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Yves Saint LaurentEau de Parfum · EST. 2014

Black Opium

A phenomenally popular modern feminine built around an intoxicating roasted coffee and white flower accord over warm vanilla. Edgy, rock-chic luxury for the modern woman.

NOSE: Nathalie LorsonRELEASED: 2014RETAIL: $100 - $165

OLFACTORY PYRAMID BREAKDOWN

TOP NOTESFirst impression · 15–30 min
  • Pink Pepper
  • Orange Blossom
  • Pear
HEART NOTESCore character · 2–4 hours
  • Coffee
  • Jasmine
  • Bitter Almond
BASE NOTESDry-down · 6–24+ hours
  • White Musks
  • Patchouli
  • Vanilla
  • Cedarwood

EXPERT ANALYSIS — COMPOSITION & PERFORMANCE

AG
AdeGbe Fragrance Research Team Data-Driven Analysis
Olfactory composition & performance assessment
Updated Winter 2026Eau de ParfumMethodology: note-pyramid analysis + community performance data + AdeGbe scoring model

Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent is a bright citrus-leaning eau de parfum released in 2014, composed by Nathalie Lorson. This is our research team's structured analysis of how it is built, how it performs, and who it suits — based on its composition, community-aggregated performance data, and the AdeGbe scoring model.

The Opening

The opening leads with bright citrus and juicy fruit facets — Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Pear set the first impression in the initial fifteen to thirty minutes.

The Heart

Beneath the opening, a floral and sweet gourmand heart of Coffee, Jasmine, Bitter Almond forms the signature most people will recognise.

The Dry-Down

The base is dry woods and sweet gourmand, with White Musks, Patchouli, Vanilla providing the depth and tenacity that carry it through the day.

Projected Performance Timeline
Hour 1
Pink Pepper and Orange Blossom opening. Strong, room-filling projection.
Hour 4
Coffee and Jasmine heart fully developed. Still projecting clearly.
Hour 8
White Musks and Patchouli base emerges. Performance holding well.
Hour 11
Soft base notes still detectable close to skin.
Longevity
8.5/10
Sillage
8.2/10
Blind Buy
LOW RISK
Final Score
9/10

Who Should Buy Black Opium

Black Opium leans feminine but is wearable by anyone who enjoys the style. Its season vector points strongest to winter, and its day/night balance makes it best suited to evening wear and going out. If you gravitate toward bright citrus and juicy fruit compositions and want strong longevity, it belongs on your shortlist.

One Honest Warning

Performance and quality are not in question here. The honest caveat is ubiquity: Black Opium is widely worn, so if smelling distinctive matters more to you than smelling excellent, factor that in.

Analysis based on composition, community-aggregated performance data, and the AdeGbe scoring model.A human skin-test review is added as our team tests each fragrance.

PERFORMANCE INDEX & SUITABILITY VECTORS

LONGEVITY FACTORLong Lasting (8h - 12h)
Weak (1h)Moderate (4-6h)Beast (24h+)
SILLAGE / PROJECTIONStrong / Addictive Trail
IntimateModerateEnormous
DAY · NIGHT SUITABILITY
DAY
35%
NIGHT
65%
GENDER INDEXFeminine
FEMININEUNISEXMASCULINE
SEASON SUITABILITY VECTOR
SPRING 🌸15%
SUMMER ☀️10%
AUTUMN 🍂35%
WINTER ❄️40%

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does YSL Black Opium smell like?
Black Opium opens with pink pepper and pear freshness, quickly revealing a heart of roasted coffee and white jasmine. The base is a warm, addictive vanilla-patchouli accord with soft white musks.
Is YSL Black Opium suitable for office?
With restraint (1 spray), yes. At full projection it is an evening/night fragrance due to its intense coffee-vanilla sweetness. 1 spray to hair or clothing provides a subtle, professional signature.
Is Black Opium by YSL long lasting?
Yes — Black Opium is one of the longer-lasting mainstream feminine fragrances, typically performing 8–12 hours on skin. The patchouli-vanilla base is an excellent fixative.

INTERACTIVE FRAGRANCE TOOLS

Personalised calculators and scanners specific to Black Opium.

INTERACTIVE FRAGRANCE TOOLS

Personalised calculators and scanners specific to Black Opium.

COUTURE RECOMMENDATION

Nuit Jaune Extrait

OUR SIGNATURE RADIANT MONOLITH.

SCENT MATCH85%

Love the profile of Black Opium? La Maison AdeGbe has developed a highly concentrated, museum-grade Extrait alternative: Nuit Jaune Extrait. Formulated with similar notes of Dark Roasted Coffee, Black Tea, Ambergris, Vanilla, it delivers richer longevity (14h+ on skin) and absolute structural weightlessness.

ADD COUTURE BAG • $310
Complimentary Scent Tester & Insurance
ADEGBEDRAFTING 3D PERSPECTIVE...
N° ENC-2014Black OpiumANTI-GRAVITY CONTAINER VISUAL
4.9 RATED