It is the only legit dupe of Belle d'Opium by Yves Saint Laurent but it lacks the mystical complexity, the elegance and the hypnotic smokiness of Belle. The dry down is more one dimensional and, well, dry, slightly astringent, with an added sourness from the Orange that does not exist in Belle’s notes. It lacks crucial notes, such as the Tobacco , the Vanilla , the Jasmine and the Rose . It does a good job with the Sandalwood and the Peach , and the other white flowers as well as the Olibanum (Frankincense) are present although weaker and less distinct. Its sillage is weaker than Belle’s and the longevity might be similar or slightly weaker. Having said all that, it is the closest perfume you can find if you search for something remotely similar to Belle, like me, and for this reason I own it and I love it. It is a pretty good perfume as is, I am only being strict because I compare it with Belle. Exact score: 4.5.
It is an okay perfume but I am not sure why it got so much more successful than its infinitely more unique, mystical and special (and very unlucky) shortlived predecessor, Belle d'Opium by Yves Saint Laurent . This one has nothing in common with the classic Opium Eau de Parfum 2009 by Yves Saint Laurent . It is a warm sweet gourmand. I also can't understand for the life of me why it is advertised as a perfect rock star vibe or a clubbing perfume. It's not dark or edgy at all, I would wear this to grab a cup of hot chocolate (I like the aroma but I hate the taste of coffee, so chocolate it is!) and read a book by the fireplace! The misleading name and advertising puts me off. It's not black, not dark, not opium, not oriental enough (or at all, if you ask me), not necessarily for a "special occasion or night out". It is sweet, warm, cozy and sexy though.
