Opium Pour Homme Yves Saint Laurent for men

smells like a retirement home

Bordeaux. Camembert. Opium pour Homme.

The French know how to create a masterpiece. This is pure class. Stunning.

Was lucky to pick up a half-price bottle from a local chemist today. Tbh, I didn’t expect it to be much cop given they were clearing out old stock and the packaging was dusty.

How wrong I was.

Straight off the bat, this magical juice hit hard. Blackcurrant, spice, liquorice and vanilla. The dry down is pure heaven.

Mature only? If you’re not into your sweet, bubble gum frags, you could wear this and feel regal at any age.

Right now, I don’t want to move. I just wanna sit here and take in this wonderful creation. Later, I may reach for a baguette, cheese and pour myself a glass of red.

C’est magnifique.

I gave a positive review earlier but I got another decant recently and it was awful.

Very beautiful, fun-loving night out scent. It has lots of charisma, and i think the guy who wears this needs to know how to do it. I think this is only slightly dated, but in general, a very timeless scent. There is a fresh aspect to this for sure, its not a dark deep scent like your usual winter crowd. The blackcurrant vanilla combo here is amazing!

Such a delicious opening. I like this quite a bit but it’s a little softer in the dry down than I’d wish. I sampled. Might get more someday

One of the three greatest French fragrances for men ever created in my opinion. With the other two being Chanel Egoiste and Dior fahrenheit. The holy Trinity of the French big three. My father introduced me to this one around 1995 or so. One morning he was in the bathroom shaving and putting on a suit for work when all of a sudden I smelled the most heavenly scent I'd ever known. Low and behold he was spraying on this one (although it was the much more rare EDP rather than the EDT) he sprayed some on me and I was im love. This one opened the door for me to also discover the rest of his fragrance collection including Fahrenheit, Egoiste, Drakar Noir, Kouros, Antaeus, Balenciaga Homme, CK Obsession, Eternity and Escape, etc.

One of my beloved ones. Probably this is the first perfume that I truly loved. Revoke good memories. Classic male scent, for a mature man.

Spicy, floral, soapy "Oriental."

Lots of different aromas from this one, it's quite complex;
Aldehydes, cloves, cinnamon, powder, aniseed, nutmeg, amber, oakmoss.
Base is spicy vanilla alongside fruits and wafts of orange blossom.
It's warm on the skin. A little "sherberty."
Smells like a sweet blossomed breeze blowing through a Turkish Bazaar (In a good way!)

It's classy, better suited to mature men.
Good all year, day or night.
Might be a bit much for the office, feels more like a scent to be enjoyed at your own leisure.

Pefromance is great, good projection and lasts as a fruity skin scent until the next day. (Current version - or at least from the last couple of years.)

Is a tad throwback, so try before you buy.

All in all it's a love for me.

People complaining about being warned that the new formulation isn't good... you can still get the old formulation, we are telling you to go with one of those as they are better than the current formulation. So do yourself a favour and pay a little bit more and grab an older bottle. Yes this is a review site, but you are fully allowed to talk about the original Robocop when reviewing the 2014 reboot, and it is perfectly acceptable to compare the two.

As for the current one, it still has the DNA of the original but only on the dry down, the opening is completely different and smells a little anamalic to me. I'm still a little confused as to whether this fragrance was discontinued or if it is back in full production, every counter I ask about it says the former but it is starting to show up on various websites. That being said, I don't think I ever saw anything official stating that it was going to be discontinued so who knows?

@Lwjm

Fully agree. See Aventus Creed. There is no review almost for 10 years.

Anybody going to write a review here or just complain about how the old one was soooo much better?
Some of us actually come here to read reviews and make decisions on whether to try certain fragrances.
Fragrantica also has forums you can open and rant all you want. Please leave the reviews section for reviews.

Anyway, here's my take. Full disclosure: I never smelled the EDP or vintage versions of this fragrance. I have one of the new EDT batches.

Opening is a slightly medicinal Star Anise. If you're wondering what that is, think the flavor of NyQuil (green). I know that sounds unappealing, but it's actually pretty pleasant in perfume form and quite unique. As the fragrance develops, it's reminiscent of fresh ginger and spices, with a slight barbershop like vibe, but not powdery at all.

Another way I would describe it, think V&R Original Spicebomb with the vanilla toned down and slightly more mature smelling, but not too so much that you'd call it a grandpa scent.

Despite all the spiciness, I'd wear this in the hotter weather as well as cold. It's very pleasant, unique, and versatile, but not as complex as most niche perfumes, more of a unique and crowd pleasing designer scent.

Occasions I would wear this would include casual events, date night, to the office, but not what I would wear to a gym. Longevity is about 7 hours on my skin, and projection is moderate at best, but by no means weak.

Opium Pour Home EDT is blind buy safe, but imo, if you never get a chance to smell this fragrance, don't fret. The smell and quality are great but nothing mind-blowing.

Fragrantica should open a separate "grief counselling with Tourette syndrome support thread" for scents like this.

All the distraught perfumistas endlessly saying "reformulation", "shadow of former self," "weaker," "batch code," "discontinued," "why oh why" etc could be filtered out, and they could all impress each other with their "I remember when scents were scents... I was there... I had the superior version" performances.

This would leave the reviews section full of reviews, telling me what it smells like at the beginning, middle and end, so I'd know whether to buy it or not.

It'd be... I don't know...like being a review site and all. I'd like it.

Modern enough to not to smell dated, vintage enough to evoke a timeless masculine sophistication lost in nowadays cloying bubble gum scents and ambroxan heavy "blue" releases.

I "sold one of my kidneys" for a 100 ml unopened 1995 batch bottle and I don't regret it.

First of all, screw this line and it's 700 variants, vintage and modern. And screw whoever owns YSL [or YS] these days for capitalizing at every possible opportunity, at the expense of their customers' comprehension. Anyway, this particular variant just falls short of making grade. Afar, it smells quite typical, ala MYSLF. Nothing special. Diving deeper, the frontispiece, which seemed to be a typical assemblage of citric and aldehydic elements is indeed a combination of the listed black currant and star anise, with a powdery overtone and a soft, spicy undertone. I'd prefer a denser version, with the powdery essence in the undertone. Not bad stuff, safe to overspray. A lot of better options. Has a bit of a "Euro trash" thing going on, if you know what I mean... I appreciate this up close and personal, but it's not meant to be a skin scent. Objectively just better than meh; subjectively, meh!

@Himeros00 i went on a little buying spree and recently bought a 1997 version, a 2007 version, a 2013 version and the new October 2023 version you have bought, unfortunately, it isn't the same fragrance we used to have, there is something really odd going on with the initial top notes of the spray, it is missing that soft spicy blackcurrant hug that it used to provide. dry down is similar to the old scent.

But i am glad that it still seems to being made, i bought mine from The Perfume Shop, but i have noticed it on other online retailer sites as well.

Regarding a discontinuation:

I had been frantically looking for this fragrance as it is my absolute favorite and holds sentimental value for me~ scared it was being discontinued~ and could not find it anywhere.
Then suddenly one night it it was in stock and I ordered it, thinking I’d get an email saying its out of stock and I’d be refunded, as it had been out of stock for a year.

Long story short, I got it home today and according to the batch code it was made in October of 2023. So hopefully 🤞 it isn’t discontinued and won’t be for a while. I know a lot of you guys love it just as I do.

This is my all time favourite scent and I have a 1997 Sanofi bottle and a couple of 2007 Gucci era bottles, really upset when I heard it was discontinued.

However, I recently saw it pop up in a U.K. retailer and bought a bottle with the batch no. 22x01DU Which says it was manufactured in October 2023, so has it now been bought back or is this the final batch? Would be great if anyone can enlighten me.

As for the smell, well as you could probably guess, it isn’t the same as the vintage bottles, it still has the same DNA but it lacks the powerful black current punch of the original, it’s not the powerhouse it used to be, the dry down is still maybe 85/90% of what it was, but the sillage is maybe 50% of what it used to be. The fragrance itself is still unmistakably Opium Pour Homme though.

I guess I’ll have to still keep chasing those vintage bottles down. To this day I have still not tried the Parfum.

~my all time favorite~

It’s one of those things you can’t put into words
This fragrance makes me feel like I have magical powers, maybe cuz when I first started using it -years ago- I lived on this mountainous island and had a habit of using a certain white powder and literally thought I had magical powers, but I digress.
Every time I use it I feel elevated. The fragrance, that is.
This is for the male Stevie Nicks.

~ narcotic, magical, sensual, mystical sorcerer ~

I have just received very fresh batch from October 2023, so it is still in production! Smell wise probably it will change and I don’t want to judge it yet. I would say that the Opium DNA is still there. I haven’t smelled it for many years.

I was pretty lucky to get my hands on it.If you have hard time finding i could help out.Mine is new,opened and just tried once,new condition.EU location.

I like the smell, but it smells so thin and it ends up smelling just ok and not worth the price. Too bad the EdP is long gone.

Lost YSL ADN! narcotic and intoxicant as the female original! a marvellous droug, for me, no gender. Tonic, invogorating, pleasant... Great fragance of cult!

If the one I tried at the store was the butchered version, then the OG formula must have been worn by the Titans. One of the classiest perfumes I've ever tried.

Weared it almost everyday between 98-02.
It was deep, richer, denser, viscosy, jammy.

Bouth a new bottle 2 months ago... a nother butchered gem!
Does it reminds you the original, yes.
Is it what it was before, NO!

I understand: regulatios, fda,ifra, corporate benefits etc...

Love it! Not sure why so many posts saying they can’t find it? Fragrance.net and Walmart online have it available.

Original 1995 formulation vs. current L'Oreal reformulation.


I first smelled OPH on a winter hollyday in Turin, 2006. It was almost a mystical experience, almost 20 years later I still remember the day.

Despite the sales assistant advice, who really wanted to push me some other fragrance, I bought my first 30ml bottle. For some time was my special occasion fragrance. Since then I had multiple bottles, EDP included.

I got bored of it and I didn't ware it for a couple of years. Two years ago I smelled it again on someone. I was struck by nostalgia, I had to have it again. The same day I ordered a fresh bottle.

It was, of course, the newest reformulation, I thought it was the same as always, and I was happy with my bottle.
But a few weeks ago I ordered a vintage miniature from ebay, and I have to admit it, it's quite different!

The vintage one is definitely richer, reminds me more of the EDP than to the newest formulation. The opening is very different, smells smoother and syrupy, has a camphoric accord (a bit like tiger balm), which I personally love very much. And is stronger.

Still, the new version isn't bad, I don't agree that it's just a shadow of itself. It's still Opium, just a bit fresher and more casual.
It remains one of the best designer fragrance you can buy at your local perfumery.

But if you love it as much as I do you own it to yourself to try the vintage too. It's not yet crazy expensive, but it gets harder to find. I bought two 100ml splash bottles from 1995 and one of 30ml.

For me it is a 10/10 fragrance, my personal favorite for winter, night time or special occasions.

While YSL Opium is too masculine and mature for my current taste, I can see myself wearing it in my fifties. The fragrance is simple, yet dark, dense, and powerful, definitely living up to its name. I can't help myself from sampling it on my wrist and sniffing non-stop. I don't remember any other perfume having such an effect, but that's probably because this Opium is as cheap as the Afghan one.

since my last comment, ive managed to get my hand on a
50ml (purfums corps era)
200ml shower gel (purfums corp era)
30ml (sanofi era)
and two 50ml (Gucci era)

all together I now have,
1 purfums corps bottle.
2 sanofi bottles.
3 Gucci era bottles.
3 EDP.

hopefully the L'Oreal version is soon to be added if it ever comes back in stock.
crazy how quickly opium pour homme gets sold out yet you hardly see anything from fragrance reviews.
it doesn't even make it into anyone's top 10 classic/gentleman's/barbershop list.

The rich and the high profile prostit*te combine to describe this very special number (in the 90's) it will never be cloned,i believe

An outstanding oriental perfume for men with spade loads of character. Excellent performance and a classic.

I adore the opening of this scent. It's full and uplifting, makes you feel like you sit on a golden cloud, absolutely royal. You rubbed the lamp, and the genie granted you three wishes. It's what the clubbing scents like Le Male and 1 Million promised, but never delivered. It's an opium hit.

This lasts exactly five minutes before the golden dust begins to settle, and in another five minutes you are left with a scent that is still sweet, warm, and spicy, but now has one giant blackcurrant sitting in the middle, dark, sour, and somewhat menacing. Shit got real, and now it's an action scene from a movie, Mr Bond.

So far, so good. The problem for me is that I find the scent slightly irritating, probably due to pepper and cedar, so it spoils the fun a bit. A few minutes of high and then back to regular life. However, if you do not have a problem with pepper or cedar, Opium is the dankest fragrance you can get. Le Male Elixir offers a somewhat similar experience, less intoxicating, but more stable.

I have a very old bottle. For an EDT, the performance, especially longevity, is legendary.

Opium Pour Homme Yves Saint Laurent

Managed to acquire a brand new bottle of this lovely classy classic OPH a while back. This is a 2017 batch.

This is a very warm and comforting scent. Sophisticated and Mature. Oriental, Soft and Fresh spicy, not so heavy on the vanilla and not too powdery, slightly amber balsamic sweet with woodiness underneath The Star Anise is the star in the opening together with the Grapefruit 🍇

This is a scent profile that is hard to find in the current bunch of modern day releases But yet can stand tall and high and makes you stand out amongst a crowd where you get the Designers Bleus, Sauvages, Eros, Gourmands Niches etc.

Very very yummy addictive scent. Musculine definitely and will attract the right ladies. I'm sure many older and matured gentleman have worn this at some point of time and knows what I'm talking about.

The older bottles from the 90s and 2000s seems much stronger based on my knowledge of using the testers available to me as a younger guy back then. Perhaps this new bottle of mine need a while to sit and oxidise for a better performance but I'm glad I can reach out for it anytime now.

After all it's a Sexy, classic 90's oriental frag that's delicious and so cozy to wear especially on a night.

THE OPIUM SUNDAY NOON SWEET OBLIVION

It's Sunday afternoon somewhere between Savannah and Baton Rouge. There's nothing like southern comfort, wearing a tuxedo, eating vanilla cupcakes and drinking a spicy-sweet iced liqueur. It's sweet, it's strong, it's different, it's elegant, it's attractive.
It's Saint Laurent, it's Opium!
Opium is a very impressive fragrance.
In the beginning, there was "Opium EDP", "Opium pour Homme EDP", "Opium Parfum" and "Opium pour Homme EDT". It got complicated later on with several flankers both for women and men.
My favourite "Opium Pour Homme" has always been the original EDT for being more masculine, subtle and wearable. I had several flasks over the years and currently, I have only the last reformulation. My memory must trick me with the continuous use of this fragrance and I don't recall if the EDT first version was very different from the current one, or not.
Twenty-something years went by and I am still in love with this fragrance.
I know it's not as fashionable any longer as it was two decades ago. Probably younger men consider it old fashion either because they prefer the new wave of "Bleu", "Nuit", "Dylan" and "Sauvage", or because they never tried this YSL rough diamond just for being a release from the previous century.
Well... young guys out there!... give it a try! It is at least as oriental and spicy as many expensive modern offers, if not more.

It opens with a very strong sweet blackcurrant note and also strong star anise that adds a pungent sweet liquorice note to the fragrance opening. The opening sweet strong notes endure till the beginning of the drydown.
The heart notes give you two spices to embrace a bit of the initial sweetness. The black pepper note is slightly stronger than the blue ginger although the latter kind of gives an Eastern tonality to the fragrance.
The bottom notes propose very strong and pungent bourbon vanilla accentuated by the warmth of the ambary tolu balsam note and the cedar woody note.
The dry down consists of a long voyage through an Indian / Chinese oriental sweet ambary scent and yummy vanilla.
Let's check the sweet math of Opium EDT:
____________________
Scent Opening: 9.0 (a fantastic near animalistic blackcurrant note with anise)
Scent Dry Down: 10.0 (super alluring balmy vanilla)
Longevity: 8.5 (8 hours+ with two sprays)
Sillage: 8.0 (more than 6-8 feet at its peak with 2 sprays)
Uniqueness: 9.5 (Penhaligon's LP 9 is younger and very similar to Opium Pour Homme EDT; The similarity with Opium flankers does not count 🙂
Compliments: 8.5 (close to a serious compliment grabber. It's a head-turner because it arouses a lot of curiosity due to its pungent sweetness; some ladies just find it irresistible)
Wearability: 8.5 (Use it day or night during all seasons except in the Summer)
Versatility: 8.0 (You may use it in almost any event, although some perfumes are more adequate for specific situations. Avoid using it on the beach, sunny events and workouts)
Quality: 10.0 (faultless)
Presentation: 7.5 (elegant, effective and simple but a bit outdated)
Price: 9.0 (100 ml non-tester for 31 Euros + shipping)
____________________
Overall rating: 8.79/10.00
between 8 and 9 = recommended;

Opinion: One of the best exotic oriental scents for me. I like it very much. A vanilla gem.
Recommended? Yes, but only if you like the scent of strong Orientals & sweet vanilla.
Is blind buy worthy? No! Do try it before you buy it.
I recommend this fragrance; I "order" you to try it at least!

Music: Nina Simone's "Sunday in Savannah"

Wow does this bring back memories. Elegant powdery oriental fragrance through and through. Love it!

20 years ago this was my signature scent for a year, and recently got a 2023 batch bottle. For my taste, the present formulation is amazing: more freshness on the opening, but retaining the oriental character and uniqueness of his combination of sweet warmth and soapiness/cleanness of the scent . This is actually for me one of the best signature scents available on the market: unfortunately very limited, only sold on Europe it seems(and who knows, with his days counted...).

dry down is where its at... a balsamic, peppery take on a barbershop fragrance. i feel a certain soapyness and cleanliness on the original opium. pour homme reflects that on the masculine sphere, with a fresh, slightly powdery, spicy hit. i prefer the original opium, and find it quite unissex. but this work as a flanker in its duality, and stands on its own as a clean, classic anis scent

Opium pour Homme
(No batch code, USD 40 for 100 ml.)

First Impression

I just blind-buy because one of my friend advise.
He's smell great tho, It's kinda familiar but also not.

Clean, Sweet, strong in Tolu Balsam and Vanillin aspect.
That's Galangal is charming and Anis is also pleasant.

I kinda have semi-starving cream vibe but not strongly.
as Anis / Galangal a bit more dominant, I would rather classify this as Oriental fragrance.

Oh, right - I think I remember now.
"Anis aspect reminds me of La Nuit de L'Homme Le Parfum" release in 2010
"Galangal usage maybe remind me of BVL pour Homme" release in 2001

This is somewhat shif my boat, significant strong for EDT.
Maybe 4-5 upto 6 should be Ideal.

between 7-9/10 as of now, to be actualize.

This is an outstanding fragrance, not for the younger demographic. Most definitely a man's scent. Wear it in autumn, winter and spring. Bought two bottles on release, onto my second bottle and using it sparingly to savour every whiff. Gorgeous.

It is a perfume for Anise's lovers IMO. It is indeed spicy and rather fresh to me, but the anis note is really strong and is enhanced by a cedar wood note which, I think and according to my nose, increases the aniseed head note. Anise is a note I don't appreciate, so I have to pass here. I also find the smell quite vintage and a bit soapy, but soap for "men", like shaving cream, after shave or eau de cologne, but again according to my own olfactive memory. Perfect for after shower according to me. I gave my full bottle to a friend who likes this kind of perfume and wears Paco Rabanne from 1973, Eau Sauvage or Brut. Not my thing at all, but I guess that on someone else and especially in summer it can give an elegant, retro/mature gentleman with good tastes aura and stand out among the Sauvage, Y, Dylan Blue and Bleu. You will be remembered with this fragrance! The bottle is alluring and practical, it can go with you everywhere and any bag. The sprayer is really good and spread on you the juice really generously.

Sexy, classic 90's oriental fougere. Not gourmand, per se, but it's delicious and cozy. The spices do give a warming effect so that's why I feel this works the best at night.

Worth trying if you love OPH is Italian Wood by Luxury Scent - search amazon and eBay or try the Luxury Scent website! Italian Wood isn't a dupe - it's more of a handsome relative in a white bespoke shirt with dark curls just kissing the edge of his collar! It is presented as an oil in various sizes and a 50ml EDP.
I had a 100ml bottle of OPH when it was launched and it was incredible - today I think less so - I lost my bottle and still grieve for it's heady rich beauty - none of the dupes I have tried come close and tend to have a facet or two that suggests the magic but they fall away or play dead with a couple of notes that offer hope but sadly cannot be revived!
Italian Wood offers great comfort and soothes the yearning memory and offers solace in it's similar remembrance of the beauty of Opium Pour Homme!

@MaxRenn: I ran into the same problem with my local shop that has a sample bottle of "Dior - Homme Eau".
They won't sell it...but I found a legal solution.

I charmed a sales rep that is willing to furnish the "5ml Sample sprayers" to me every time I visit the store. If she's working, she gives me 3 of the 5ml sample sprayers of the bottle.
Needless to say, I've almost got the entire bottle now over the past few months of collecting the 5ml sprayers.
She obeys the store rules, I get my fragrance.

I offered to buy the bottle, but the store doesn't want to play ball....so we do this the hard way.
I'm determined to win...and I will.

One of the few truly powdery & floral men's scents thats 100% masculine, with serious oriental overtones. Can't find it anywhere nowdays, performance and longevity was off the chart.

Annoyingly my local Perfume Shop in the centre of town has two almost full 100ml tester bottles they refuse to sell, despite having no current stock, so who would they be testing it for?! I offered to buy them and they told me it was 'more that their jobs worth' and against policy. I shudder to think what they'll end up doing with them.

For those who say this is exclusively for the older chap: the combination of sweet, spicy, fresh notes is straight from the f* boi playbook. If you're a wannabe bad boy looking to stand out, this will project like a beast and distinguish you from all the other Sauvage-wearing sheeple.

I can see this being a pretty divisive scent, being that you either really like/love it or can't stand it, as there feels some odd duality to it.

I get what some others here have described as a Barbershop or almost classic Shaving Cream vibe from the spices & Cedar. But then that gets mixed with some very rich, resinous & sweet notes like Bourbon Vanilla, Tolu Balsam & Galangal (balsamic ginger-esque, almost a little candied).

I for one wouldn't have ever considered warm, cozy & sweet with shaving cream as a combination that I'd want but in moderation (I say that as I may have oversprayed & this feels like a "less is more" frag) is really enjoyable. It's honestly unlike anything else I have or smelled & definitely doesn't remind me of anything from the mid 90s.

I have the after shave scored from a Goodwill. It took a couple of months, but I’ve come to like it. Normally I like unisex citrus scents like Creed Milesime Imperial or Aventus, and this Opium is completely masculine, but, unlike Sauvage, in an understated but substantial way. The vanilla nicely props up the other notes and might be what gives this scent a smoothness with no harshness that makes it so appealing and enjoyable to smell on yourself. Rich and subtle, but you might want to avoid a blind buy: with its distinctiveness and non-bossy assertiveness, it’s has to fit your personality and style. Masculine but not macho.

Opium for men or how Cavallier excelled!
I remember when i first bought and smell Opium Pour Homme edt, back in 2018. Oh, boy, spectacular fragrance, i remember from that moment that my perspectives and vision about fragrances was changed, a lot!!
First of all, this is a classic and perfect oriental! Why perfect?
Because this enlightened mind and this good nose created only hits, namely Jaques Cavallier.
He worked a very good part of his life at Firmenich, alongside Morillas and the big noses there.
Cavallier manages to create a perfume in which amber, vanilla, and sweet resins intertwine perfectly with the spicy, astringent and fruity area of it.
You guys knew or if you re not, the fruity accords are the most difficult to achieve in a perfume, because if you don't invest a large budget in raw materials and in the best quality material and if you don't dose the compounds millimetrically and perfectly, you can achieve a total failure or in the best case, a generic and very synthetic perfume.
Thats not the case with Opium.
Cavallier manages not only to create a hit, but to create a new Opium, completely different from the one that originally appeared in 1977.
The older formulation have an extra depth and roundness, but the recent versions are not bad either. A correct, good and pleasant perfume, with a unique vibe of the 90s.
To top it off, this perfume appeared precisely in the year of my birth: 1995! In fact, we were both born at the same time!
Opium pour homme is for lovers of classics and correct orientals, not clichéd, bombastic orientals, full of tonka and unjustified ouds.

This will always bring me back to middle school days, from my dads collection.
Its spicy, its masculine, its sexy. Definitely for older gentleman. But for me I wore it as a pre pubescent teen and I loved the way it made me feel when I wore it, like I was older than I really was. Very gentlemen like but the spices is what makes it very addictive to the ladies. I think I was able to get a older batch bottle and its longevity and projection are superb.
10/10 as this is one that started my whole fragrance journey all those years ago

2022 bottle.

I get a barbershop DNA with anis, spice and vanilla.

I like it, but It's nothing special to my nose

7.5/10

sanof beauty one it really puts out alot of spice very well blended puts alot of frags to shame

@j4yt33 thank you for that. 🤙🏾

@mo choudhury I recently emailed YSL and they told me it has not been discontinued. There seems to be some supply chain issue and while they couldn't tell me when it would be back in stock, it will be at some point

I got a 30ml (sanofi) and a 100ml splash (Gucci era).
I been wanting to get another fresh batch bottle to use while I put away the vintage. instead I been getting sidetracked and just watching them slowly disappear. 😞
in the UK, it's official gone! can't find it anywhere! no stores, no discount sites and not even on YSL's website. 🥹 wounded!
I have 3 bottles of the EDP that I don't dare use because of how rare its become. 😩

Not for everyone, but for you. ;)

Se situează în categoria condimente, ca și Jaipur. Inițial, am iubit Opium. Dar, apoi, după vreo două sticle, am realizat că nu mă simțeam bine purtând Opium. Explozia de condimente mă zăpăcea, prea eram aruncat într-un bazar oriental. Și nu am mai luat o sticlă nouă. Îmi plac parfumurile aromate și condimentate, dar prefer genul Arcipelago Man de la Elba. E mai simplu în materie de condimente și mult mai elegant. Dar, Opium este un parfum deosebit, trebuie să treci prin el, obligatoriu. E un clasic.

When wearing this, me and the others around me notice the sweet vanilla and spicy anis which gives this fragrance an almost licorice type of vibe.
I really enjoyed wearing this in the late summer, early fall. It’s a shame that it is difficult to obtain this since it is a decent fragrance in terms of smell and longevity.

8/10

So far, Opium PH is the only frag with star anise that I really like. I also generally don't like powdery scents, but this one is just so well balanced with everything it's doing. Lasts around 5 hours in these cold winter months (though I might just be going noseblind to it), so a great evening scent, but will work any time of day for fall and winter.

I've been wearing this lately because I'm sick of all the bubblegum, sweet & fresh scents of today... This is super masculine...nobody does spice like vintage YSL... This is too gud!!! Very fresh & spicy!

This perfume is utterly gorgeous.Everything is so well blended so it comes out like this heavenly warm elixir the velvet used in the ads is very true as this has that feeling of very expensive textiles that are lush to the touch a bit like yves work.

Yves Saint Laurent Opium Pour Homme (1995) - star anise oriental - #jacquescavallier ‘s modern classic. The perfume reminds me of a combination between an oriental and a fougere - excellent versatility. At the top, spicy aromatics combining Pepper and Star Anise creates a minty fougere-like opening. As it dries down, the anise sweetens combining with Vanilla, Balsams and Patchouli. There is a definite airiness to the perfume. Chiffon clouds of spice and syrup. Delicious.

I've previously reviewed the original Opium Pour Homme edt, so I won't repeat myself here. Update - if you're looking for a near identical clone of this famous fragrance, try 'Mystery Tobacco' (2016) by Carolina Herrera, it is very, very similar to the original.

For me this is easily one of the best, most fascinating fragrances I've ever come across.
After testing it several times on skin, I finally added it to my collection.

Opium Pour Homme is a dark fragrance. Warm, spicy and oriental. It's a huge departure from most things you'll find on a shelf today. It's mature, mysterious and I would say a bit antisocial. I wouldn't say it's an inviting fragrance. It's confident but it doesn't give itself away easily. It's one of those that makes you go back to it again and again to try to figure out what it is you're smelling. The scent is reminiscent of a very different time than now, a composition with ingredients that seem exotic and foreign. It's smooth and alluring. Assertive, yet quiet.

For me, it's a masterpiece.

[Opium Pour Homme]
⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️

Calling Opium PH a cold amber seems like a bit of an oxymoron. But this isn’t a conventional golden hue. Not at all warm and inviting. It greets you like Wednesday Addams.

I get primarily dusty resins, and fluffy anise offset by a bewitching dark green cassis note. Minimal sweetness overall and finishes quite leathery for a vanilla.

Opium PH is perfect for gloomy winter days, running errands. Ideal for those reflective, introverted moods. This is one hell of an antisocial perfume.

My bottle is a modern version from 2020 and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I can’t comment on the older versions so I won’t say he hasn’t had work done. But this is every bit as good as others have said.

Timeless.
Not everyone can wear it.
A masculine and very spicy perfume.
Oriental and mysterious.
Father of La Nuit de l'Homme.
Loud and all around you, requires chest hair and a gold chain around your neck.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 8/10 Perfume performance - The old version has a fantastic staying power for sure over 10 hours
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 7/10 Perfume rating - very spicy perfume, intoxicating and strong, not for everyone, one of my favorites.

Black currant laying on a bed made out of vanilla and balsam, biting on a galanga, no anise or pepper whatsoever.

Starts heavy like Dior Fahrenheit, not pleasant, but quickly goes to heavy vanilla base with black currant reaching out and stinging your nostrils. It's sweet, but with just a small blow of wind you notice the freshness, freshly squashed sour currants, which combined with sweet vanilla are so well mixed like Jack&Coke, you can not just ignore it. Stays close to the skin but project moderately, that might be due to reformulation. I would love to check the oldschool potion one day, the current one does not look like it fits the bottle.

Opium, the sin of the skin

Yves Saint Laurent Opium Pour Homme EDT, is a piece of art of perfumery, synonymous with masculine luxury. Please do yourself a favor and add it to your collection until it's too late. Warm, alluring, Opium Homme is a creation of the house of YSL, a response equivalent to the perfume launched for women, well known by the community.

I don't know if he wanted to be a success from the beginning, but over time he gained his respect and now is a reference of world perfumery. It is so well composed and the quality of the ingredients is so good that even a less trained nose can discover almost every note.

For me, YSL Opium Homme is the perfume that highlighted the best note of bourbon vanilla, and the combination with blackcurrants makes it particularly syrupy, sweet and slightly aromatic. The star anise in the opening and the pepper give it some spicyness, tilting the balance towards to the masculine side.


Tolu balm, cedar and vanilla bourbon together bring the scent into the category of woody spicy orientals. Very chic, Opium creates the addiction, having a special refinement typical of france perfumery, the transition from one note to another being done smoothly. The scent, as you would expect, has no sharp, no rough edges.. . Vanilla practically covers him with a soft blanket, creating a feeling of addiction from which his name is probably derived. Lascivious and seductive, Opium has an elegant and masculine touch, a little sober marking a high degree of complexity.

The performance is amazing considering that we are talking about a fragrance that has passed through several formulations over time. YSL probably wanted to keep this jewel of the senses intact. It lasts on the skin for about 8-10 hours with a sillage and a projection of over two hours. The scent does not change much over time which is a good thing because you will have the beautiful feeling of the opening until the end. As for the bottle glass, elegant and classic, typically masculine, typical of the '90s.



It is an elegant, seductive, extroverted perfume that offers and demands attention. Wear it to special events and you will feel special. Be careful to match it with a correct, distinct outfit and it will shine. Otherwise you will have ironic smiles.


The fragrance must be well known and feded with good taste.

A superb autumn perfume, in which you want to immerse yourself, induces a feeling of well-being, it dresses you in some pleasant aromas that you would never want to get rid of. Jacques Cavallier created here a masterpiece of perfumery, a painting of aromas. If it had appeared today, it would no doubt have been part of the Le Vestiaire de Parfums collection.

My first ever oriental, together with Minotaure. Have it for long years. I pull out this only on special winter occasions. This is delicious, star anise with blackcurrant, yum... Shame this has been discontinued.

Opium Pour Homme is an interesting scent, rather different from the majority of current mainstream designer offerings. Upon spraying you can definitely smell a certain old school vibe, hinting that the scent was originally released almost 30 years ago.
The scent opens with a heavy dose of black currant. In fact the note is dominant for at least the first hour, although the star anise comes very close. OPH is the true definition of soft spicy. There is nothing too sharp or warm. I actually do not really smell any vanilla, but the tolu balsam stands out particularly several hours into the drydown.

Compared to the women’s version of Opium, OPH lacks any smokiness and even the spices are much softer.
Both perfumes are pretty much unisex, but due to the fruity black current note, OPH for me leans a bit more feminine out of the two. While Opium is distinctly a winter perfume, OPH feels more like a spring/fall scent.

Longevity is amazing, easily 8-10 hours, even more on fabric. Sillage does not disappoint either. I wish all my fragrances performed this well. I think I paid around 80€ for a 100ml bottle, which is very affordable. That is if you can find it. I have noticed that this is not available in all EU markets, which is a shame.

Solid fragrance, albeit a bit vintage feeling. I do not love it, at this point I just like it. I don’t reach for it every day, since I have to be in the right mood.

Batch code 22W11D3, manufactured in January 2022. Despite what some people here have claimed, it is definitely not discontinued.

Calming, warm-spicy elegance.

Wears quite close to the skin but forms a nice persistent, dark, spicy, ambery scent bubble - especially when worn on the elbow. When moving around I pick up on more of the vanilla.

I love the dry-down, it's an inky black amber (a type that I associate with hot printer toner! In a good way of course). A type of dry-down that also reminds me of the long amber dry-out of Light Blue Forever Pour Homme. Would love to know more about what gives this effect.

If you wear perfumes for your own enjoyment, you'll love this shielding winter warmer.

On another note, I can't believe there is only one review here comparing Opium Pour Homme to Gucci Envy For Men! They are both fairly different but there is a certain overlapping accord that binds them together. If you want to know what all the fuss is about with Envy, this is a way to get your nose on a smells-kinda-like approximation (not a dupe though). Enough for you to go "uh-huh, ok, so that's a ballpark for the Envy type".

Before internet and reformulated perfumes. Refined and timeless. I agree with a comment below about being a Hit if relaunched again.. masculine elegant. Only for those who came across it since back then it was more word of mouth publicity. Woodsy but in a cool refreshing way the powdery note it’s the one that left a mark for me.

If you are reading the reviews here to decide whether to get it or not "although I'm unsure if it's discontinued or not".. I'd say GO AHEAD & BUY IT!

OPH is a unique ..beautiful... manly.. classic type but I can imagining it trending like crazy if it was released in our time now... it did in the past btw!

I can't remember exactly what the notes were like since this was on my shelf 15 years ago but what I remember is that OPH smells like warm spicy, a little old-school with a nice dry powdery background...

OPH is a very nice and special fragrance ...very classy nothing from the current fragrances similar to it or even close... I don't know about the other flankers by YSL.. but this is unique trust me.

1000/10 Memories 💙

The benchmark for a masculine fruity amber. Very well done.

Opium Pour Homme opens with blackcurrant and anise notes and there is some sweetness from the vanilla but the cedar keeps it anchored and more masculine. The fragrance dries down to a powdery floral and vanilla scent with the fruitiness of the blackcurrant still in the background. This fragrance is a strong performer, it projects very well leaving a good sillage trail so this is not one to overspray. It lasts all day on my skin. Opium Pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent smells sexy and slightly old school. This is a strong, bold fragrance that would be suitable for more dressed up occasions. I think it would work for formal occasions as well as a date night. The opening is the best part for me, that blackcurrant and anise blend well and create a nice sexy, sort of oriental accord. It's a very nice fragrance by YSL and I hope that they keep it around. 4.5/5.

A differenza di Opium classico da donna, questo è freddo,inizialmente fruttato,piccante,ma resta sempre freddo.
Sento lo zenzero quasi crudo,troppa dolcezza di cassis e una base che invade troppo.
E' freddo,pungente e poco socievole, a differenza di Opium 1977 che sta benissimo anche sugli uomini e sicuramente è caldo, avvolgente e ardente,e lo adoro.
Opium pour homme no.

Lucky to own both EDP & EDT from pre-IFRA days.
Back in College/ Uni days yours-truely engaged in recreational drugs. Every time I wear this fragrance now, it takes me back to those days- of carefree freedom; of caring two hoots; of wild abandon;
Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll in a bottle for the Spring Evenings.

Fruit and what is this spice... anise. Fresh oriental.

I get a few urinous whiffs early on. Some other reviewers have noticed the urine funk too and blame the black currant. It means it's natural.

2 hours later the vanilla is strong along with warm woody notes, what I gather includes the tolu balsam too.

7 hours later it's still going and the far dry down is absolutely wonderful, with warm, tad sweet amber.

This is a good fragrance. Soft and spicy oriental indeed, fresh, warm.

Spicy, clean, sweet and sexy. Projects decently. Longevity lasts a day plus as I can still smell it on my clothes a day after. Can be worn as a going out scent or all day fragrance.

Definitely a Spicy Oriental. Old school vibes for sure. The spices are very upfront, Star Anise & Black Pepper. The Black Currant sweetness balances it out very well. The Galanga is not super apparent on skin, but more so from the atomizer, but you definitely do get a cooling effect from it. The vanilla is not super prominent to me. On the dry down, its a little resinous and definitely woodsy.

There's talks of this being discontinued in the USA so if you were thinking of it, now may be a time to get it before the prices spike. I got a bottle from CVS of all places using a 30% off coupon bring the pre-tax price to sub $50. Got a 2016 batch code and the longevity is ok with light sprays. I'm sure spraying heavy would probably solve that. Don't feel like it's a must buy, but if you can get a good deal and are a collector like me, this may be worth a pickup. Can't see youngsters digging this, but doesn't smell overly dated either.

They managed to put comfort and joy in a bottle!
My favorite fragrance of all time, rumors of it being discontinued may be just that... rumors. This successful frag has been produced since 1995, so I hope it will be continued.

A joy to wear and a frag that brings comfort to the soul, with its boundless harmony with your best feelings.
Sweet oriental spiciness with beautiful accords of anise, vanilla and cedar bursting through and staying there once they do. Fabulous opening and amazing dry-down have kept this a popular frag on the shelves for nearly 30 years.

Great performance and wonderful accomodating sillage that always garners compliments with this classic, refined beautiful fragrance.

endymion: at least in area where i am living (central/east europe) this gem vanished from all retailers and discounters and afaik also from american and international ysl beauty webshop. but i saw some old stock in small austrian village fragrance store today, so i guess i have to stockpile this soon.

datbatch, you say L'Oréal discontinued Opium pour homme? :(

now part of my youth is discontinued
10/10

I swear this smells just like Bogart pour homme without the lavender note that's in Bogart...but Opium came out first so that would make Bogart pour homme a clone...but l can buy 4 bottles of Bogart compared to the heavy $130.00 price tag of Opium and Bogart's longevity and projection is nothing to laugh at either.

Reminds me of English Fern, medicinal, fougere.

First time I smelled this one, in the beginning of my journey, I immediately loved it and understood the name of it. It hooked me, completely, in a weird and, yet, familiar way.

Because I started my journey in my late 20's, there's many fragrances that I'd probably smelled years and years ago but don't know. And when I started smelling classics, something clicked in my mind. Some familiar feeling of knowing that smell. And for some reason, those fragrances always became favorites of mine.

This happened with Opium pour homme, as I said before, and with other YSL classics, curiously. Jazz and Kouros, for example. Digging into the fragrance, composed by Jacques Cavallier, this is the counterpart of the mega successful fragrance from 78. The idea was to create a masculine version of it but, not necessarily, similar in smell but in concept. A very addictive masculine!

Cavalier, at that time, had some hits in the industry. L'eau D'Issey (both genres), JPG Classique, Lancôme Pôeme and Pasha de Cartier. This one didn't reached the level of L'eau D'Issey or Classique but it's fantastic, in my opinion, and one of my favorite scents ever.

It's a interesting but weird combination of fresh wild fruits (blackcurrant), vanilla and cedarwood. Turning this fragrance in Oriental category with a spicy touch. Star anise is listed as a note and I detect it mixed with blackcurrant in the opening. But the blackcurrant will be there until the end giving the weird and exotic element to this fragrance. Sweet and fresh, a bit plastic sometimes, a bit woody and really addictive and masculine.

I have the parfum version also, which differs in the Vanilla dosage and the performance. More sweet and enveloping and ultra long-lasting (specially the older version in that great blue bottle) but less fresh. I prefer the EDT for fall and spring and the EDP for colder winter days. The EDP seems to be discontinued so, take the EDT and you're fine.

Longevity is good (7h easily) and the projection is average. I think that this is a Greta masculine oriental, with classic masculine vibes but yet, modern and, specially, very unique. Cavallier is a nose that I respect and like a lot and here is one of his creations that I cherish the most. I can't say that is a masterpiece, but, in my world, is a homerun

I can’t seem to find any problem with this fragrance. It just has to fit it’s owner you know? It performs pretty good on my skin i get like 8+hours on this. Projection is also good. This isn’t really a summer scent or maybe it is. I have to give it some time to think about it because it’s kinda unique. Really bold & loud fragrance. I might give this one a 8,5/10 because the opening i find too spicy, it balances out later on where the vanilla comes to save the scent. I’ll update this later on.

Sophisticated blackcurrant

In a review of Lancome's Miracle Forever I wrote about my dislike of black currant and anise. Welp, OpH contains these notes and I love it! What's horrible in MF is delicious in OpH. Strange but true!
Yes, this is a fragrance for men, it's not even a little unisex. Doesn't matter, I will wear it anyway. Does it resemble the original Opium? Yes, but OpH is lighter and brighter than the women's frag. Performance is average, this masculine frag will not overwhelm anyone like vintage OpF used to.
I'm very glad to have this.

Love this classic very much. I cant imagine to have purchased it this year after decades of its launch. This is for matured men and smells like pure gentleman. A treasure for me.

Follow-up review: the initial spray you'll smell the prominent blackcurrant note and pepper, the tolu baslam emerges only after the one hour mark. As far as performance, I've sprayed it at 3PM and now it's 5AM and it's still noticeable on my skin (14 hours).

This fragrance is a change of pace but it lacks richness and i can blindly blame its reformulation for that.

Found this in my local mall at huge discount. It smelled sophisticated, no doubt but wasn't the best choice for me. Today this is dated and old fashioned. YSL Opium is better suited for the gentlemen over 40 or 50, but definitely not for the younger crowd.

Love it !! Very sophisticated and shows how the market for date fragrances was so different than now
It smells like an old school spicebomb subtle and the powdery feel isn't too much but mixes very well with everything
There is a bit of sourness here I find it also in davidoff zino...the fragrance is perfect for dates and black tie affairs but I can't see it in any daytime occasion

I am a big fan of Amber Spicy fragrances where the spices are primarily of the sweet variety (I don't use the typical Fragrantica classifications of "fresh spicy", "warm spicy", etc. because I don't understand them. To me it's either sweet (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, etc) or hot/other (cumin, caraway, etc.)). Initially sprayed on test strip, this smelled like a plastic beach ball with vanilla and sweet spices rubbed on it (lol). I think the "plasticky" beach ball impression is due to the balsamic component. I evidently have an issue with balsom/resins like elemi or the Tolu Balsam in Opium because it imparts a "gummy" smell to the fragrance. I think in the case of this Opium Pour Homme it's a "plasticky" accord. The "gummy" elemi in Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum is why I don't care for that frag.
I compare Opium Pour Homme with Gucci Envy for Men, at least a little bit. Envy is listed as an Amber Woody fragrance, but could easily be categorized as an Amber Spicy (with more prominent woods). I think I like Gucci Envy for Men a bit more than Opium Pour Homme due to the "plasticky" balsom in Opium, and also maybe due to Envy having lavender (I'm a Fougere fan too). But despite the plasticky balsom, I like YSL Opium Pour Homme a lot. It's actually a love despite the plastic.

Gives the impression of a luxury shaving foam. Somewhat linear, soft freshness coupled with some spices and an charming bourbon vanilla that will keep you coming back for more. Gentlemanly and quiet, perfect for spring and early fall. Suitable for men 30 and up. Occasions, I would say office and casual wear, perhaps a date night

This is pretty much my signature scent. I rediscovered it after having first smelled it on a classmate back in 1996. It was pretty intoxicating back then and it is even more so now, with all these generic smelling men's frags like Bleu de Chanel and Sauvage dominating the market. To me, it smells like a spicy cinnamon apple pie and champagne with a powdery after smell. It's very different from anything that's available right now. I love the nostalgia in it. The Issey Miyake Nuit d'Issey smells a bit like this one, insofar as 90's retro vibes are concerned. I am kinda happy this is not getting much attention because it will make me smell more unique too. I just wish they still made the Eau de Parfum.
Update: This is one of those fragrances that smells much better in the air than it does on skin. For some strange reason this cologne does not smell good on the crook of my arm but it's fine everywhere else. The anise doesn't mix well with the oil and sweat in the crook of my elbow! but works perfectly everywhere else.

I love Opium Pour Homme. It smells great on me - to my nose at least. It lasts like crazy. In fact, I can't think of anything that lasts longer on me. This is truly remarkable because usually my skin eats fragrance.

It's medicinal/ginger scent that I oddly enjoy. Long lasting and for the winter.

7/10

A classic.
A very classy gentleman's fragrance.
The name evokes illicit pleasure and the historical mystique of a rare and precious commodity that brought Imperial China to its knees.
I was first introduced to (real) opium in my 20s at university - it's a black tarry substance that when heated expands and changes colour to a reddish brown, at which point it can be smoked.
Since I liked the smell, I was eager to try its namesake fragrance.
Sadly Opium pour Homme smells nothing like real opium, which is resinous, slightly woody and vaguely reminiscent of myrrh. The ladies parfum smells more like the real thing.
In any case Opium pour Homme is pleasantly intoxicating in its own right: opens with an effervescent fruity note (that I would never have identified as blackcurrant) paired with a subtle anise (reminds me of watered absinth), wonderfully different to a more traditional citrus or bergamot overture, and evolves to become a wonderfully creamy ambery vanilla with a soft spicy aspect.
Opium pour Homme is uplifting, intoxicating and elegant, sweet but not too sweet.
Performance and longevity are respectable, and it's so nice it attracts lots of compliments.
As far as I can tell Opium pour Homme is the same as I remember from all those years ago.
At current prices it represents amazing value for money.

I love this fragrance. This is a real YSL masterpiece from Jacques Cavallier. The wonderful opening is a blast with ginger, star anise, black currant and pepper (I also get a hint of cinnamon) stays fresh for several hours. The drydown as a skin scent lasts and projects 6/ 8 hours, is a lovely sweet vanilla with florals, balsamic woods and soft peppery cinnamon. I don't need a lot of words to describe this timeless masterly creation. For me a perfect Sunday morning, early afternoon delight.

Similar core to YSL La Collections Jazz, then of course with the added sweet fruitiness and vanilla. I don't particularly like the balsam in the base, or I supposed the galanga in the mid . Like elemi in Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum and L'Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme,
it gives it a "gummy" resinous smell. Unfortunately the performance is similarly weak to La Collections Jazz. Have to put my nose directly on to smell anything. Barely a skin scent. But I like it. As I like most sweetish Spicy Orientals, including classic Old Spice. Another way to describe Opium Pour Homme might be that it is sort of a bit sweeter, updated for the '90's, Chanel Pour Monsieur. Also a bit similar to 1989's Elizabeth Taylor Passion for Men, but Passion is a little sweeter than Opium Pour Homme. Much different from the opulent, spicy Oriental, femm-marketed YSL Opium of 1977, which is closer to Aramis JHL (not to mention Youth Dew and Cinnabar) than it is to it's masculine version Opium Pour Homme.

My husband and I were going through boxes that had been packed away for years and he pulled this gem out, an older bottle, completely full. He goes to toss it out and I practically tackled him to stop him. This is just beautiful, I fell in love with it instantly. I think it can easily be a unisex fragrance and am wearing it to today to give it a try.

A seriously underrated fragrance that many in the fragrance community have forgotten. I could understand it if this smelled dated, but it doesn't despite being 25 years old. It's a classy, fruity fragrance with excellent performance and sillage that doesn't cost the earth. I have 130 fragrances but I'm always reaching for this one. You will too.

This silent legend opens with a creamy fruity, slight citric nuances and a load of a very soft, sweet spice accord. Opium wavers between soft powdery and soft creamy. I'm not a fan of powdery fragrances as I tend to find them very cloying, with that said, the powdery vibe in OpH is well done. It's very linear, but somehow complex.

I'm always trying to "figure" out what is going on in this, but I have yet to be successful. I don't pick up any notes other than vanilla and a well constructed spice accord that is made up of all the other notes... This "constructed" spice accord resembles cinnamon to me, at times.

Other reviewers have said this resembles apple pie, and I can certainly agree.

Also, this feels like the forefather of Paco Rabanne 1 Million. It's like PR took this slept on legend and added their candy bubblegum top and seductive leather base. I can't blame PR, OpH is a superb fragrance!

And, coincidentally, I find this to be an all year fragrance. I'm sure I have one of the alleged "weak edt" batches, but that's okay for me as I am able to wear it now in the summer. I work 1/3 outdoors and 2/3 indoors without AC, and I am still able to comfortably wear this to work.

*This is a wonderful fragrance and it calls to mind a Perry Ellis M. PE M notes aren't as high quality as they are in OpH. PE M has this black liquorice nuance that can turn into "black permanent marker" odor, occasionally.

* Opium pour Homme really captures the "essence" of its 70s femme powerhouse trendsetter. They don't smell alike or have the same DNA, but that crisp effervescent spice quality is completely alive in OpH.

A fruity, powdery, spicy gem of a fragrance - certainly in my all time 'Top Five'. Somewhat tamed from what it used to be but still a strong performer which remains true to the original.

Nowhere near as common as in its heyday, which means you'll stand out from the crowd and garner plenty of compliments.

Sadly, now showing as 'out of stock' on YSL's site - surely, the tolling bell of the much feared discontinuation. Time to raid the discounters, boys and gals - let the frenzy begin.

*UPDATE*

Now back in stock as of 05/06/21. Not possible to have too many just in case though, is it?

Wow , Amazing fragrance, Elegant, Classy and Unique. It is very wonderful from the opening to the end. It opens up with like fruity and soft Spicy then dry down is vanilla woody. This perfume has a very unique composition and It's perfect for the fall and winter. I really enjoy it and I love Opium Pour Homme EDT by YSL . I'm so happy that I have it in my collection. The art of bottle design is wonderful. Longevity is very good. Highly Recommended.
Bravo Monsieur Cavallier !
Two Thumbs Up.
Rating : 9 / 10

got the 100ml vintage 2005 bottle (Gucci era)
absolutely love it! I also got the EDP 2018 batch today as well and both blind buys get a 10/10.
the EDT longevity is ok but I'm not sure if it's because it's an aftershave splash. so I'm defo getting the spray version, even though it will be a current batch.
this one I got is too rare and mainly for my discontinued collection, same with the EDP.
EDT is all seasons, just maybe not peak summer.

I would even class it as a barber shop fragrance when it gets to the dry down, so spicy yet fresh.
and I've recently started to like my barber shop scents.
EDP is a different animal, the darker side of Opium and only use in cold weather.

edit 13/6/21
I just had to come back and add that I managed to get my hands on a 30ml vintage! 1996 sanofi!

First I rated opium pour homme a like, but after couple of wearing and get to know it better specially in the dry down it changed to absolutely love. The dry down for me is so pleasant and mesmerizing and gentle. Enough sweet not to be cloying and old vibes without being dated. Worth to be in every collection indeed with the price i bought at $60.
Cheers and stay safe.

If anyone is interested in a 2005 bottle of YSL opium pour homme edt, pm me.
Located in EU.

Interesting scent! I loved it more than I thought I would, in my initial impression.
It reminds me a bit of Jubilation XXV and The One.
Actually smells quite modern to me, which was a surprise.

Ohhhh Opium Pour Homme, how I wish I knew if you were discontinued or not. There have been rumors, but this truly is a classic that IMO should not go ignored if you're into bolder, more classical styles of mens perfumery. By all means, this is not your current flavor, but it isn't outdated and it IS worth owning despite the fact that this came out about 25 years ago. I've noticed the prices going up, sadly I fear it may be discontinued, but there still seems to be a supply somewhere as the discounters do seem to be getting it still. With that said, I wouldn't wait. I myself will be picking up a backup bottle in the very near future and for how much I love this fragrance I may have to get a few backup bottles.

With that bit out of the way, this fragrance is something that a sophisticated gentleman would have worn on a night out in the late 90s, or possibly even as a signature scent. Now that I think about it, I guarantee you there were corporate execs back in 1998 or something who wore this. It smells so rich, it's vanillic yet that's so misleading because of how fresh and spicy it can come across. It's both warm and refreshing at the same time somehow, which makes it an excellent choice for year round use but perhaps the powdery and vanillic notes could be overwhelming in intense heat. It's an office safe fragrance, it's formal, you can dress it down to be casual, and the performance is very, very good. Even though it's EDT concentration, this easily outperforms many of the EDP and extrait concentrated fragrances in my collection, and mine isn't even a vintage formula - I bought it last year and presumably it's from 2019 or 2020. I love the way the blackcurrant and star anise play off each other, I love the spiciness of it, I love the warm vanilla and I even like that slightly medicinal quality that it has which can be offputting to some I'm sure. I personally love fragrances that don't just try to overwhelm you with safety but rather take a few chanes to create something truly magical and I think that's what YSL did with Opium.

Overall, Opium Pour Homme is an absolute classic. For me, I would say it's a perfect fragrance and I'm really sad if it's discontinued. 100%, this is an A+ from me.

A nice, classy fragrance. Performance is a bit meh on my skin. With 2x2 sprays (two spots, two sprays per spot), I got about 4-5 hours of longevity and then it is a very weak skin scent. Maybe should spray clothes or add a couple more sprays... With better performance this would be one of the best classic fragrances I have tried or own.

Discovered this in '96 and it was love at first snif. A bit later I discovered the EdP version, and I loved that even more. Too bad that one is discontinued, the vintage EdP was one of the best scents ever. The EdT is reformulated some, but not butchered and mutilated like they did to Kouros (that one is basically no longer usable). In the '00's and '10's I kind of forgot about Opium. I recently re-discoverd and stacked up 5 back up bottles because rumours come and go about Opium being discontinued (it isn't, right now).

This fragrance is still relevant today, in my opinion. It is a quite unique blend of fresh and warm. The reformulated version opens a bit more harsh compared to the vintage, but the drydown is pretty much the same.

If you can get your hands on a vintage EdT or even better, a vintage EdP, you are in for something special, but the current version is also a must-buy if you never tried Opium pour Homme. Current Edt can be found quite cheap by the way.

In my top-5 fragrances for life.

Just got this in the mail - blind buy. Definitely powdery. Got the fruit right away although couldn`t remember the notes it was supposed to have. Guess it`s the blackcurrant. Pretty strong smell on open (not great but goes away quickly). A bit feminine, but I like the powder feel and the fact that it`s an original scent that also happens to be pleasant. It doesn`t have an old man smell - I think you have to go back to the 80s to get that. Old woman maybe.... It`s unfortunate that Fragrantica misspelled the anise accord above. Nobody wants an anis accord in their fragrance :)

Couldn’t understand the supposedly manly scent I can’t get it just a lot of sharpness

Sanofi beaute vintage version my thoughts are well its starts off dark then brightens up . it does tend to be alot like vintage obsession but a lil different more softer

I really don't care for the opening at all, I find something in it slightly pungent and displeasing. However once fully dried down that goes away and everything comes together for a very nice classy elegant scent. Don't let the opening scare you off its the shortest part let this baby fully dry down and give it a chance.

Nice men's oriental perfume, it defines the idea of "aromatic". It is green and dark and woody all at the same time, nothing quite matches this men's scent.

The bottle doesn't tell the story of this well balanced oriental spicey masterpiece from yesteryear. Upon first spray and all the way through the dry down, you will be on a journey of tops, mids, and base notes that are all detectable and yet blended very well. This must have been what we would say "niche" quality in its inception, is it dated? I think not, I prefer to think of this one as classy, regal, gentleman like, mature or sophisticated. If you are 25 or younger, you may not think the same. I'm middle aged and grew up with these types of well blended powerhouses awesome fragrances. It's not your invictus, aventus or sauvage. It's class and manly elegance!

This is the most unique fragrance in my humble collection.
I didn't really understand what an oriental fragrance was until smelling this. It smells like spicy, black currant and black licorice, until eventually dying down into a nice vanilla; also a bit powdery. Excellent performing warm fragrance for cold fall/winter nights.

In a world full of Sauvage's, this will definitely make you stand out. It's a real blast from the past and the name "Opium" is quite fitting. This isn't one you should blind buy because not everyone will appreciate it. But for those that can, it's definitely something special!

Best Christmas holiday fragrance I ever smelled. Spicy elegant and very alluring... Totally different to the newer fragrances. This one have a strong personality. I love it so much!

I never smelled the old formulations. But with my brand new 2019 batch bottle it was love at first sniff.
Fresh and spicy, love the star anise and the vanilla undertone. For me it doesn't smells dated, it smells very natural. Maybe if you are only familiar with the very synthetic fragrances of today it will be difficult to love, but it is still a masterpiece.

A burst of black currant and sweet fruits begins the scent, with the light spice of star anise joining the fruits within a minute or two.

A powdery quality to the scent becomes noticeable as the opening closes.

Fresh spice notes begin to appear shortly after, from which springs forth a warmer, more resinous note. The spice notes here are many and well blended. The warming resin combines well with the powdery feel, making the middle rather masculine.

I do enjoy the ginger-like galangal note, which helps lift the resins up and prevents the scent from smelling too heavy.

Vanilla enters the fray after a quarter hour. This is an aromatic vanilla, not too sweet, and it works well with the spices and resins. The combination of vanilla & spices forms the dry-down, as the fruits begin to fade. On my skin, the balsamic resins dominate this scent.

Neither the opening or the dry-down are too sweet. This is a well balanced and elegant perfume.

The powdery feel and warm, resinous spices do smell very 'mature' to my nose. I feel this is a scent for an older gentleman. Further, this perfume could be off-putting during hot weather. Versatility is limited here.

Overall, Opium pour Homme smells like a classic - an elegant but older scent, with limited current-day versatility. Suitable for collectors and more mature men.

Got this as my first fragrance bottle online after sampling it using a fragr subscription service. It was love at first smell and I knew it would become my signature scent. Fruity, but masculine and fresh, with just enough of a spicy kick. A sweet unisex vanilla dry down making at a year-long fragrance. Unfortunately, due to my obsession, I was carrying it around and left and accidentally left it out in the car where temperatures dropped sub-freezing over night, and after that the scent was never quite the same—urine like almost :( Had to discard it and I was broken hearted doing it, but I’ve been longing to get another bottle!

First sniff and you are teleported back 25 years. Does feel time-period dated. Powerhouse. If you want a vintage fragrance, this is it. Very well balanced, strong longevity, and projection. Sample if you can. I blind bought, and will now be looking to sell this bottle.

Stunning fragrance. If I want to be noticed then this is the go to scent. Just pure magnetism for compliments. A fall fragrance that encapsulate's sex appeal in a bottle. Women love this on a man. Couple this with stubble and a vintage leather jacket and you ain't going home alone. Classic unique fragrance.

Absolutely mesmerising fragrance in the winter... Stunning unique quality..... I purchased a few bottles a few years ago and got four bottles of the Edp at the same time. Thought I had made a big mistake when I tried it in the summer smelled horrible... But in the winter this fragrance is simply amazing......

Well, I ended up getting a sample of Opium edt last week and I've got to say (without comparing it to older batches) I don't find this weak at all, especially compared to certain other fragrances, including some by the same brand.

I can understand people being disappointed by some weaker modern reformulations of fragrances, perhaps there are also modern batch variants, it would explain some wildly different opinions on certain scents.

This is a nice scent, having spent some time with it I can see it to be a little more mature than I initially thought and it does have a bit of a retro vibe (even for the 90s) but I still think it has a classy, timeless appeal rather than smelling dated. Quite a unique interpretation of the popular (some would say over-done) spice and vanilla scent, well worth checking out, in fact I would say it's a must try.

Please folks - stick with your opinion of perfumes here only. It's not facebook

My humble opinion is that Fragrance M4n is entitled to his own opinion, as well as all of us are entitled to agree or disagree with him. Either way, if i ever considered buying this perfume, i would want to know if there are any dislikes as well as the reason.

I have never smelled the EDP version, but I have two older formulations of the EDT from Gucci and one from the Parfums Corp. Era and ended up selling my 2018 bottle. Without going much into details I am gonna tell you that you could be happy with the latest formulations if you've never tried the old ones. But the truth is, that the vintages have more depth (and I am not talking about half-way filled bottles left in the closet for 10 years) and have a better performance too (I am not saying that latest formulations do not perform!) My 2018 bottle started very citrusy and somekind of artifical. Same problem with the new Marbert Gentleman vs. its previous batches. Sometimes I think they, the perfume manufacturers, must have to get their (raw) materials from the same places, 'cause the "flaws" are almost identical in the reformulated classics. The drydown was better, but still more transparent in comparison to the older bottles that I have. I am still looking on the net for other lost "souls" to buy.

This is just nasty :(
The anise sticks in the throat and its weak.
I'd love to smell the original

@Fragrance M4n

As you have the right to express your opinion I have the right to have mine. And to comment your review, you like it or not.


Funny how you're the one complain about censorship.

@Fragrance M4n

Chill out dude, LOL.

Sure, I got paid a million dollars to do damage control after your review made the L'Oreal stocks to plummet.

Jokes aside, you compere the EDT with the EDP which is not a fair comparation to begin with.

An old fragrance will smell a bit different to one recently made even if is the exact same formulation.

@Fragrance M4n

I just got a new bottle from Amazon. It's smells exactly how I remember. No differences in performances also.

Still a powerhouse in my opinion.

I've discovered this wonderful fragrance about 15 years ago and I've owned a few bottles of the EDT and EDP.

I've got a bit bored of it and I given my last bottle to my dad about 5 or 6 years ago.

I didn't smelled again until yesterday, on a very well dressed italian woman. I couldn't believe how good it smells and I had to ask if is indeed Opium Pour Homme.

She was very surprised that I recognized her fragrance since not many people are wearing it.

Opium Pour Homme is a fragrance full of character, strength and class. Can work wonderful on a woman too.

I immediately ordered another bottle and I can't wait to wear this special fragrance again.

Just got a 7.5ml EDT decant. Smells exactly as I expected after reading the ingredients. Heavy on the licorice (anise), yet sweet and spicy (black currant, vanilla, pepper). This would be best worn during a cool spring, fall, winter day, and maybe a summer evening. I could see this being a bit cloying and not develop right on a hot day.

Kinda reminds me of JPG Ultra Male in the drydown, but isn't a projection monster. This is more subtle, sophisticated, and mature than JPG. Sits close to the skin, to draw the women in closer. Very linear. Longevity is about 4-6 hours. For the price, just reapply as needed.

This fragrance just oozes character and in my opinion a kind unique melange of stylish elegance and bravado, there's something which keeps this from being more suitable for women (could still be unisex of course!). A unique blend of spices and balsamic notes I guess or perhaps some kind of top secret ingredient known only to it's creator (I like mystery haha).

I know Opium pour Homme was born in the mid 90s but for me it somehow conjures up images of 1980s department stores in London & Paris, glossy, alluring bright lights, attractive female sales assistants (and on the perfume posters) and so on. It's kind of how I imagine a high class casino would've smelled in the 70s, 80s and early 90s in Monte Carlo or elsewhere on the Cote d'Azur.

Despite all that stated above this weirdly doesn't smell dated like many of the actual scents of that time would do (to me at least) today. I don't find this anywhere near as powdery as some other scents which I'd put in a similar category, for example Boucheron Jaipur but hey we all have different noses/receptors.

I used to have a sample of this, finished long ago but every now and then I try it in a store. Before today last time was a couple of years ago. Opium pour Homme in it's current state seems of higher quality than much of the other stuff I've tried in recent times! I wonder if it's true it has been discontinued, if so maybe I'll finally get a bottle myself even if it's not the kind of fragrance I'd wear too often.

Absolutely stunning fragrance very unique and pure quality ingredients.... But please be warned in the warmer months this fragrance is for me horrible and nasty... I'm the colder months... Cannot be beaten.... Phenomenal.....

I stocked up years ago on both the edt.. And the edp....

Star Anise smells like Licorice. I said this for La Nuit De L'Homme Le Parfum and ill say it for Opium , if you hate the smell of Licorice dont feel discouraged, this cologne smells really good. The Black Currant blends well with the Star Anise, and you get a boozy vanilla undertone with pepper. Perfect Fall scent for night. Im saving it for dates. Its a mature scent, younger guys might not like it. I would sample it first.

Longevity 9.2
Sillage 9.6
Projection 10
Performance 10
Price 7

Overall- 45.8 Overall- S+

This is the first fragrance that I have blind-bought after reading the reviews written on Fragrantica. As soon as I sprayed it, I realised that this was the fragrance that my older brother wore as a teenager. I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to wear it because that association was too strong, but after several applications my mind has changed completely.

This has the most beautiful dry-down of anything that I have smelled for under $60AUD a bottle, but I can't stand the opening. I always apply it an hour before I have to do anything, directly onto the clothes that I am planning to wear. I have tried several different styles of application and I really recommend that you spray it onto your clothes rather than your skin. Wearing it on the skin has too much additional force - and it fades after 6 - 12 hours. On fabric it maintains an even level of potency, and will last more than 24 hours. It is an absolute joy to wake up and smell this on yesterdays sweater.

Blackcurrant and Galangal is such an unlikely combination but it works beautifully.

Edit: I have the reformulated EDT version in the glass bottle, 2019 batch.

Wow. This is like going back in time.
This is a classic, masculine powerhouse like they just don't make anymore.
Lots of spices, with a slightly sweet-tangy backing, and a beautiful cedar/vanilla combo.
I am so glad I picked this one up.
Some of these things I haven't smelled in years remind me of how good some of the fragrances were that came out of previous decades.
This thing is powerful. It is not the choice when you want to softly announce your presence. This demands to be heard.
I was expecting to take this out of the box and spray it on paper to get started figuring out what it was all about, but there was no need. The second I opened the box, it told me everything I needed to know. I didn't even need to take the bottle out of the box.
Absolutely stunning, and unlike anything else I have in my collection.

"Sweet Gentleman" That is how they should have named this masterpiece.

After smelling this I think going back to old fragrances sis the way to go instead of new once coming out.

They do not make them like this anymore and I just love the EDT and I really love the EDP its unbelievable.

The thing is most people will not be wearing this anymore.

I love it!

This is a blast from the past...I recently picked up a new bottle and I like it even better now than back when it was first released. One might think Opium is another spicy, amber-y vanilla and it is. But, that blackberry gives it a juicy, syrupy, tangy quality that makes it irresistible.

Opium has aged really well over the years. Today, I think it smells even more special than it did in its early years. It smells super-luxe...smelling Opium makes me think of crushed velvet against my skin or a mouthful of some delicious delicacy. I love this stuff.

A truely unique masterpiece that will never get old. Forever in my top 10.

I don't believe that any other fragrance smells quite like this. Warm, spicy and so comforting in the cold. To me this smell reminds me of the colour purple. Royal, important, opulent, but still versatile enough to be worn casually. Not at all dated. Definitely a niche kind of scent. Will smell nothing like modern designed fragrances. This is a different ballpark altogether.

This almost gives off an apple pie vibe, heavy on the cinnamon, but at the same time, it's not a gourmand fragrance, but more spicy and complex.

Goes hard for 12 hours and dries down to a spicy vanilla that lasts another 8 hours. And this is $60?! For the price, this is incredible.

This came out close to the day I was born which is pretty cool too! Wish I could get the EDP.

I would have loved to get the eau de parfum version of this. As far as eaux de toilette go, though, this is pretty exceptional, both in terms of performance and depth.

I know there are no booze notes here, but I get a strong mulled wine accord front and center, thanks the combination of dark, sweet, juicy blackcurrant (think crème de cassis) and warm, spicy, powdery star anise. It's divine. But then it gets even more luscious, the creamy vanilla and woody-balsamic tolu waltzing in to add another layer of dense complexity. It's like putting on a feather boa, then snuggling up under a weighted blanket with a kir royal and oversized slice of black forest cake. Pure decadence!

Despite that fanciful description, Opium pour homme never gets too heavy or too sweet. It is certainly a child of the late '80s (perhaps a cousin of Joop! Homme), but with a lighter, more natural touch. I think it still holds up. Unisex, more on the casual side, and more suitable in cooler weather.

What in the world is this concoction? It’s so potent and commanding. When it’s first sprayed it’s an overwhelming oriental blast, lots of pepper up top I found. Once it had settled down it becomes a gorgeous pepper and vanilla mix, with just a hint of creaminess to it.

It’s pretty incredible, I mean this would easily be one of the most well formulated fragrances I’ve ever smelt. This is how all fragrances should be, a great smell, it lasts all day and it’s projection is powerful, many of these high-priced scents could learn a thing or 2 from Opium.

Caution. I oversprayed this one day and found I got a headache, wear it sparingly as it’s a beast that needs 2-3 sprays maximum, otherwise it might send you around the twist.

Amazing. 10/10.

Holy cologney batman! This is some serious juice that screams your presence back in the day when you entered a room, "That guy is here, yep that guy." I'm convinced Opium is what started the "cologne guy" phrase because if you over apply even just a little it can easily overwhelm those around you... or even across the room! Others here have explained the composition for well, so I'll just say what this fragrance means to me.

First of all, I don't like the word "dated" in fragrances because I adore many scents from the 70's, 80's and 90's. However, Opium PH is certainly one of those, "Hey bro 1995 just called and wants his cologne back" kind of scent." But don't get me wrong, that's why I love it! For me, it's memories galore of college parties, gorgeous girls, being late for class, blasting Nirvana and R.E.M. on my car CD player, drinking a 40 with my football team mates after our game. Yep, to me that's Opium Pour Homme... a legend that shall always be in my collection.

A couple of sprays and then….you are in a ring….a boxing ring. The bloodthirsty crowd is chanting “OPIUM….OPIUM…OPIUM”! You cower, you shake, you begin to wonder what in God’s name you’re doing here.
Ding Ding!!! You step out of your corner and move to the center of the ring. You turn your gloves upward. You examine the palms of your hand and ask yourself what to do.
Just then, without any warning, BOOM!

You have been struck by Opium’s black currant and star anise right in the breadbasket. You try to catch your breath and shake it off. As you stumble, your mind runs in circles. Then, BOOM!!!!

The galanga and pepper strike you in the nose. Blood pours out of you profusely. The referee steps in to see if you are ok. At this point, you have forgotten your name. Heaven is calling you home but you refuse to answer. You’re in it to win it until….BOOM!!!!

The balsam, cedar, and vanilla knock you to the ground. You’re defeated! While the referee counts to 10 you are crumpled in the fetal position shaking violently. You lose consciousness. The beast has defeated you!

You awaken. No scratches, no scars, nose still intact. You realize those hallucinations were a result of the hits of Opium you took. You rise!!

Your girlfriend is soon to come over. You spray some on your midriff as if you are putting on a championship heavy weight belt! You know she will work her way down there in order to honor her champion!!


This time you are the winner!
This is one of the best scents EVER!!! The notes combine and evolve magically! It is a POWERHOUSE!! Go easy on the trigger. Try before you buy..you will NOT be disappointed.
10/10 scent
10/10 sillage
10/10 longevity

Women will swoon! You have been warned!!

This smells so good. Modern smell for 95, not very dated just a little bit.

This smells like a more creative and refined version of the Dior Homme 2020.

I am an idiot. Smelled this stuff on my older businessman uncle and loved it, so I bought it for myself, a young adult. And man, this is a pretty niche scent, it's incredibly hard to pull off, don't get me wrong, it smells great, but you need to be a certain person. This stuff radiates like crazy and fills a room with it's spicy, rich, sweetness. It's very powdery and at times smells like older woman's perfume. I can never pull this off unless I'm wearing a suit or am going out at night, and even then, I have to limit myself to one or two sprays max so I don't offend anyone with it's harsh, distinct smell.

Scent: 7.4/10 I get it, at times it smells amazing, definitely unlike anything else. I can see how people classify this as a masterpiece, but it's just way too damn hard to wear.

Performance: 9.3/10, absolute bomb, lasts forever, can't get this sh*t off my skin. And this is a newer EDT bottle.

Overall, I get why YSL is discontinuing this. It's a tough sell. A masterpiece as a stand-alone scent, something everyone should smell at least once in their life, but more often than not, I try to wash this stuff off before I choke anyone out in it's powdery cloud.

EDT vs EDP

EDT
In my experience, the modern formulation of the EDT opens with the delicious nose tickling powdery and spicy blast of the star anise. The ginger and pepper notes come forward in around 20-30 min after this cools off and After about an hour it keeps a tiny some of of this edge, but the cedary woody notes come forward a lot more. Very nice

EDP
The EDP open is IMO pretty horrendous for the first 10-15 min as the black currant is OVERPOWERing and almost nauseatingly heavy. But give it a bit and after about 10-15 min it starts to follow the opening and progression of the EDT albeit at a slower more prolonged pace, but still with a stronger black currant note which is much nicer once it takes a step back. It is definitely designed to be a long lasting fragrance with a bit more depth, as it takes the same sort of journey as the EDT described above but over a longer period. I think I would like this more if the black currant were not so pronounced throughout, but I have a feeling this is one of those frags that smell better in the air around you than when sniffing directly from your skin.

Very nice fragrance. Woody and Spicy, yet fresh with an almost citrus vibe. I don't smell an aniseed note which I expected from the Star anise but perhaps my nose is too inexperienced.

Stuff was still good when this was launched. Maybe it’s me but I can barely tell the difference between the new version of this and Guerlain Heritage. Not a criticism, I love them all, but they would perhaps be more discernible if they had that old powerhouse energy behind them. I do love them though, back of hand, for sniffing at home.

I just bought it just because and i really like what I'm smelling. Never had the original formulation but i can imagine how much of a projection beast it was.

Scent: the dry down really smells like CK Obsession because it has that unmistakable 80's creaminess to it.

Will update on performance later.

Superficially described, the dry down is a burnt milk sweet candy like, but aromatic and refined. Enrich the mentioned aspect to the level of a good perfume and voilá, Opium Pour Homme. I think the burnt aspect can be put on account of the pepper and the sweet aspect on account of the balm-tolu. Interesting, but very exotic by current standards and, therefore, forcibly restricted versatility. Satisfactory performance, according to the proposal. Although very pleasant, not by current standards, so this is NOT that typical winter no brainer, it demands some taste for this kind of stuff.

There is a massive smell difference between Sanofi beaute - YSL Parfums- YSL Parfums Corps and the last years from 2003 when L’Oréal took over. Since L’Oréal makes it the formula changed and doesn’t last much .....the perfume developed differently in my skin through hours. I have all the eras and I gave away the L’Oréal ones.

-reminded me of 90s era.
- its very addicting, i keep bring my forearm closer to my nose just so i could smell more.
- Not suitable for younger <30s males

I have been wearing this a lot lately. It has been a milder winter here in France and YSL's Opium Pour Homme just slays in this weather. Under a scarf, under some flannel this fragrance just leaves you in a spicy sweet cloud. Walking to the market on a cold day has never been more enjoyable.

I am pulled in immediately by the black currant when I spray this. The black currant mixed with the star anise is just exquisite and does not get cloying. Then the pepper and the gingery spiciness of the galanga waltz in keeping the fragrance grounded. At this point the fragrance is so airy and light (I prefer the EDT to be honest) and the table is set for the balsam and cedar to give Opium a little added muscle to it's finish. Lastly, the touch of vanilla punctuates this scent perfectly.

Opium is for the 30 and up crowd. I see it as more of a date night/hanging out on the town fragrance, so forget the office. I get 4 steady hours and mild projection. Give Opium a few sprays when the winter air is as crisp as the collar of the shirt you are wearing.

Opium Pour Homme by Yves Saint Laurent is a Oriental Spicy fragrance for men. This male fragrance is amazing. I always buy this for my partner. It lingers on him wonderfully for over 8 hours.

Whenever on sale, I purchase this it is a signature fragrance for my partner. It is a sexy fragrance. This is a masterpiece, very unique and distinctive. It is excellent value for money. This perfume projects very well. With the creativeness of this fragrance, it brings joy to me and my partner. I highly recommend this one.

Longevity - 10/10
Silage - 10/10
Projection - 10/10
Uniqueness - 10/10

Just have a chance to try the current formulation
compare with the vintage one i have.

the current formulation is brighter and more modernized
easier to use especially for younger guy

they cut the tolu basam note that usually use in the old fragrance
so the current formulation is less complexity and more linear

but the performance is still good especially the projection
may be better than the older version
with a bit less of longevity but still 7 hr+ for me

recommend for who still think of the old day
or the new comer who want to meet the vintage DNA.

Although this had been reformulated and I didn’t even get to try the original, this juice works well on my skin. It might have faded after a few hours but when I get a whiff of it from the 3 or 4 sprays on my chest, aahh! Just love it!

it is on the name ( Opium ) and you need to try it once to understand why you will become addict to it .
If you are looking after a soft spice perfume with a classic oriental touch that came from the cedar wood ( Thankfully this perfume was forulated before all the craziness of the Oud ) then look no further than this fragrance . For me it has very good longevity and acceptable sillage , Also its more into classical perfume than the modern one so if you are not into classical perfumes than you need to try it first .

یک حس شیرین اما جدی با رگه های کلاسیک. پخش وماندگاری خوب. بین پیری و جوانی گیر کرده

Absolute Fragrance

An absolute gem from the 90's! Opium was aptly named as it is quite intoxicating & addictive. Opium hits the nose with elegant spices & a slightly sweet touch that evokes images of crisp autumn nights & walks through downtown streets illuminated by the soft glow of city lights. Paris, perhaps. Rarely, do I find a fragrance named so appropriately. I am utterly amazed that fragrances like Cool Water & Acqua di Gio not only survived but thrived well beyond the 90's yet masterpiece fragrances such as Opium have faded into the annals of fragrance history. Sure, the masterfully crafted blend has hints of a time long gone but I find it to be a timeless scent in the same vein as Dior Fahrenheit.

While I find Opium best for black tie occasions and dates, you can certainly dress it down to a degree but Opium demands night time wear, regardless of attire. In my opinion, Opium is the predecessor of La Nuit de L'homme and in many ways, does a better job at capturing the essence of nights spent with a new love interest or significant other. 

Opium conveys confidence, sophistication, & passion without arrogance. For this reason, I would not recommend this to those under 30 as Opium exudes a level of maturity that is rarely obtainable by those in their twenties. By mature, I do not mean Opium is dated. Opium simply exudes a level of maturity and confidence that is only reached through real world experience in your chosen career, interests, & personal relationships.

Opium is must try for the serious fragrance enthusiast before it fades further into obscurity.

5/5

What's not to like? Soft spices, a bit of blackcurrant and the cedar in the base (cedar is quite noticeable throughout). To me, the vanilla is sitting in the background and is not too overpowering. This is one well-balanced juice!

I don't understand the negative comments for Opium PH. It is simply a great fragrance that draws you in and comforts your nose.

It has a certain uniqueness about it, at least when compared to most modern fragrances. Projection is moderate so I usually spray 10 or more sprays to get a good coverage and project it out.

Lucky to own both EDP & EDT from pre-IFRA days.

Back in College/ Uni days yours-truely engaged in recreational drugs. Every time I wear this fragrance now, it takes me back to those days- of carefree freedom; of caring two hoots; of wild abandon;

Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll in a bottle for the Spring Evenings.

Instagram: @Eclectic.Scents

I agree with RobbieX, this is a classic fragrance.

But to new sniffers: just note that the newer version of the edt has much less longeviety than the original, vintage version. You can get lucky and find the more potent edp version on the net, a so called refiller bottle. Otherwise the edp version is only sold in France, as far as I know.

But whatever modern version you get, the smell of the classic is still there, for a little while…

Opium pour homme was/still is, my favorite male fragrance. Shouldn't be worn on hot days though! Other than that it's a perfect scent for me.

What can I say about Opium. A classic. Opium is a smooth long lasting vanilla, soapy and spicy fragrance. It has lots of character and the dry down is one of the nicest I have smelled.

I've been on the fence with Opium but ultimately a dislike for me. A very heavy fragrance that is too much for me even in cooler weather. With the notes breakdown this seems like one I'd enjoy but it's not. No compliments with this either, only negative feedback.

Reviews of this frag had me intrigued for the past two years. I recently came across an EdT tester and caught my first whiff. I wasn't sure what to expect, other than its alleged harshness. I did not find it harsh. I didn't find it to be distinct either. Nothing about it stood out for me. It's unique in so far as it doesn't resemble modern sweet frags. I can't see it garnering any compliments. Neither the young saleslady nor the older security gentleman thought much of it. It's a pass from me.

Wow, this isn't what I expected. It's an oriental fougère to my nose, despite it having only a few of the required notes.

I'm guessing i's the anise reminding me of Rive Gauche pour Homme; the vanilla for coumarin; and perhaps blackcurrant (both leaf and fruit?) stepping in for germanium (leafy) and the bergamot (fruity/citrus)?

...Ah, screw it, I don't know why, it just does. It's just a mixture of aromachemicals anyway, masquerading as real stuff. Very nice, though - don't get me wrong - but it surprised me.

Very powerful, and a bit too sweet for my liking. I doubt that I would purchase again. Heavy on the vanilla; that is by far the overwhelming scent emanating from this bottle.

Daring scent for its time, maybe even now. Doesn't do it for me. Very spicy, overbearing, cloying and zero compliments. People turning their nose at me, dogs barking. Gave it away for free to someone I didn't care much for. Might have made a mistake though, as with all perfumes that get reformulated (=discontinued imho) this might have fetched a pretty penny.

Like the Mona Lisa, a towering and unique creation.

YSL Opium Pour Homme is an oriental spicy fragrance which is different than most perfumes.Problem is it is too much different.i have an early 2000s formulation which last 2 days on clothes and more than 18 hours on skin.It is relentless and cloying.It is too sweet with lots of vanilla.I live in a tropical humid city and this thing is not at all for hot climate.It is strong really strong.Inital spray is sweet with fruity notes and the dry down is sickly sweet.
Maybe in cool countries this may be attractive but it's the sweetest cloying scent ever.Le male,Eros etc are nothing as compared to Opium.I love YSL as a fragrance brand with many favourites like Kouros,Body Kouros,L'Homme but not this.
I still have the 100 ml juice with 30% still in the bottle which has been in my shelf for 7 years.Cant finish it and can't find the occasion to wear it.
One of the most longest lasting perfume strictly for cold countries.
Dislike.

What happened to this ? I remember it in the 90's/ 00's and it to me was a finely crafted delicately spicy fragrance - albeit too spicy and warm for me. I tried tho.
This review is for approx post 2010 formulations.

An acquaintance of mine, he wears this - tho I've known a woman or two in the way past who did too - it was great on them.
So, on this middle aged male, currently, i initially thought i was smelling Angel edp (mugler) with its own often unique edge formed on the person - as things do as we know.. Wrong.
It was Opium, he even brought me the empty bottle with box,thats how much i wanted to smell the remains. Thank goodness its finished. It was horrible on him, like Angel purged of all its sweet, delicious sugary cream decadent confections and luscious fruits as we know and now replaced with saccharin overload - even a steviol of sorts. Full blown yet thin, plastic and toxic to me. If you dont know the 90s - 00's (Opium) sophisticated spicy beauty you may be ok with this current diet recipe.

My first review in here and YSL Opium Pour Homme has been my favorite scent for years and still is. The original version was very potent, so I mostly bought the edt one. Even with the edt I could still smell it on my body 24 hrs after applying it. Sadly the newer reformulated versions are of a much less potent kind. But it still smells, kinda, like the original and I can smell it on my skin for more than 12 hrs. I never wear this on hot days though, as it tends to get quite harsh then.

What I really love about this scent is the prominent Star Anise. To me it's an intoxicating spicy delight. According to this site, and something that I've never been aware of, the other top note is Blackcurrant. I just can't recognize it. But I've been a smoker for many years, so I bet my nose isn't always the best at pinpointing notes. But my nose never fails me. It's always the right judge of all scents.

I only wear fragrances for my own pleasure, but of
course I like to get complimented and Opium Pour Homme has given me many compliments and not only from females.

This classic gets 5 stars from me

What's the hype??generic old school for older guys. Pass

This is REALLY REALLY good. Unusual and yet can remind me of the shaving cream my grand father used to use.
I would sit on the edge of the bath tub and watch him getting ready for the day recording this scent secretly.

Great projection, develops slowly into more sweet and woody but by that time it's not as intense so doesn't bother you - on contrary reminds you in a very subtle way of its presence from time to time.

Navy blue and gold is the perfect colour combination for it so the packaging earns a point too.

Spicy and woody - simply sexy and ultra masculine.

A must have for any collector of classics with a huge character #MASTERPIECE

Only one point taken away as it could last for a bit longer, so..
9/10!

NOT to be confused with Opium (pour femme). Totally different animal! If you’re seeking the original Opium vibe, I’d suggest you simply purchase Opium and use it gently…will work for sure!
Opium Pour Homme starts off with a citrus/berry, balsam, cedar and spice blast. From there….actually goes nowhere especially if you were seeking that dark, syrupy resinous Opium original. The balsam keeps you hoping it will morph into something more exotic….. but disappoints. Very unnerving. An anise accord would have been nice, but barely rears its head. The anise would have offered that ‘Chinese Five Spice’ oriental flair to this fragrance, but no….. basic, run of the mill oriental woody with many superior alternatives available.
Pleasant enough and non-offensive but nothing to write home about. Poor to middle-of-the-road longevity and soft sillage (on me, that is). In retrospect, I would have done better to purchase another bottle of Jaipur. After all is said and done, Opium pour Homme did not break the bank, pleasant albeit ho-hum, and acceptable for cooler weather evening-wear.

it's shaving-cream-esque, all right. like rive gauche if it were a talcum powder. yes, there is the blackcurrant, and yes, it is funky, but that doesn't detract from the scent one bit. i would die to try the eau de parfum, just as i would die to have an original eau de parfum version of rive gauche. i don't know what i shaved with years ago (i don't really shave right now, i just buzz to stubble length), probably some gillette shit, so it's not a nostalgic interest, it's just a pure love. and yes, both rive gauche and opium are undoubtedly related to "azzaro pour homme", but both are also undoubtedly better. yves saint laurent is indeed my favorite brand. screw the niche stuff. yves saint laurent makes it wearable, funky, avant-garde in it's own way. kouros, rive gauche, jazz, opium for women, opium for men, body kouros, la nuit de l'homme (regardless of it's popularity). it makes me wonder about "Y", but i tried it and was unhappy as hell. it smelled like everything else. time will tell. maybe it's the best of everything else (kouros vs. antaeus...jazz vs. pasha...opium vs. cinnabar...rive gauche vs. azzaro). i do love pasha, but only because jazz is sadly gone. i wear azzaro, but rarely; it just doesn't satiate my "rive gauche" fix.

Yves Saint Laurent - Opium

This was my first YSL Perfume, my first "blind buy" perfume and my first expensive perfume (compared to my budget). It was on March 08th 2015 - Womens Day (I greeted the sales representative for that). I blind bought this perfume from Mumbai IA duty free while I was on my way for first time abroad for my job to Saudi Arabia.

I used this as my first perfume to work outside India. It was in the month of march a mild cold morning, I wear this one, I could still remember how it smelt all over the day over me. It lasted more in the night than in the day.

The vanilla, pepper etc was amazing. I always love high intense perfumes and the opening gave me a sneeze to be honest.

I would say it is a nice winter night fragrance to linger. A classic mature fragrance. This remains a nostalgic smell for my lifetime.

Update:
I now use Rasasi Daarej Pour Homme, this has the same vibe of Opium because of its spices and vanilla besides the same sneeze after the opening.

Guys, this is a pure classic winter night fragrance. Not to blind buy, just because I loved it, not everyone will. Peace.

I bought this for my son. It's great for a young person. It is spicy, woody and sweet and exudes youthfulness. It reminds me of custard...and I love custard. Can't say this one works as well on me as it does on my son. I reckon a chick could get away with wearing this one.

Opium is just sublime. It is a long lasting, smooth soapy and spicy perfume which evolves. It opens with a gorgeous anise note and dries down to lovely spices and vanilla. When you close your eyes and inhale, Opium lassos your brain's pleasure center. The dry down is the nicest part. YSL's Opium is a true classic and a masterpiece.

like rive gauche, it definitely has a shaving cream vibe. opium, though, is powdery, and doesn't have such a hefty midsection (azzaro misses the hefty midsection as well, it just feels empty compared to rive gauche). but they still make it, so i guess it'll have to do over rive gauche. lord, do i love anise.

I wouldn't have thought one could describe a fragrance this way ... but I find it very shrill.
It's like its trying to be refined and classy, but screaming too much to ever pull it off.

This is some fine juice. A true classic. Great alone or layered with other Fall and Winter scents to satisfy the gourmand lover's appetite!

Fragrance -Opium Pour Homme Yves Saint Laurent
Bottle from - 2016

This is the scent of a powerful,elegant,dangerous and a bit mysterious gentleman.
It is all about warm,spicy and oriental blend of black currant and star anise laying on top of a woody and balsamic vanilla.
This is a classic scent,but I don't think it's outdated. However,if you don't like oriental vibes,this is not for you.

Longevity - 8/10(8+hours)
Silage/Projection - 8/10(heavy to moderate projection and silage for the first 2-3 hours,than sits closer to skin for the duration of the scent's evolution)
Weather -best in autumn and winter.
Age - 30+
Compliments - 7/10
Scent - 8/10

Main notes according to me -black currant,star anise, vanilla,pepper,tolu balsam,cedar.

The drydown is woody,spicy and a bit balsamic and I get some tolu balsam,vanilla,cedar and spices.

Emotions -powerful,elegant,dangerous,mysterious,oriental.

Occasion -Perfect for special occasions and formal and semi-formal events.

Don't blind buy this one.Try before you buy.

I do not like this. It is dusty, not like powder, but like dust on furniture in a catlady's house. It smells stale and makes me frown. I detect no fruitiness. The combination of star anise and black currant make it smell old and forgotten and unkempt. Black Currant is so easy to go wrong in a scent and it is in YSL Opium.

Definitely sample before you buy. If any barbershop smelled like this, the State Health Inspectors would slap an F rating sign in the window.

I will get negative balloons for this review, but it is my reaction to this scent.

I have had a terrible run with YSL fragrances
First Kouros Silver, then Kouros and now Opium
Definitely not going to be blind buying YSL fragrances again
Really disappointed as it has such a high rating on Fragrantica
Opium has a terrible opening that I find really offensive.
The mid and base notes are nothing to write home about.

It is one of the classic oriental fragrances. I imagine the scene would be," During the 12th or 13th century a perfumer from the west is in the spice bazaar of some far east country for the first time and all these new smells are awakening his senses as never before. On completion of his journey, he creates OPIUM Pour Homme." Whenever he wants to remember his adventures, he sits in the his living room on a leather chair and spritz OPIUM and smile...

Excellent Creation! Better in the edp version but since the latter is not found remains a MASTERPIECE of all the world perfumery! Post scriptum Packaging to be shipped on Saturn.

I just don't get it! Used to wear this one a lot in the early 2000s and was so different. A different aroma approach and vibe. The projection was so high and intoxicating. Same here as Kouros. Reformulated, toned down and synthetic.Too bad for such a masterpiece. Now it's just another vanilla scent.

When I first got this it did intrigue me and as a creative artwork it impresses and inspires but the kind of musty-ness was just not fitting for wearing out publicly, a year later it actually is smells to me a good bit less musty who knows if the smell in the bottle changed as they aged or if it’s just my random taste changeing. Still basically the same idea goes. It does have a nice glowing warm inside your t shirt smell, (at the best of times not on a stinky day), and also the musty-ness I will say, is actually coming from a cool place as the perfumer is Jacques Cavallier who did Bvlgari white tea and pour homme (1995) and it has always seemed to me he is the master of MIST-Y Smokey hazy dreamy-ness.

I'm REALLY going against popular opinion here so know that in advance...and I honestly wondered if I had a fake since my bottle and experience were both so very different from what I've read. However, I bought it from a reputable dealer so I believe that it's just not for me. Also bear in mind that some really great fragrances can smell terrible on some people and/or smell terrible to some people's nose. With that long opening...

I'm a huge fan of vanilla cologne/fragrance so I really should love Opium. Yet, I just can't stand it! I just don't get any "fruity" notes and "fresh spicy" is just not the way I would describe this. Sure, after an hour it dries down to a nice vanilla scent like most vanilla fragrance does but I really don't like the opening or that first hour. For those 60+ minutes all I can smell is very strong, cheap mid 80's women's perfume. Yes, strong WOMEN'S perfume. The kind of perfume I could see the ladies of "Dallas" and "Dynasty" wearing. That awful women's perfume of that era that was very strong, always over applied, and tended to completely fill the room to the point you wanted to gag. Usually your "fashionable" mid 40's aunt would wear it and smother you in it when she hugged you. That cloying scent even drowns out the vanilla. Yeah, that's the smell I get for a full 60 minutes. If that's considered "fresh spicy" and "fruity" then I don't like either scents. After that disaster, all that chaos fades into a somewhat nice vanilla but it still tries to cling a bit to that wretched opening with the occasional whiff of gross mixed with vanilla. I can almost stomach Opium after the opening but I dislike that opening to the point that I'm going to eBay the bottle. I can use my Eros and Le Male and get a similar vanilla based dry down (which is what I like) without dealing with a wretched smell for an hour or so. I will give Opium this: it is very, very different from Eros or Le Male.

Now, I'm sure others are going to disagree with me and that's fine. I've read other reviews say that you need to be a bit of a sophisticated cat (I'm paraphrasing) when it comes to fragrances to truly appreciate the level of excellence achieved by Opium. In all honesty, I can judge audio speakers and balance sheets with a fair bit of acumen but the arts and scents (fragrances) elude me. Bottom line is I've tried it for 3 days now and I think every other bottle of cologne I own stinks better. This one just doesn't work for me, personally. It might very well do better and behave differently on other people but I'd say try it first. I own it but never see myself wearing it so off it goes to someone that likes it, is more compatible with it, or can appreciate the aforementioned excellence that eludes me.

This was my go-to for a long time and then it was discontinued (outside of France, that is). You can find some knock-offs online, but they are just a sad reminder of yesteryear. The original was a peppery, powdered giant that dried down to a spicy vanilla boss. It would last on my skin for 12+ hours and was an attention-getter. I never received more compliments on a cologne than the original YSL Opium.

Very loud and spicy fragrance which lasts for a long time. Have had comments of a masculine scent trailing behind me. Wonderful fragrance for pairing with darker environments, clothing and seasons.

Opium Pour Homme and Hugo Dark Blue have some surprising similarities.
It's the tart yet creamy vanilla, ginger, cedar and sweet resin.