I consider fragrance to be a finishing detail to any outfit I wear. I got my first (designer) fragrance when I was 15, and I haven’t looked back since. My collection is ever expanding, and while I might receive and buy a lot of fragrances, not all of them find a permanent place in my beauty room. I wear a different fragrance almost every day, as I always pick the scent of the day depending on my mood- on Mondays I like something a bit more heavy that will last the whole day, while on Fridays I like something very fresh and light. I will be honest in saying that the original Opium had no space in my fragrance collection at all,and the Black Opium only popped up in it once or twice.However their youngest sibling Black Opium Nuit Blanche, is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
If you’re not familiar with the famous YSL Opium let me walk you through it briefly- the original Opium was launched in 1997 and caused a bit of a stir in the beauty world given its name and the advert. It has become one of the most well-known fragrances in the world, but I will be the first to say that I am not a fan of the original version at all. I find it way, way too heavy for my liking, but it’s a signature fragrance for many. Two years ago YSL released Black Opium, a completely different fragrance on its own with a much younger vibe. Black Opium is for a much younger person(in my opinion) than the original, and it’s still kept its spiciness with notes of pink pepper but added delicious notes of coffee, which is of course a whole different addiction on its own.
Now with the launch of Nuit Blanche, the fragrance takes a new turn with the endless white night. I’ve experienced what we call a “white night” while in Saint Petersburg where during a few weeks in the summer, the sun doesn’t go down at all. Imagine just how beautiful it is for the sun to not go down, and for the night to go on forever? That’s the essence of this delicious fragrance that had me taken with its notes of rice (yes rice), orange blossom, warm vanilla and white coffee beans. It’s your wake-up call, and your addiction. Sounds delicious doesn’t it?
The bottle also got a small make-over, and while Black Opium Nuit Blanche carries over the iconic shape of the Opium bottle, everything else is different. The bottle sparkles beautifully with the added glitter to it, and the rose gold cap reminds you of the White Nights part. So what is the main difference between the original and the Nuit Blanche that I enjoyed so much? I found the original too sweet for my liking, with the top sweet notes of pear and pink pepper sticking onto me the whole day. I think the rice note in the Nuit Blanche adds some powdery-ness to the fragrance and breaks up the sweet scent. I find it a lot lighter, and I wouldn’t only wear it during the night, it’s a lovely fragrance to wear during the day as well. While on the first sniff you might find the two scents very similar, give it a couple of minutes to settle and then you will see (or should I say smell) the difference.
If you enjoy lighter scents with a hint of vanilla and coffee, then make sure to grab the Black Opium Nuit Blanche at a store near you!R830 for 30 ml, R1140 for the 50ml and R1500 for the 90ml.
Take a trip through the night, he said. Party with us, they said. Instructions? Not my thing. Let the journey begin. For a little while, or forever. From dark until light. Let it be endless, sleepless. A rush of sheer pleasure. Coursing through my veins. Always on; never off. Seeing in the dawn a blinding light. An electric city. MY WHITE NIGHT.
*Product send by YSL
Rachel says
So which one is better? Black Opium or it’s new friend, Black Opium Nuit Blanche? Currently obsessed with Black Opium but it’s running low and will need replacing soon so which would you recommend?
Irina Doman says
Its a personal choice of course, but I prefer the Nuit Blanche. The original Black Opium is too sweet for me, but if you like long lasting fragrances rather go for the original, because Nuit Blanche will fade away a bit quicker 🙂