Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, hour by hour

How it opens, settles and lingers on skin.

Espresso cups and vanilla pods on a hotel bar at night.

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium beside a 10ML travel atomiser on a black plinth
Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, bottle pictured with its key notes: Pear, Pink Pepper and Coffee
  1. First spray0–15 min

  2. Heart15 min – 2 h

  3. Dry-down2 h – 3–6 h

Lasts
3–6 h
Moderate
Sillage
Moderate, 2 of 4
When to wear

SeasonWinter

Time of dayNight out

Best forWork

What wearers say

Votes from fragrance communities, most-voted answers first.

  • Longevity

    Most voted: 49%Moderate

  • Sillage

    Most voted: 52%Moderate

  • Season

    Most voted: 55%Winter

  • Time of day

    Most voted: 50%Night out

See all votesHide votes

Longevity, 13,400 votes

  • Very weak3%350 votes
  • Weak5%642 votes
  • Moderate (Most voted)49%6,631 votes
  • Long lasting34%4,567 votes
  • Eternal9%1,210 votes

Sillage, 14,097 votes

  • Intimate11%1,568 votes
  • Moderate (Most voted)52%7,331 votes
  • Strong29%4,149 votes
  • Enormous7%1,049 votes

Season, 13,400 votes

  • Spring12%1,608 votes
  • Summer3%402 votes
  • Autumn30%4,020 votes
  • Winter (Most voted)55%7,370 votes

Time of day, 13,400 votes

  • Daytime12%1,608 votes
  • Office3%402 votes
  • Evening35%4,690 votes
  • Night out (Most voted)50%6,700 votes

Which size is right for you?

Every size is decanted from the same original bottle.

  • 3ml

    To discover it

    Price: Now €8.91Was €13.90SAVE 36%
    • Per ml: €2.97/ml
    • ≈60 sprays
    • 20 days of wear
  • Best value

    30ml

    To keep it

    Price: Now €66.60Was €147.90SAVE 55%
    • Per ml: €2.22/ml25% less per ml than 3ml
    • ≈600 sprays
    • 200 days of wear

Loved by 50,000+

Why scent lovers try it with us before they buy the bottle.

10ML decants in glass vials and a travel atomiser

10ML vs a blind buy

What a decant gives you that a bottle bought unsmelled can’t.

Why 10ML?
Blind buy
Authentic original perfume
Yes
Yes
Smell it on your skin before you buy
Yes
No
Try several scents for one bottle’s price
Yes
No
Travel-ready atomiser
Yes
No
No full bottle wasted if it’s not for you
Yes
No

If you like Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium

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Yves Saint Laurent opened as a French couture house in 1961 and added perfume to its work in 1964.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium smell like?

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium opens with Orange Blossom, Pear and Pink Pepper. The heart brings Bitter Almond, Coffee, Jasmine and Licorice. It dries down to Cashmere Wood, Cedar, Patchouli and Vanilla.

Is Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium long lasting?

Shoppers on fragrance communities most often rate its longevity as moderate (49% of votes), and 43% rate it long lasting or eternal. They most often rate its sillage as moderate (52% of votes). How long it lasts on you also depends on your skin and how much you apply.

Is Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium good for summer?

Shoppers on fragrance communities rate it mainly for winter; summer takes only 3% of season votes.

Is Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium good for winter?

Yes. Shoppers on fragrance communities vote winter its best season, with 55% of season votes.

Is Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium for day or night?

Shoppers on fragrance communities mostly wear it after dark: 85% of time-of-day votes are for evenings and nights out, 15% for daytime or the office.

Can I wear Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium to the office?

Shoppers on fragrance communities rarely pick it for the office: only 3% of time-of-day votes go to the office.

Who makes Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium?

Black Opium is made by Yves Saint Laurent. It was launched in 2014.

How many wears is a 10ml decant of Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium?

A 10ml decant of Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium holds about 200 sprays, roughly 67 days of wear. The 3ml decant holds about 60 sprays, around 20 days. The 30ml decant holds about 600 sprays, around 200 days.

Which other Yves Saint Laurent perfumes can I try?

Besides Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, 10ML has Y Eau de Parfum, Libre and Mon Paris from Yves Saint Laurent, each decanted from the original bottle.

Is this Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium decant the original perfume?

Yes. Every Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium decant is filled by hand from an original Yves Saint Laurent bottle, with nothing added or diluted, so it opens, dries down and lasts on your skin the way the bottle does. We sell only authentic originals.

What is a decant?

A small amount of a perfume, taken from its original bottle and put into a travel atomiser. You get the real fragrance in a size that lets you live with it for days before you decide on the full bottle.

How does the money-back guarantee work?

If a scent isn’t right for you, get in touch within 30 days of it arriving and we’ll arrange a refund. Terms apply. See our refund policy.