โฃ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ป๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ 90๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ข๐บโฃโฃ
The way the new generation learns about fragrances these days is completely alien from how I did in the 90s, my formative years when I first started collecting. Paper carried weight back then, not electrons.โฃโฃ
There was no AI. There was no YouTube or TikTok. Even public, non-military use of the internet was a brand-new thing. I vividly remember when an America Online installation CD came to our home. I first learned of email in school in what was called Computer Labโwe could not begin to dream of how it would come to replace paper mail. We were accustomed to waiting for information; we could not pursue and consume it the way people do today.โฃโฃ
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In those days we relied heavily on the advice of people working fragrance counters at big department stores, usually in crowded malls. Going to the mall to try fragrances was an event, and we all had our favourite brands. We also heavily relied on what our friends said much more than these days, because there was no concept of a fragrance community.โฃโฃ
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Aside from malls and friends, many of us were introduced to fragrances by magazines. Hands up for anyone who remembers how ads would have stickers that, when pulled, let you smell the fragrance underneath.โฃโฃ
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For me, analog fragrance collecting is not just theoretical. A magazine is how I got introduced to one of my first fragrance loves, Yves Saint Laurent Opium Pour Homme, a fragrance I was reunited with this week.โฃโฃ
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SLAMโmy favourite basketball magazine as a teen and diehard Chicago Bulls fanโwas not just about hoops; it was about everything surrounding the sport: fashion, culture, art. First released in 1994, it came out quarterly. My friends and I waited for SLAM with the devotion of an expecting mother.โฃโฃ
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I was flipping through an early issue when a page about the hottest fragrances caught my eye. Opium for men, with its golden juice, navy cap and bamboo-like flacon immediately stood out.โฃโฃ
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I mentioned it to my mother, who promptly bought me a bottle of the EDT from the local mall. In all transparency, I had never smelled Opium before I owned it, but I was head over heels at first sniff. Named after a drug derived from poppy plants, it had no poppy to speak of, yet it was equally addictive.โฃโฃ
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Opium was my jam in the 90s. A fresh, spicy oriental built around star anise with a crackling fruity black currant note, it made whatever I was doing feel special. As an EDT it projected strongly for two hours before becoming a skin scent and fading a few hours later.โฃโฃ
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This was my first introduction to a Western house combining French flair and Eastern exoticism, a distant precursor to my obsession with Amouage.โฃโฃ
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I drifted away from Opium after my teens. I rarely smelled it, yet its pull stayed with me. Now discontinued and selling for $150 CAD plus tax, I never thought I would be reunited with it. Thatโs a lot of money for what I told myself was just nostalgia.โฃโฃ
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That all changed yesterday.โฃโฃ
โฃ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ โฆ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐งโฃ
I was skimming Facebook Marketplace when I noticed a young guy selling several vintage fragrances, including an almost full 100 ml bottle of YSL Opium EDT for $60 CAD. I shared photos of the bottle, base and atomizer with a trusted authentication group. After confirmation it was legit and, according to CheckFresh, a 2018 batch, I locked it in and told the seller I would be there in a few hours.โฃโฃ
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(Quick note: there are fantastic deals right now. With the economy struggling in Canada, purchasing seems down across the board. There are noticeably fewer buyers than even a year or two ago. With more sellers, prices are lower and can often be negotiated. Check Facebook groups and Marketplace, and always do your due diligence.)โฃโฃ
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The seller was a young guy who clearly loved 80s and 90s fragrances. He handed over the worn Opium box, and I immediately pulled out the bottle and sprayed it twiceโonce on each side of my neck.โฃโฃ
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The nostalgia was immediate. I was back in my freshman year of high school, watching Michael Jordan destroy opponents on TV, hanging out at the mall and chilling with friends. Some might say memories are not closely linked to fragrance, but my experience definitely said otherwise.โฃโฃ
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As it settled, the seller went back in and brought out more bottles: Dior Fahrenheit and Cerruti 1881 EDT. He also had the original Acqua di Gio EDT (half empty) and a full Guerlain Habit Rouge EDT tester in the old Listerine-style bottle, missing the cap. He was selling the ADG and Habit Rouge for $60 CAD each, a ridiculous bargain. He mentioned he was moving back to his home country in a week, and I made a mental note that I might need to return.โฃโฃ
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Back in my car, I sprayed Opium again, this time on my right hand and brought it to my nose. It was slightly different from how I remembered and likely reformulated, but certainly it was close enough, especially at $60. The star anise, vanilla, and fruity black currant were all there. It felt alive in a way that far more expensive purchases have not.โฃโฃ
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The closest comparison was Amouage Jubilation 40, not in opulence, but in the shared spiciness and black currant, which bear more than a passing similarity. Opium does not have anything remotely approaching Amouage’s famous frankincense and the performance still is about 4-5 hours at best, typical of an EDT, not like Jubi 40’s beastmode longevity. Opium is not a replacment by any stretch of the imagination, but if you can enjoy one then you will likely enjoy the other. โฃโฃ
๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌโฃโฃ
Iโve been wearing YSL Opium Pour Homme since last night: at home writing this, on an early Saturday hike to watch the sunrise over Lake Ontario and while running errands. It is beautifully composed and, for me, both familiar and exciting, like unexpectedly reconnecting with a long-lost best friend and realizing nothing has changed.โฃโฃ
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While I donโt think Opium works for me as a signature scent, it absolutely excels for casual yet special occasions. Younger frag bros may not gravitate toward it, but any man over 40 could wear it well. I donโt expect compliments, but thatโs fine, Iโm wearing it for myself.โฃโฃ
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I realize a discontinued EDP version also exists and is extremely rare. For now, most people will only find the EDT at discounters. I donโt know how long it will remain available, but I plan on backing up my bottle soon.โฃโฃ
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Back when I first came across Opium, discovering a fragrance took patience. You waited, you stumbled into it and you trusted your instincts. There were no shortcuts. Finding Opium again brought me back to that time, when less information could somehow make the experience richer and more personal. Today we have everything at our fingertipsโand I am grateful for it allโyet moments like spraying an old love still cut through the noise in an unforgettable way. โฃโฃ
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A random listing, a quick decision and suddenly you are right back where it all started. Some things change, but the way a fragrance connects to you never really does.
