YSL Belle D'Opium

A new addition to my perfume collection, courtesy of my lovely auntie :)

There is a dark mystery about this perfume which captures the imagination and lends a sexy, sultry demeanour to the wearer.



I first met this fragrance when I made an order from Debenhams for some MAC. They sent me a little sample with my goodies and I thought I'd give it a bash. I don't like the regular Opium. Or I didn't last time I smelt it, so I was a bit sceptical. Still, I know my nose has changed slightly and what the hell...

I fell in love. It filled the gap in my perfume collection that I didn't even know existed until then. It is warm, and musky, and sweet and heady all at the same time.

The heart notes are Casablanca Lily, Jasmine Absolute and Incense, the top notes are Peach and Pepper and the base notes resin and sandalwood. On paper I doubt I'd pick this, but on my skin... it is grown up and sophisticated, sultry and ravishing. On first spray it is fruity, musky and floral all at once, then gives way sometime later to musky floral. At the end of a long day there are echoes of a dusky floral note with the dusty musk.

My thought when smelling my wrist at the end of the day? It smells like how you imagine sex to smell. You know when you are a teenager and you start reading all those heady romance novels, and watching all those films where the protaganist and the heroine have wonderful passionate sex betwixt white cotton sheets, somehow managing to keep her hair and make up in perfect condition throughout? At the end of the day (8+ hours), this perfume smells like that.

I quite like the bottle as well. It is a pretty colour, with a striking design, matching with elegance the oriental nature of this fragrance.