In addition to the recent men’s cologne samples that I’ve gotten ahold of as of late, I also managed to pick up a lot of lady’s fragrances, to give my review of. Today is an entry from Yves Saint Laurent and is a flanker to the classic perfume Opium, Black Opium Eau de parfum. As always, I want to give my thoughts on how the fragrance smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase. Note: I have come back to edit and update this page, a few years after the initial review.
The opening of Black Opium is somewhat of a jumbled mess in my opinion. For the first 10 minutes or so, it feels like a very synthetic blend of vanilla, flowers, and a hint of cedar. However, despite this poor start, once it settled down Black Opium was quite a lovely experience.
This stuff is sweet, so if that’s not your bag, don’t bother with this one. The coffee note begins to emerge after the start and forms a lovely duo with the vanilla. I happen to really like coffee and vanilla (both in fragrance and in beverage form), so Black Opium appealed to my sensibilities. One thing that I definitely detect in this perfume is the pink pepper note, which reminds me of the men’s cologne, Guess Seductive Homme. It was a part of that messy opening act but gets more breathing room within the composition, later in the wear.
This Yves Saint Laurent perfume isn’t all that complex to my nose. The final dry down here, is the vanilla and coffee, with a jasmine background. At the base sits: pink pepper, patchouli, and a bit of fresh cedar. It’s warm and sweet, with a slightly powdery quality to it. It isn’t baby powder or anything, just gives off that sort of aroma.
While this is another fragrance that uses the ‘Black’ title and isn’t all that dark in its presentation, I’ll give it a pass, since it seems to be a dark roast coffee at least. Black Opium is such a warm scent, that sort of envelopes you as you wear it, and the light floral notes in the background give it an added layer of complexity.
Black Opium Review: Sillage, Longevity, Seasonality, Versatility
Projection wise, Black Opium is some pretty strong stuff. Honestly, a few sprays would do it. It also has good longevity, as I could detect it all day on my wrist. I also sprayed it and a few other ladies’ perfumes onto a sweatshirt a few days ago, and the Black Opium is still the strongest, whilst others have faded completely. For me, it easily goes 8 hours and can hit double digits. I wouldn’t call it an absolute beast with the sillage, but the strength/performance overall is quite good.
This is more of a fall and winter type of scent. I would avoid wearing Black Opium in the heat or high humidity, as it will fall apart, and feel pretty gross. It could absolutely be everyday wear during the winter but also double as a date night kind of fragrance. In an office or classroom-type of environment, go easy with the sprays, 1-2 should suffice.
It is actually quite sexy, and as a man, I can say that I would want to be closer to a woman who was wearing Black Opium. This perfume has a really cozy and enveloping scent, with its sweet gourmand aroma, being pretty appealing. It’s not something that drives me wild or anything, but I can say, it is enjoyable.
Overall is it worth a buy? Maybe. While not the greatest thing I’ve ever smelled, Black Opium is still a very solid fragrance, that does smell very good. It’s not for everybody, especially not those who don’t enjoy sweet gourmand perfumes. Plus, it is limited to the colder months of the year, and not for those living in certain warm climates.
Again, the performance is good and the price isn’t too bad. It’s a solid choice, I’d just caution those who want to avoid the super sweet stuff because this can be that kind of perfume for much of the wear. However, as a popular mass-market option, Black Opium will do the trick and could be a signature scent for some ladies.
