In 1977, the perfume Opium was born, a true legend of perfumery that had nonetheless been highly controversial at first. It was then followed in 2014 by its successor named Black Opium, a true concentrate of audacity, more urban than before. This fragrance was in turn modernized in 2015, in the form of an eau de toilette refreshed with blackcurrant and electrified with mandarin.
Once spring season arrives and the fine days come along, fresher and more luminous fragrances are by far preferred. In this sense, the house Yves Saint-Laurent has developed an entirely new version of its iconic fragrance Black Opium. Its new juice is now called Black Opium Floral Shock and is presented as by far the freshest and most radiant fragrance in the entire collection. It took some audacity to take on such legends of perfumery! So, let us take a closer look at whether the new Black Opium Floral Shock lives up to this prestigious predecessor.
Olfastory’s review
The successful makeover of the Yves Saint-Laurent bottle
First, let us highlight the tremendous work done on the new bottle of Black Opium Floral Shock. Indeed, it brilliantly manages to combine the authenticity of the very first version of Opium with a very contemporary look. Black Opium Floral Shock has kept the shape of its predecessors. It displays a square, somewhat rounded look, as if echoing its femininity. It is inspired by an Inrō, a small precious case used by warriors of the Far East. Its original red color has however given way to an absolutely bewitching glittery finish. Black Opium Floral Shock seems streaked with a shower of stars. It shines brightly and aims to turn the woman who wears it into a true diamond. Its transparent porthole now reveals a soft pink colored juice. The whole proves very feminine and fits perfectly into the aesthetic of the house Yves Saint-Laurent.
The new airy recipe of Black Opium Floral Shock
Beyond its visual, it must be acknowledged that Black Opium Floral Shock also fully delivers on its promises in terms of scent. Indeed, this rather audacious fragrance takes on a true myth of perfumery. That is precisely why Yves Saint-Laurent spared no expense when it came to creation. The house chose to have four perfumers collaborate on this project. Black Opium Floral Shock is the work of Nathalie Lorson, Honorine Blanc, Marie Salamagne and Olivier Cresp. Together, they explored every facet of femininity. Black Opium Floral Shock first displays a certain freshness. It pairs citrus with the fruity flavor of pear. Then, a floral heart takes over. This is composed of gardenia, orange blossom and freesia. Finally, its clarity continues into its base thanks to an addition of white musk. That said, Yves Saint-Laurent did not forget that the Black Opium Floral Shock woman had to have character. Thus, everything ends with an electrifying note of coffee. The bet was more than brilliantly met!
Black Opium Floral Shock, the new floral from the house Yves Saint-Laurent
Opium is a juice that was born in 1977 from the hands of Yves Saint-Laurent and that very quickly became a true myth. Highly contested at first, it soon found itself out of stock, cementing itself forever as a legend. Weathering the ages without the slightest hindrance, it was nonetheless modernized in 2014 to become Black Opium. Also, Yves Saint-Laurent has just announced that a new version of this fragrance would appear as early as the start of 2017. This new fragrance is named Black Opium Floral Shock and is presented as a floral, fruity and gourmand juice.
The very airy recipe of the new Yves Saint-Laurent
Of all the flankers of the iconic Opium, the new Black Opium Floral Shock might well be by far the freshest and lightest. Its recipe opens with a citrus blend. Furthermore, it contains bergamot, a fruit whose flesh is too acidic to be eaten but whose peel is highly prized in perfumery. Here it releases a zesty, tangy and sparkling scent. It is accompanied by the rising freshness of lemon as well as the juicy and fruity aspect of pear. Freesia then accompanies this opening with its luminous floral scent, somewhat evocative of jasmine. Its sweet accents are then relayed by a heart resembling a huge bouquet of white flowers. This is nonetheless dominated by the presence of gardenia and orange blossom. Gardenia is a material typical of floral fragrances. It brings them a more assertive character while tinting them with green accents. Orange blossom, for its part, further heightens the fruity side of this juice while lending it a luminous and radiant sweetness. Finally, Black Opium Floral Shock ends with a more amber and balsamic base. This is also enhanced with white musk. This element blows a breeze of cleanliness behind it before the whole is tickled by the syrupy scent of coffee.
The sparkling bottle of Black Opium Floral Shock
Of course, its bottle has a familiar look. It keeps the look of its predecessors intact. It has a distinctive shape combining the geometry of a square with more voluptuous curves. Furthermore, its front face is enhanced with a round porthole opening a window onto the secret of its juice. This is designed in shades of pink already present on Black Opium. On the other hand, its glittery finish has evolved somewhat. Once entirely black, it is now lighter and leans more toward pink. It nonetheless retains its very urban touch. Thus, it depicts the image of a city woman who seems to thrive only at the heart of buildings. Its dress retains its exquisite touch of light. The Black Opium Floral Shock woman seems born to sparkle like a rough diamond. The whole proves particularly seductive and addictive, anchoring itself perfectly in the lineage of the previous fragrances in this collection.