REVIEW: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium EDP...

So here we are in June already, and it suddenly hit me that I haven't done a fragrance review on the old blogaroo so far this year - wtf? I've a bit of catching up to do as I've added a few to my collection in 2020 (some bought, some gifted), so I'll start with this beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium EDP. Scored this intoxicating elixir last birthday, put it away for the Summer, and I've only just started wearing it now that the weather has cooled down. Strictly an under 20 degrees Celcius perfume (well for me anyway), this darling scores 10/10 for wow factor & 11/10 for presentation. People in the know talk about fragrance DNA and that often flankers have a similar base, but this is a whole new beast ♥...

Same bottle shape as the original, but coated in a glossy black roughened texture (some say "sequinned", I say more like stone). The overall look is stunning, though nowhere near as photogenic camera-wise. I struggled for hours to find a background and lighting that would show off its beauty adequately, but I'm reasonably happy with the end result, and after all, it's what it looks & feels like in-person, and what's inside that counts hey ♥ The liquid itself is a soft blush gold that ties in with the box trim beautifully, a detail that is appreciated by this matchaholic lol. When sprayed onto a tissue it is the palest pink (important for those who spray their clothes) but dries to almost invisible...

But enough about the packaging, let's get onto the juice, and what a juice it is. Top notes are advertised as pink pepper, orange blossom & pear, but I get vanilla spiced with a sprinkling of coffee from the get-go. It only takes a few minutes for a cloud of jasmine to explode, and that just about wipes out the coffee on my skin. There's the merest hint of liquorice, and as the minutes tick by, the patchouli waves hello and that plus the cedar takes the edge off the sweetness of the vanilla, almost like it's been toasted. Fascinating. Every now and then I catch a little whisp of fruit (it's pear but I can't tell) but overall, it's pretty much an earthy, spiced floral vanilla ♥...

It doesn't last as long as I'd hoped (only a few hours) and it stays quite close to the body, but that makes it a lot more office-friendly. There are tons of fragrances out there with a strong vanilla element so competition is fierce, but Black Opium has a slightly more sophisticated and mature edge than the ones I have, so she's high on my list of faves. My heart still belongs to the original formula though ♥...

Is Black Opium in your collection, or do you prefer the original?

Take care of you, and keep safe,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: May Empties!...

May was an exciting month for me - not for the volume of stuff I went through (very little sob), but the fact that I finished THREE bottles of fragrance. Whoopdeedoo! Getting to the bottom of a perfume bottle is a rare thing for me - I tend to rotate them to make them last, and of course I do a seasonal swap at this time of year, and put my warmer weather delights into a dark cavity until the first sign of a blossom. I was initially a wee bit sad though as two of them are no longer readily available, but my good friend Google managed to source some online stockists, so I can relax ♥ Not that I'm short of perfumes, but as every gal knows, they are like lipsticks - all totally unique, and therefore all totally justified lol...

Skin Therapy Dragon's Blood Sculpting Serum (30ml RRP $30)

My current serum of choice - prefer it over the L'Oreal one I said I'd stick with last month (typical me ha ha!). Apart from soothing my skin and firming my jawline a tad, I'm feeling a whole lot more comfortable as it has far less chemicals in it, more naturally occurring ingredients, and they're against animal testing. I seem to be heading down the path of natural skincare - I have to admit it hasn't been a conscious decision, I'm just finding that I prefer the texture or the smell or the performance of the ones that have been coming my way, so I guess you could say my shift is somewhat "organic", and I like that. All for the better I reckon, plus this one is available at the Coles ♥...

Repurchase?

On my second bottle, which interestingly came to me in the Marie Claire Ageless parcel (mini review HERE). I think the Universe is trying to tell me something! I'll definitely be buying it again ♥...

Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes EDP (50ml RRP $72)

This is my second bottle of Violet Eyes, the only ET fragrance that I like - discovered it in Chemist Warehouse about 3 years ago. A beautiful, feminine and romantic concoction that always elicits comments from fellas (they want to know what it is). A potent and long lasting oriental floral, I lovingly reviewed it briefly HERE...

Repurchase?

Most definitely - can't find it anywhere in-store, but there are some online stockists, and the price is roughly the same as what I paid (<$30) although I'll have to fork out for shipping. It's worth it ♥

Imperial Leather Anti-bacterial Cleansing Hand Wash - #42 Rockpool Indian Lotus & Waterlily (250ml RRP $3.99)

For me this is the most interesting variety of the Imperial Leather hand washes - comes in a body wash too, gorgeous deep tealy blue, and smells amazingly exotic, the body wash review is HERE ♥...

Repurchase?

Can't find it anywhere (sob!), only the body wash, but hey, it'll work for hands too, just not anti-bacterial...

Nude by Nature Daily Cleanser (125ml RRP $17.95)
My top of the pops cleanser - has not one flaw, already posted a rave rant HERE ♥...
Repurchase?
No prize for guessing the answer, it's a given ♥...

Kylie Minogue Dazzling Darling EDT (50ml RRP $59)

Kylie my dear - why on earth did you discontinue this gem? Sorry - I don't like Darling at all, but Dazzling Darling is a treasure. Bought several bottles of this at Christmas 2012 when it was $20 a pop at Priceline - actually five to be exact, gave away three as pressies and kept two for myself. Now it's only available at perfume clearance houses - boo! Review HERE ♥...

Repurchase?
Yes, very soon - found an online store that has it in stock so I better get cracking ♥

Urban Rituelle Fragrance Diffuser Set - Romance (Amber & Musk) (190ml RRP $39.95)

My all time favourite reed diffusers are from Urban Rituelle - not only are the fragrances made in heaven, the presentation is exquisite and they last for around 6 months! There are two I absolutely adore - this is one of them (reviewed HERE), the other is Comfort (Sandalwood & Tangerine) reviewed HERE which I have in my office, and will star in my June Empties post because it's almost depleted, but hey, I opened it in October last year, so that's 7 months - well worth the price tag ♥...

Repurchase?
Clever clogs Kats - I already had a spare in the cupboard ♥

Yves Saint Laurent Opium EDT (30ml RRP $80)

Rediscovered this fragrant delight just on 12 months ago, and considering I only wear it in Winter, I powered through the cute little bottle in record time. Fortunately Chemist Warehouse recently had the 90ml bottle on sale for $90, so I indulged, and am hoping this bigger size will see me through a couple of rotations. It's only an EDT but it sure packs a punch. Absolutely adore it - call me old fashioned but I don't like the Black variety at all, can't fathom what all the fuss is about. We're all different hey. Dedicated an entire post to this oriental beauty HERE ♥...

Repurchase?
Affirmative ♥...

Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof Mascara (RRP $19.95)

My number one mascara, and high on my list of can't-live-withouts. Although my lashes have quadrupled in volume (from nothing) thanks to RapidLash, I still need a mascara that has fibres in it, and this is the best I've tried. Others irritate my eyes (especially the ones where you apply a base coat and then all the fluffy bits), but not one speck of discomfort from this, and my lashes show up in my EOTD pics. Doesn't budge, flake or smudge either ♥...

Repurchase?

Absolutely - I always buy one when they're on special, and my most recent stocktake revealed four spares ♥...

Have you tried any of these goodies?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

REVIEW: Yves Saint Laurent Opium EDT...

I first discovered Yves Saint Laurent Opium when I was in my late teens - at the time I thought it was the sexiest perfume in existence, but I couldn't afford the real thing, so I settled for those cheap "copies" that were around at the time (and still are I believe). I bought a genuine bottle of it in my thirties, fell in love with it again, and then veered off the path, preferring Calvin Klein's Obsession instead (they're both orientals). But thanks to Priceline's recent half price sale, I'm rediscovering my passion for this exquisite classic. And after wearing it for a couple of weeks now, you know what? I haven't changed my teenage opinion - this is such a voluptuous womanly fragrance, and now that I've matured, I doubt I'll be unfaithful ever again ♥

Originally created in 1977, in my opinion this is perfume perfection - from the moment it hits my skin to hours and hours later, it remains beautiful and true, the sign of a master blender. On me it doesn't fade or develop into anything else - spicy, woody, powdery, sweet, smokey. I'm sitting here feeling like a High Priestess about to perform some sacred ritual - that's how special it is! There's not one teeny tiny thing about it that I don't adore. The bottle is a stunner too - I could spend hours (days!) photographing it, and I'm lashing myself for only purchasing 30mls of EDT...

The list of ingredients goes on and on, and here is but a small selection of the components (that I recognise) - coriander, plum, mandarin orange, pepper, jasmine, cloves, bergamot, carnation, sandalwood, patchouli, cinnamon, peach, lily-of-the-valley, rose, sandalwood, musk, coconut, vanilla, vetiver, incense, cedar, myrrh, and amber. Unbelievable!

This is an absolute must if you love spicy, mysterious, seductive, earthy orientals that are warming, comforting, and screamingly sensual. Believe me, it leaves anything else shuddering in it's wake. Despite my passion for a huge variety of scents, this one is the crown jewel in my collection. I'll be on the lookout for more sales of this legendary fragrance, and hopefully will nab the EDP very soon - I don't think I can live without it ♥

Take care of you,
kats xxx