If confidence had a scent, it’d be Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. This gloriously and unashamedly sexy fragrance is the one I reach for when I need to feel feminine yet strong – it’s the ideal first date perfume as it really does boost the way you feel, rather than just hanging around and smelling pretty.
This is definitely more of a night fragrance than a day-to-day scent, which is clear from both the deep notes of coffee, vanilla and patchouli, right through to the slender, misty bottle adorned in black glitter. The top notes are pink pepper, orange blossom and pear, the heart notes are coffee, jasmine and vanilla, patchouli and cedar sit at the base. These notes sound like they could be quite heady and overpowering, but the fragrance remains surprisingly light whilst maintaining strength.
It’s quite tricky to put into words the impact this fragrance has, but it’s kind of like when you have a song that you listen to to instantly make yourself feel more confident (mine’s Strict Machine by Goldfrapp, if you’re interested), in a similar way, the moment I smell YSL’s Black Opium I immediately feel like I’ve just inhaled a confidence boost, so I can’t wait to crack this bad boy out when I next go on a date. Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium EDT starts at £39 for 30ml, pictured is the 50ml for £52, plus there’s also a 90ml bottle available for £77, all of which you can find here – link.
*PR Sample
