Fragrance comparison

Black Opium vs Libre

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 52,159 ratings analysed

Black Opium

Yves Saint Laurent · 2014

3.9532,244 votes

Rank #25,107 VanillaCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Libre

Yves Saint Laurent

3.9419,915 votes

Rank #1,445 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Libre takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Opium
Choose it for a vanilla and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Libre
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Black Opium2/7

Libre4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black OpiumYves Saint Laurent

LibreYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 32,244 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

3.94/ 5 · 19,915 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerBlack OpiumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

35%Like

10%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

32,244 votes

40%Love

32%Like

13%Ok

12%Dislike

3%Hate

19,915 votes

Category winnerBlack OpiumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityLibre

SillageLibre

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

coffee87%

sweet82%

white floral75%

warm spicy75%

soft spicy64%

white floral100%

citrus92%

lavender84%

vanilla77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both vanilla, white floral and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PearPink PepperOrange BlossomTesting note activity logging

Heart

CoffeeJasmineBitter AlmondLicorice

Base

VanillaPatchouliCashmere WoodCedar

Top

LavenderMandarin OrangeBlack CurrantPetitgrain

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmine

Base

Madagascar VanillaMuskCedarAmbergris

InformationalShared notesOrange Blossom, Jasmine, Vanilla and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring24

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring93

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerLibreMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex7

Women92

Men2

Unisex13

Women85

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,107

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Marie Salamagne, Nathalie Lorson, Olivier Cresp

Launched2014

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,445

PerfumerAnne Flipo, Carlos Benaïm

Launched—

Reviews210

Category winnerLibreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium is a sweet, warm coffee and vanilla perfume designed for night outs and cooler weather. It opens with juicy pear, sparkling pink pepper, and white orange blossom before settling into its signature blend of dark roasted coffee, bitter almond, and sweet licorice. As it dries down, rich van…

Reviews →

Libre by Yves Saint Laurent takes clean, herbal French lavender and blends it with sweet Moroccan orange blossom and juicy mandarin. The opening smells crisp, bright, and invigorating, resembling a luxury citrus soap before deepening into a warm, creamy floral bouquet. As it settles, smooth Madagascar vanilla and gen…

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, Black Opium or Libre?

Libre takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Opium is rated 3.95/5 from 32,244 votes; Libre is rated 3.94/5 from 19,915 votes. Choose Black Opium for a vanilla and coffee character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Libre for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Opium or Libre?

Libre lasts longest (Libre 70/100, Black Opium 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Opium or Libre?

Libre projects furthest (Libre 61/100, Black Opium 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Opium and Libre smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, white floral and sweet accords. Common notes include Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Vanilla and Cedar.

Is Black Opium or Libre better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Opium is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Opium is the stronger pick. Black Opium suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Opium and Libre?

Black Opium has top notes of Pear, Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom and Testing note activity logging, heart notes of Coffee, Jasmine, Bitter Almond and Licorice, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli, Cashmere Wood and Cedar. Libre has top notes of Lavender, Mandarin Orange, Black Currant and Petitgrain, heart notes of Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Musk, Cedar and Ambergris.