Black Opium

Coffee and white flowers. It sounds like an odd pairing until you smell Black Opium, and then it makes perfect sense.

The coffee is a dark, roasted accord, there to add texture rather than to copy a cup of espresso. Jasmine and orange blossom bring brightness and a full floral body. Vanilla ties them together and gives the flowers a warm, smooth setting.

Neither side wins. It isn’t a plain vanilla, and it isn’t a pure white floral either. Warmth and flowers carry equal weight, and that balance is exactly why Black Opium became a modern classic.

It’s at its best at night: a Friday dinner, a concert, an evening celebration. A couple of sprays go a long way.

This Eau de Parfum is offered in four sizes: 1.0 oz, 1.6 oz, 3.0 oz and 5.0 oz.

Want it richer? Le Parfum thickens the vanilla, and Extreme adds cacao and patchouli. Find the whole range under Yves Saint Laurent.