Black Opium Le Parfum

Yves Saint Laurent · Parfum / Extrait · 2022

≈ $145 · 90ml · approx. retail

The richest interpretation of Black Opium, built around a quartet of Madagascar vanillas that wrap the coffee accord in deep sweetness. Pear and cinnamon brighten the opening while patchouli grounds the base.

The scent

Top notes

The opening · first 15 minutes

Heart notes

The core · the next few hours

Base notes

The dry-down · what lingers

Best for

FallWinterEvening

Perfumer

Olivier Cresp

French · 30 in collection

A Grasse-raised master perfumer at Firmenich and 2018 Fragrance Foundation Lifetime Achievement honoree, Olivier Cresp is one of the most influential noses of his generation, responsible for the genre-defining Mugler Angel and a string of bestsellers.

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Nathalie Lorson

French · 18 in collection

Born in Grasse and now a master perfumer at Firmenich (dsm-firmenich), Nathalie Lorson trained at the Roure Bertrand Dupont school and is celebrated for rich, sensual blockbusters, most famously co-creating YSL Black Opium, for which she won the 2015 Prix International du Parfum.

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Marie Salamagne

French · 11 in collection

Born in Paris in 1977 and trained at ISIPCA, Marie Salamagne is a principal perfumer at Firmenich (now dsm-firmenich). She is behind several modern icons and is admired for her intuitive, notebook-driven creative method.

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Honorine Blanc

Lebanese · 9 in collection

Honorine Blanc is a Beirut-born, New York-based master perfumer at Firmenich (dsm-firmenich) who was mentored by the legendary Sophia Grojsman. She is celebrated for bold, addictive feminines, having co-created Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium among other commercial hits.

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Based on shared notes and accords — cheaper picks are flagged.