Black Opium Le Parfum

I have yet to find Black Opium or any of its flankers as anything less than a *LOVE* for me, so take my review with a grain of salt if you're more of a fragrance-skeptic. This line, I swear. I could bathe in this stuff. ❤ It definitely has the DNA of the OG, but the Le Parfum version has more depth, and is more creamy and sexy than the OG. It's not as sweet as "Glitter," nor as figgy as "Illicit Green;" it's more vanilla-forward, which I love, along with coffee and powdery notes, and even a bit of licorice, which I know isn't even in the notes. Yet it doesn't strike me as a full-on "gourmand." I'm thankful the cinnamon has been really throttled back (in fact, I can't even smell it) because I have FAR too many fragrances that are so screechingly cinnamon-heavy (talkin to you, middle eastern fragrances), that I have to psych myself up, or really be in the mood, to wear them. BO_LP is cozy, yummy, and smells like being wrapped in a fluffy sweater warm out of the dryer....or a full-body hug. There's just something in it that (for me) is highly addictive. I absolutely adore it, but at its still very high price point, I'm now on the hunt for a decent dupe (anyone have any tips for me)? Until then, my tiny travel size vial will have to do. 🙁

I got this perfume as my own birthday gift, i’ve smelled it so many times in stores and just knew it was good but i had no idea it was THIS GOOD before i owned it. It has 3 or 4 types of vanillas and rich coffee note which blends so beautifully and sexy. This perfume is my FAVORITE from all the perfumes i own, i’d rate it as 1billion/10!!! I’ve gotten so many compliments like for example, when i first bought it i knew nothing about layering perfumes so i just put it on without any other perfumes and my friend told me he got the smell before even coming close to me, another day i put hypnotic poison first, then this and then 1 spray of burberry goddess on top and my other friend told me he also got the smell before coming near me and he could smell me the entire time he was with me 😭😭😭 and also my cousin said it smelled so mature and attractive. Its a type of perfume that would suit someone who’s REALLY mature, someone who enjoys “deep” scents and not the easy ones. Someone also said it smells like “cough syrup” and why do we like smelling like cough syrup but no!!!!!! It smells so good like this is crazy, i’ve never smelled anything better and the whole ysl black opium line is my favorite but especially THIS.

What can I say... this is a softer yet more intoxicating version of the og black opium, and as I soon as I smelt the tester, it became my signature scent. I always wear this to work: just one spray, dab it on my neck with my wrists and it lasts the entire shift, even the next day I can still smell it on my wrists, and I have to say, I have a tough ph and the vast majority of perfumes don't smell as i expect them to on me. I don't even layer it, it works by itself. It is cozy, very sugary, warm and vanillary. It projects nicely, from moderate to intimate as hours pass by. Someone wrote something about being reminiscent of an aphrodisiac, and I relate to that, it's so nice it puts a smile on your face. A song match for this baby is "Black Beauty" by Lana del Rey or "G.U.Y" by Lady Gaga. The lingering sweetness in the air everytime you pass by feels like a reward. If you didn't like the original Black Opium I suggest you to give a shot to this flanker, since it doesn't have any smokiness from the og and I don't perceive much coffee from it neither.

I’m a firm believer that if you really love a perfume you should wear it whatever age you are and whenever the hell you like. That said, I generally don’t choose to wear this in the summer as it feels a little too heavy, but any other time of the year is fair game. This is the closest I have to a signature perfume these days, and is my go to if I can’t decide. Olivier Cresp is my favourite perfumer - there’s not much he’a been involved in the creation of that I don’t like. If I’m honest, this is so well blended that none of the individual notes particularly stand out, but in the dry down it’s the most beautifully rounded, soft and deep complex vanilla, with a strong coffee note. It always elicits compliments, and i’ve known people buy it after asking me what I was wearing. It’s an ageless scent - more cozy than the og (which I’m not a huge fan of) and well worth the investment. I’ve tested some very expensive perfumes over the years, but few stand up to this, it really is gorgeous.

Sampled, definetly coffee Though it could’ve been unplaceable to me had I not looked at the notes beforehand (neither compliment nor criticism). I 100% agree with the comment or below me, it's the deep, roasted flavour of syrupy coffee hard-candies. It’s not sticky or cloying or anything though, I wouldn’t even call it gourmand, just makes the base deep, dark, and addictive. Dominant are the white florals, which I love! I really love how the jasmine is done here, I sometimes dislike jasmine because it can be too much, too heady or indolic and can even make me nauseous, but it’s relatively light here: creamy and soft sexy. This frag redeemed jasmine for me and made me realise my love for it.