cr01's Full Review: Opium by Yves Saint Laurent 1.6oz Eau De Toilette ...
Last week I discovered that my great Aunt Norah had died, at the age of ninety one.
My emotions with her passing have been rather limited, as I had also only met her perhaps a dozen times in my life, and not at all over the past twenty years. However, as is common with the death of a relative, my thoughts have been with her.
Memories are Made of This
Two senses loom large in my memories of this distant aunt. I can distinctly remember the childish anticipation of meeting Norah – my mother had told me tales of how “proper” the old lady was.
Norah’s hair was always dyed that rather strange “blue rinse” colour and styled into a regimented “sausages and tramlines” perm by the town’s hairdresser of choice “Shirley”. It was only years later, when I visited the town, that I realised that every woman over 50 had a identical “Shirley” haircut. This style was re-set every fortnight, and preserved every night by a painful sleeping regime, which required a pillow being firmly buffeted against the neck so that the “sausage” curl didn’t lose its shape.
Oh, how women in those late 60’s days suffered for their beauty!
Eyebrows were plucked, styled and teased into that strange “shocked” expression, coupled with a hint of that very popular “mad Nazi eugenicist scientist” look. The skin on her face was covered by a liberal splattering of thick and beige powder foundation, and perfectly formed circles of purplish “blusher” were almost, but not quite, symmetrically placed slightly above each cheek.
And she stood, all 60 inches high, with her four inch high court shoes, and knitted woollen grey twin-set, waiting for her obligatory kiss, and as your childish lips moved ever closer, that combined smell of moth-balls, face powder and sweet sugary perfume made you feel like you shouldn’t have sneaked that extra jam roly-poly into your mouth five minutes earlier…
It was only many years later that I have discovered that canny old Norah must have in fact been in possession of a few preview sample bottles of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium Pour Homme!!
Yves Saint Laurent – The Man
Born in Algeria to French parents in 1936, Yves Saint Lauren is perhaps best known these days for the army of men’s and women’s fragrances that bear his name – amongst them Kouros, Jazz, Paris, YSL and Opium.
However, in the late 50’s and still only in his early twenties he became chief fashion designer at Christian Dior. In 1962 he founded his own firm, “Yves Saint Laurent”. In 2002, Yves Saint Laurent retired. Today the men’s clothes designs that bear his name are mainly designed by Tom Ford.
His company website (http://www.ysl.com/english/index/htlm) suggests that his clothes designs are inspired from history, art and literature! I’m pleased that they managed to narrow that down so concisely.
Opium Pour Homme
The fragrance is described as being “powerful and gentle”, “An exotic blend of rare spices and woods, transformed by a fresh, arousing note of sun-drenched vanilla”.
Although I could detect both “powerful” and “gentle”, these occurred at different stages in the wearing of “Opium Pour Homme”.
”Powerful” Stage
At first spray, the scent is unbelievably flowery, but with a strong hint of Eucalyptus, which makes me think that I have been sucking a strong cough sweet. My rather lengthy introduction demonstrates that I think the smell of “Opium Pour Homme” is rather more suited to an unfashionable and elderly (dead) lady, as against the hunky semi naked young male models that the advertisers of “Opium Pour Homme” would have us believe. I don’t even think it suitable for the rather jaded flabby and pale visions of manhood that most of us in the marketplace actually are.
”Gentle” Stage
However, to write off “Opium Pour Homme” at this early stage would be a little unjust, as it is one of those fragrances which does settle down on the skin (or perhaps it is just that after that initial blast, your sense of smell has given up for the day!).
After ten or so minutes, you suddenly come across the second phase of the “Opium Pour Homme” smell, a not unpleasant clean, fresh and spicy Vanilla fragrance, although the smell is still rather sweet and flowery underneath.
”Non Existent” Stage
To say that “Opium Pour Homme” is not a lingerer is an understatement of massive proportions – the “gentle” stage withdraws its powers fairly quickly, so that an hour or so after first applying the fragrance you are left with no more than a background hum of “freshness”.
Considering that the fragrance is just so powerful when it is first applied, this is the real “magic” of Opium – I honestly thought that a month of bathing in Asses Milk wouldn’t rid me of that initial smell.
Conclusions
Although the “gentle” stage is quite pleasant, unusual and rich smelling (but still too sweet), I personally don’t think it is worth the pain of going through the “powerful” stage every couple of hours, to reach this particular “Nirvana”.
I have only worn this fragrance through being given a surprisingly generous sample bottle of Opium Pour Homme, while purchasing other fragrances in Spain, this means that I cannot rewrite the ingredients list from the packaging onto my review.
I have worn Opium Pour Homme at least a dozen times over the past month, and it has not elicited comment good or bad from my beloved. As she doesn’t appreciate it, and I don’t go wild over it, it is not a fragrance that I would consider purchasing.
Footnote - Ethical Consumerism
Animal Testing
Yves Saint Lauren sold his firm in 1993 to French oil and pharmaceutical giant Elf-Sanofi, pocketing some $72m in the process.
According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the company Sanofi conducts animal testing on its products.
See http://pw1.netcom.com/~axleplus/stuff/hotstuff/company.html, for a list of major cosmetic companies that test on animals.
As always, I struggle with the “ethics” of purchasing expensive flavoured alcohol, presented in unnecessary and wasteful packaging, let alone one that has been liberally sprayed into the eyes of a caged animal in order to check its safety.
It is true to say that I am not as “good” as I should be about being an ethical consumer, so I don't wish to preach - however, for an informed "purchasing decision", you may wish to take the above point into account when considering any "Yves Saint Laurent" beauty product.
Launched by the design house of Yves Saint Laurent in 1977, OPIUM by Yves Saint Laurent is classified as a flowery fragrance. This feminine scent pose...More at eBay
Rarely in the history of fragrance has a creation embodied such enchantment, mystery, magic, and exoticism. Introduced in 1977, Opium symbolizes Yves ...More at Sephora
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