Opium Eau de Toilette

10 Reviews

1. 

   thrilledCow0

   Reply

   I’m surprised to discover that a loud, rich, late 70s perfume smells much better in summer.

   I get mostly spicy orange, with just a hint of sandalwood, patchouli, and incense. In colder months, I thought it too loud, and felt like it didn’t have a composition so much as s bunch of strong things thrown in. I could picturee YSL telling Amic and Sieuzac “Make me one with everything” (and jokingly imagined that was the real reason for the giant Buddha on the boat when it launched). It does smell a bit like a new age shop, but I quite like that.

   I can’t imagine wearing more than one spray, low on the body (ankle or hem of dress), otherwise I don’t think it would be bearable, and I certainly wouldn’t wear it to work or crowded places. But for late afternoon or evening, or walks along the beach, it’s pretty nice. I disliked it in cold weather though.

   It’s not a love for me, it’s okay and I’m just glad I can wear it at all, so i won’t repurchase, and doubt I’d ever have to- at the rate I’m going it will outlast me. It’s a difficult one to recommend- if “80s”, loud, spicy, strong, opulent sounds good, then give it a shot!

   I have to add, someone on here mentioned something to the effect it gives her back her confidence after a rough day – I have experienced that many times with this scent too, and it clears my head (stopped a fatigue headache in the making a few times for me- but I wouldn’t be surprised if its strength triggered headaches in some people).

2. 

   selfishLapwing2

   Reply

   The current Opium doesn’t know what it wants to be. It smells as if the vintage version were sent through a disinfecting chamber to remove all of its character, and then doused with rubbing alcohol. Is this “modernizing”? Smells more like “cheapening” to me. Maybe YSL would have been better off just discontinuing Opium.

   As for the vintage— magnificent yes, wearable no. I always found it to be like an amazing but very rich and intricate curry dish that should be saved for major occasions, and even then only in small portions. Unfortunately, women who loved Opium loved it every day, and in very large portions. It is indeed a beautiful masterpiece of a fragrance, but one that is so decadent and room-filling that it almost shouldn’t be worn.

3. 

   drearyIguana0

   Reply

   This is/was an iconic fragrance that I tried in the early 90’s (maybe even the late 80’s??).
   Super-strong, heady, spicy and amber-ish with notes of clove/nutmeg and sweetness (tonka bean?).

4. 

   mereHoopoe7

   Reply

   I began wearing this in the late 70s, when I was in jr high! It is absolutely addictive. Heavy, warm oriental spice and musk and smoke and vanilla and amber and incense – Opium is spiritual *and* sexy. It is heavenly decadence. Opium transports me to a magical, elegant but comfortable place, where nothing sucks and never has. It’s an incense-y room of silk-covered floor cushions, with antique wall tapestries, and it is always l’heure bleu – that magic electric blue sky of early evening or almost dawn.

   I recently talked my BF into getting me a vintage EDT mini (less than $10) from ebay, and it arrived a few hours before my day suddenly got really bad. I happily sniffed at it (w/o opening it) many times. I later got so spacey, shaky and weak I needed to go back to bed, but first I dabbed a tiny bit on my throat so there’d be something good while feeling bad. That’s the only time I’ve gone back to bed while feeling sick as a dog and smiling! I awoke a couple hours later, feeling (and smelling) great. 🙂

   Many of the original Opium ads were in French, and I carefully tore out a particularly good one from a copy of Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar for my 9th grade French class. I figured my teacher would agree it should grace her bulletin board. The model was (of course!) sleek and elegant, with dark hair slicked right back, smoky eyes and lush red lips. Her dress was black velvet, with wondrous beading at the neck. She held a good-sized bottle on the flat palm of her hand, near her solar plexus.

   Madame Lombard was nonplussed – she liked the image, the French on it, and the designer well enough, but the name was met with strong disapproval. I explained that it seemed to me a most appropriate name, given its seductive, exotic, heady, sultry, opulent, intoxicating nature. She must have smelled it during our discussion. Thinking back, it’s surprising that 9th grade me could be so earnest but not pushy, and maturely articulate enough that Madame Lombard changed her mind! She smiled, and put it right in the center of the bulletin board, where it remained the rest of the year. I do hope she smiled again when it finally came down.

   Madame Lombard, you were the best French teacher Ever, and Opium is like no other scent – Ever.

5. 

   lovesickBuck7

   Reply

   I hate to give this bad review because I realize this is a very good quality and iconic scent. I’m sure it smells divine on certain people but it just is not for me.
   To me, this smells like a dirty head shop. That’s all I’m getting from this perfume. It makes me feel unclean, kind of nauseous. Needless to say, I won’t be making this my signature scent.

6. 

   gutturalWidgeon1

   Reply

   I have held off from reviewing this as I remember the original as my Mum liked it. It was a real heavy hitter and one bottle lasted years. So with trepidation, and in desperate need of finding a spicy perfume to gift, I bought a bottle. Firstly it’s not half bad. Not the same, what is, but still redolent of the original. For those of you who have been devastated by the reform of cinnabar, fear not, Opium aint ruined. It is thinner, less complex and the edt no longer packs a knockout punch so it could be office friendly. I may have to get myself the edp just for nights out. The new one is still sexy, still balsamic and still well, Opium One thing though, the oranve note is no longer prominent and it moves much more quickly to the d/d. Would repurchase.

7. 

   aloofPretzels5

   Reply

   I’ve worn this scent off and on since I was 17, when my college boyfriend purchased it for me the year it came out. It’s rich rich rich… redolent of the late 70’s decadence when it first came out, when its creator, the legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent launched it to accompany his wildly acclaimed Russian collections, to mass accolades and skyrocketing sales worldwide. Opium is a bold, provocative scent, a ROOM-FILLING scent, should one choose to apply it liberally. A little dab will produce a mini-explosion of scent, it’s that potent. I am, of course, speaking of the original Opium, I can’t speak for the remake that hit the shelves in recent years (why oh why would anyone bother remaking a legend?)… Be that as it may, this is one hell of a scent. We’re talking Tigress here–Mata Hari, Gina Lollobrigida, Catherine Deneuve in a black silk trench coat (with nothing on underneath), opulent evening brocades, dripping jewels, opera gloves, statement makeup, boots, heels, leather and lace… a “Femme Fatale” woman who is not afraid of her own seduction. It’s an evening scent, of course. I will only wear this full-on with ‘statement’ wardrobe, usually something ultra-sexy and fatale. Tip: I have a little mini bottle of this in my makeup bag, and when going out at night after a day at the office, a tiny drop rubbed on my wrist and then over my ears, nape and hairline will have people sniffing me appreciatively all night..

8. 

   curiousGranola8

   Reply

   Don’t own but want to .. I’ve smelled more than enough times because my grandma wore this and it is a powerhouse and very warm sensual and lasting.. I like the new packaging and I will buy one day .. It is expensive.

9. 

   ardentWildfowl1

   Reply

   YSL Opium was one of my first true love fragrances back in the 80’s. I love spicy, lush type perfumes. They evoke a sense of mystery and are exotic in their own way. I find this type of fragrance works well with my personal body chemistry, and the result is quite intoxicating which I have said is also the result I get when wearing CK Euphoria. Just ask my husband, haha. This fragrance can be a bit overwhelming in warm weather months, so I reserve for fall/winter. Spring and summer call for something lighter and fresher/crisper. The packaging for Opium reflects the fragrance well, and is beautiful.

10. 

    fondGranola8

    Reply

    Back in the day when I was working the fragrance counter at Macy’s and hawking it, Opium was flying off the shelves. Everyone was wearing it. People talk of Giorgio and how it created a sensory overload but Opium was right up there in its distinct aroma and how women over-sprayed it. Now, the prices for a vintage bottle are ridiculous. Is it worth it?

    Looking at its notes, yes, Opium is everything its cracked up to be. It embodies all its notes. It’s an outrageous perfume. This can be a grand old dame, wrapped in soft velour, adorned with Mikimoto pearls, carrying a Judith Leiber clutch or a bar-fly with a hiked-up faux-leather Guess skirt, Sam Edelman booties and a crop top. Anyone and everyone has worn it and altho it is a classic that stands alone, it is so well-known it is no longer special. It’s lost it’s uniqueness.

    It had its place back then in the late ’70’s and ’80’s when the powerhouse perfumes were all the rage. Rock ‘n’ roll was loud, clothes were big and so were the hairstyles and attitudes. It just fit the time period. You’d wear it and strut because you could. Wearing it today outside takes a certain attitude, a certain way of dressing, it’s a completely different way to be.

    I’m not saying Opium can’t be appreciated today, it just can’t be appreciated in the same way because this isn’t the same time period. Some perfumes stay beautiful and always will be, but they just don’t make it into the mainstream of the future decades.
    Opium is a perfume that needs to sampled by all vintage lovers because it belongs in the perfume Hall of Fame. It’s rich in feeling, opulent in spices and incense, animalistic in nature and makes you want to let go. It will strangle the weak enslave the willing. If you are a fan of patchouli, spices, incense, myrhh, cloves and too many others to list, go for it. You won’t be sorry. But be forewarned, you’re signing up for the den of inequity to other perfumes. You may never be the same.