Opium Parfum Yves Saint Laurent for women

Opium Extrait (1977) is the undisputed king of perfumes. Its rich and luxurious scent is a timeless masterpiece, unrivaled by the poor imitations of nowadays editions or the lackluster attempts like Shangai Lilly by Tom Ford.

This fragrance is an absolute perfect ten for lovers of oriental scents. The staying power is exceptional, making it a must-have for cold weather. The composition of notes is perfectly balanced, creating an intoxicating blend that captivates the senses.

Opium Extrait is not just a scent; it's a statement of opulence and sophistication. The top notes of cloves, pepper, mandarin orange, and others set the stage for a royal experience. The heart notes, featuring carnation, cinnamon, rose, and more, contribute to its regal allure. The base notes, including myrrh, incense, amber, and vanilla, leave a lasting impression that commands attention.

Fit for both masculine and unisex wearers, this fragrance is a mark of distinction. The quality of ingredients is top-notch, and its enduring appeal has garnered compliments from all who encounter its majestic trail.

In a world of fleeting trends, Opium Extrait remains a true classic, a king among perfumes that deserves its place in the pantheon of olfactory greatness. Bow down to the timeless allure of Opium Extrait (1977), a fragrance that reigns supreme.

I used to have it and either I was too young to appreciate it or my bottle had turned (this was in 2010 or so, waaaay after the release date so it's possible). I'd be interested in revisiting this to see if I could appreciate it today, but it's so rare to find and I've heard the new Opium is not as good.

1982, when I was 16, this was a x-mas gift and I was the luckiest girl. I had this bottle for almost 10 years and loved it. A tiny dab was enough for all day/night.
Today 40 years later I can't stand it.
But a nice memory🌞

OPIUM Extrait de Parfum (Vintage 1977). Intense, complex, with beautiful Oriental opulence at its finest!

OPIUM is a perfume full of nuances and contrasts, it is dark and at the same time bright! When the elixir touches my skin, soft green and slightly fruity tones emerge. Citrus fruits provide freshness accompanied by the florality of bergamot and coriander with soft lemony and woody nuances, contrasting with the hot spices of clove and pepper while merging with sweet and soft nuances of plum in a perfect symphony between incense and resins. All this is very rounded by two main notes: Myrrh and opoponax (sweet balms, spicy-aromatic, amber-vanilla smells) that when mixed with vanilla and benzoin leave this fragrance absolutely sweetened, warm and welcoming. Fruits such as peach and apricot are there to give body and support to the fragrance, accompanied by sweet and sensual cinnamon with creamy sandalwood and patchouli. The opulent flowers are also present (rose, jasmine, iris absolute and carnation) but small tones of lily of the valley leave something lighter and softer to that opulent weight of the florals.

The background is simply sublime! Resins, balms, incense, amber chords, evoking oriental warmth, all beautifully combined and balanced with vanilla, benzoin, castoreum, labdanum, woods and musks. Absolutely comforting and welcoming.

In general and in summary: OPIUM is Charming, warm, very elegant, exotic and in some ways also very addictive.

A beautiful perfume that elevated the Oriental family to another level. It smells very Sophisticated and Luxurious.

The diffusion is moderate to slight but the substantivity on my skin is eternal.

'A marvellous beast'

Extremely complex, waxy, balsamic fragrance made mainly with animalic/urinal and resinous drydown components, which explains the longevity of this marvellous beast that slithered amongst fibers of my shirt even after I washed it!

I'm lucky enough to have bought almost a full original bottle and I pity all other fellow mortals who won't have a chance to smell it.

This is a case study of the rare occurrence when product designers and perfume makers understand the assignment completely and effortlessly deliver in every aspect. From the nauseous, venomous fragrance so rich and addictive it can't be un-smelled, to the packaging and marketing that told the story like no other scent in the history I believe (maybe apart from the original Poison by Dior).

They just simply don't make them like this anymore. Partially because of the overload of the prohibited today allergenic components, but mainly because its complexity and weight is no longer a crowd pleaser, when the trends of the past 20 years changed our noses' tolerance and narrowed it down to synthetic florals drying on a bed of sweet vanilic gourmand accords.

This is a very subjective 10/10

This was my Grandmother's signature scent. She was a former beauty queen. Gorgeous woman. My Mother--her daughter--hated it. I took one of her mini bottles when she passed away--ALWAYS take the signature scent of the people you love. Opening the bottle will send them back to you in an instant! I tried this icon on my skin recently, and it was beautiful. VERY much of its time, Dated? Sure. Of course. But with age comes nostalgia and wisdom. I won't wear this for myself, it's not for me. But I can very much appreciate this piece of art for what it is--a time capsule that brings back someone I love.

Loved this when I used to wear it approx 35 yrs ago. One can waft around whilst it wafts around and about at the same time. Heavy, intoxicating and seductive from what I can remember!

The best oriental perfume is opium parfum. The Edt has a lot more incense, yet the clarity of all the notes creates a rich whole that any oriental fan should try. The Parfum is more opulent and well-balanced. Oriental opulence at its finest. Original Opium is simply the greatest, especially in parfum, and I believe that everybody who like newer products should try the original. Stunning! 

This fragrance gives you a very retro time travel back to year 77 where women dresses elegantly. Where depth, manners, wisdom and etiquette were important features. It is a brave solid perfume that is not at all subtle (you might need to be a bit subtle with the amount you put on yourself).

It goes well with women with a lot of confidence.

The notes are very complex, the strongest feeling is the sweetness is spices, Bergamot, cloves. The flowers time represents the feminine features are hidden. You would not call it a unisex fragrance but the feminine notes are not the first things you notice.

This is by far an art of a perfume that not many can compete with. Not even channel coco!

OPIUM Parfum (1977 vintage version in 15ml size) Full review!

A fragrance that exalts exoticism, sensuality and addiction to a perfume. Controversial for the name and advertising, which celebrated "the Chinese" in the style of YSL for the 1977 collection, OPIUM was a huge success!
A beautiful perfume that raised the Oriental family to another level.

YSL's concept for creating such a perfume was a smell of luxury, lust, extreme elegance and fragrance addiction. A construction of ingredients that elevated the Orientals, with notes of myrrh, vanilla, woods such as patchouli and on the other hand extremely spicy by cinnamon, pepper, cloves, floral notes also accompanied by balsamic, woody, powdery notes, Oriental and resinous. A really addictive perfume in my opinion.

REVIEW:
The fragrance opens intensely, I smell it spicy with cloves, cinnamon, coriander and incense, all well rounded by two main notes, myrrh and opoponax (sweet resin) that when mixed with vanilla leave this fragrance sweetened and warm. The citrus notes are declared at the top (bergamot, mandarin and citrus) they give freshness and accompany the spices but they are not protagonists here. Fruits like peach and apricot are there to give body and sustenance to the fragrance, but I don't smell them. Opulent flowers are also present (rose, jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, carnation) but hints of lily-of-the-valley leave something lighter and softer to that opulent weight of florals. I clearly detect the flowers, the oriental and spicy notes.

A charming, warm, balsamic, spicy, resinous, incensed perfume, very elegant, exotic and in a certain way also very addictive. But above all it smells very sophisticated and luxurious.

HISTORY:
A perfume that generated a lot of controversy in its time, its launch had been banned in many parts of the world, such as in some countries in the Middle East and Australia. The controversy was caused by the Chinese community in the United States, based on the name of the iconic perfume. It was said that there was a great lack of respect for their community, because they were fighting against the spread of the drug (Opium) throughout the world, and then a French stylist would appear talking and disseminating about the drug, and of course the perfume did not contain drug! but such was the commotion that it helped the campaign and its launch!. The bottle was created in imitation of those Japanese lacquered boxes, "Inros" which means sealed box (but they could have been Chinese since the problem was around China.) These contained aromatic herbs, medicinal herbs and sometimes Opium. They were worn suspended with silk cords under a kimono, fastened with a button called Netzuke and a kind of ball called ojime that tightened the cord.
The red lacquered bottle, created by Pierre Dinand, contained an extract that reflected the luxury of the Oriental scent and essence. In my opinion a beautiful work of art and one of the most beautiful bottles in the entire history of perfumery.

I am absolutely happy to have this masterpiece in my collection.

Six years ago I added a review for the Parfum. My opinions still hold up. I bought new to me bottles recently and they are warmer, mellower, the notes are blending together into an amber haze that is Opium. Opium when it was released, the top was rather bright and not heavy at all. You did get the sulfuric incense like a match striking followed up by crisp mandarins and bright florals then the spicy ushered in the carnation and rose. The notes were more delineated. 43 years have passed and it has mellowed. Its still a comforting wear in the fall and winter. We all change over the years as does great perfumes. Opium is no exception. It is still Opium. ❤️

Strange to say... I just don't like this. I have had two vintage bottles that were in really great condition. And I simply prefer the modern eau de toilette or the vintage eau de toilette. For me, this version is overhyped. Or it's lost something in the 50+ years since it was put into those bottles.
Don't always be sad, ladies. Sometimes things are just valued due to nostalgia.

On a frigid day such as late January can provide, the postman dropped off this precious parcel after years of contemplating how much more YSL Opium was required in my collection. Did I notice the ice had melted around the box? I already have EDT, EDP and several flankers that I carefully guard on my top shelf. What could this concentration have that the others do not? Why would I pay so much money for so little an amount? What if anything could possibly be different from what I already greedily hoard?

I will step back in time to my first encounter with YSL Opium. My cousin had introduced me to the brand in 1974. I was 10, she was 14 and had Y and Rive Gauche on her dresser. Her allowance was pretty healthy for a teenager. Her father worked for the auto industry in Detroit and spoiled us on occasional trips to Hudsons. This was the grand finale of downtown shopping in the declining urban core in 1978. Our last trip ended in disappointment as my Uncle forbid us to even sample this forbidden perfume from France as "it obviously contained dangerous drugs". We smelled it throughout the entire perfume department. Its silly how the controversy prevented us from wearing this out to the local roller disco...

Detroit, Hudsons and my family there are but distant memories today. YSL Opium was the only thing that I still keep close at hand. Perhaps the Parfum would reveal a mystery I was yet to experience? Here it is today in its dramatic production. A tiny little bottle with the beaded tassel and iconic box was finally mine. You have to be careful applying the heavy glass stopper. There is little more control with application. One drop will fill the entire room very quickly. This is the "take no prisoners" concentration. The formula holds up very well.

To the trained nose, you can pick up each note listed over the course of several hours. Cayenne blossom, osmanthus, jasmine, lily of the valley, a very sharp carnation and yes, rose is finally revealed in this concentration. The florals are all buried within the dense smokey spices. Everything else you love about classic Opium is there. Opoponax, amber, civet musks, vanilla will be present until you wash it away. This is the formula the creators intended...

This perfume is a beastie. When I smell it, I picture a sexy rich (bitch) woman with a real fur coat, with wonderful legs on shiny super high chic stiletos, with a slim cigar in her beautiful lips. Red lipstick, golden watch. I like the perfume. It is the opposite of me. It is magnetic. I wish I had a sample just to roleplay when I feel sad. I recognise the fact that OPIUM has a high academic profile in perfume history. There is no perfume that performs the smell of money better.I haven't tested the new versions.

LovecraftLover’s review of Opium might be as much a masterpiece as Opium itself. I have to buy the vintage and the original now to test these out. God forbid I smell like that nauseatingly pretentious beige vagina, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Well, I just snapped up two vintage Opium parfum extraits. A 15ML, new in box, manufactured in 1981, batch number 10961. And a 7.5 ML, manufactured in 1988, batch number 81111. Can't wait to get these pretty little things into my collection! These are my early birthday presents (bday's in Dec.) I'm so elated! Review update pending.


Update 10/21/2021:
Wow, these little gems are stunning! Seriously, when I held those little bottles in my hands for the first time, I was in awe. Two little time capsules into the past. Treasures like this aren't made these days. I haven't tried it yet, as I'm waiting for a very special occasion. But I can only imagine how transcendent the experience will be. I feel so grateful to have these little guys in my collection. They are definitely the crown jewels.

10/31/2021:
Had to crack open the 7.5ml parfum on Halloween. Unfortunately, the glass stopper was so stuck on that I accidentally snapped the cord with the tassel. Oh well. I just took the cord out. I have a lot more freedom with the stopper now that it's not tethered to the bottle. Of course, I kept the tassel for a souvenir.

The juice is utter heaven. Put a drop behind each ear and on my Décollete. Absolutely stunning! It's an intimate experience, as it doesn't throw far. But the select people you let into your personal space will definitely notice it. It's like Opium is being secreted from my skin. I've fallen hard for Opium!

Writing from a man's point-of-view; vintage Opium is the only Opium. What currently dupes for "Opium" today is an insipid imposter. Slap it away.

jovejove's review on here about the body cream is accurate. I found the same with vintage men's aftershave balms. The spirit survives in this metamorphosized realm between liquid & solid, while the EDTs got sent to the knackery. Soaps can be a treasured find too.

I have a vintage Opium Soap, & whilst generally never into mixing frags, I found showering with it before applying CK Obsession (male) from a sadly non-vintage bottle, actually helps grow the balls back on this reformulated gelding.

And from such a markedly female brew........Magic or maybe witchcraft?

Opium's original body products are boudoir INDULGENCIA-MAXIMUS ! Affluent eroticism in a jar, bottle & case.

The complete range of Opium Bath & Body Products should be every woman's 'clean'.....dirty little secret.

They're available still, & while pricey on eBay & the likes....I dunno know...put money in a jar every week or so & when you can......indulge.

You know you want to.

I'm 36 and this smells wonderful. Not too matronly as one would assume. To me, the smell is that of if incense and a warm gingerbread cookie. No icing on this cookie, though, as there are no sweet notes, which I LOVE. The sweet notes of many of today's fragrances drown out the other notes and make my old soul sad. This, however, smells comforting and stimulates thought while awakening the senses. No sinus/allergy issues with this one for me, as with many florals (especially lily-based). Definitely one that can be worn by a large range of ages, late 20's on. Will keep this in my collection from now on.

Oh happy day! I just received a mini bottle of the vintage pure parfum, in the old style bottle with the tassel. It has been opened, and the top notes aren't quite as fresh as they once were, but any staleness quickly disappears. The middle notes and the dry down are exquisite. The bottle is very small, but the potency is so intense and the longevity is amazing, and yet, because it is perfume and is dabbed on, it is not overwhelming. The 3.5 mls will last me for years.
How I adore the incense and the resins. This is luxury and decadence at it's finest. I am quite aware that this isn't for everyone, particularly many young people, but it is a masterpiece, and serious perfumistas owe it to themselves to experience the vintage version at least once in their life time. For me, there is no substitute for the OG!

Something in the vintage formulation does not agree with my body.

I was gifted a bottle of this in 1986 by a friend. He said it was sexy and reminded him of me when he bought it.

I had an immediate adverse physical reaction the moment I opened the bottle. I could not even bring it up to my nose without dry heaving.

There is an ingredient I am clearly allergic to in the vintage formulation. The experience of my severe reaction left me so scarred I have not tried to sample anything from the YSL Opium group for fear of embarrassing myself at the sales counter.

YSL has other fragrances that have worked for me but sadly I have had to abstain from the Opium group.

This is a message to Soofiya. Yes, I think your bottle is vintage, and probably from the early 1980's. I'm not an expert on YSL Opium bottles, especially the post-2000 flankers, but I know what they were selling in the 1977-1990 era.

They sold a lot of sets in that era, and at various prices. Some with a spray edt, a soap or two, sometimes powder and/or body cream/lotion, and then a little bottle of the parfum. All the items in these sets varied in size and in price. The earlier parfums, say between 1977-1985, had the reddish plastic covered glass bottle with the tassel that looked like a netsuke (I may not have spelled that right; sorry.) I should measure mine but it's about 1 inch x 1 inch and maybe 1/3 inch in depth.

Some of the cheaper sets maybe after 1985 had just the glass mini parfum bottles. They're similar in size to the smaller netsuke size, and as I recall have a sort of clear parallel ridge lines in the glass along at least the front of the bottle. The plastic stopper on them is usually pretty airtight, so if the bottle wasn't used for display the juice is still pretty good.

Original Opium is just the best, especially in parfum, and I think everyone who likes the newer stuff should experience the original.

First of all I have to thank you for all your answers to my question. I owe this gem to you guys
I don't know if my bottle is vintage or not.it's a tiny miniature bottle which looks like less than 5mils.it's not as luxurious as this fragrantica pic.it doesn't have the black tassel and has a white plastic cap.but on it's glass it's written "parfum"
To be honest,I never thought that I'm going to like it.carnation,incense,castoreum and labdanum are the perfume notes which I usually dislike and avoid but I bought this one for some good reasons.I have full bottles of Black Opium,BO edt,BO Nuit Blanche,Belle d'opium and Opium Vapeur.owning the whole family without the mother Opium looked meaningless.I also had a good experience with a decant of it's China Legend flanker.the fact that it wasn't expensive and you guy's reviews were other motivating factors
Unlike my expectations I LOVE it.it's very difficult not to be impressed by it as it's rich,smooth,sexy and has a memorable character.I can smell something animalic here but it's blended so well with balsamic,smokey,spicy,woodsy notes that I can't get enough of it.vanilla,myrrh, cinnamon,incense snd that warm skanky yet sexy and inviting note(is it castoreum?!) stand out to me wrapped by tones of warm,balmy heaven.it's an adult perfume.full of sophistication and charisma.perfume of a diva.warm,spicy and delicious like a sweet sin but at the same time comforting.it's a multi faceted fragrance but it's edges are smoothed out by a balmy vanilla.Ican't find the right words to describe the scent or the way it makes me feel just that I find it truely charming and hypnotizing.just a tiny drop lasts and lasts,strong and subtle the same time.
I'm definitely going to treasure each and every single drop of it and will save to buy every version of it that I can find
Be careful.Opium is truly addictive

If You want a truer version of the original opium, use the cream. It still uses the pure perfume extracts to scent the cream, which is why it’s so creamy smooth and inviting. Highly recommend the body cream to get a true scent; not sharp and screechy like the edt or EDP

I am an Opium lover from the 1980's. I bought my first bottle as a teenager around 1987. I'm not too sure if EDT or EDP at the time. Today I managed to get a 3.5ml parfum in the red bottle with the tassel. It's warm, woody and spicy. The incense note is definitely there but less so than I remember in teenage (but I was a heavy sprayer??). The parfum is soft, rich and inviting.

I don't detect any civet or other animal smell, (predominantly woody/smoky) but I have in other perfumes so I'll wait and see.

This is the Queen of Fragrance for me. Yvresse (Champagne) on the other hand is the Queen’s sister. No similarity there of course. They are both equally stunning ❤️

I’m in love, deeply in love with Opium. Always wondered how vintage Parfum smelled, so had to order myself a bottle. I heard about Opium since early childhood, it was Number 1 Perfume in Soviet Union, too bad my mom couldn’t afford it back then, but she kept telling me that it was best perfume she ever smelled (besides Lancôme Climat, it was another big hit in Soviet times). Twenty plus years I kept in mind that info and finally ordered vintage Opium. It took me back in time, like a time- machine: my grandfather was a beekeeper and in the end of the summer he squeezed honey from combs, then melted beeswax. So imagine the smell of wood smoke, honey and beeswax. It was intoxicating. When I smell Opium I transport back in my childhood, where there are no worries, and my grandfather is still alive. Happy fragrance for me, absolutely no connection to lust or sin. Also reminds me of Ortodox church on Easter Day. Very peaceful fragrance indeed.

Picture a devilish good looking man. 30ish. Black denim overcoat in the middle of a cold blizzard night. Somehow you can see warmth within the evilness of his eyes. He is wearing the original 1977 Opium parfum...
Well... That's how I'm going out tonight.

I tried opium today in a shop, spraying it on my hand. I got a strong hint of something that has been described here earlier as cats arse! Ugh. But after some time that changed and I could enjoy a much softer perfume. It is a an adult woman's smell, not a girl. I love the incense and balsam, and would buy it if only it didn't smell rank at first!

I bought the 1977 version of the perfume shortly after it came out. The sillage was so great that I had to keep the perfume in its box, and then in a few more boxes just to try and contain it. Phew I never knew (to this date) another perfume as potent as this one. Not really for me - far too powerful, but if you want to make a statement, then this was the way. Weird that recent postings suggest the EDT is very (more) potent than (the current) perfume - or am I misunderstanding something. xxx

I agree with LuluSaintly's description of the vintage parfum vs the 1977 EDT: The parfum is much softer and better blended than the EDT. Also, I find the vintage EDT is sweeter (more carnation) and has higher sillage than the vintage parfum. While I find the parfum to be more balsamic.

I own the less complex, more synthetic, but still lovely current formulation of the EDT, the 1977 EDT and the vintage Parfum. This is DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA, regardless of what formulation you get.

If you wish to announce to the world that you're wearing Opium, the most effective way to do that, is by applying one spritz of the 1977 EDT on your neck. However, if you value the private pleasure of the masterful blend that is the parfum, then you'll be able to appreciate the significant difference in price between the two.

LuluSaintly, that's so funny, still can't stop laughing, too bad I don't have a cat to smell it's butt))). I absolutely love castoreum, but cannot stand civet, thanks God there's no civet here in Opium.
Soofiya, don't be afraid of castoreum, it's very well blended and very pleasant in pure parfum.

Soofiya, I would say the parfum in the 3.5ml solid red bottle (no window for the fragrance), and with tassel, is definitely animalic - I thought more civet than than castoreum but apparently there is no civet in Opium. Overall, the parfum is much softer than the EDT and very well blended - more like the fragrance is coming out of your skin than applied to your skin. But it is definitely dirtier and skankier than the modern EDT (sorry, I haven't smelled the China Legends flanker). My 3.5ml parfum smells like my cat's butt. :) But I should point out that it's vintage - 1977 to mid 1980s. Still available on Ebay - mine only cost 10 euros - but might not be your cup of tea.

I was born 7 years later after Opium was released, so I don't connect it to 80's. My mother was not a perfume person but growing up I heard her talking about Opium. She never owned it, but told me her sister in law used to wear one and it was the most intoxicating perfume ever. I always remembered that but had no opportunity to smell it. Until one day I was browsing on eBay and found pure parfum Opium. Ordered it and absolutely love it! My mom's taste changed- once she smelled it, she didn't recognize it and didn't like it as much as I do. I'm kinda crazy about it. I like only pure parfum, edt way too loud for me. it's sad this beauty got reformulated, so I'm always looking to find vintage one.

RE: Castorum

In the parfum its well blended with everything else to give it warmth. You should be fine, unless your own skin amplifies certain notes like castorum. Ive tried many scents with castorum like Esprit de Poison (definately stands out) and Opium EDT first edition in the splash bottle stands out in the drydown. Parfum is fine. No issues.

Can someone who has tried both opium parfum and opium China Legendes or at least this one and original opium help me?
I never tried original opium but I have a decant of opium china which I absolutely love.now I can get opium parfum but I'm very afraid of it's castareum note.I usually hate this note also I hate animalic scents.how much is this one similar to opium Legendes de china or original opium because castareum tends to be faded in them and not too prominent

Opium parfum is the greatest oriental of all. Holds up well over time if kept well. the Edt has much more incense, whereas the purity of all the notes make a rich whole that every oriental lover must try.

The Parfum is richer, more balanced than the incense heavy edt. The liquid is a bit oily, but that makes it adhere better. I like to decant it to a sprayer, but do be careful as sometimes plastic will react with Opium. Theres a reason its housed in a crystal bottle inside the outer shell. Id recommend glass or lead crystal if you plan to decant it. Complete oriental opulance: Layer the parfum on the pulse points and put the edt on everywhere else.

The first designer perfume I have ever smelled straight from the bottle was my grandmother's Chanel No. 5. The first designer perfum I ever bought for myself was YSL's Opium! I experienced Opium in the jet stream of a female graduate student who was the epitome of a Middle East princess. She walked through my college Law Library with confidence and grace, bejeweled on every finger and with the darkest eyeliner perfectly applied like Cleopatra! Another woman must have been caught in that heavenly magnificence because she asked the woman what she was wearing before I could get my feet back on the ground. She said Opium, Yves Saint Laurent's Opium! I have been a fan ever since because of the introduction to this opulent and exotic fragrance!

Capolavoro.

❤️