Fragrance comparison

Alien Essence Absolue vs Opium Collector Edition 2008

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 6,324 ratings analysed

5 wins

Alien Essence Absolue

Mugler

4.356,257 votes

Rank #608 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Opium Collector Edition 2008

Yves Saint Laurent

3.9667 votes

Rank #24,580 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Alien Essence Absolue takes 5 of 7 categories.

Alien Essence Absolue
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Opium Collector Edition 2008
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Alien Essence Absolue5/7

Opium Collector Edition 20081/7

Ratings & consensus: Alien Essence Absolue
Community sentiment: Alien Essence Absolue
Longevity: Alien Essence Absolue
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Alien Essence Absolue
Versatility: Opium Collector Edition 2008
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Alien Essence Absolue

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Alien Essence AbsolueMugler

Opium Collector Edition 2008Yves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 6,257 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 67 votes

Have 34%Had 20%Want 46%

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

43%Love

31%Like

3%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

67 votes

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityAlien Essence Absolue

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value44

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

vanilla88%

white floral77%

balsamic65%

powdery53%

woody42%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

Scent match37%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

ClovesWest Indian BayMandarin OrangePlumJasmineCitrusesCorianderPepper

Heart

CarnationCinnamonRoseSandalwoodPatchouliOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

MyrrhAmberIncenseOpoponaxVanillaBenzoinTolu BalsamLabdanum

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

Spring46

Summer46

Fall100

Winter92

Day50

Night100

Category winnerOpium Collector Edition 2008Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex12

Women87

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

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#608

PerfumerPierre Aulas

Launched—

Reviews205

Overall rank#24,580

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerAlien Essence AbsolueHigher 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 →

Opium Collector Edition 2008 by Yves Saint Laurent delivers a bold blast of spiced cloves, dark stewed plum, and sun-warmed resins. Built on the iconic spicy DNA created by Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac, this limited release opens with fiery black pepper and sharp mandarin orange before settling into velvety carnat…

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 Collector Edition 2008?

Alien Essence Absolue takes 5 of 7 categories. Alien Essence Absolue is rated 4.35/5 from 6,257 votes; Opium Collector Edition 2008 is rated 3.96/5 from 67 votes. Choose Alien Essence Absolue for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Opium Collector Edition 2008 for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium Collector Edition 2008?

They last about the same: Alien Essence Absolue 82/100, Opium Collector Edition 2008 80/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium Collector Edition 2008?

Projection is very close: Alien Essence Absolue 73/100, Opium Collector Edition 2008 73/100 for sillage.

Do Alien Essence Absolue and Opium Collector Edition 2008 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% 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 Collector Edition 2008 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Opium Collector Edition 2008 is the stronger pick. For winter, Alien Essence Absolue is the stronger pick. Alien Essence Absolue suits evening wear; Opium Collector Edition 2008 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alien Essence Absolue and Opium Collector Edition 2008?

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 Collector Edition 2008 has top notes of Cloves, West Indian Bay, Mandarin Orange and Plum, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Rose and Sandalwood, a base of Myrrh, Amber, Incense and Opoponax.