Fragrance comparison

Alien Essence Absolue vs Opium (1977)

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 14,652 ratings analysed

Alien Essence Absolue

Mugler

4.356,257 votes

Rank #608 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Opium (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent

3.978,395 votes

Rank #415 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Alien Essence Absolue
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Opium (1977)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Alien Essence Absolue3/7

Opium (1977)4/7

Ratings & consensus: Alien Essence Absolue
Community sentiment: Alien Essence Absolue
Longevity: Opium (1977)
Sillage & projection: Opium (1977)
Value for money: Opium (1977)
Versatility: Alien Essence Absolue
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opium (1977)

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Alien Essence AbsolueMugler

Opium (1977)Yves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 6,257 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

3.97/ 5 · 8,395 votes

Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

31%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

6,257 votes

44%Love

32%Like

1%Ok

22%Dislike

1%Hate

8,395 votes

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityOpium (1977)

SillageOpium (1977)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value53

Category winnerOpium (1977)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

vanilla88%

white floral77%

balsamic65%

powdery53%

woody42%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

balsamic83%

woody74%

aromatic65%

powdery56%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both amber, balsamic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

Jasmine

Heart3-4 hrs

Cashmere WoodOrris Root

Base8-12+ hrs

Vanilla PodWhite AmberMyrrhIncense

Top

ClovesPepperCorianderWest Indian BayPlumJasmineMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

CarnationCinnamonSandalwoodPatchouliRoseOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

IncenseMyrrhTolu BalsamAmberOpoponaxBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Orris Root, Myrrh and Incense. Durations are only published for Alien Essence Absolue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer16

Fall0

Winter100

Day27

Night100

Spring19

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex12

Women87

Date 42%Party 33%Casual 16%Work 9%

Men3

Unisex36

Women61

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#608

PerfumerPierre Aulas

Launched—

Reviews205

Overall rank#415

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Raymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerOpium (1977)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler Alien Essence Absolue is a lavish oriental woody fragrance that reimagines the brand's iconic space-age jasmine through a pool of dark, molten vanilla. Sprayed on skin, it opens with a dramatic flash of sun-drenched jasmine sambac before melting into velvety orris root and creamy cashmere wood. The true star is…

Reviews →

Yves Saint Laurent Opium (1977) opens like a warm, crackling hearth on a freezing winter night. The first spray hits with a sharp burst of dried clove buds, fresh black pepper, and dark plum before mellowing into rich cinnamon, spicy red carnation, and creamy sandalwood. As it settles on warm skin, deep frankincense, …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories. Alien Essence Absolue is rated 4.35/5 from 6,257 votes; Opium (1977) is rated 3.97/5 from 8,395 votes. Choose Alien Essence Absolue for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Opium (1977) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) lasts longest (Opium (1977) 88/100, Alien Essence Absolue 82/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) projects furthest (Opium (1977) 82/100, Alien Essence Absolue 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alien Essence Absolue and Opium (1977) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, balsamic and woody accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Orris Root, Myrrh and Incense.

Is Alien Essence Absolue or Opium (1977) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Alien Essence Absolue is the stronger pick. For winter, Alien Essence Absolue is the stronger pick. Alien Essence Absolue suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alien Essence Absolue and Opium (1977)?

Alien Essence Absolue has top notes of Jasmine, heart notes of Cashmere Wood and Orris Root, a base of Vanilla Pod, White Amber, Myrrh and Incense. Opium (1977) has top notes of Cloves, Pepper, Coriander and West Indian Bay, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Patchouli, a base of Incense, Myrrh, Tolu Balsam and Amber.