Reviews of Opium pour Homme Eau d'Orient (2006)
by Yves Saint Laurent

Opium watered down to put it mildly. I'm sure it was well intended for YSL to market this for the Asian market or to bank on the idea of the Oriental in Europe's minds. The king spicy Opium is kicked down a few hundred notches and cleaned up a bit. Ambery sandalwood and ginger. Pleasant scent but the sandalwood isn't all that great and feels a little dull. Like the sharp top notes of anise and grapefruit, though.

Something is amiss in this well-mannered flanker. The essence of what makes Opium homme parfume ticks is drastically pared down. So what remains is still a respectable, nice-smelling scent minus the berry notes which I love so much in the parfume. But why settle for a carbon copy when you can have the beautiful sexy beast that is Opium pour homme edp?

This review is for the blue or violet bottle, with chinese letters.
Well, in general I like citrus or aquatic fragances, but I like some relax style, for to wear with a nice pair of jeans, my favorite Nike and that s it. I m 30, you know...
This fragance have some enigma and aura, but is a little bit strong and for old people. If you are young? Mmmmmmm......
Eau d Orient is too formal for me. Maybe good for others....
Wait a second, is not bad....I never said that....I only say is too formal.

This review is for Opium pour Homme Eau d'Orient Poésie de Chine (2008). It is a lovely, more transparent rethinking of Opium pour Homme. I haven't smelled the other Eau d'Orient versions so I have no basis for comparison. The first thing that came to mind when I sprayed this on is "Opium Eau de Cologne." The grapefruit on the top lightens the whole Opium effect without changing the composition into an entirely new fragrance altogether. A great anise/nutmeg accord sits in the heart of this one with a subtle dose of ginger and a grinding of lightly honeyed pepper. The dry down is lighter than original Opium consisting of a lovely sandalwood/amber and significantly less vanilla. With all of this lightening up of the fragrance one might think that it strays far from the original; however, there is never any doubt this is Opium. I think it's a great summer scent for Opium lovers who wouldn't dare touch the regular in the hotter months. I'm an Opium lover anyway (especially the EDP). Opium may not be the most sophisticated scent in my wardrobe, but it's a lot of fun to wear and I'm glad I have several concentrations to choose from.

FLAWLESS.

From the first second that it comes out of its gorgeous bottle to the point that it departs from your skin (which, by the way, is many hours later), this fragrance will captivate you like no other. I am a huge fan of the original Opium pour Homme, actually all the Opium fragrances to be honest, and when a friend of mine asked me what I taught about Opium pour Homme for himself, I was a little hesitant to answer, because I did not want anyone else to discover and steal this magnificent and elegant elixir from me.

But I was honest, and said I would buy any Opium scent that there is, without giving it a second thought. But then I questioned that statement, was I right? If YSL would release a hideously watered down lemony 'summer' or 'sport' edition of this great scent (which btw YSL is notorious of doing, as we all know), would I still buy it, and betray this great frag's originality and myself of that matter? The answer would be no, of course, but when I learned that there was a second edition to this fragrance, I decided to come on the basenotes boards and read the reviews of the experienced noses. And I was very pleased to read the reviews I must say: they were all favorable.

So I did a blind buy (it may be a little difficult to find this fragrance, limited edition and all you know), and boy am I happy with my decision! This fragrance is heaven: a great version of the great Opium pour Homme. I cannot say which one I prefer more, because both of them are equally magnificent. Opium pour Homme himself is known to be a dark Oriental, but I must admit this fits into that category a little better almost. This has a different, yet modern spiciness to it, and that creates another layer. The opening is slightly different as well, because of the injection of the bright grapefruit note.

I will say this, this is not necessarily a summer rendition as we know, or are accustomed to, by the other and more generic summer, or secondary, releases of heavy fragrances. Even though this is slightly less dark because of the citrus-y opening chord and a somewhat more woodsy base. That being said, this is a perfect edition, so good in fact, I am sure it will be a staple in my wardrone just as Opium pour Homme has been for all this time.

To me, this is a perfect, and very masculine scent, because not only it is multi-layered, but also very rich in detail. It is not flat: it gets very warm and delicious on your skin. I cannot imagine any skin chemistry that could manage to bring out something nasty from this scent. It lasts very long, which is always a plus since men can't carry their fragrance bottles in purses. The bottle is identical to the original, only the juice is lighter, and there is a chic print of an Opium branch in purple, on the glass surface of the iconic bottle. (I also saw some other ones with a bamboo print instead, but I imagine both bottles contain the same scent) It looks very elegant.

Feels very Parisian, modern yet decadent at the same time. I imagine this is the fragrance of an adventurer, or a dweller, who could also go the opera, or some chic Downtown club wearing this. Like its older brother, this is a type of frag that has at least two personalities, and all these personalities are very soignee and seductive at the same time.

I bought this blind and immediately found it to be shockingly great. There's a mouthwatering grapefruit note that is reminiscent of the sweetened red grapefruit segments that come packed in jars of sugar syrup-- and this note lingers all the way though. Also, the dry, peppery melange of spice notes grabs your attention right away like a Chinese firecracker. The subtle vetiver in the base rounds everything out nicely. I dislike the heavy-handed sweetness of most orientals, but this one achieves a perfect dryness. This fragrance also resonates with a certain air of mystery-- when you walk up to a group of women wearing this, they will all wonder who you are.

I've recently discovered the original Opium Pour Homme and it's good, but I prefer the modern touch of Eau D'Orient (2006 version). Get a bottle and wear it to your favorite smoke-filled, dimly lit bar. Then watch the magic happen.

This review is for the 2007 version.

Finally, we reach the Orient. Created for Spring/Summer wearing, Orient is perhaps the most different from the other two. For its opening, the blackcurrant is replaced with grapefruit that adds a brighter hue that blends really well with the edgy star anise. Like the EdT, pepper and ginger are here but with added nutmeg which rounds off some of the orientalness found in the EdT. Now, the final stage is where Orient really stands out from the other two. Instead of vanilla, the base relies on a heady mix of vetiver and sandlewood with a dash of amber. It's dry, then sweet, then woody, then dry, then sweet, then woody all over again. Very distinct from the other two. I find the Orient works perfect in the heat unlike the other two which may have something to do with its lack of vanilla. Further, it is the most versatile of the 3 varieties as I could see wearing this in the colder months as well.

Lovely take on Opium pour Homme -- this is to OpH what Shalimar Light is to Shalimar. I get top-rate sillage with this baby, and many, MANY compliments. I also find it far more wearable in warmer weather than its older brother. Like the edp version, this Opium is a horse of a different color -- and I like that!

This one is an outstanding version of Opium pour Homme, and it is so incredibly wearable and delightful.

While still recognisably Opium pour Homme, it is more citrusy, lighter and brighter, and overall more zesty and fresh. The sweetness is down, but the mellowness of the citrus (grapefruit) comes through with the spice.

Rather than the darker top and midnotes, this uses the subtle freshness of the citrus of grapefruit and adds the spiciness with pepper and woodiness with vetiver.

I wear this every day to work, and have done so since last year, and I still get the "Oh, you smell really nice". And that's even from my partner!

Perhaps I need to have my ofactory receptors cleaned out. Foetidus has uncovered some very subtle notes here (much kudos here). I myself can only really find a subtle reorganisation on note-intensity coupled with a peppery injection. I think I have a long way to go!

I think that this scent successfully takes the Opium Pour Homme concept and, retaining respect for it, translates it into a more modern interpretation. The grapefruit note in the opening is the new element there, while the star anise is the connection to Opium Pour Homme. In the middle, the ginger and pepper are the connection to OPH while the nutmeg is the concession to the modern tastes. By the arrival of the base, the connection between the old and new has already been firmly established and the direction taken is almost completely new: Instead of a cedar, vanilla, and balsam Oriental base, Opium Pour Homme Eau d’Orient switches to sandalwood, vetiver and amber base, which, I think, suggests a slightly loose interpretation of the term “Oriental."

YSL has chosen some definite directions with this fragrance and has “covered” its decision with the name it has chosen: “Orient” to connect to the OPH and its valuable name; and “Eau d’” to explain its modern de-emphasis of the Oriental category. It is a very modern, light version of the original, and it’s a modern, light Oriental. The grapefruit rather dominates in the opening and the star anise gives the grapefruit a definite OPH flavor. In the heart notes, the nutmeg takes a strong position and this adds much to the modernization of the fragrance, while the ginger and pepper provide an Opium background. The base provides amber for the necessary sweetness, but it would be way too mediocre if it were not for the star anise and nutmeg and ginger that hang on and augment the base. The spiciness of the OPH d’Orient is quite well done—it provides an attractive, somewhat exotic accord while retaining tradition and wearability. Although it doesn’t have the longevity of Opium Pour Homme, its longevity is pretty good. Thumbs up on a very good fragrance.

Discreet and distinguished reinterpretation of Opium and , being slightly lighter than the original formula, good initiation to the ones too sensitive to wear an almost too heavy Oriental or during days when a less overpowering scent is suitable. Not a cheaper, more watered-down version, rather a different concept, ephasizing even more on spices, luxuriant spices with a certain gourmet and gourmand connotation- resembling some masculine creations by Cartier due to the elaborate and creative use of spice. For everyone enjoyng Oriental classics with some( yet not hypermodern, futuristic) edible twist, this one is the right choice.