Yves Saint Laurent Perfume, YSL Opium Perfume

In 1977, Yves St Laurent introduced Opium to their Yves St Laurent perfume line and it instantly became like Bovril in that it is very much a scent that you either love or hate.

When Opium was launched in the seventies, women bought it in the bucket load as it was one of those perfumes that also sold an identity much like Chanel No 5. YSL Opium perfume became the sort of scent that allowed women to portray themselves as a sexual being with a life full of naughty trysts and secrets even though she may have been a stay at home housewife who baked bread on a daily basis. The YSL branding ensured the fragrance was imbued with this sort of imagery and the majority of ads featured semi-naked women surrounded by the colour red.

The YSL perfume, Opium features top notes of mandarin, bergamot, lily of the valley with a middle note of jasmine, carnation, myrrh which is all rounded off with a base of vanilla, amber, sweet myrrh and patchouli. Overall it can be described as a luxurious, spicy yet oriental fragrance.