Yves Saint Laurent Opium More than just a fragrance

Love it or hate it there is just something so wonderful about Opium,from it`s launch in 1977,just before the power dressing of the 80s to now, Opium remains much loved and a stable in a lot of peoples perfume collections.After Opiums launch Estee Lauder followed on the spicy fragrance trail with Cinnabar and it was suggested that the good girls wore Cinnabar and the bad girls wore Opium.Whether that is true or not everyone has their memories of this great and much talked about fragrance. Mine was at 19 and I wanted a 'grown up perfume',little did I realise is that you don`t need a heavy hand with Opium a small spray is sufficient and more often than not my perfume used to enter the room before I did!. Opium is brash and loud and makes no apology for being so,This is a spicy oriental fragrance that perfect for Autumn/Winter it has great sillage and longevity,this is a wonderful powerhouse that brings back memories of high heels,shoulder pads and all that was good about the 80`s.Iconic and classic and oh so very grown up Opium is a fragrance that I enjoy and appreciate now far more than when I first wore it.


Just to add the packaging has not changed greatly and the fragrance notes remain the same which are the following Top Notes Mandarin orange, Bergamot, Lily of the valley.Middle Notes Jasmine, Carnation, Myrrh.Base Notes Vanilla, Patchouli, Opoponaux, Amber.
From the Yves Saint Laurent Website
Discover the myth of OPIUM reinvented.
A perfume of an outrageous and evocative name, Opium is a gate open on a fantasy world, a trip to the unknown, to an extraordinary elsewhere, mysterious, full of sensations and emotions.
Back to the roots of Opium, the new aesthetic of the Eau de Parfum bottle refers to the original inrö.
It glorifies mystery, voluptuousness and modernity of the item.
FRAGRANCE
In the heart of this bottle in the form of an inrô, the opening of Mandarin, Bergamot and Lily of the valley reveals middle notes of Jasmine, Carnation and Myrrh. Then the deeper aromas of Vanilla, Amber, Sweet Myrrh and Patchouli melt on your skin leaving a trail that arouses desire.
The spicy oriental harmony comes into its own in extreme sensuality.

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes, Middle Notes, Base Notes,Sounds almost like music doesn`t it,well it is partly true as perfume is composed of different notes that all compliment and blend with each other to give you the complete blended scent or fragrance. 
Top Notes The initial spray  contains the top notes, these are the first thing that you will smell,sometimes you can be immediately put off or can think this is nice,these normally fade between 5-30 minutes after spraying.After which you are presented with the middle or heart notes which forms the main basis of the fragrance and will often define the type,these often appear 10-30 mins from spraying,following these you have the base notes which is the foundation of the fragrance.Do you, after a few hours when your fragrance seems to have disappeared get this lovely aroma?these are the base notes and depending on the fragrance strength these can last for hours.
This is a very basic explanation of fragrance notes and why it is important when trying a new fragrance to give it time to settle before making a decision on whether to buy or not.