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New from Yves Saint Laurent comes a new member of the famed Opium family. Boasting notes of gardenia, bergamot, vanilla, and coffee, Black Opium Floral Shock ($110 CAD) is described as a fresh and invigorating reinterpretation of the original. To read my review of the fragrance, click.......
The Bottle:
Housed in a slender flask-like glass bottle coated with a sparkling layer of silver and black glitters, the Black Opium Floral Shock bottle is tinted with a beautiful rose pink. The glitter coating fades away near the bottom to reveal a stunning ombre design. I was initially a bit worried that the glitters would shed like crazy but fortunately all the glitters are well coated with a layer of lacquer that prevents them from falling off.
The Fragrance:
I like to test out a fragrance before reading about its accords so imagine my surprise to find out that Black Opium Floral Shock is described as a white floral splashed with a shot of morning espresso! The fragrance opened on a soft citrus accord that's both delicious and refreshing. The bergamot and lemon quickly fade to reveal the cool pretty floral center. After that, well there really isn't much after that...
The fragrance fades incredibly quickly and the sillage is very weak. Not only did I not detect the "iced coffee" scent, I couldn't even pick up the vanilla or the woodsy accords. I know I don't have the most sensitive nose but this fragrance's base notes barely showed up! With that said, this is not a bad scent. If you like soft cool florals with a fresh citrus opening, then this may be worth a try. And heck, if you detect the coffee, drop a note and let me know!
The Bottle:
Housed in a slender flask-like glass bottle coated with a sparkling layer of silver and black glitters, the Black Opium Floral Shock bottle is tinted with a beautiful rose pink. The glitter coating fades away near the bottom to reveal a stunning ombre design. I was initially a bit worried that the glitters would shed like crazy but fortunately all the glitters are well coated with a layer of lacquer that prevents them from falling off.
I like to test out a fragrance before reading about its accords so imagine my surprise to find out that Black Opium Floral Shock is described as a white floral splashed with a shot of morning espresso! The fragrance opened on a soft citrus accord that's both delicious and refreshing. The bergamot and lemon quickly fade to reveal the cool pretty floral center. After that, well there really isn't much after that...
Top Notes: Bergamot, lemon, pear, freesia
Heart Notes: Gardenia, orange blossom, solar notes
Base Notes: Amberwood, vanilla, white musk, iced coffee
The fragrance fades incredibly quickly and the sillage is very weak. Not only did I not detect the "iced coffee" scent, I couldn't even pick up the vanilla or the woodsy accords. I know I don't have the most sensitive nose but this fragrance's base notes barely showed up! With that said, this is not a bad scent. If you like soft cool florals with a fresh citrus opening, then this may be worth a try. And heck, if you detect the coffee, drop a note and let me know!
Availability:
YSL is available online and in stores at Sephora, The Bay, Nordstrom, and Holt Renfrew.
