A heavy perfume that will disguise any other smell it goes near (Yves Saint Laurent: Opium, Eau de Toilette)

Member Name: xxfoxyredxx

Product:	Yves Saint Laurent: Opium, Eau de Toilette
Date:	13/09/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You don't need to use much and it stays smelling fresh on the skin for hours

Disadvantages: It really is heavy in fragrance

In my home on a Friday night it stinks to high heaven! My parents go out and they insist on wearing his and hers matching fragrances. Usually it is this Opium that gets flashed about, sometimes it's Obsession and there's me getting ready to go out too and like I say it can stink in my home lol.

My Mums favourite fragrance is this. It's one of them fragrances that if she runs out of it, without a second thought she'll go out and grab a bottle. She's not a person like that with anything else and I guess really this is her signature perfume!

The other night I was going out and I am rather fond of strong perfumes and I decided to nick her bottle and see how it fared on me! Shhh though don't tell me Mum for heavens sake! lol.

The Packaging:

As far am I'm aware of this is only available in 50ml and 100ml sizes in the Eau De Toilette option though there could be other sizes too and of course this range is pretty big and there is a shower gel, body lotions and creams about as well (I know cos my Mother buys them too!). However no matter the product they all come in very similar packaging and that is a brown box (in this case oblong shaped) with a gold leaf pattern to the front of it and in gold bold writing on the front I'm told it is Opium Eau De Toilette Vaporisateur and that it is by YvesSaintLaurent and the size is stated (in this case 100ml). On the back of the box ingredients are listed and there is a flame symbol displayed letting you know it is flammable and to the bottom of the box there is a bar-code on there. Nice enough box, opens easily and it is distinctive although in my humble opinion a little old fashioned but saying that the box and image sort of go with the fragrance...I shall explain that a bit more in depth later lol. The bottle is glass and see-through with a leaf pattern embossed into it. It's a sort of ablong, flat bottle and all it says on the front is Opium and again that it's YvesSaintLaurent. The lid matches the writing and the box, being that same brown colour and it simply twists off and off with ease and that lid conceals a small gold spray button. Nice enough bottle and box but like I say probably more appealing to older, more mature choosers of perfume!

The Perfume Itself:

Gold and rich in colour when you see it in the bottle and it sprays out a light gold liquid onto the skin and dries rather fast. You can't feel it much when applied (apart from it's a bit wet for a moment or two) and it's none sticky and like I say it does dry fast though the one thing I do find with this fragrance is that a lot is dispensed per squirt so be gentle with it lol!

The fragrance is very heavy indeed and in my view made with a highly confident older wearer in mind. Even spraying a little on yourself when you walk out of a room you leave this spicy aroma behind you and what's more it lasts on the skin as strong as when you first applied it for hours and hours (until you wash it off in fact).

So the scent is as I have mentioned is heavy and I classify it as an evening fragrance really. The fragrance is made up of Citrus, Pepper, Coriander, Plum, Clove, Jasmine, Mandarin, Iris Root, Rose, May Bells, Patchouli, Carnations, Cinnamon, Peach, Cedar, Benzoin, Vanilla, Incense, Labdanum, Vetiver, Tolu Balsam, Coconut, Myrrh, Amber, Musk, Opoponax and Sandalwood and to my nostrils smells rather Oriental and as I said it is rather spicy and tangy but fresh and vibrant too. All those ingredients are blended really well and every time you sniff it you feel it's more of this and less of the other. Like when I first sniffed it I had it pegged as a sandalwood, jasmine and vanilla perfume in the main and then another time I inhaled it I could really detect the vanilla incense more with a hint of the patchouli and clove mentioned. It really is a multi faceted perfume and is very kamelion like.

Whatever you think this smells like you will, like I do (I think) think that it's deep, sensual and rather woody and I really do like it however although I do like heavy fragrances as a rule for me this is just a bit too over the top and as I keep mentioning I really do think this isn't very modern and meant for the more mature (over 50's) ladies. It is a nice crisp, deep fragrance though and definitely worth a sniff next time you see it if you like your rich and slightly breathtaking fragrances.

Prices (Taken from Boots but do shop bout online if interested in this as there are some great savings to be made!).

50ml: £30.34
100ml: £38.00

Also available in Eau De Parfum and there's options for men too!

Summary: A bit too strong for me this one and a bit too mature!