evil spirits

In 1977, the amazing phenomenon know as Opium debuted. It changed the perfume world forever. It wasnt just a perfume, but a pop icon released from YSL. It caused a sensation on all fronts. Its name implied something illegal-it was banned in parts of Asia! Opium is addictive! You cannot stop sniffing it. YSL released it in limited distribution, causing near riots at local perfume counters.

Why the commotion? It had the most spices ever to date and grabbed the attention of innocent passerbys. I never found it sexy. Its rather provocative and alluring. It took a certain type of woman to pull it off. The "vamp" was born. Think Grace Jones. 11" stillettos and yes, real fur...

After the glittery dust settled and YSL passed, came the profane reformulation. How could you alter such a landmark? You cant. Unfortuately, the original is no longer produced, making it all the more sought after! The current Opium is just a flanker.

Opium is the quintessential IN-YOUR-FACE powerhouse oriental, not for the meek and self-conscious. It opens with a conflagration of spice and incense that remains broiling just beneath the surface as Opium dries down. Almost immediately after application and most definitely during Opium's dry down phase there's a moist, slightly funky note that I'm guessing is coming from the spice, balsam, myrrh, plum, and vetiver. It's this funky note and Opium's sheer strength that keeps me from loving the blend entirely, but it's tolerable and not so bad that I'd get rid of the bottle my mom so kindly sent me for free. I think this is another scent I'll have to spritz onto a cotton ball and dab on. I reviewed the EDT (tall bottle) for reference.

My mother used to wear the EDP and I avoided going near this one for a while as i thought of it as her perfume.
I'm glad i changed my mind and gave it a go...woah!
Along with Obsession, this is one of the best spicy POW! BAM! perfumes out there.
(I can see Batman wearing it as he fights crime!)

I also think of mustard coloured flares when i wear it. I suspect I have it associated with someone who must have worn it in the 70s, but i cannot recall who.
If i had a time machine I'd go back and figure it out, and also advice against mustard coloured flares.

Spicy, warm, happy pefume!

This was one of my first grown-up perfumes I bought for myself with one of my first paychecks back in high school(the other was Anais Anais). After bathing in this and getting a headache more than once, I learned one spritz in the air and a walk through was sufficient. It is heady, deep, sharp and powerful-a bit much for a 16 yr old girl, but I sure felt sexy wearing it.

My favorite aunt was at my birthday and she smelled awesome. It did not smell heavy, but light and a bit powdery on her [she had the right bodychemistry to wear it}. I asked her what she was wearing because it was love at first smell, it was Opium edt. The week after my birthday I immediately got myself a 30 ml Opium edt and i was in heaven. My husband thank god love's it to, he is fan of all of my fragrance's.

Sexy, spicy. A little goes a long way. The scent lingers forever on everything. Use a light hand when applying else everyone will smell you coming a mile away.

A truly mesmerizing and kaleidoscopic oriental dream. Yes, it's very strong and lingers for an eternity and induces a good deal of olfactory fatigue in the wearer - hence the often over-application of it. However, applied judiciously, it's a symphony of fruits, resins and musks - heady and hypnotic.

Wearing this (and yes, men can wear this - forget the Pour Homme version), I'm reminded of my aunt Nancy - an amazing and exotic woman who traveled the entire world and occasionally made her home in a few countries in the Middle East and Asia. She was the kind of woman to show up at a black tie wedding in a silk brocade sheath dress from turn of the century China; telling stories of narrowly escaping coups and uprisings in the countries which she traveled, and of the beauty & splendor found as well.

It is NOT for those folks who like "safe" fragrances - ones that will please everyone. It takes a strong personality and a certain amount of confidence to pull this off. I mean really - what's the point in disparaging a scent just because the wearer cannot tolerate it nor has the spine or confidence to wear it? Most of the negative remarks come from people who, if you look at their scent collection, choose middle of the road/generic fragrances - or ones that only smell of baked goods or candy. Age has nothing to do with it - only the wearer's frame of mind and a nose that can sense quality, composition and the art of perfumery itself.

A masterpiece - truly exceptional and unique in the world. BTW - ONLY try the pre-reformulation version. The new version with its new bottle (easy to spot and avoid) it's missing much of what makes this scent so extraordinary.

Once again! This is an example of how great perfumes used to be.
"Opium" is so distinctive, much like "Loulou" mysterious and infinitely captivating!
Once you smell it, you know it, and never confuse it with another.
It is rather heavy by today's standards and being so memorable and succesful for so long I can't think how unique a woman wearing it might feel, but it has a great longevity and if you want to attract men's attention effortlessly, this one will certainly do the job!
No question I can imagine the Yves Saint Laurent executives when provided with the very first samples of this perfume back in the seventies, shouting in a voice trembling of sheer excitement:
"Oh my Gosh, this one is a hit!" :-)

Opium is such a classic, elegant, sexy, and sultry fragrance. I have two bottles of it, and oddly enough, one smells different than the other (this could be due to one being older than the other). I must say that the eau de parfum does smell better than the eau de toilete, in my opinion. Typically an eau de parfum simply lasts longer, but I think in the case of Opium it not only lasts longer but it also smells richer and better.

I'm mostly a floral and floral green girl, with an occasional fling with a floral oriental in the winter. But, I received a miniature of Opium in a gift set in the late 90s (probably the orig, not reform), and eventually decided to use it up during cold weather.

I liked it a lot better than I expected to. Maybe it was the spicy carnation/clove smell. I finished up the bottle, but, since it was like, not love, I'll probably never use it again.

Apologies to all Opium lovers.

This is one of my favorite perfumes that my wife owns,I only wish shed wear it more.Opium is a very multilayered fragrance that announces itself in a room.It is extremely sensual and elegant.Opium is without a doubt one of my favorite perfumes to smell.Love it.

Got myself the biggest bottle of Opium. I always feel like a queen wearing it, feminine, seductive, desirable, like some Cleopatra ;-)
Smelling Opium is a delightful treat. Mmmmm.. I love it and it loves me - it smells warm and delicious on me. The fragrance stays a whole day on my skin, developing, getting even more irresistable, driving me crazy with its magical scent. Opium is a Sensuality in the bottle..

I should really revisit Opium. I loved it in the 70s and 80s, but haven't had a bottle for yonks. I sometimes smell it on other women and it's so unique. A delightful oriental. The staying power and projection are excellent too.

This was my first expensive bottle of perfume that my parents bought me when I was 14, now nearly 30 years later I still love this and get compliments everytime I wear this

Opium means business..
I got my first bottle whilst living in the Middle East, I think my taste changed in the steaming hot fragrant city of Dubai. Somehow, despite the many Ouds available, Opium fit the environment perfectly, bringing the marketing man's dream of exotic spices and nomadic spice trails to life. Now back in the UK, I still wear it sometimes, but not the new 'Belle' version which I find lacks the spicy soul of Opium.
Often associated with the eighties, I notice heads turn when worn on a young(ish!) woman, it's maybe unexpected, or maybe I am causing asthma attacks..
It can be overwhelming for others nearby so use with caution. I find the body cream offers a lighter wear and considerable longevity. However you use it, it is, without doubt, sexy.

Wow...opium! Believe me, Today I tested over 10 different perfumes in a shop ..I started from milder modern scenes like Arden green tea, pretty, etc and you know that after a while testing different scenec it is impossible to smell anything.so I decided to test the stronger ones like chanel line..I tried different chanel bottles , but I could not smell anything! then by chance I picked the opium , I immediately smelled the scene like a hit between my eyes, this perfume is STRONG and unique, you can truely find in it 100 other scenes. But I think it is only for strong women , not for casual wear or teens.
It was the only bottle that I picked it 2,3 times to smell again and again, it is so addictive, makes you your slave even if you dont think it is pretty.

When I got home I started to smell the paper strips from the shop and I noticed that the modern line of perfumes are so similar to eachother, like 1,2 notes makes the difference in each one.they are safe and routine.
But I still remember the opium that I smelled in the shop maybe I get a small bottle one day and keep it for my own pleasure since I do not have the strong personality to match opium...it is such a great perfume.hate the fact that modern women do not use this kind of perfumes anymore.such a loss.

very strong scent. My husband likes it. The bottle I have is 23 years old so maybe I will try a fresh bottle.

A very special perfume,I think it's suitable for brunettes only!

I don't like this bottle at all, maybe because I normally don't like spicy/ warm/ musky/ ambery scent and maybe also because I live in a country that has 10 months Summer.

So when I use it in at night where the weather does cool down a bit, it is still very heavy and too strong although it was just one spray. Once I and my boyfriend was going to dinner and I used it, he told me he had got a headache and said he couldn't drive any further.

People also commented that I smell way too old for my age (very sad).

This is the 1980s in a bottle. In a cage fight, this would whoop Ralph Lauren Polo. Scary stuff.

Funny ...I love orientals but just did not take to this,only ever smelt this on a friend and (sorry friend)always smelt heavy and unpleasant to me, it may be just be the reaction on her skin not sure.
Maybe will try when out and about.

I love the old and the new OPIUM, but I think, that the last one has a better sillage and longevity than the original...it lasts DAYS!! It is incredible even for me, a fan of strong fragrances...

Opium is an EXTREMELY opinionated and confident scent.

It gets right up in your face and yells, "Screw you if you don't like me, you spineless fence-sitter!" "I dare you to wear me! Do you have the guts?" "If not, then step aside and stop wasting my time!"

I can't wear it, but I've got to respect it.

First edition was "GREAT" Scent and Packaging ... So the best place to find the real sent of OPIUM is eBay !

Even for a fan of monster sillage like myself, 2 sprays of EDT and it turns from enjoyable to suffocating.I left the bottle sitting on the kitchen table and when I walked in later on, i could smell it even with the cap on.....amazing. But if applied in the right amount,Opium is an unbelievably sexy and statement making fragrance.
Its power makes it worth every penny because it will last you forever and a day. I don't see much difference between the original and its flankers other than sillage and longevity. But no matter what others say, to me the original Opium is very wearable and a head turner in a good way, if not used in warm weather or heavily abused.

I've tried the modern opium edp along time ago, and it didnt really wow me. I just bought the edt today the one that's pictured above, and all I have to say is WOAH! when I first spritzed it I thought what's all the commotion about it's not strong at all and I can pretty much handle any strong fragrance. Needless to say 5 minutes later, and I feel like i'm Linda Evangelista transported to the 80's with teased out hair dressed head to toe in a white YSl power suit with obnoxious gold jewels on the hunt for a bottle of opium. My head is spinning but in a good way. At first I get a hint of aftershavey soapiness and dominant carnation with a slight spiciness, as it warms on the skin I get a full blast carnation bouquet with resin so thick I can chew on it. Spices galore with a vanilla sillage. I seriously cannot handle myself I LOVE IT!! I haven't had a reaction to perfume like this since I tried Poison so long ago. i'm doubled over in ecstasy slumped over my keyboard lol definitely for a powerful woman.

Very strong,heavy scent, not for everyone.Was in the past one of my favourite perfume.

The old and new Opium (I think that there is no difference between them) is the best perfume of the world!!It is so mystic and strong! It can only be used by self-assured people!

Scent - 10/10 (so, so original)
Longevity - 10/10 (It lasts days on clothes)
Sillage - 10/10 (fantastic)

Heavy scent, not for everyone. But I loved it, It made me feel like Queen of Sheba.

This is a heavy, oriental, spicy scent that smells almost like the retired perfume Ispahan from Yves Rocher. After trying many different scents over the years, I have come to realize that oriental ones are the most suitable for my personality and my skin. Opium is one of my favourite perfumes.

I have been wearing Opium for almost 30 years. I was at work in the early 80's and a woman walked down the hall leaving in her wake the most marvelous fragrance. I was so drawn in by the scent I ran out of my office and followed her down the hall and into the ladies room. In most circumstances I would never intrude on a strangers privacy but I just had to know what the perfume was, so I asked. Over the next couple of days I couldn't get the memory of her scent out of my mind so I purchased a bottle of Opium and have been wearing it ever since Unfortunately although I like the way it smells me it was like heaven on the mystery woman, just goes to show that body chemistry plays a big role in the life of a fragrance. Sorry to say that my latest bottle of Opium smells similar to the original formula, but is enough different I am searching for a new signature scent. Till then I'm sticking with the reformulated opium.

This is one unforgiving diva (in the wrong hands) and probably the reason I thought I hated perfume for so long. It was the weapon of choice for my ex mother in law and I could not stay far enough away from her when she had it on. It is capable of clearing a room in seconds.

Years later on a whim I decided to give this one a test at a counter. I wanted to see if it was the fragrance or the wearer to blame for that screaming headache and realized that it actually has a smoldering, exotic quality that I like.

I would really love to smell it on a person that knows how to wear it properly. Although, I have not recovered enough to let that person be me.

I haven't smelled this for years, it was my mums signature scent of the 80s so I'm sure I would recognise it anywhere.
I remember it being very strong, almost overpowering smell. Probably perfect for a night on the town in the 80s.

what is it in opium that so immediately makes itself at home in the back of my throat and proceeds to tear and rip off the lining of my sinuses? a stench - way too great a percentage of it, whatever it is.

and this selfsame stuff is present in bal a versailles foor men. braf! if one could ignore it - as in pour homme - it will eventually go away, but opium has so much that one feels coated in it jes' lahk the tar baby was dunked in tar.

Oh my, I wish I could say I like this fragrance. I received this perfume, a full bottle as a gift from an admirer in my early 20s. And let's just say this admirer was way too old for me and super creepy so already my relationship with Opium started off on the wrong foot. I had to give it a test though.. and boy did I NOT like this perfume. Infact I gave it away to someone who heard I had a whole bottle of Opium I didn't like and sweeped that baby up in a jiffy. So I thought now in my 30s, maybe I was just too young to appreciate this one.. so I sprayed it one day out in the store to give it another whirl. Wow, I still hated it... it is so fantastically strong, which is a good thing for women who love this one. You absolutely have to have the chemistry to wear this one, and you have to love strong orientals. To be honest I have a knock off of this perfume, and I can't even enjoy this one because its not only the scent is so strong and peppery, I just don't enjoy the scent at all. I admire any woman who can wear this and the perfume doesn't wear them, as it did me.

Surely Eros bow must be steeped in Opium! Beyond sexy, Opium is soulfully erotic. Not a disembodied spirit that floats airily in the sky. Opium reflects a spirit that inhabits a body whose soul is deeply rooted in the earth.

I love it's richness and depth - the vast complexity - citrus, sweet, smokey spiced heat, and yes, a touch of bitter in contrast to the sweet! Fabulous! It's drydown is so beautiful, it almost makes me swoon with pleasure!

Like no other...

Wow, it amazes me that so many people seem to adore this perfume.

It very definitely is, as other reviewers have mentioned, an extremely polarizing perfume (and I use that word very loosely - to me Opium is a stench!) and provokes extreme reactions. I can understand people absolutely detesting this perfume (as I do) but, for the life of me, I cannot understand how anybody could love it!! It's such a chokingly pungent, heavy, cloying SMELL that I'm one of those people who find it totally nausea inducing and awful!!

As for the notes in Opium, one reviewer has said "..it is a huge bouquet of notes which keep popping up one after the other ...". I don't know about that!! To me, it seems as if there's everything but the kitchen sink in Opium (I don't think I've ever seen so many notes listed in a perfume!), which is probably one of the reasons why I find the smell of it so offensive and staggeringly overpowering!!

Also, as another reviewer mentioned, wearers of Opium (and other heavy, pungent scents) do seem to be far too heavy-handed with their application of it and need to exercise a bit of self control and consider others around them! So many women seem to go crazy with their perfumes and overspray, which can be bad at the best of times but when that happens with such strong perfumes as Opium the results can be horrendous for other people who are forced to breathe in the overpowering smell!

So dramatic and exotic still, all citrus, spice and incense. My mother started wearing this when I was about 10, and it must have sparked my fondness for all things spicy and incense-y. In the same family I think as Black Cashmere, but more sweet.

Not for the faint of heart and best applied with a light hand, unless you're looking to issue a nasal beatdown on someone :)

Longevity for days. It always lingered on my mother's clothes.

I don't wear it b/c it conjures up so many childhood memories and associations, both good and bad, but would recommend to anyone who is interested in strong, spicy scents.

Un perfumee que distingue a las mujeres su especiado aroma hace de una fragancia embriagadora que con solo ponerte en la piel se queda y dura todo el diaa
es un clasico de yves saint laurent.
Fragancia para mujeres arriba de los 30! exquisito!

cinnamon drives me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love opium but i am only 28 and i think that is innapropriate to use it at this age. i will buy it later...

Heady, spicy and seductive, Opium is a rich concoction of wood, spice and musk. I adore it but it makes me feel really ill so I just cannot wear it. Ah well, I suppose I must resort to "passive smelling" and inhale the divine scent on other people!!

I, like most loved it in the 80's. After reading a few reviews I feel the need to go RETRO, yes I'm going out tommorow and buy me a bottle of Opium. It will only be a small one because it is still just as expensive as it was in the 80's. If I can carry a LV Speedy 30 in 2011 like I did in High School in the 80's. I can smell like I did then too.
The best thing was the oil body spray. The more I reflect the more I smile, Opium brings back some memories I dont think I should be sharing LOL.

Opium and I are kindred spirits…I realize that I’m so very lucky, to have not even one remote association with Opium. I grew up in the 80’s and peddled perfumes for over a decade, so it is RARE for me with a vintage and mainstream fragrance. Opium isn't massively popular in my country. Oh sure there was the occasional ''signature scent'' woman but she was a rare, and I don't remember her.

I will never forget my first encounter with Opium, it blew me away instantly. I truly believe it’s still one of the best Orientals of all time. If you want the most ‘’gothic’’ perfume, try Opium! It should be up there with the great Reims cathedral. Perhaps I sound dramatic? But that’s the mood Opium evokes in me. It’s all about dramatic light, incense, dark paneling, with stained glass berries brewing in a medieval witch’s pot. I love the woodsy trail it leaves in my wake. I’m so glad they didn’t put ‘’civet’’ in the base, like so many others…Opium is the perfect name for this aroma, it smells like an intoxicating spicy & herbaceous elixir, created by a magician.

@ Balzac ---I love your review, my little boy loves Opium too..it's one of the few perfumes he actually approves of...:)

I was the disco dancing queen, when I wore this back in the 70s. It was a gorgeous voluptuous scent that could stand up to dancing all night.

I wouldn't wear it today -- so many more beautiful fragrances have been developed. It's a nice visit down memory lane, but I've moved on.

I absolutely hate the top notes, they are far too stingy- they even give me dizzyness, after them this frag becomes a bit more human and even maybe likeable.
It has amazing longevity and spreading power, it lasts and spreads then it lasts and spreads some more..
This is a very high quality perfume, it is a huge bouquet of notes which keep popping up one after the other. It just doesn't fit my taste, I'd recommend this for women 45 and up. I definately believe it is outdated, though...

I grew up smelling this. This was my mom's favorite. I remember loving this perfume. And it's the only scent that I remember so vividly. I would personally like to wear it myself, if only it wasn't my mom's signature scent.

This is another iconic 80s perfume that I approached with trepidation, since I’d sampled it in the remote past, both personally and in second-hand sillage, and found it unbearably strong. What I have is not only just the EdT concentration, it must also be a reformulated version since it isn’t anywhere near as obnoxious as I remember it being. It was cautiously dabbed, not sprayed. Yes, it’s strong, but it’s not the must-scrub power punch I anticipated. In fact, I have to admit that I like it now that I’ve revisited it, although I still can’t say I love it.

This version of Opium starts out with mixed citrus, spicy florals, and a patchouli and sandalwood-adorned “oriental” base that peeks through, infusing the whole thing with a warm glow. Everything comes together to produce the expected floral-oriental, but it just doesn’t have the swaggering, dark, fake-walnut-grain-paneling feel that I seem to remember it used to have. Darn. Now I’ll have to find a sample of the vintage version to compare. What is clearly still a key feature of Opium is its prodigious strength. A tiny drop of EdT produces an all-day cloud of sillage.

Oddly enough, my 7 year old son really loves this scent. He has no knowledge of when a fragrance dropped on the market...it goes to show it's mystery is still very present. I sprayed it lightly behind my knees...unbelievable. When I say lightly, I really mean gently, and it lasted me the whole evening through night.
It has a calming effect, very dark, very warm, yet subtle. Yes, I am speaking about Opium...subtle.

Ah, Opium! I agree with previous posters that its a rather polarizing scent. Oddly, I somehow was always one of those few middle people who thought: meh...
This is my MIL's signature scent and my SIL brought it to my attention that she cant stand it- it makes her sick, and every time my MIL watches her daughter she has to wash her numerous times to "get the putrid stink off". I thought my SIL was probably just being overdramatic and a little harsh. That was until the day she borrowed mine and my husband's new cadillac. She had it for maybe 10 minutes and for WEEKS we could not get the horrid "old woman" smell out of our new car...which should smell strongly of new car. right?! Anyways, its kind of put me at odds with Opium. Their ads are always lovely and enticing but I'm forever tainted with it. Today at the fragrance counter an octagenarian walked up next to me, snatched up the bottle of Opium and began to BATHE in it. I'm talking 15+ sprays! Maybe this is why it has a bad rap- the wearers can not practice self control!

Another bomb, another masterpiece, another hot, dessert, sexxxy perfume from YSL.
Opium, although it hasn’t got opium inside, deserves its title because gives kind of aura. YSL perfumes seem to not be from this world!
It’s extremely chic and bold, extremely famous, important and seductive. Its blend is so complex and inaccessible; something like the ancient formulas of old perfumes or elixirs.
It’s so near to Arabian perfumes and because of this YSL perfumes illustrate deserts! They’re dry, hot and sexy. It lacks nothing to be a comprehensive blend, so powerful and admirable, so erotic and tempting, so matured and adult. All earthy and real.

longevity 10/10
sillage 10/10
scent 10/10

Opium is one of those perfumes that evokes strong feelings in most people; they either adore it or hate it. I happen to really like it, but no doubt there's some sentimental attachment. My grand"mother" wore it quite a bit in the late 70s to mid 80s, until one too many a person told her it made them ill. Never one to offend she sadly put it away.... but still loved it herself. As for my own experience, it seems men, by and large, love it, while around 50% of women can't stand it. However, as mentioned, when a woman likes it she's usually a devout fan. I refrain from wearing it because it seems that those who don't like it actually get nauseated from smelling it. There is a new lighter version, though, that is more palatable for everyone.

I really love the smell, yet this is another that I couldn't wear because it reminds me of my mom. She wore it. Definitely not a turn on but it evokes nice memories.

Pierina - you just made me laugh so much! Poor you having spilled Opium on yourself!! I remember only too well the awful nauseous feeling it invoked in me as well, when I tested it one time, so I totally sympathize with you. I hope you did finally manage to scour the stench away!! ;o)

When I was a teenager my mum gave me a tiny bottle of this, I decanted into an atomiser. I was wearing it while working behind a bar (pre cigarette bans) and a very funky gay man leaned over the bar to shout into my face that I stunk. He wasnt Joking. I never wore it again.
Just now (12 years on) I found said bottle and atomiser and decided to make use of the atomiser.... while recanting the decanted amber liquid, I spilt opium all over my legs and hands (really about 5 drops but that was enough!)
I want to vomit! the smell won't wash off, I think it needs to wear off with my skin cells.
I keep turning around thinking the nemesis of my work is behind me (opium and Chanel No5 are her signatures but I digress)
This perfume is not good. Well unless you are 55-100 with pasty skin and bad foundation.
BLETCH!

Years ago, when I was in my 20's I was at a booksellers show and a woman walked by that had a fragrance that I never smelled before, it was stunning, mesmerizing and wonderful to take in. It also evoked romance and passion. I was amazed that a woman's fragrance could provoke such feelings in me. I got up the nerve to ask the woman what was she wearing? She said Opium by Yves St. Laurent. I complimented her, saying that I thought it was great, it just enhanced her completely. I made a mental note that if I ever married, I would buy this fragrance for my bride. Well, years later a wonderful woman came into my life and she became my wife. I bought her Opium while we dated and for our honeymoon. I couldn't keep my hands off her. What a great Hall of Fame fragrance!

Now, I have smelled it recently, the elements are still there, but to my nose it does seem that there has been a subtle change in the composition. I wonder, have they changed the pure parfum too? If they have changed it, they should try and issue the original and call it classic and let the public be the judge.

Oh dear, someone on here who must clearly adore Opium seems to have found my previous review highly offensive, for some peculiar reason, and felt the need to send me a bizarre message telling me that she thought I was a vile person (the expression "get a life" springs immediately to mind!) !! Hmmm, and all I did was say that I dislike Opium intensely and that the one time I tested it years ago it almost made me sick to my stomach. I guess some people really find it incredibly hard to handle other people daring to express a different opinion to them and get very bent out of shape about it!

As far as I'm aware everyone who's a member here is entitled to give positive, indifferent or negative reviews about perfumes. So, the fact that someone felt that they had the right to chastise me for giving a negative review of Opium is pathetic, as well as incredibly arrogant and intolerant. It did make me laugh though! :-)

Anyway, I'm happy to say it again - I REALLY dislike Opium and it's the worst perfume I've ever smelled!

Opium (original version) is a complex, sophisticated fragance for classic oriental lovers, also suitable for use during the day if someone finds other perfumes of the same family more difficult or "heavy" to use because they prefere soft scents (never a wrong ocassion for this mimetic perfume: work, leisure, drinks, parties, surely you will receive compliments).

Great sillage, to wrap oneself up, yet not to become overwhelming neither excessive.

Bear in mind that Opium is one of the large over the history of perfume, which invites to at least try it: sensual, intoxicating, elegant.

To tell as always, some personal experience, know that I leave "mature" many EDT for years, and only the best are concentrated as a true perfume extract- indeed, Opium is one of them, and I share with you this review honoring the great Yves Saint Laurent: getting it on my skin.

It is a classical that every woman should have in her fragrance wardrobe.
One of the best ever oriental spicy!
For most of women seem now oldfashioned but to me it has a very special place in my fragrance memories.
Obviously I keep it exclusively for cold months in winter and after early evening.
Simply adorable

Far too fruity and spicy for me.
VERY oriental...

This perfume gives me an instant headache. I was in an elevator the other day and a woman got on wearing Opium. Luckily for me I only had 2 more floors before I could get off, so I just had to hold my breath until then.

I had it. It is like no one parfum long long lasting. For woman after 30. You can always recognize by the smell, if somebody wearing it that it is Opium on it!

Mum's best friend USED to wear Opium alot, I do remember it was her favourite for a very long time. One day I've noticed she was wearing something else and I asked her why. "It's not the same anymore, there is something in the new Opium which makes it a bad copy of the brilliant original". The new Opium attempts to enter the new era in the same outfit but different attitude and all I have to say is, let's leave it to those who haven't been familiar with the brilliant original. And please, all you people in the perfume industry, stop messing with the classics, unless you have a far much better idea.

I respect it, but I don't like it! Everyone whom I have encountered wearing this perfume always over does it!

Some people may consider it oldfashioned nowdays as so many women had it in the 80´s but, in my opinion, Opium is a legendary and timeless master piece. Extremely sexy, sofisticated, warm and unique. That´s why it became a classic. It´s simply unforgetable. A real seductive, magic, erotic potion. Better for evening and winter days. It´s quite strong so a few drops are enough, and it lasts very, very long.

Update: This review was for the vintage Opium.

Opium really makes you enjoy its fragrance with your eyes closed... from delight. I can't believe i didn't like this perfume before. Long time ago i've tried it once and i have found it way too strong to wear...
Recently i've got a sample of Opium. Well, okay, let's spary it on.. O My God, i was immediatly taken away to the mystical zone. Amazing oriental scent. It lives on my skin for a whole while, becoming even more desirable. Opium is just the right name for this fragrance. It's a drug, a very strong one. I'm buying it!!!
Another proof that you can be mistaken about a perfume by one try.
And you know what... Opium is a turn-on, and not only for men ;-)

Now, girls, you've got to be sparing with this one. It's a night party perfume. My suggestion is to spray some on a cotton tip and dab on eyebrows, through hair (especially the crown of the head 'cos most men are taller than women)around wrists and inner thighs. Prise the little cotton tip off and tuck into your bra. Then, leave it and do not, I repeat, do not put any more on for the rest of the evening. Don't be tempted to pop the EDT into your purse because you don't need to. This is a perfume that becomes part of you - if you'll let it. AND MEN LOVE IT - if you use the right amount.

going back to when i was in my mid twentys( a long time ago!!) a lot of women i knew wore this, very spicy, very recognisable, very bold!! personally i never liked it, the smell walks into a room before you do!! not my cuppa tea at all !!

One of the few Orientals I have ever smelled that I took an instant dislike to. When it first came out a friend who always bought whatever was hot any given week shoved it under my nose and said 'Isn't it wonderful?!'. Uhhhhhhh, no. I have tried samples three or four times trying to understand why it was so popular, but I guess I'll never get it. I at least like most decent scents, even if I don't like them on me, but this one...this one will forever remain on my 'not if it was the last perfume on Earth' list.

I have the EDP (old formula). This stuff is SPICY! I would almost call it masculine except for the fact that there is something sweet in there as well. On my skin, cinnamon dominates. It makes me think of a cinnamon flavored black tea that I have. Sniffing this fragrance conjures up images of chiken tiikka masala -- smoky from the tandoori oven, smothered in a rich curry sauce made of a complex blend of exquisite spices. I am determined to wear this fragrance next time I go out for Indian! I LOVE the drydown, with it's thick, sweet undertones of honey.

IMHO, Opium is in a class far above Youth Dew, Estee, etc.

The reformulation opens with subtle, light citrus notes, but I don't detect any of that in the old version at all. With the old version, there is no beating around the bush. You get cinnamon and spices at first spritz.

Opium is yet another example where you can throw in together a bunch of different notes, which at first glance have nothing in common, and get an amazing fragrance in return. This perfume has been created by genius!
It's spicy and smokey at the same time, with strong cinnamon, incense, tolu balsam and vanilla))
Just like others already noted - Opium stands proudly together with Youth Dew, Coco and perhaps Cinnabar.
Probably, nowadays it is not as versatile as it might have been in the past. But if used in small amounts, it will suit for the evening, if you want to stay unique and mysterious))

A difficult perfume ... I don't know what to make of it. I'm talking about the Eau de Toilette. I sprayed some on my inner elbow, and at first got something mossy (and that for top notes). But now, two hours later (and I timed it and took notes), a nice warm cinnamon aroma comes forward, intoxicating and quite strong. The further it develops, the more I like it and believe that I can actually live with it.

After so many tests with perfumes containing oud, I can get used to anything !!

The green fragrance of Sisley's Eau du Soir turns me off in the dry down ... Opium gets better and better ... well, so much for body chemistry.

I can see why some people would hate to have to smell Opium, like Angel it is a very demanding perfume ... either you can wear it, or you can't. The only way I will wear it, is to be sure to apply it under my clothes at least two hours before going out. There is nothing charming or relaxing about the top notes, only the heart and the base notes are seductive, warm and scintillating.

Habanita and Le Baiser du Dragon are also very difficult to wear, of the three, I will pick Opium as the easiest.

Whoo... I dunno about this one. Maybe I am just not an Opium girl. This stuff permeated the air around me and made me itch. It got on my clothes and was still all over me after a hot shower (that is with only one spritz!). It immediately brought to mind the older ladies at church when I was a kid... and smells a lot like YouthDew, which my mom used to wear. Honestly it brings back the 80s to me. It is a nice elegant perfume but it is really strong and just not my style at all.

I have 'Opium', 'Samsara' and 'Coco' in my dressing table, looking at me.. I am in heaven!

Opium smell similar to Tabu and Youth Dew. They share the same concept, but Opium place more emphasis on Citruses,incense and Pepper notes, and in the other hand, Ylang Ylang shine more on Tabu and Youth Dew. Anyway I have to admit that Opium is the best.

This is a sophisticated scent, It's strong and rich, with spices and exotic florals, and if you only like to wear fresh or clean scents, well, opium is pretty much the opposite of all that.

OPIUM is one of the best perfumes you can use!

ماندگار ترین عطر زنانه در تاریخ حاظر به همراه شنل 5 و این عطر قدیمی زنانه همچنان جزو بهترین محسوب شده و خواستاران زیادی دارد و نامش نیز واقعا برازنده اش میباشد
گرم
شیرین و تلخ
جذاب
کلاسیک
بسیار موقر
قوی
با پخش بوی بسیار بالا
رنانه ای در حد کمال

OPIUM - PARFUM

Bottle PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Opium, a window onto an imaginary world

Once upon a time there was OPIUM…
More than just a fragrance is an opulent, fascinating, inimitable trail.
A one-way ticket to a symbolic and enigmatic faraway place. A dream-like journey into a land of make-believe with unsuspected charm.
Experiencing life at the highest level.

The essence of Opium, a deep and intense interpretation, finds refuge in its mythical bottle in the shape of an inrô. An inrô is a precious box for storing essential ointments and miracle plant remedies. According to the legend, oriental warriors always carried one around with them, dangling at their waist.

Size: 7,5 ml , 15 ml , 30 ml

به نقل از سایت تولید کننده

After reading some of the other reviews, I feel the need to defend my beloved Opium! It is one of my all time favorite perfumes in the world. It is mysterious, sexy, floral, feminine, lasts for hours, gorgeous, did I say sexy??! Oh yessss! Also, men react very well to it. I've had men stop me while I'm shopping and ask me what I'm wearing so they could buy it for their wives. I am completley serious about that. It is sultry and sophisticated, warm but still sweet. It should be used sparingly because for some it can come on strong as it is a spicy floral oriental. This perfume leaves so much to the imagination! Wearing it makes me dream of beautiful girls in flowing thin webs of colorful Indian gossamer whenever I smell this incredibly exotic arouma on myself. I love this scent so much, I wish I didn't have to share it with anyone and I could keep it just for myself! Warning: Opium should not be used by the weak of heart!

This was my mom's going-out-with-dad-at-night scent. My dad wore Pierre Cardin and my mom wore Opium. I remember thinking that they MUST be the most beautiful and spicily-fragrant people in in the world.

If I ever smell this again, it will make me cry for missing them.

A very strong fragrance, not everyone can carry it off, but I have always loved the gorgeous auroma of the orient. YSL Opium is a classic and important perfume. If one can't handle the strength, the 2005 Opium Fleur de Shanghai offers a much softer version. I'm so grateful YSL has not changed this classic oriental floral and that I can still buy it. I have always received compliments when I wear it and men react especially well to it.

What a monstrous perfume! ... Perfume with the capital "P". Nowadays no one would dare to release such frag on the perfume market, dominated by generic, sweet, floral compositions.

Opium does not pretend to be nice and kind and willing to please everyone. Here it is, very well aware of its value, and doesn't give a damn whether you'll like it or not.

You will not find flowers or candy in it. You'll find coke, rum and whiskey. You'll find stacks of spices straight from exotic market. An expensive incense-flavored cigar with a hint of sweetness. Finally, you will find a whiff from a smokehouse.

This fragrance takes you on a journey to the capital of Haiti, Port au Prince, where coca grows and rum pours in streams, and then moves you on to Havana, shrouded with narcotic smell of cigars. Are you ready for such a trip, or perhaps you prefer to go to plastic Ibiza?

You don't smell Opium. You're supposed to inhale them.

Ahh..What can be said about Opium.probably one of the most instantly recognisable perfumes ever. I have always thought that this is the perfume for a dark, sultry brunette. It is far too strong for me, but I admire those women who can wear it!

sweet, strong spicy and foul. i've never liked this. its a pushy and rude perfume. i find most people either love or hate it. there is no in between. guess i'm one of the haters.

Yeah, "Love it" or "hate it"... "More or less" is not a option. It's very strong, good for use in North Pole!

Time goes by and i forget how wonderful this is, and how powerful...I have the edt at the moment and only need a tiny amount,even then it is only suitable for special occasions when you want to smell exotic, spicy and sexy. Absolutely iconic,the stuff dreams weave around!

I thought it was too sweet but it seemed to get a lot of attention, especially from men.

I like it, not love it. Very strong ... gypsy camp fire frag :) But there is something special about it. I would wear more of it, but my husband hates it :)


Update: I think I love it :) I'm addicted to it! can't stop smelling myself. our relationship is growing stronger and stronger! I's sweet and spicy, and it makes me feel good!

Opium is a "love it" or "hate it" fragrance, you cannot like or dislike it a little :-)
I love Opium, I have from the very first sniff when I was a shy teenage girl fascinated by this bold mixture of spices, incense and resins.
Back then I felt so unbelievably ladylike when I smelled it. Of course, at that time I could not wear it, but I kept the miniature bottle for my own secret pleasure.
Nowadays the feeling of a fire site with burning wooden logs comes into my mind when I smell Opium. Or an oriental princess wearing this perfume for dinner.
So many reviews have been written about Opium, some with admiration, others with despise.
If I had to choose one perfume to be my all-time favourite classic it would undoubtably be Opium.
The re-formulation did not help the scent but has not destroyed its charm either, I can live with the change and also use the new version.
The top note shows me mandarine oranges with strong spices, followed by slightly woody elements and in the end of its development the incense appears.
It was, it is and will be an admirable timeless classic.

I use to adore it when I was younger and I was thinking that I can use any perfume I like at any occasion. I still like it but I almost never wear it. It's nice to smell it from the distance when weared by an admirable lady. Maybe I simply realised that I don't have the power to wear it!

Adorable fragrance for adorable women. after so many years it is still a unique and totally mesmerizing fragrance. its not for young girls and teenagers for sure it's for mature women with a class. I absolutely love this fragrance.
Great silage and longevity. Thumbs up YSL!
I give it 9 out of 10.

this is dead serious, seducing in a mature way, kind of remind me about aristocrats' life.

it smells rich, and intense, even it's EDT. it works like EDP, the indian smell in the beginning mixing with pepper and peach mixing with cinnamon, closed with a mysterious smell of incense and vanilla, (at least that is what i smell) and hey, you smell til you want to eat your wrist

Hi.

Incredibly Seductive and Supremely Intoxicating.OPIUM is one of the best YSL fragrances fusion of Oriental ingredients combined with a Magnetic and Rich Spicy that makes Unforgettable moments for you and Feels Wonderful to everyone around you. Passionate, Hypnotic,Hot,Strong,Classic,Deep, Attractive,Complex,Luxurious and Mysterious.

So strong opening and a Beautiful heart notes but above all a Deep and Rich blend of Vanilla,Musk,Incense and Sandalwood in the base leaves a trail of Allure and Glamour for the Passionate Ladies as I adore the base notes.It draws attention and complements every time You wear the fragrance.

OPIUM is not for the faint of heart and in my opinion it makes you more of a Simple Lady as it reminds me a Femme Fatale with Alluring Eyes.I definitely suggest it to Ladies 30 and older.Surely for SPECIAL EVENINGS when you want to make a lasting impression meantime it is definitely for WINTER weather but Test it first before Buying.

Sillage?Great.

Longevity?Unparalleled.

8/10

Hi girls, I know I am a guy, but for some reason, I had to do this review, this was a scent which my mom use it until today. So,here's my take =)

On my skin (yes I spray it on me for the test):
Top + Middle: : Gorgeous, smoky, plum-like scent, but not the sour plums, more like a well-done concentrated plum, there's also a hint of woods, and a pinch of citrusy scent, but barely noticeable. Lasted on my skin for almost 12 hours.

Base: Barely much changes from top to base, I detect some incense + tobacco in it, but not over powering, it just sits there 'professionally'. 9 hours up.

This does not smell like Opium pour homme.

This scent is classy, you may use it for work, I can imagine a boss or a lady superior, someone who has authority to command using this.

Super-duper versatile. But there's a drawback, I can only imagine 28+ ladies wearing it, this is not for teeny-high school, please, don't steal your mom's and use it in school, people will hate you for this XD. You may give it a whiff from the bottle cap, and that's it!!!

Anyways, for the 28 up ladies...
DATES? YES
FUNCTION? 100% YES
WORK? YES (but make sure you're a superior, haha!)
CLUBS? NO (this scent is very, very upper class, you can cut through smoke with this for sure, but people might hate u with this scent).

Ladies, you do not want to go over board with this, its one spray to your 'in-between-your-breast' when you are wearing a low v-neck, and one shot on each of your wrist--> and a quick touch from your wrist to your neck's pulse points.

Or two on each neck pulse points (or 1 on the center of your neck), and one shot on each of your wrist--> and a quick touch from your wrist to knees if you are wearing skirt.

From the top till the drydown, it is beautiful, addictive, and intimate. You can imagine someone wearing this in the morning at work, and then goes out on a wine dining with her love one, and have sex with him later, and the next morning, going to work with this fragrance. LOL

It can be someone's signature scent.
Unique in a way, commanding in another =)

The country I am in has no 4 seasons, so it is either hot or cold weather. This works very well on both, but better at night.

My rating (base on 5 stars)

Scent: 5 (this is Yves Saint Laurent art, while Chanel gives women freedom, YSL gives women power, this is a true command queen).

Sillage: 5 (Incredible, it leave a trail, a smoky one, but not the bubble trail, this is smoke trail, and people will smell it!!!).

Time length: 5 (I don't know about the ladies skin chemisty, but this is nuts, this one lasted on me almost 24 hours).

Occasion: 5 (You might be wondering, how could I give a 5 when I say it is not for clubs? Well, Opium is for upper class occasion).

Overall base on mathematics: 5/5

Sweet memories lingers in this scent. I remember when I was a kid, and my mom using it (until today), an addictive scent which is timeless for sure. If I were to pick this or No 5, this is a keeper for me. No 5 is great, but a little to common. But this one, this is a keeper in the ladies wardrobe for sure.

While I can't handle this perfume during warm weather, I find myself craving it as soon as the first cold days of autumn arrive.There is something fresh and exhilarating about this fragrance when it is mingled with cold crisp air.The spicy composition just fits naturally with other scents associated with the cooler months; fallen leaves after a good rain, ripened apples, firewood burning... Conversely during the summer months it loses that fresh clean spicy component and becomes overwhelmingly heavy,even cloying.In fact, it downright depresses me.If you've never tried Opium before, do so durng the colder months as this is a wonderful olfactory experience.

I was definitely too young to be wearing this as a teenager! But then again I always loved the classic fumes, even if they were too mature for me at the time. I guess I was way ahead of myself in that sense. Opium will always be amongst the most beautiful Orientals ever. It's been some time since I've owned her, but I will make it my priority to do so again.

I like spice, and I love orientals, but this one over does it. It's like someone poured a bottle of jasmine and pepper into my Halloween candy. Turns my stomach to think of it.

Smelled this yesterday.God...what were they thinking doing such a bad Reformulation!Something plastic is present from Opening to Drydown. Shame on you L`Oreal!!

Bette Davis. That is who I think of when I smell this wonderful creation. Opium defined an era, had its run, gave many memories for many to reflect back upon, and to this day remains a cult classic.

With its burning spices, its blackened wood, dark vanilla and spiked cinnamon note, along with the patchouli, one couldn't mistake Opium for anything else. It is instantly recognizable and its presence is known before you are. 1-2 sprays will cover it, any more will cover you and everyone else in your vicinity.

Opium goes beyond the definition of classic and stands next to the definition of legend. It has been 33 years since 1977, yet Opium continues to remain as strong as she was in her younger years.

I envision Stevie Nicks, circa 1977 during her "Rhiannon" number wearing this while twirling her black lace in the air with the scent of Opium filling the room.

In my top 10 favorite fragrances forever.

To me Opium is magic. I feel like I was transported to a Egyptian palace and that Im a sexy golden dressed quenn with a leopard on my feets. Opium its amazingly warm, spicy and adicting as the name says. I dont have nothing to say that everybody here already said, because this is a masterpiece, the reformulation is better than I was expecting and it is totally wearable. I dont find it old-fashioned at all, perfect to wear on a night out with a nice dress and a warm coat...BUT this perfume asks for a level of sophistication that not all women have, that is the bad point of Opium, sometimes it is a little bit too diva. Anyway, I believe that with a light hand, this one still can make anyone feel special. And that its what a good perfume does :)
I gave it all the stars in the universe, I love it :)

An ex bf gave me an edp when I was in my teens. It smelled soooo good. It is strong and sexy and you must have the confidence to wear it. Unfortunately all I see is the edt nowadays and the edt smells entirely different from the classic edp. I would wear it again if 1 find the edp.

This was instant love, baby! An exchange of glances, a sniff of a scent and I was smitten! I somehow had a feeling this was going to happen. When I first "set nose" on the perfumed blotter, the intense, intoxicating sweetness cast a spell on me. It's rich and strong like, well... opium! and it throws you into something very close to a euphoric trance. The smell is close to that of a balm made out of aromatic plants. As it develops, you get this sharp, evident clove note that I find extremely sexual, like a sting of instant arousal. After an hour or so, it dries down to a hot, quietly sensuous scent, like the smell of a smouldering fire kindling beneath a thin layer of ashes.
This is a perfume meant for strong personalities. Do not come close to it if you are known to possess even the tiniest amount of delicacy or fragility. It's powerful and dangerous. And it does not know the meaning of subtlety, discretion and not even cunning. Its approach is intimidatingly direct.

I was gifted with a bottle of Opium when it was first introduced. It smelled wonderful but it was so punch-you-in-the-face strong it gave me headaches and people could smell me before they saw me! I threw it away and haven't worn it since. I smelled this again a few days ago and it has obviously been reformulated.
The same exquisite notes are there: the oranges in the opening, the carnation in the heart, the vanilla and sandalwood in the base. But it has become soft and powdery, a complex blend with a subtle result. It lacks the somewhat cheap and synthetic smell of the original. And what staying power! I sprayed some on 18 hours ago and can still smell it. A rare occurence of a reformulation being a big improvement.

Gisele Bundchen supposedly wears this stinking, disgusting 'perfume'? Yeah right! This kind of cloying, disgusting, slap-around-the-face kind of perfume seems totally NOT the kind of perfume someone like her would wear. So, I'm sure that's a case of her trying to promote it, either because she gets paid to do it or is friends with the company who make it!

Either way, this is one of the most horrible perfumes I've ever smelled in my life. I made the mistake of spraying myself with a tester of it in a department store years ago and boy, did I regret it! As soon as the first drop landed on my skin I knew I'd made a horrible mistake but by then it was too late. The stench clung to me for what seemed like forever, no matter how much I tried to scrub it off. I literally felt sick to my stomach. Luckily, I didn't actually vomit but the stink of it clung onto me and made me feel nauseous for hours afterwards and made me totally lost my appetite!

God knows there are many stinking perfumes out there, some 'classics' and others are newer ones, but this one is in a league of its own in the stinking category!!

Opium is one .very good reason why I really dislike 'oriental spicy' types of perfumes. The ones I've smelled are putrid, stinky and overwhelmingly horrible, but Opium is the foulest of them all by a long shot.

Even if I was offered a million dollars to wear this for 24 hours I couldn't do it. OK, maybe I could but only if I was in a coma and not aware of anything at all, so then I wouldn't feel horribly sickened and suffocated by the stench!!

I think the fact that this is worn by Gisele Bundchen says everything about this perfume.
To me this is heady and intoxicating, it belongs in the boudoir of a beautiful seductive woman (not girl)who still manages to be a lady to the outside world.
It is certainly distinct, just definitely not something I can wear. I felt like an imposter when I spritzed this legendary perfume on my wrist to try. It's all spice and incense and literally smells like actual opium. It's not that I don't like it, it's just not for me.

the 2010 reformulation smells far better than the original, imo. a rare instance when a revamp turns out a true improvement. gone are the sweaty sour accords in favour of more angelic powder dust. a masterpiece in my book.

This along with Flowerbomb are my cousins signature scents. This is quite nice on a woman & leaves a trail of confidence, craftiness, & beauty alltogather. It litoreally last till the time you go to sleep & even after you wake up! This & Opium for men are both brilliant! Kudos to Yves Saint Laurent & company because when it comes to frags, they dont have to take a back seat to ANYONE!

I love this one in a way because it reminds me of my mom when she was young but it feels a bit dated on my skin..

Opium is rather a strong fragrance mixed with a good body chemistry one can pull this off very well. It smells really strong on me but I have smelled this frangrance on other people and was like wow what is that scent you are wearing smelled completely different. I like it but dont wear as much more for the colder weather not for Summer

it is still, after all these years, a classy, feminine, mystical, rich, unique, so recognizable in this perfume-flooded world, which is very hard i think, to be so original. you can smell it and say.. good old gold.

Y.S.L Opium has many identities A glamorous spy
for the Japanese intelligence in ww2,
A faded movie diva or a world-renowned
Opera singer with some dirty little secret
that She is really a He and his British
diplomat lover hasn't got a clue.
Opium despite it's sheer beauty hides a lot of naughty secrets, we well discuss
this later.

The notes to my senses the bottom of the basenotes seem to be more dominate for me then the top and middle section the opening starts with spicy coriander with it's dryness shifts to an scent semi-sweet aroma of cloves and of black pepper dries to a scent of bitter bergamot and citruses.
delicate jasmine makes a nice entrance
in the middle balance IMHO the
jasmine are in the middle not the top
then the sweet dry intoxicating scent
of cinnamon and the spicy nuances of
carnation adds to the delectable sensibility.

The succulent notes of plum and peach
makes it's presence know and adds a primal sexuality to the already complex scent if there's a Lily of the valley
note in here i think there's no evidence of it or it's hiding because it hasn't got a chance against the heavy notes
it's the shyest of the opium family,
The drydown is the best part of the fragrance Coconut starts the drydown
with it's tropical sweetness then it becomes dark and woody with tolu balsam
dry sandalwood with it's fiery aspects
makes it assertive and the deepest most
finest Resinous woods of Frankincense
and myrrh Opoponox and benzoin.

an earthy drydown of Patchouli
Warm Amber civet for the animalistic qualities and patches of musk for a bit
of masculine undertones and a wisp of mysterious incense.

Opium conjures an image of an 1930's
Shanghai speakeasy with half circular doors Burgundy in color and inside are gold beaded curtains hanging nonchalant
from the celling the lighting is of dark red like your in a boudoir everyone is
half lidded from the smoke of opium
hallucination and laughing American Sailors leaning towards the table while
an attractive girl dances to an sad ballad of Billie Holliday while the
gangters mistresses and them do some illegal bribes.

Opium is not a Ingénue scent or a scent
for good girls this is an scent if you want to walk on the wild side.

For years I've hated Opium with a passion as fiery as the juice in the bottle. Yesterday, a switch flipped in me and I now crave a bottle.

It was an unusually chilly evening, and I was alone at home having some fun. It started with painting my lips in the darkest red I owned. Then donning a black bandage dress. Then a thick black wool coat. Then black stilleto heels (because the ensemble looked strange without them). Then burning a few cinnamon candles. If you've ever played with your inner vamp, you know exactly the mood I was going for.

But when deciding on a fragrance, there was nothing exactly right in my wardrobe. I wanted something that exploded like an atomic bomb, smoked and smouldered, radiating waves upon waves of pure buring scorching heat. The sensation you get with the first 5 minutes of an Opium flanker, which trails off into something weaker.

Now I understand the magic of Opium. One drop, and it smells like my skin is burning! So lovely, the unmatched heat that this generates. There is absolutely nothing else like this in strength and warmth. The cinnamon, spices, carnation, and sandalwood doesn't lose intensity, but develops over the hours in surprising waves of heat and sound.

I want this powerful gorgeous perfume for heat this fall/winter. I'm finally ready to appreciate this unique beauty.

I finally got to try this classic today in EDT form.

At first all I could smell was pepper, and quite a lot of it. It abraded my throat and gave me the coughs. There was more to the opening but I just couldn't focus well enough. A sudden association with a rich liquer I have smelt DID swiftly grace my consciousness but it escaped before I could discover its secret. I am thinking possibly Grand Marnier??? It will drive me crazy till the end of time.

The softening of the perfume is very welcome and a certain peachy softness starts to infilatrate the overwhelming spiciness and brings it back to a more attainable level. As the drydown progresses more vanilla comes forth to sweeten & caress. The sweeter it is the more palatable the spices become.

I do not consider this to smell 'old' so much as ancient - like discovering Aladdin's cave, shadowy & dusty, filled with exotic spices, resins, dried flowers, persian carpets, golden coins and magic. It is certainly quite an experience.

For me however, it is just too overwhelming. I find it difficult to interact with Opium. It is such a behemoth, so ponderously larger than life, that it is like I am 'wearing' another personality. One of me is more than enough thank you!

It smells like sex, - that's what my brother says.

I remember when this was released in '77 my girlfriends and I had to have it. Loved it and still have the original talc (battered box from many moves) so I can still have a sniff every now and then. I don't like to revisit perfumes as I like to keep my memories where they belong. One of the best spicy frag and great for eve but use with caution!

I have tried and tried again to like this but I just cant. while I love other powerful fragrances (number 5) this just smells really dated to me. To those who love it keep loving it!! :)

Maybe it's just my generation, but this smells sooo outdated, and reminds me of old women! (no offense to anyone who wears this). it smells so strong, heavy, sickening. i can't understand how it would smell 'erotic' and 'sexual'. i picture women in their 50s who try to get noticed by men.

reading the comments, it makes me fascinated by this scent... and everytime i go to my local store, i smell Opium and try to find something remarkable in it... but i always fail. maybe that era is over, and we've grown an appreciation for more fruity, gourmand scents, i don't know. it's too bad, i wish i could understand this scent.

I've tested today the EDT and EDP, I bought the EDP, last longer, en this is a parfume that has to be strong, it give you power.

Opium is devine. There is really nothing that smells like it, except Roberto Cavalli's Oro has tried to, but alas no staying power and is not as warm as Opium. Have had many compliments wearing this from strangers and friends. Is worth every cent, perfectly blended together with a transporting power to places you can only dream of. Oriental, spicy, not too sweet, rich and inviting. Love it always.

Oh Gosh!!!!!! hahahahah I remember this fragrance. Growing up, my mom used to wear this and while sitting in the car being driven to school I would not be able to breathe nd I would be eager to get to school just so that I can get away from that horrid toxic suffocating smell.... opening the car door at my school was the greatest experience ever!!!! I truly honestly HATE this fragrance and would rather sit at the rear end of any gassy animal anyday.

This scent was waaaaaaaaaaaay too strong but I am happy to see it here cause it'll help steer me away from scents I hate. Now I know it's category is oriental spicy.

Yeah..Shocked at the good reviews..But not for me too warm and spicy, can pass for men's if you ask me.

Opium...a "legendary" fragrance...everybody knows it, have it or had it....
Not easy to forget, weare or love !
Very rich oriental and strong...so strong ...the sillage is great and the staying power...lasts for "ever" ..;)
I can't say I like it, i can't wear it , i feel sick after a while..:(
Also...i find it outdated and a bit "vulgar" :(

I am looking on the notes and i think i could wear it IF, it wouldn't contain lilly and coconut !
I hate lilly or coconut in perfumes !
Obsession, Calvin Klein...is very similar to Opium in my opinion.

Hmmm...this is a fragrance that men can also wear !

2 kittymoon
Yeah, I agree with your comparison with hippy! This perfume is so bohemian, sexy and hot :)) I love it so badly!

If just found a tester to refresh my memories on that scent and sprayed it on. I think insence straight away, Hippy Parties and herbal cigarettes ;) And I whilst I'm sniffing my arm I'm reading zvonicia's review saying: "Like bees got mistaken and collected honey in bottles of motor oil." And I think that's the best description ever! I see an old stinking rickety vw van full of hippies driving through the streets singing "If you're going to San Francisco..." Mmmmmmh ....

The very first perfume I owned during my mid-teens. First bf gift. Too bad the edp is not being sold anymore. Truly a classic.

timeless a warm safe place for me . dislike smelling it on others .Has joined me on so many winter days and nights

This is the best perfume I have ever known. I love it at every stage, because Opium evolves, it doesn't decay as most perfums actually do. I sometimes use it to keep entertained while trying to sleep, instead of reading or watching something probably much less interesting than Opium. I never wear it in company and I don't like to smell it on anyone else either. Nature should have created some place or being smelling like this, maybe a Magnolia flower... I don't agree with the idea that age, status, etc. can make this appropriate to any woman; and I just hate the commercial with Linda Evangelista, not because of the model, but because of the approach. Better a simple marigold than something like this.

It is my aunt's winter time parfume. For the summer she wears O de Lancome.
What's interesting there is really some similarity. Both of them are smoky scents.

This was my first big perfume and I was quite addicted. For practically decades it was my signature scent, night and day, even early morning!
You should just try the bodyproducts: it is almost fresh, unutterable lovely.
Every now and then i long back to it. But it has ties to a past that is definitely over.
I've tried to replace it by numbers of others and finally sort of succeeded: Parfum d'Hermes, Elixer des Merveilles, Black Orchid, Nuits Indiennes, L'Arte di Gucci, Le Bain, Le Baiser du Dragon...

Still, Opium will allways have its own Unique Quality.

Edit january 2012:
Finally I found the right replacement: Ambre Sultan, thanks Serge

this is one of the deepest,sexiest,most smoldering fragran.fall,winterce ive smelled.no,,,u cant bath in it,it is like all precious things,a tiny bit brings hrs of the aromas of the gods fall,winter,spring or fall its equally great.just depends on how u apply it.sometimes i put a tiny spray on my decolette,and put my lighter ones over it.makes them last,and its my little scret.

My mums perfume for 25 years. I cant wear it myself as its so distinctly 70's/80's and individual. I like heady perfume but this is migraine-worthy. I applaud any woman under 35 who wears it as she's obviously unique- or maybe just didn't smell it on everybody in 1980.

What a gorgeous perfume. Reminds me of the sexy, classy, affluent, older woman I know I will be when over 50! Ironically, this was my signature scent in high school and the boy I had my first passionate affair with, loved it on me...He used to tell me frequently (in his limited high-school boy-speak way), "you smell gooood." Yeah.

I used to borrow this from my Mum when I was a teenager for a night out. It was so strong - used to last foreever on my clothes and skin! Now I'm older and wiser I've tried a little dab today and I'm surprised that it's not overwhelming me at all. I like the richness of it but it's probably a bit too complex for me to buy a whole bottle. Agree that it's a classic though as it's definitely original.

I have two bottles of 1.7 oz to trade with this scent, one is summer and the other is original scent (no boxes). I would sure like to have a vintage bottle of Halston classic before they diluted it like they do now. Like this stuff but it not for my skin type, too dark and very long lasting!

i love to wear opium when i'm on theatre or in an elengant restaurant. i think it suits that kind of ocasions

I just took a deep breath and I wish to add one thing: This one smells like it was forbidden. Beware - you might even get hooked.

Oh my goodness I used to love Opium.It was like the best Oriental ever.It introduced to me by a lady I worked for she wore it as her signature fragrance.I found this to be so exotic and so irrestible.I used to only wear Opium and Posion.But, now for me this is too heavy way too cloying.What happened to Opium it feels like it changed.I find it too loud for me its a shame this is a classic but not one I can wear anymore.

This may smell old-fashioned, we are not used to this kind of heavy stuff any more... Never mind, the stunning ad from circa 2000 featuring a naked Sophie Dahl is unforgettable. This legendary ad alone makes the scent a classic.

Have you ever smelled opium incense which they sell in indian shops? well this is what mostly YSL Opium smells like to me. Spicy, heady, incensey, very oriental. It also has this 'old school perfume' note in it.
When I smell it I imagine a stunning oriental woman, dressed in a black silk gown, resting on a bunch of silky pillows and smoking opium with a long old pipe.
This fragrance is definetely not for everyone, maybe not many will be able to pull it off. An oriental classic, breeze of the 70s.
P.S. I smelled the EDT version.

Not nice, it smells medicinal with a hint of old tights and sweat.
I love his other perfumes but there's something very unpleasant about this one.

Classics like Opium are greatly appreciated by well trained noses and people who know how to distinct mainstream from masterpiece.

I imagine women wearing Opium on train station in the middle of 1920`s, its freezing winter and snow. She is wearing long fur coat and black leather gloves. With pale skin and red hair. The train arrives and steam covers her entirely. But you can sense the spicy sweet aroma, like mixture of dozens fruits seconds before transforming itself in alcohol liquid enriched with cinnamon. The smell of steam contributes to utterly spicy, sour and hard vetiver, benzoin and incense notes. Like bees got mistaken and collected honey in bottles of motor oil.

If you’re not prepared for this stay away, if you are: bon voyage!

Very very strong and heady scent. If you dont like strong scents, better stay away from this one! Its dark and deep like Cinnabar by Este Lauder. I used to like it but I can't stand it anymore-don't know why. I don't even use Cinnabar anymore either, just the powerful scents seem to have gone out of my style completely and now im into fruity scents now.

I really used to like this one quite a bit but now I can't get near it without getting a migraine. I don't know if my taste changed or the formula did but it just completeley overwhelms me now.

I love Opium, one the most wonderful perfumes among the dozens I have ever tried. Strong, erotic, misterious , makes you feel noticed . Undoubtedly one of my favorite fragrances.

First 30 minutes - a fresh and zesty punch of spices, and right after Opium goes straight to its dry down skipping any middle stages and stays there forever.. literally! Smokey, primal and darkly erotic. Makes me want to wear black laced stoсkings, scarlet lipstick and turn the lights down. Now, this is what I call a perfume! Something what has a deep profound impact. (my guilty pleasure is loud perfumes and this is probably the king of them) Unfortunately I can also see how I'm getting tired of it in the future. There's something about this perfume similar to your absolutely favorite candy: once you ate too much you can't even see it anymore. The trick with Opium is not to overdose - in application - this is when you'll experience its true magic and in use - so you can still enjoy your candy. I wear it in EDT, gosh I've never experienced an edt that strong! I don't have any bad associations with the 80's, - it's a timeless classic in my opinion.

A perfume to wow somebody :-) The classic Oriental ! Sexy, sexy, sexy ! Be careful to overdose.

this is also my first perfume from ysl..i love wearing this during night outs,for me its really sexy and lasts a very long time...

This smell is a masterpiece of perfume. I don't know why, but for me it's smells like pepsi. At first I smelled it when I was at school, now I think that anybody can find a piece of himself in it irrespective of age.

Applied with a gentle touch, I think this perfume is intoxicating. I keep seeing it being mentioned for older women, but I disagree. As long as you don't bathe in it, I think this is a seductive fragrance perfect for women of all ages. It's not going to be for everyone's nose and while I usually gravitate more towards the florals and fruity scents, I think this one is wickedly sexy. It's definitely on my "I want" list!

Just Can't stand this perfume.
A very difficult one.

Oh, how I love spicy orientals from back in the day!

Back then perfumers knew what they were doing. They knew how to create a sensual fragrance that would last decades. They understood the art of perfumery.

Opium is one of those breath-taking scents. A seductive blend of spices, smokey incense and floral notes inter-mixed with subtle fruits. A scent that requires an acquired taste for sure, but one that you can hardly push aside.

The woman that wears Opium is very stylish and as some might agree, exotic. There's an element to Opium that is rather dirty and shocking, like the scent of a heavy smoker or the scent that lingers in the air after a night of passion. While some will find Opium repulsive, others will love its blatantly sexual appeal.

For an EDT, Opium lasts and lasts, so I assume that both the pure parfum and EDP could possibly last on the skin for days, (that is if you didn't shower). I highly recommend.

a classic.took some getting used to back then but now i just realise i was way too young to wear and appreciate it-15 yrs...now i understand it has a timeless elegance.makes me think of a french woman smoking a cigarette and a geisha at the same time!how quirky is that?

Yeucchh. I cannot abide anything that smells of cloves being anywhere near me. I don't know if this actually has clove in it or if it is the clove-like carnation that I am picking up but to me it just smells like one big clove. So if, like me, you are a strange cat-human who finds the smell of cloves the most dirty, repulsive smell on earth, steer well clear of this perfume!

Classic, perfect for mature women.
Opium (EDP) is my grandma's signature scent. Smells good on her and it lasts A LOT (especially on clothes, lasts for a week!) I like it, although it's too strong for my type..

This was my mother's favorite in her latter days, and I found it too heavy. Decades later, I began to like it, but as I used it, again I found it to be too heavy. It's the Oriental spices that I guess I find a bit overwhelming. I prefer musky fragrances, but not sweet ones. There is a rather large spray bottle I bought at an airport on a trip last year when I realized I had gone off without packing any fragrance! It will take me the next ten years to use it up, if it doesn't go bad before then (but I keep it refrigerated).

This is such a nose-catcher! When a woman wears Opium and she walks by, you can't help but notice her.
It is definetly an evening perfume.
Very recognisable.
I only wear it a couple of times per year, but it does the trick.

It's a very heavy one, like Poison and old classic fragrances. I usually spray it in the air and walk in the mist, otherwise, it turns badly one my skin. This is my workaround to enjoy such a spicy and beautiful fragrance.

This reminds me of a stereotypical far East Asian lady clothed in exquisite silk who doesnt reveal her true intentions to anybody, and leaves men wondering after her.

Very Upperclass, and erotic - with class.

I have a very sensitive sense of smell and some reviewers here have commented on the overpowering smell of Opium. Remember, a little goes a long way. I only spray once after showering in the morning and it goes well with my body chemistry producing a very light, feminine and sensual aroma. Also, I don't associate this perfume with the "old lady smell" because I'm only in my late 20s and had many compliments.

Love it! I feel so elegant when I wear it and it has been my signature scent on and off for many years. I've tried other Oriental fragrances, but to me, nothing else comes close. However, if it doesn't work with your chemistry it can smell quite "off". A little goes a long way and I'd love to have the EDP.

I have to update that I still like the scent, but I now want to avoid wearing any fragrances with patchouli. This is well-done, but I bet it would smell stunning without the patchouli, and I would trade my bottle in a heartbeat for a comparable fragrance without patchouli. I remember loving shalimar when I spritzed myself from the tester, but I wold have to smell it again.....

ick! so eighties and it smells horrible to me. kind of reminds me of big red gum for some reason and i hate that smell! an older guy introduced me to it and he loved it but its too spicy for me. not my cup of tea

The most overwheling scent ever. This is the scent you wear when you want to overpower everyone else in the room.

My Grandmother has this scent. It smells absolutley beautiful on her very warm and classy but extremely strong. So I got to try it on and it did not suit me aswell as it suited my Grandmother. On me it turned out smelling very strong and it gave me a headache. All I could smell was burned cinnamon. But I think this scent is absolutley beautiful on the right person but not for me.

warm ,enveloping ,sexy, it transports you away from the everyday and the mundane.glamour personified.this is a scent you put on to go to bed

Opium is one of the all time greats of oriental perfumes. Used with caution it is sensational, sexy and seductive. Too much and you will see people run for the nearest exit!! I adore Opium, YSL perfumes are all beautiful but Opium was his finest hour! I wore this in the 80s then had a break from it for over 20 years. Treated myself to a bottle a few months ago and fell in love all over again! Without fail I get positive comments when wearing it. Still a star!!

A timeless masterpiece of oriental spicy fragrances.Smells always wonderful..

Oriental masterpiece. Fantastico! Warm, sensual, powerfull.

I’ve been obsessed with the whole concept of “Opium” since it’s launch in 1977 – which epitomised “The Disco Years” and the adoration of Yves Saint Laurent as a fashion icon of the era.

It took me decades before I was able to buy myself a bottle of this ‘Oriental Magic’ and I now wear it with pride and reminiscence of a bygone and magnificent Zeitgeist.

As a male in my 50’s I should really be wearing the male version of this fragrance, but I’m more attracted to the sexy exotica of this Opium.

I do not recommend it for younger women (or men) but definitely to the mature and worldly person who understands the mystique and feeling of what this perfume brings.

Great drydown, great sillage and flowery opening, in the same vein as Amouage Gold and Rochas Femme.

Not for me at all! I don't like its strong smell, I read on another review that it smells like a man's fragrance and I agree! I'm just not the type to wear so spicy and dry fragrances, my skin chemistry just don't go well with them so I prefer floral or fresh fragrances.

I love it, it embodies my idea of what an "oriental" fragrance should smell like...Rich, sophisticated, sexy...Even if it is "mature" I don't think it's "old-lady" at all! I smell the sandalwood, and amber, two notes I really love. But it's balanced, and I see the long list of notes give it that distinct body that makes it so I can't smell the individual notes so much. I agree that it is a stronger scent-I receive oompliments whenever I wear it, but I know when I've applied too much, and I would worry about suffocating people when I dance close-embrace tango if I laid it on too heavy. Nevertheless, one of my favorite scents ever.

I most wear it in the winter.I like when people are brave enough to put on strong and heavy oriental fragrance like Opium in this nowadays-light-perfumed-world=) Sadly this scent is underestimated.Don´t judge Opium after the first sniff!Not one of my absoluty favorites but I think it´s truly a perfume-art.

Very bold, classic and elegant perfume.
Sadly, got bunch of tissue paper that similar to it scent :(

I keep coming back to it. The best and most interesting perfume ever made. Luxurious and elegant, sexy and exciting. For evening or interesting day-meetings. This is my perfume. Together with Opium eyeshadow and Yves Saint Laurent powder no 1, that is me. I'm 25.
The Poudre Satinée pour les Corps is also fantastic. The scent is much lighter in the Body Moisturizer.
The wonderful design makes you want to collect all of the bottles, the candles and oils.

I have not yet tried the other Opium fragrances, I will enjoy trying them but I'm not sure I will like them.

Originaldeftom said:
"it is a classic and fits perfectly to a rich bitch red haired mature single late 40ies plus woman who's got all the money but is desperate for a man....get the picture?"

Oh, yes! Got it perfectly!
Opium is such an obnoxious, harsh, rude scent. No poetry, no dream, no softness, no mellowness. It's cold and harsh like a cold smoking pipe.
For some reasons people think it's sexy... well, it can be sexy as a smell in itself or nice on a clean young woman with strong personality, but worn by mature women it's not sexy at all. Actually it mingles with the mature chemistry to create the desperate for man type. Of course it is a classic for some reason. It had to be very original when it came out. Now it's so dated in a bad way. It smells better and "oriental" on fabrics the day after you put it on, but what the utility?
I had at least three not-so-nice encounters with Opium:
1) a lady dressed to impress at a funeral
2) an acquaintance that stunningly fits teh above picture plus slightly stinky armpit (bleurgh, time for lunch!)
3) A teacher at school many years ago which I didn't like.

On me it's not so bad, but doesn't make anything useful. And too recognisible.

very few scents make me sigh.Opium does. A masterpiece imo

Spicy and full of power , not my type, only 2puff and you will be all day smelling nice . I have periods when i like this perfume ...i only spray 2 puffs to feel good ...more is too intoxicating

It is marvelous! A truly oriental spicy indeed. It made me sneeze after the first sniff. Later it sweetened and became a beautiful warm fragrance. To be quite frank I couldn't detect the individual notes, this is a well balanced composition with the harmony of the notes. I feel confident and sexy by wearing this. Opium is most suitable for those romantic nights.

One of the few perfumes that my nose doesn't get used to and 'block out' after the first few minutes.If you put this on you will be treated to wonderful wisps of the beautiful strong scent every time you turn your head.One of two perfumes(the other being Ciara) that ALWAYS bring comments and questions from strangers every time I wear them.

I haven't smelled this perfume in ages...since I was about 13 (Im now 29) I kind of forgot what it smelled like.I knew that I hated it when I was younger
so
being that tastes change, I gave it anoy spray tonight.My first reaction was .."UGGGGG" but I think I would have had that reaction no matter what it smelled like because I was pre Ugg'ing' it if you know what I mean.I was expecting it to smell bad so that's what I got.
BUT
I was wrong.
This has the most unique spices & aromas all blended into one that I couldn't stop smelling my sleeve all night.I don't know if it smelled so good because I had Hanae Mori on underneath it & thats what made the dry down was extra yummy
or
if it was solely the Opium that dried down like that.I am thinking it was solely the Opium.
It reminds me a lil bit of the Original Poison with the oriental spices they have in common.I haven't smelled Poison in a while either but Ironically I use to LOVE it.

I am very glad I tested this again & I am now beginning my search for a bottle of my own

Who hasn't smelt opium? If you haven't, it's almost like you haven't been properly schooled in perfume. It's a pretty classic scent, and a heavy weight at that, no one doesn't know when it walks in the room. I find that the only issue with this is that it can be distracting if you, your outfit, your vibe, just isn't totally inline with it's essences. It's the classic oriental, and all the classic notions of oriental seem to derive from this scent. For me this scent reminds me of independent women in europe, who have children and work and move about without any excuses or help. They are movers about their fields and scenes and enjoy life and independence. This scent brings back memories of my beloved aunts and mentors, and I can't wait till it becomes an appropriate scent for me (I'm in my 20s, so it's a bit silly for me to wear it).

This is THE "Prima Donna" of all perfumes. It is so overpowering that it chokes my throat. Very 80ies Joan Collins, think huge shoulderpads, think powerhungry (business)women, think opera divas, think excess galore.

I actually hate the scent but admit it is a classic and fits perfectly to a rich bitch red haired mature single late 40ies plus woman who's got all the money but is desperate for a man....get the picture?

My ex-husband bought an Opium gift set for me the 1st Xmas after we were married. I like the scent - which is warm, spicy and very sexy - but it is SO strong ... I have to be uber-careful about how I put it on - just the tiniest of squirts - so that it doesn't overpower me. Plus the scent clings to my clothing until the next time I do laundry, so I know that I'll either a) want to wear the item of clothing and use Opium again or b) just wash it so I can use some other fragrance.

The eternal sizzler! It's for tigresses; Bambi had better stay home. Mandarin and jasmine and pepper top notes, fresh without being sweet or soapy followed by a combination of cinnamon and vanilla that doesn't default to perfume-come-bakery. Where labdanum honeys it up, pepper cuts across, where oppoponax makes it warn and gives it a lazy seductive buzz, some elemental charm - woods? sharp herbs? - wakes the senses.

This is a very seductive perfume indeed, long lasting, for me more provocative at the end than at the beginning; perfect for evening and winter. Why don't I wear it? For the same reason I don't wear Angel; everybody wears it. Also, on some diva level, I want a pretty bottle, and the old one doesn't look special enough. I look to the new version, the Opiium Elixir Voluptueux, with its new design and glass stopper, to renew a sense of class and glamour.

I like to wear it when I have exams.It gives me strenght and a sense of power.
I would not use it for any other occasion,but to impress the audience and feel powerfull.

I think I smelled Opium once 12 years ago and I can VERY DISTINCTLY remember the scent. Deffinitely not for most people, me being one of them. I wouldn't even come close to it without feeling faint and nauseated.

My first parfum!!! this parfum belong to my mother who does'nt like oriental parfums, so i cat it . And in my opinion is very clasic and the notes of heart still all day long. Ideal for a strong a more that a woman.

this is one of my favorite perfumes. i first smelled it when i was a kid on my mother and tried it on myself then which was horrible on me...too strong, and too complicated... but then i got older and turned into a woman it started to smell great on me and i just love it so much afterward.... real classic.

wow... its a dark mysterious fragrance. Elegant, classic (this is a recognizable attribute) The most dense scent that i did smell until now. Extremely recharged.
But, for some reason i can't endure Opium. To me is dark, repulsive, smell strongest sweet nauseating smoking like marihuana. Or something like walk in a old store of old clothes saturated whit a lot of scents in a disgusting way...It gives me a headache...
However, i am reading comments about differences between EDP, EDT and Perfume... i don't know...

A roborant oriental mix creating a dark mysterious drama. A definite classic I use to wear until it became a fragrance owned by everyone.

Strong and dark fragrance. However, its not sultry or seductive. It smells a little masculine which makes it wearable at the office.
I read in many forums that it's of the 10 most sold perfumes over the world.

I love the way Opium smells hours after it's been applied. Initially, it's too harsh (unless you have the pure parfum), but many hours later? Ooh-La-La! Mystical and magical potion. It's best to wait for a final judgment until you've smelled the drydown. Very few perfumes compare to this beauty.

My favorite fragrance since the late 70's and which is my signature scent. It is very strong, so I use only a little of the perfume or use the body cream. It really lasts and I love the spicy, warm scent that I find clinging to scarves and jackets long after I have worn them.

The king of perfumes! I LOVE this perfume. Being a fan of oriental, strong, spicy perfumes, this is one of my favorites. I have a lot of scents, but I always keep a bottle of this handy.

A precious, precious one.A mesmerizing and intoxicating fragrance, it has a wandering soul. I can easily see it on a lady dressed in velvet, and on a Bohemian exotic dancer.But - it creates some boundaries for it`s mistress, it makes her to act and do everything to be worthy of this heaven sent elixir.

The combination of spices, woods and flowers in Opium is superb and can`t be compared to any other creation!I adore the base, it is sultry, warm and slightly oily.Opium is absolutely gorgeous in pure perfume, if used sparingly. Other concentrations just won`t do - they don`t capture the magic of this unique fragrance.

mm..wasn't impressed with this one, I tried it twice, nothing happened , nothing clicked..maybe I need a tester and to use it for some period of time to appreciate it, I don't know

This is simply my favourite winter scent. It is something magic and mysterious about it. Usually I wear it only for myself, when i am at home and the smell of this perfume it is like real opium ( i imagine :) to me. Im addicted to this perfume.

Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac made a master piece. Beautiful oriental classic which I love since I was teenage.So sexy, so provocative and elegant.It's spicy, it's strong, but at the same time it's so sophisticated and classy.One of my favorites.

I have an edp of Opium which was meant for my mother. She rejected it and I was lucky to gain the right to dive into his cloud.
Carnation and cinnamon are the main notes that I feel with every fibre of my body. MMM, delicious like Christmas cookies! However, I wouldn't say it is sticky! Not overpowering for me, though it was not my love in the teen ages;0) The fine powdery trace that it leaves on my skin overnight is as comfortable as a cashmere scarf! My finding for the winter!

I wear this exclusively in the winter. And tend to wear Opium 'Fleur de Shanghai' in the summer. Very incency and spicy. The scent lasts forever. My husband doesnt care for the 'stronger' scents but, thats okay, I wear it for me!

I'm really surprised with these many good reviews!!!!
I'm just going to say : When I sniffed it, I thought it was a fragrance for men & I can't convince myself with the opposite AT ALL !!

My mom loves this stuff, it's been her favourite perfume since the 80's. I find it too spicy, strong and intense as I like more subtle fragrances. And consider myself yet too young to wear it, it is a signature scent for mature, self-confident women who stand their ground.

My mom use it to her signature sense. I think this one is so sexy and feminine. Top note is very strong but wait a minite the heartnote is so classic,and basenote is very warm.

I think this one suit for 30up or adult. Because I spays its on my skin when its dry I don't like.

Opulent and sexy. Ususally I wear it at the sofisticated parties.

Great oriental classic, spicy, rich, dark, sexy and opulent. And strong, so I prefer wear it in body products and then get subtle (rare word with opium), not owerpowering scent.

An icon, a legend and a classic.
A hard act to follow to earn such status right?
So no matter what are said about Opium, these remain the fact!!!

For those who cannot stand it, it simply means that they have yet to reach the pinnacle of opulent in life....

this is legendary perfume, but very strong even in edt version. It easily gives you headache, so it is highly recommended to use it in very small quantities...

My favouriteperfume when I was a teenager, in the 80`s. But unfortunatly I cant stand it anymore, it gives me headache. But still I like the overkill with this perfume, it has totally rejected the term "less i moore". :)

Meditatively beautiful in parfum form, otherwise the sillage can be quite intense. Very striking composition; love the oppononax note!

The smell is a bit overwhelming and makes me think of what bitter old ladies smoking cigarettes waiting for their long lost loves to come back smell like -- bathed in the scent. It's not an attractive scent to me, at all.

One of the most revolutionary orientals at the time, now a classic. Gorgeous perfume, very classy. For evening.