Cavallier manages not only to create a hit, but to create a new Opium, completely different from the one that originally appeared in 1977. Soapy and horrid, the breath of some Ruskie high off of a cheap cognac and fireballs, the candy, coated in baby powder. I think that this is a Greta masculine oriental, with classic masculine vibes but yet, modern and, specially, very unique. It sort of has an addicting grape bubble gum ball note far back behind the dominant herbal fruity vanilla notes that keep making me smell to get closer to it but it still keeps its distance. 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!

Envy is listed as an Amber Woody fragrance, but could easily be categorized as an Amber Spicy (with more prominent woods). The dry down consists of a long voyage through an Indian / Chinese oriental sweet ambary scent and yummy vanilla. For example yesterday morning i had one squirt to the chest of Valentino Uomo Absolu and 2 squirts of Opium around the same area. 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. 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.

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. 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! 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. Fresh spice notes begin to appear shortly after, from which springs forth a warmer, more resinous note.

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. Really makes you wonder why L’Oreal or whoever would discontinue this EDP, even if they would have to have YSL reformulate it. and I honestly wondered if I had a fake since my bottle and experience were both so very different from what I've read. 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. While YSL Opium is too masculine and mature for my current taste, I can see myself wearing it in my fifties.It smells so rich, it's vanillic yet that's so misleading because of how fresh and spicy it can come across.

The 2018 formula isn't too much like the vintage, lacks the strength and longevity of the original EDP in the refillable casing. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. Don't know how tolu balsam smells but I've seen it in various fragrances and it always leaves this sort of waxy or ''balm'' like quality behind. Don't let the opening scare you off its the shortest part let this baby fully dry down and give it a chance. It probably projects for about an hour and you might still be able to sense it 4-5h later if you bury your nose on the actual spot where you sprayed it.