Black Opium Le Parfum

Black Opium Le Parfum, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Le Parfum (2023)

Le Parfum takes the familiar Black Opium idea, roasted coffee against jasmine and orange blossom, and turns the vanilla up until it becomes the main subject. Green mandarin and pear lift the first minutes, and cinnamon adds a spiced edge. Once those fade, the vanilla takes over in several shades at once, some dark and resinous, some closer to a sweet pod. Patchouli underneath stops it from becoming pure dessert.

About the original

YSL released Black Opium Le Parfum at the start of 2023 and calls it the most intense interpretation of Black Opium, the coffee floral first launched in 2014. Four perfumers worked on it: Nathalie Lorson, Marie Salamagne, Olivier Cresp and Honorine Blanc. Its defining feature is what the brand calls a vanilla quartet, a stack of four vanilla materials, including Madagascar and Tahitian absolutes. Some fragrance databases date it to December 2022.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Yves Saint Laurent stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Someone who finds the regular Black Opium too light will feel at home here. It is sweet and heavy, and YSL frames it around evenings and city nights rather than daytime. Vanilla sceptics should sample it before committing.

Related scents

• YSL Black Opium
• YSL Black Opium Extreme
• Lancome La Nuit Tresor

Notes of the original fragrance, as given in the launch information.

Top notes: Green Mandarin, Pear, Cinnamon

Heart notes: Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom

Base notes: Coffee, Patchouli, Madagascar Vanilla Absolute, Vanilla Pod Absolute, Bourbon Vanilla Infusion, Vanilla Tahitensis Absolute

Green mandarin and pear make the opening fresher than you might expect, while cinnamon gives it a faint spiced heat.

The heart is jasmine sambac and orange blossom, with the Black Opium coffee rising from the base beneath them.

Vanilla dominates the drydown, layered and slightly resinous, with patchouli giving it an earthy floor.

How is Le Parfum different from the original Black Opium?

It keeps the coffee and white flowers but puts far more weight on vanilla, using four different vanilla materials. YSL presents it as the most intense version of the line.

Is Black Opium Le Parfum very sweet?

Yes. Vanilla is the dominant note, so it reads sweeter and denser than the eau de parfum. Patchouli and cinnamon add depth, but it remains a gourmand.

Does it still smell of coffee?

It does. The coffee accord sits in the base with the vanillas and stays noticeable as the scent dries down.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Black Opium and Yves Saint Laurent are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Parfumour is not affiliated with, associated with, or endorsed by Yves Saint Laurent. Our fragrance is an independent interpretation inspired by the original, created to evoke a similar scent experience. All trademark names are used for descriptive and comparison purposes only.