Opium (1977)
by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium is a thoroughbred of a concoction, an utter knock out of an oriental. It is a scent of contradictions, like the ancient incense of vespers and the fleeting musk of a one night stand. It is clove, nutmeg, myrhh, it is citrus, champagne, and freesia. All too often this overpowering and classical oriental overwhelms its wearer. You have to stand up to Opium; for it speaks of and promises adventure and it's best to dress prepared. Think: leather, not denim. A timeless scent picked out of the air, or dreamt of, as if it was always there, and reconstructed. Opening a bottle of Opium is to be transported to long ago parties at legendary New York clubs of the late 70s and early 80s, where the women who wore Opium were outrageous, bold, otherworldly personalities, the likes for whom the scent was created. I don't see these kinds of ladies these days, and I don't catch the scent of Opium on the air, anymore, during late nights out, and so must wonder who is buying the fragrance and when will it come out of the closet -- where it doesn't belong -- a lost and found again relic of more exhilarating, freewheeling, times.

5th January, 2012.

There's not much I can say about this icon that hasn't already been said, so I wont. I will say that many other fragrances have a way of morphing into camouflaged versions of themselves in the dry down. If this were true for Opium, I would gladly wear it now, but sadly on first spritz -Opium.On the dry down, yep....still very much the same.It is beautiful but whenever I wear it, I am transported back to the days of "Dallas" and big hair.

1st November, 2011.

I think you just love or hate this fragrance. I, for one, absolutely hated Opium when in was launched in 1977. I found it too sweet and too spicy. Of course, at the time, I was into fresh citrusy stuff. I wore Eau sauvage and Vétiver by Carven which are light-years away from Opium. A few months ago, I was given a 1/2 oz (15ml) bottle of Opium perfume (a friend "regifted" it to me). I intended to put it in my collection but I remembered that, two decades ago, a saleslady in a perfume store in Paris told me she had a lot of male customers who wore Opium. I was surprised at the time. So, I decided to try it, just for fun. WOW! What a pleasant surprise! Now, I wear it occasionally (the perfume, if you please!) and I get lots of compliments. Strangely enough, Opium is extremely masculine on me and people can't believe this is a feminine fragrance, let alone a perfume!

21st October, 2011.

Opium gives me a headache because of the persistent carnations and the peach (a note that has a similar effect on me in Nahema) that go off with a blast from the very start. Other than these two, I picked out the initial citrus, then patchouli, cinnamon, incense (myrrh?), on a heavy base of musk, amber, sandal/cedarwood and vanilla. I do appreciate the fact that it's a well-made, iconic scent with a strong personality – something that's all too rare these days. It does smell very seventies and slightly dated in all its hippy-ish oriental glory.

14th September, 2011.

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 is 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.

26th June, 2011.

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.

5th June, 2011.