Jacques Cavallier-BelletrudThe nose · 228 fragrances · also made Opium Pour Homme Eau de Parfum (1995)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Yves Saint Laurent · Sold as masculine
Opium Pour Homme
The quiet intensity of an office late at night, where the warm glow of desk lamps mixes with the subtle spiciness and woodsy notes of a well-worn leather chair.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Opium Pour HommePremium · $100–250
31%Similar accords, often for lessSecret Craving · Victoria's SecretBudget tier, under $40 · shares black currant8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
TopOpening
BaseFoundation
Main Accords
When to Wear
Who Wears It
The story behind the bottle.
Launched in 1995 by Yves Saint Laurent, Opium Pour Homme was one of the first eau de parfum-concentration masculine launches. Created by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, this fragrance opens with star anise and black currant, creating a fresh spicy and fruity accord that transitions into notes of pepper and galanga, adding warmth and depth. The base features bourbon vanilla, tolu balsam, and atlas cedar, grounding the composition in a rich, powdery woody aroma.
Opium Pour Homme has attained cult status among enthusiasts and collectors, particularly since it went out of production and its formula changed. Its distinctive blend of spicy and powdery notes continues to evoke a sense of nostalgia and sophistication.
Two sprays are sufficient for this fragrance to develop its full richness. The spicy and fruity top notes fade within two hours but leave room for the bourbon vanilla and woody base to emerge, providing a lingering warmth throughout the day.
Fig. 01 — Opium Pour Homme, Yves Saint Laurent
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
Live prices aren't shown yet. Each link opens that seller's own search; we may earn a commission.
Not sure it's you?
Five questions, about a minute, no account. You get a shortlist that fits how you actually wear fragrance.
Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud
Louis Vuitton's master perfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud is the master perfumer at Louis Vuitton and one of the most accomplished noses in the industry.
“It was like a game, but it helped me, step by step, learn the language of perfume.”
Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud · Thames & Hudson / Sharp Magazine profiles
The Opium Pour Homme line
4 fragrances, compared side by side
Designer Yves Saint Laurent
More from the house · founded 1961 · France
You Might Also Like
Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalOpium Pour HommeYves Saint Laurent · Premium · $100–250Victoria's Secret · 2012Secret CravingShares Black currantunder $40★ 4.08 (163)37%Match
Azzaro · 2008CockpitShares Star anise, Pepper and Tolu balsam$40–100★ 4.03 (29)32%Match
Rabanne · 2004Ultraviolet Aurore Borealis EditionShares Pepper$40–100★ 3.43 (35)
With Yves Saint Laurent Opium Extrait de Parfum 40th Anniversary Edition
Adds white floral, citrus and patchouli; shares four accords.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
A community favourite: loved by 53%, disliked or hated by 9%.