YSL Opium - changed formula? Any suggestions for a replacement?

[SpeedReader]

I have been a fan of YSL Opium for over two decades. It's one of my all-time favourite scents. My mum bought me a new bottle about a year ago, and it is nothing like the Opium I know and love - the scent is much less strong and does not have the same spicy richness. At first I thought the issue might be concentration (as I was given the toilet water not the parfum); but further research suggests that YSL have changed the formula, possibly a number of times. The product is plagued with one star reviews.

Does anyone know either whether the original formula is still available anywhere?

And if not - what scents might be similar? I have tried Black Opium and while it's ok, it didn't really grab me.

I don't have the answer to your question, but giving your thread a bump as I also love the (old) YSL Opium.

Weird formula changes and scents getting weaker seems to be a general problem. I love rich, spicy oriental fragrances and several of them lack sillage and longevity and seem quite blah now compared to older bottles from the early 2000s. My all-time favourite is Vivienne Westwood Boudoir (I know it's a bit marmite, but it works beautifully with my skin chemistry and I always get tons of compliments) which was getting weaker and weaker before it was completely discontinued last year or so. I suspect cost cutting and the banning of some ingredients for health reasons.

I like both Youth Dew and Cinnabar (both Estée Lauder) for a hit of warm, spicy fragrance. Sad to hear that Opium has been messed around with. I've not had a bottle for a few years, and didn't realise they'd changed the formula.

In fairness, Opium's reformulation is not as drastic as many others, but yes, it is milder than it used to be.

However! The Perfume Parlour dupe of Opium is much more like the original. (Ditto Rive Gauche and a lot of the 80s powerhouses)

Black Opium has nothing in common with Opium beyond the name.

Cinnabar is similar to Opium in that it has that soft spice thing going on, but it's also much "quieter" than Opium.

Thanks for those suggestions.

The only advice I can give is to look on eBay for vintage Opium. Some is very expensive but you can find the odd reasonably priced bottle, as I have done!

This blog is useful for identifying different ages of a range of perfumes.

raidersofthelostscent.blogspot.com/2013/11/opium-vintage-bottles-parade.html

Surely it changed a while ago? I bought some for me and my mum about 10 years ago and it was different... it faded into something weird and synthetic. I used to love the old Opium, and use to love buying the summer special edition also which was always lovely. Haven't had it for ages now after that nasty surprise.

Think I'll have a look for some on perfume parlour!

My Mum wore Opium all my childhood it was all she could wear (any others always smelt wrong on her) but in more recent times she has swapped to YSL Cinema. Same sort of scent family as it were, she always gets people asking her what she is wearing.

@Sheitgeist I also wondered why I am only picking up on this now, but before this new bottle, I had about three bottles on the go, so perhaps I bought them all pre-reformulation (or pre the reformulation I don't like) so it's this one that seems so different?

@Blueberrycreampie that blog is something else!

If you can find it, Weil's Merveilles & Nuit smells more like the original Opium than the current Opium.

Thanks again for the suggestions for similar scents. I might also have a look at eBay and the Perfume Parlour.

I like Opium and also use Liz Earle Botanical Essence no. 15: www.boots.com/liz-earle-botanical-essence-eau-de-parfum-no-15-50ml-10154305

I know! It really helped me find the vintage bottles. I have a rare one - 25 ml which I keep for special occasions!

The Raiders website has helped me pick up some amazing genuine vintage bargains from eBay (as opposed to everybody calling everything vintage thinking that adds to its value)
In the interests of this thread I wore real modern Opium (think my bottle is about 3 years old) on one hand and the Perfume Parlour one on the other. (I don't own any vintage Opium) 6 hours later, both still going strong but the actual Opium has now faded to a sweet powdery smell with very little "spice" whereas I can still smell spice on the PP one.

Try the perfume Parlour version
It's just like the original 1977 perfume 😍

Is the PP version called "Poppy For Women 0327"? Do I get the EDP spray?

I've never bought a knockoff perfume before - excited!

I think that's it... I'm going to get some too.
Many years ago I picked up an Opium dupe from Poundland. It was amazingly good. I got lots of compliments.
My posh and snobby MIL told me it smelt "expensive" 🤣

When you check out as a guest they ask how you heard about them - "Mumsnet forum" is fifth on the dropdown list!

I thought I might buy the "extract spray" rather than the EDP as it's for the customer who wants "beast mode performance". I don't know what that means but it sounds good.

I'm going to be a cheapskate and buy the weaker one first just to try it. I'm not sure I'm ready for "beast mode" just yet.

Let us know how you find it when it comes, @SpeedReader

No! I used to steal this from my mum and I loved it. I haven't worn it for a very long time and was going to buy some of this, Rive Gauche and Paris. But thinking off to Perfume Parlour ...

YSL Libre is a lovely perfume.

I just ordered some Fake Opium and Fake Poison small sizes to test out.

"beast mode performance"

@Sheitgeist TBH having placed the order I am a bit nervous that beast mode may turn out to be a mistake. Then again I like strong aromas - eg I enjoy aggressively seasoned food, and tended to put on quite a few sprays of Opium "just to be on the safe side". Only time will tell...