The original power oriental — a spiced, resinous manifesto of 1970s excess that rewrote the rules of mainstream femininity.
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Sensory Profile
Composition
Concentration Eau de Toilette
Style Classical
Notable Ingredients
mandarin clove jasmine myrrh benzoin sandalwood vanilla
Olfactory Structure
Family Oriental
Evolution Dramatic
Sillage 8/10
Character
Moods
opulent intoxicating powerful mysterious
Season
Autumn Winter
Occasion
EveningThematic Territory
A velvet-curtained theatre of spice and resin, Opium channels the Western fascination with Eastern mystique into a perfume that remains one of the most unapologetically maximalist compositions in mainstream perfumery.
Era & Context
Classical
Launched amid controversy over its name, Opium became the definitive power fragrance of the late 1970s and a symbol of the era's hedonism. Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Jean Amic created a spiced oriental that set the template for an entire decade of opulent perfumery.
Spiritual Links
Influences
Absorbed from
Guerlain Shalimar The blueprint of the grand oriental — Shalimar's vanilla-incense architecture gave Opium its structural foundation
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