Fragrance comparison

Alien Essence Absolue vs Opium Parfum

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 7,214 ratings analysed

Alien Essence Absolue

Mugler

4.356,257 votes

Rank #608 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Opium Parfum

Yves Saint Laurent

4.54957 votes

Rank #300 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium Parfum takes 6 of 7 categories.

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

Alien Essence Absolue0/7

Opium Parfum6/7

Ratings & consensus: Opium Parfum
Community sentiment: Opium Parfum
Longevity: Opium Parfum
Sillage & projection: Opium Parfum
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Opium Parfum
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opium Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Alien Essence AbsolueMugler

Opium ParfumYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 6,257 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

4.54/ 5 · 957 votes

Have 61%Had 39%Want 0%

Category winnerOpium ParfumRating 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

69%Love

22%Like

3%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

957 votes

Category winnerOpium ParfumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityOpium Parfum

SillageOpium Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

vanilla88%

white floral77%

balsamic65%

powdery53%

woody42%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

Scent match43%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

ClovesPepperMandarin OrangeCorianderPlumCitrusesWest Indian BayJasmine

Heart

CarnationCinnamonPatchouliSandalwoodRoseOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

MyrrhIncenseAmberTolu BalsamVanillaOpoponaxCastoreumBenzoin

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

Spring29

Summer22

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOpium ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex12

Women87

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

Men1

Unisex33

Women66

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#608

PerfumerPierre Aulas

Launched—

Reviews205

Overall rank#300

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac

Launched—

Reviews50

Category winnerOpium ParfumHigher 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 Parfum is a dense, smoky spice blend built around pungent cloves, rich resins, and dry woods. The opening hits immediately with dark plum, sharp coriander, and warm crushed cloves before softening into a velvety heart of red carnation and cinnamon. In the deep dry-down, sweet myrrh, smooth san…

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 Parfum?

Opium Parfum takes 6 of 7 categories. Alien Essence Absolue is rated 4.35/5 from 6,257 votes; Opium Parfum is rated 4.54/5 from 957 votes. Choose Alien Essence Absolue for a amber and vanilla character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Opium Parfum for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium Parfum?

Opium Parfum lasts longest (Opium Parfum 85/100, Alien Essence Absolue 82/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alien Essence Absolue or Opium Parfum?

Opium Parfum projects furthest (Opium Parfum 78/100, Alien Essence Absolue 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alien Essence Absolue and Opium Parfum smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% 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 Parfum better for summer or winter?

For summer, Opium Parfum 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 Parfum?

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 Parfum has top notes of Cloves, Pepper, Mandarin Orange and Coriander, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Patchouli and Sandalwood, a base of Myrrh, Incense, Amber and Tolu Balsam.