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mmtwwpnmvf – :
I prefer the original. This one is so heavily laden with coriander and cloves to my nose. Also not as effervescent and the top adelhydes are not as prominent. I can see how people would enjoy this but I have to pass as it’s too cloying for me.secluded
I did not grow up with the vintage so I’m not just saying it for old times sake.
pvg2 – :
Love this edition just as much as I did with the old one. Just Saw someone mentioning the aldehydes which I also adore i any scents. Silage and longevity is amazing.
The scent i highly addictive, captivating and intriguing. It`s sexy, classy and somewhat soapy in the bottom. Power woman, late night, Black dress and red lipstick kinda scent. Opium you will forever have a place on my perfume shelf.
oleg258789 – :
I’m in love with this divine perfume. I have the EDT
Divine is the right word to describe this in every sense.
I especially adore the gorgeous, smoky opening, like incense/an opium den. It has a spiritual overtone, intensity and depth.
This is what sexy smells like to me. It’s a strong scent and not for the faint of heart or for the girly girl type. It would smell very attractive on a man as well.
The ad for this features Mozarts Lacrimosa which coincidentally is my favourite piece of classical music. Definitely a signiture scent for me, along with Chanel No. 5. Ive tried so many perfumes and struggle to find anything I like, but Im infatuated with this.
It also has a hint of aldehydes which Im a sucker for.
marvin – :
Review for the Eau de Toilette
So far I have tried the current Eau de Parfum, and the vintage, and I find this version quite good. I would actually say that the Eau de Parfum is a smoother and deeper version of this but this version does have a spiciness that reminds me more of the vintage classic fragrances like Cinnabar and the classic Opium etc. I don’t feel that this version projects as strongly though, and I think I would recommend the modern Eau de Parfum as a stronger choice. However, I do see this one as a more wearable unisex leaning fragrance, as opposed to the Eau de Parfum.
erstenfertersak – :
Opium: by Yves Saint *L’Oreal*…
A half used clove scented cigarette in a bakelite ashtray on the boudoir of a delusional travesty who lives in SF China town.
This perfume is wrong, unnecessary, and definitely NOT even remotely close to Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium.
бородатыйalex – :
This one is not sweet at all. I don’t know why it was listed as a sweet scent. Opium is just spicy incensy and hot aroma. Men can wear this for sure.
lopatin123 – :
First of all I have never had the pleasure of smelling any vintage, original opium and my only experience is with the new EDT. It smells a bit soapy to me, like it has aldehydes in it, but i might be wrong as it is not listed. I can mostly smell the myrrh and carnation. This is a very warm, spicy, balsamic perfume. It feels comforting and I prefer wearing it in the colder months. I is complex and beautiful, feels classy and attention grabbing. I love wearing it, although some people around me don’t like it only because it reminds them of an older relative who use to wear it. Luckily I don’t care and will carry one wearing this beauty. Last over 7 hours on my skin and doesn’t go unnoticed. 8/10 from me
kasheli – :
This version of Opium is actually rather tame, and it is beautiful . I am surprised that anyone would object to it . I do not find it overwhelming or loud. Flowerbomb or Angel are more in your face than Opium . It is hard to see how this is viewed negatively , when most people love frags with incense notes . Opium IS incense and the richest incense . Is incense “dated” ?
I continually read reviews calling perfumes “dated” , as though anything older than five years is obsolete. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is not dated – it is a masterpiece and classic . Opium is a very modern , sophisticated fragrance and it smells glamourous to me . It has good spillage and a few sprays will get compliments all day long . Men seem to like it and I think it has an air of mystery about it .
This version of Opium smells rich, expensive , and FAR BETTER than the flanker “Belle Opium” , which is sooooo generic . If you hang around perfume counters you will find and endless supply of candy smelling offerings that are rather similar , or a few florals that are PRICY and last about two hours .
katukov – :
I think the comparisons to the 1977 vintage version have already been done… this perfume was a staple for me in the late 70s through 90s… I am aware of what it used to be and other reviews have covered that already.
This is a review comparing the 2 Eau de toilette and the eau de parfum. A year ago, I originally tested the EDT, it was kind of flat and missing the beautiful carnation note but had lots of incense. I was disappointed. But the drydown was beautiful.
I went into the department store near me and put EDT on one arm, and EDP on the second. As suspected the eau de parfume is superior. It seems more deep and satisfying. Not just incense. It is a lot more expensive but when I repurchase I will be purchasing the EDP. For those who miss the vintage version, I think they would be surprised with the character of the EDP over the EDT.
marina_feo – :
I sincerely hope the 70s vintage version on its way in the post is an improvement on the test card in my handbag. Washing up liquid. That’s all.
teateTitwrigE – :
I love vintage scents, but this one actually smells too dated for me to pull off (and that’s from someone who absolutely rocks Mitsouko). It’s very dark, very thick, very strong and very spicy, and the first couple of hours unfortunately would be an instant headache for me. HOWEVER the drydown is amazing and I wish the whole composition was as beautiful as it ends up being. I saw Opium for a good price and came close to blind buying but I’m so glad that I tested it first. Maybe I’ll enjoy it fully one day, but for now I’ll just spritz some whenever I’m passing by, just to see if my impression changes.
Engennapneuro08 – :
This is Shanghai 1930s (according to my grandmother), SO incredible…a total time machine. I love it, smells rustic Asian…makes me very happy and nostalgic for my childhood. Please never change.
eaviev – :
Smoky – spicy – floral
Color impression: crimson
What a peculiar perfume Opium is. It’s floral and incense but neither this or that. It’ fiery dragon breath that smells like Pepsi plus an Indian temple obscured by massive nebula of burning incenses. Full-bodied spicy and hot like magma.
★★★★★
ltr163InsuffBooni – :
The edp version arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Unboxed carefully and enjoyed the first spray. Picked up the phone and ordered another bottle. Went back to the dresser and doused my whole body in it, lay down in bed and closed my eyes, forget everything else.
I have always loved the original opium and this one did not disappoint.
alinok – :
Eau de Toilette.
Classical and spicy scent, reminds of Shalimar and Samsara. Heavy for an EdT.
A little bit more as “gasoline in a garage” than flowers or spices.
4 hours pass, and then you’d think you had civet on your skin. It’s very much like Shalimar. Lasts well for hours, too.
Maydayeuror – :
I appreciate this beauty but I can understand why some don’t. there’s kind of a urine smell that just gets tiring. After having so many perfumes that remind me of root beer such as hypnotic poison, dr. pepper like cancan, cream soda like fresh cream, or even grape soda like black opium, its fun to have one that reminds me of Coke!
Baklanovs – :
This is a lovely fragrance I need to keep in my collection. Yes I like opium 2009 a lot. There are times when I don’t want to smell sweet or of anything else but this.
vcdx – :
Warning. Negative and potentially upsetting review ahead.
First smelled it when I was about 18 when my so called MIL and her friend were discussing perfumes and trying some on. They said “Mmm, Opium!” . I smelled it myself and I thought it was a spicy, strong, weird perfume. Then I
tried it again at Sephora a short while ago. I’m sorry to say it but this perfume is one of my most despised. The kind that makes me grimace in displeasure. Nothing feminine & elegant or even sexy about it, it’s an incredibly vulgar, sharp & detestable perfume to my nose. It’s the antithesis of feminine beauty & grace & mystique to me.
Some say that Agent Provocateur smells like a “madam”, I didn’t think that, but I find Opium to be exactly that. The perfume of a female brothel keeper who chain smokes and has a foul mouth.
I like the idea of heavy, sexy, vulgar perfumes, but when I try the ones described as such I can’t stand them.
SHAIX – :
I don’t actually own a bottle of YSL’s Opium, vintage or new. I do, however, own some Dana 20 Carats Cologne. Some reviewers on this site have commented on the similarities between vintage 20C and vintage Opium, so in a way, I “sort of know” what Opium smelled like, without having ever owned a bottle.
Today, I tried the modern Opium EDT formulation, in a frosted red flacon with a gold top. Upon first spray, it is overwhelmingly powdery with an undercurrent of spice running through it. Dana 20 Carats is also overwhelming, but because my fragrance is ~70 years old, I expect the notes to be more concentrated. I found myself sniffing my wrist repeatedly but did not find myself liking what I smelled. It wasn’t even terrible; a well-blended fragrance, really, but not what I was expecting. The dry down, however, was much better. The scent has quieted down to a spicy, slightly musky skin scent, and that I can get behind. For now, I’ll be on the hunt for a vintage Opium bottle. I have a feeling I’ll like it more than this reformulation.
sven23 – :
This should not be named Opium. Maybe they should have named it “Opium Shadow”, or “A Trace Of Opium”, or “Opium Disappointment”, or “Sort Of Opium”. It’s a nice fragrance, but it’s not Opium. I miss the original so much. It was my favorite smell in the whole wide world.
temirchan – :
The first time I smelled this, it had the most curious effect on me. I put some on my skin (I was a little scared, having heard warnings of what a monster it is) and immediately it was like I was home.
Everyone has that perfume that is like home to them. This is mine.
It was instantly recognisable, comforting, and familiar regardless of never having knowingly experienced it before.
Later finding out that Opium and I were both born on the same year made sense in a weird way. Neither of us are demure or quiet.
Opium strikes me as spicy, even though the notes given have no spices. It’s powdery, even though there is nothing powdery in it. I get no clear florals. The resulting effect is like an unusual mixture of powdered spices, with something almost mossy thrown in. There is a bit of “soapiness” in the mix, like a good perfumed bar of soap, but personally I enjoy soapy scents.
This is a perfume that divides people in two camps, and needs to be applied with care if one is going to be in enclosed spaces with others.
This is also a unisex fragrance, so men: go ahead and try it on, you might like it.
Both the EDT and EDP smell as good to me. Today I’m wearing the EDT, which is a little more transparent, and perfect for the warm day we’re having.
bazi1965 – :
Oooh, this is fun!
This is only my second myrrh perfume, and I really do like it.
Incidentally, it’s also the second perfume I’ve tried with carnation. I don’t like carnations, I think they’re so ugly, but I am discovering a new appreciation for them in perfume.
I guess I should say I’m new to designer fragrances, so I’ve never tried the original Opium. I got a decant of this from a perfume samples website.
But this is a big, heavy, complex perfume that really takes a minute to get to know. I love that there’s a sharp, soapy, powdery scent to this. I sprayed it on first thing in the morning and it definitely woke me up.
There is just the smallest bit of sweetness in this, too. So little that I didn’t even notice it at first. But then it crept up on me.
Sillage is barely an arm’s length on me, but that’s typical, my skin tends to swallow perfume. It does leave a little bit of a trail if I’m moving. And it lasts a long time.
I think it’s awesome. Just big and heavy and fun to wear.
5127649 – :
اشتريت اليوم زجاجة
بتركيز ماء التزيين .. او دو تواليت
حجم ٥٠ مللي ..!!
..
لن اقول الا كلمةً واحدة
أتعبت من بعدك يا سان لوران
ValdemarFirst – :
Having sniffed/tested the ORIGINAL Opium when it came out in 77′-78′, and smelling it on EVERYONE forever…lol….I have finally come to own a bottle of the newer EDT version. I must say….at first sniff the memories of the times and places of this scent,came back to me.It is a true classic !! Back then I could not appreciate this scent, or maybe, I “could not” because of it’s over-popularity and following, so I hence ignored this scent….until now. I am having a great blast from the past moment…and loving the ride !!
IMHO, the newer re-form still hits the mark. Yes, the vintage is differently composed.I do find the newer one is more “subdued”. But a masterpiece is a masterpiece ! (P.S……even the new one needs to be sprayed..lightly…it is still a powerhouse.)
Cheers !!!
EDIT: OMG…….I LOVE…LOVE…LOVE this stuff !!!!!!!!!!
Hordegul – :
I’m wearing the EDT (2009 reformulated edition).
I’m still making up my mind about the scent, but I just want to say that the longevity and sillage of this EDT are IMPRESSIVE for a present day perfume.
I always rant about how all perfumes are fleeting nowadays and have almost no sillage.
Well this beast is different!
Only one spritz on my arm before dinner, and 3 hours later I had difficult to sleep because of the smell… then this morning at work, a colleague could not believe I had applied it last night.
This is the great performer I was looking for.
But as I said, I like it but I’m not crazy about the scent, and I find it difficult to wear under daylight.
EDIT: months later, having worn it through all winter, I can say I’m in love. This is a perfume that grew on me, like true love. I can’t explain it, but now I “get it”. Complex, elegant, classy, misterious. It makes me feel so good, like I stand out in the crowd. I also have the vintage EDT but I love both equally.
Tip: if you don’t like it at first -or have doubts-, give it a second, third, fourth chance.
Another tip: this is soooo much better in winter. The first time I wore it, it was a summer night and it made me nauseous. For the cool weather (20º C or less), it’s just perfect!
popalexandr – :
Opium hits my olfactory bulb
Like a breeze that’s come
Miles through alpine forest;
It is fresh and open, resinous.
maksim13.04.96 – :
I tried this perfume on paper testers several times: seemed very dry and sharp. So, I liked it but wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to wear it on myself. I like sweeter fragrances but spicy. A paper tester got left in the car in hot air the other day. When I opened the door of the car, I couldn’t understand where the smell was coming from. I just wanted to sit in the car, close my eyes, and stay in the luxurious cloud of sweet balmy spices. Heaven. This is heaven for me. What a transformation! My younger son, kept smelling the tester as we were driving, saying he couldn’t stop smelling it ( he is 5). We picked up my 7-year-old. As soon as he opened the door, he said “What reeks in here? Really stinky”. Plopped from my heaven in doubts. Hours later I still smelled the fragrance in my nose. I love it and my first-grader was just cranky. Yes, this is it.
BrianKT – :
Maybe thanks to myrhh, this version reminds me Coca-Cola. I like it. But the previous version is million times more complex for sure. Like the earth and the sky. Luckily I have the previous and can enjoy real classics.
lrr672speagoessenda – :
This edition is almost 10 years old but I never bothered with it because I happened to have bought a bottle of the ‘old’ eau de toilette in 2008, just a few months before the change (which was a bold surprise to me) and counted myself very, very lucky.
I wore Opium daily for a few years around 2005, in my mid-twenties. I’m attracted to anything Chinoiserie so of course this was to be my scent when I grew up. On me it wasn’t old fashioned, sensual or bold. On me it turned into something creamy and relaxing. I had a very busy job at the time and everybody around me always wondered how I just seemed to sail through it all. Looking back, now I realise that my ‘usage’ of Opium might have had something to do with that! 😉
Well, now my old bottle has turned. Still wearable, but something is off. I found an Opium dupe in a drugstore last year and was pleasantly surprised. You know, the type with the same style bottle as the old EDT but with a different name like Fleurs de Shanghai on it. The dupe goes straight to the relaxing drydown, so it suits me just fine.
Every now and then I try the new EDT and EDP when I see them in a store, hoping they will win me over, because I just can’t imagine life without Opium. First thing you notice smelling the new EDT and EDP from the bottle is indeed: this is not Opium. When you spray them on your wrists you smell something barely there and flat. But, they warm up. Which takes a while. Both are very similar in the drydown, difficult to distinguish. They are not bad scents, but somehow they just don’t win me over. To me, the old EDT and the dupe are somehow ‘bright’, the new EDT and EDP are ‘moody’.
If I had to pick one I would say the EDT is closest to the old EDT. But I won’t pick one… I’ll stay with my dupe to wear, my old bottle to look at, and wait till some new formulation, because unfortunately, I just can’t wear this.
basov-1960 – :
YES. OK. We get it! The current, on the market YSL Opium does not smell like the 1977 Opium. Nor does it smell like Opium from the 1980’s, 1990’s or even about half of the 2000’s. But…it smells very, very similar and this is a good thing (mostly). I know, love and cherish the original Opium. My Mom and beloved, late Aunt wore this from the late 70’s up until the late 90’s or even early 2000s. It is comforting to me, yet it has always been a very sexy, deep, mysterious scent. Even the original formula, when used lightly!!!! was strong, but amazing! The new/current formula is for sure not as strong, but it is NOT weak either. Sillage and longevity are less than the 70’s Opium, but the current one is no slouch either. I get a good 6 hours of wear, maybe longer depending on temperature and humidity! Of course it does not stay full power for 6+ hours, but it does not just go away like many high end scents do nowadays! Opium is very UNISEX. You’re saying…what?! Yes, unisex. It is warm, spicy and deep. There are no florals and I have never felt Opium is “old lady” smelling. Opium is like warm skin, sex and very spiced. I think everyone should try it. Or maybe you shouldn’t 😉 I want to keep getting all the compliments!!
m0lotok – :
“For Opium’s 1977 launch party, Yves Saint Laurent rented a ship called the Peking to sail New York’s East Harbor, with Truman Capote as its captain. The boat was draped in rich red, gold, and purple, while an enormous statue of the Buddha rounded out what the media would describe as its “Oriental theme.” The Los Angeles Times would report a Studio 54-esque atmosphere: “More people were snorting cocaine in the bathroom than ingesting 13,000 oysters, clams, and mussels on the disco deck. People were actually having sex on a lower deck.” Diana Vreeland was on board the ship, and model Jerry Hall, who began dating Mick Jagger around the same time, was the face of the ad campaign”
I think this says it all 😉
stakhura – :
My husband’s grandmother passed and I “inherited” her bottle of Opium. Very elegant scent and very different on the skin than in the bottle. On me, it smells strong and rootbeer float-ish with blast of incense. I only sprayed a little on the nape of my neck and it’s projecting quite well. If you drown yourself in this one, I can see it being too strong. It’s lovely tho-but potentially offensive…
EDIT: I’ve been persistent with this one because I wanted to bond with it somehow LOL We all have a perfume that we desperately want to have a great relationship with-this is mine….as is Shalimar, but I haven’t got to that point in my life yet LOL Anyhow-the more I use this, the more I like it and the less it offends my senses. The first few times I sprayed this I LOATHED it but I tried spraying it on different pulse points and in different weather etc and I’m starting to think a single spray at the nape of the neck in the spring is the way to wear this classic. I get a lot more of the softer spices in this when I wear it this way, and I actually enjoy it. It still has the crazy rootbeer float element-spice and vanilla bean-but the myrrh isn’t as sharp and just sort of wafts out from time to time. I’m glad tho. I really wanted to love this 🙂
bigadena – :
If you feel confident enough to wear this, it will invigorote you in a soft, yet dominant way, and carry you through the day, gracefully. It is powerful, with sheer precision.
Definitely unisex. It’s a contradictory fragrance. Inviting, yet, a bit monstrous, but this monster likes to cuddle deep down.
I can see where people believe it smells like grandma, it really does not. It is balmy, and features no strong white florals, nor does it smell perfumy. A bit powdery? Yes. I think that’s wear my love for it started. It smells like a (I think expensive, not sure) powder my grandmother wore when I was much younger, I carried that scent in my olfactory memories for Over 15 years. and I just LOVED the smell of it. So it’s a bit sentimental for me.
It smells like strength, and decided-on intentions, even spiritual; it is an experience, a journey, that you want to join in on the ride with.
I think a decerning and experienced nose will appreciate it fully.
shatun – :
I tested it for the long time already, many months ago. This perfume is old, but sexy. I think this perfume is best used in special events, wearing gown, brandname bags, etc. But wearing this with simple outfit will not match this perfume.
mstas62 – :
Just bought this and I am in love. I struggle with finding scents that suit me. Women’s perfume tends to be too sweet or too floral for me. While men’s cologne is too overpowering. I love spicy scents. This is everything I dreamt it would be. To me it smells like a spicy vanilla incense with soft floral notes underneath. It’s a really intoxicating hearty scent. Scents tend to disappear on my skin but this one is staying strong. I feel like I’ve finally found the right scent for me. I’ve been searching since 2004.
Basta1991 – :
I just ordered this from Nordstrom, I own the toilette version, I have never had the perfume. I got the perfume. It is richer, deeper, more spicy, warmer, longer lasting and in my opinion, better. I am so glad I purchased the perfume. I have always loved Opium. I don’t like all the flankers. I wish I had the opportunity to smell the original version of the 70’s, I am sure it is wonderful. But I will just say that Opium is fantastic! I have loved it for years and I hope it will always be around. It is a true and beloved classic, suitable for anyone who loves Oriental Spicy frags. It has a gorgeous dry down, and that alone is worth it. It’s a very sexy fragrance.
serega63net – :
Love this perfume, but the original 1972 version is the best! This one is a bit lighter and you can wear during the day too though.
Very oriental and the notes have depth. It flourishes into different tone in the first few hours before it slowly tone down. But it does not really leave you – I notice the jacket that I wear still smell like the perfume after days!
prokl – :
The long forgotten oriental spicy group of which Opium is a pillar and confirmed leader makes a come back in contemporary times with a renewed spirit and a revisited formula. As you can sense this is review strictly about the 2009 formula of Opium as I unfortunately have never had the chance to smell the 1977 vintage one. So, I have no terms of comparison between the old and new version of this masterpiece and I’m going to give my opinion on my experience about the 2009 version.
This Opium definitely has got the spirit of a strong oriental spicy, the prolific group of the past 3-4 decades even though the ones that have smelt the original formula swear that this isn’t than a mere shadow or ghost of what the glorious and unforgettable original perfume used to be. I know, it’s a real pitty to see your favourite or signature perfume go through endless reformulations with each one being even more diluted and less strong or rich. But we live in the ”reformulation” era and for good or for worse we have to accept it and move on with a broken heart, keeping on our mind what our fragrant ”companions” used to smell like. But, at the end, this review is about the current Opium, whatever we might think about it or feelings may be because this is the Opium young generations will think of when talking about Opium.
The perfume is balsamic and warm spicy with that typical carnation smell that accompanied the whole development. Strangely, this is one of the few perfumes that seem to work rather well on my skin. Usually I prefer sniffing perfumes on the paper strip while testing them but I decided to try Opium on my wrist and forearm and I’m happy I did so. If I had stopped to the paper strip test I would have definitely never wanted to spray this on be because it smelt so weird, a very pungent odour like urine. But thankfully on me it was nothing like that. At the beginning it wasn’t so rich or balsamic oriental but as the perfume developped it turned into a deep, sensual, luxurious scent and I couldn’t stop smelling my arm. I left the perfume shop and while wandering errands in the city I started wondering where that amazing perfume was coming from as it was nothing like the other perfumes I had tested. As soon as I realised it was coming from me I didn’t want the scent to never leave my skin. It was like I had finally found the perfect perfume for me, the one that I wanted to always be present in my wardrobe, the one that embodied my character and personality. I arrived to the conclusion that if I had to ever choose to have and wear just one perfume for my whole life, I’d choose Opium with no doubt. Opium is so versatile and perfect for every occasion, mood, weather, season. I was wearing it in full August and it didn’t smell cloying or annoying to me or to anybody else. It was just perfectly balanced. Coincidence, a few days later this episode an acquaintance of mine who has worn The 1977 Opium for years since it was released, knowing about my passion of perfumes asked me If I had ever smelt Opium and what I thought about it. I answered like above, that if I was to wear only one perfume for the rest of my life I’d wear Opium.
Creavalay – :
I am wearing this on a freezing cold winter morning at the office and all I can think about is my hot love affairs from my 20’s! This was my scent then and I still love it today. So sexy and rich and warm and yummy. This makes it into my top 5 favorite scents of all time.
12/18/17 wore this to work again yesterday and was in a cozy state of scented bliss for 8 hours. How is it possible to love a scent so much!
WRW – :
i am a man, this is one of my favourite scent on a woman.
i love it
Anzor1980 – :
I don´t know what´s happening with this scent or with my memory. Just a few years ago I just couldn´t compare this with the beautiful original. So I have just have this in my drawer, but yesterday I decided to test it again – and wow! I feel the original very close now! It has gone from a weak like to a strong love! Spicy, jummy and kind of fresh at the same time.
Assuttutign – :
@PerfumeEmpress
I completely agree with what you’re saying. I’m part of this 21st-century generation, I’m in my late twenties, but I happen to not like most things modern. I have a huge appreciation for times gone by, and vintage works of perfume artistry. It’s so damn frustrating when I go to buy a supposedly vintage classic scent, only to come on here and find out it’s been reformulated for those poor little delicate young noses. But you know what? I would put today’s stripped Opium against any watered-down, generic fruity floral candy perfume cranked out these days. I’ll take a whisper from the past over no past at all. Maybe I’m ignorant because I haven’t smelled the vintage, I really wish I could! But this shadow of the original, to me, holds up against these modern toilet waters. Maybe one day I’ll get the opportunity to smell the original Opium. Again, I completely agree with what you wrote!
Andry123 – :
My mother wore the original version in the 80’s, and I didn’t like it at all as a child. I’ve tested Opium periodically and not been crazy about it but felt nostalgic, surprisingly. I bought both a EDT and EDP at a local Ulta, and neither is like the original necessarily, but if you layer them, they come closer together.
The EDT feels sharper and has more bite. The spice and bitter citrus facets stand out and some carnation. The fragrance feels thinner and more translucent than the EDP. It dries down to an only somewhat softer fragrance, maintaining the edges.
The EDP is my favorite of the two current formations, because I get more of the florals and myrrh and warmth. There aren’t harsh edges. The longevity is not the best, certainly not like the vintage. I sort of think the EDT has better longevity than the EDP.
Layering the two current formulas (I wish there were separate pages here for them) is nice for depth and variety of notes, but I will probably return the EDT and just keep the EDP. To me, this is a new generation’s Opium, which I’m enjoying. It’s sad the originals of these classics are gone though. It would be nice to keep the powerhouses and then do something like the current versions as Legere or Luminous. But I think there are regulatory issues that make the reformulations necessary. All in all, I enjoy this!
medovar1972 – :
Anilinam said: “The reality is, that the normative in perfumery, has changed. And this change has been in effect for over 7 years.” A lamentable truth.
I have no patience with people who want change for the sake of change. It’s so shallow, immature and even irresponsible. What’s next? Repaint the Mona Lisa in neon colors because it’s more “modern”? Tear the Eiffel Tower down because it’s “old”? (yeah, I can see some people already salivating at the thought). Pure stupidity, ignorance, and intolerance. You can’t erase the past (in any form) just because you don’t like it. You learn from it’s mistakes and respect it’s achievements.
If the modern-at-any-cost crowd don’t like vintage scents, DON’T WEAR THEM. I’m sure everybody’s noticed by now that the market is fairly saturated with fruity-floral, candy floss, so-called “young” scents. I hate that kind of scent, but I don’t go about demanding that they be changed to my standards. I just give them a pass. There, wasn’t that easy?
Enough with this childish nonsense of changing everything just for the fun of it. As the old saying goes, If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.
And don’t give me the “adapting things to (fill the blank),” canard. If the Fill the Blank group prefer “21st century” cheap imitations and spurious products to vintage genuine works of art, then they deserve neither.
Now let’s see if Fragrantica allow my post to remain. Or are those of us born before the 21st century not deserving of having our opinion heard?
Carona123 – :
I own a bottle of it, 30ml, I’m selling it or swapping against one of the fragrances I want, shipping to Europe, message me if interested
Zelib0ba – :
I love the new Opium. It is not the same fragrance as the vintage, but it is Opium brought into the 21st century for us to wear and enjoy. It starts out with a blast of fresh flowers — carnation, lily-of-the-valley, and jasmine — that smell ALIVE. During the middle I sense a slight sourness that I assume is the bergamot. The dry down is delicious spice and incense, and very DRY, very ancient smelling. It lasts a good 8 hours, maybe longer as a