Fragrance comparison

Opium (1977) vs Patchouli Imperial

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 8,711 ratings analysed

4 wins

Opium (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent

3.978,395 votes

Rank #421 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

Patchouli Imperial

Dior · 2018

4.13316 votes

Rank #3,932 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Opium (1977)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Patchouli Imperial
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.

Opium (1977)4/7

Patchouli Imperial3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Opium (1977)Yves Saint Laurent

Patchouli ImperialDior

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 8,395 votes

Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 316 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerPatchouli ImperialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

32%Like

1%Ok

22%Dislike

1%Hate

8,395 votes

48%Love

28%Like

13%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

316 votes

Category winnerPatchouli ImperialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityOpium (1977)

SillageOpium (1977)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value36

Category winnerOpium (1977)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

balsamic83%

woody74%

aromatic65%

powdery56%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

patchouli77%

vanilla69%

aromatic61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both warm spicy, amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ClovesPepperCorianderWest Indian BayPlumJasmineMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

CarnationCinnamonSandalwoodPatchouliRoseOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

IncenseMyrrhTolu BalsamAmberOpoponaxBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

Top

BergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

CorianderCinnamonRose

Base

PatchouliAmberSmokeBenzoinCedarSandalwoodTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Cinnamon. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring19

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring51

Summer15

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPatchouli ImperialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex36

Women61

Men30

Unisex58

Women12

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#421

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Raymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#3,932

PerfumerFrançois Demachy

Launched2018

Reviews47

Category winnerOpium (1977)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Dior Patchouli Imperial strips away the damp, unwashed soil often linked with patchouli, replacing it with a clean, wood-shop warmth. The opening starts with a crisp splash of bergamot and sweet mandarin orange, quickly tempered by a herbal dash of crushed coriander seed. As the citrus settles, dry cedarwood, spicy ci…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Opium (1977) or Patchouli Imperial?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories. Opium (1977) is rated 3.97/5 from 8,395 votes; Patchouli Imperial is rated 4.13/5 from 316 votes. Choose Opium (1977) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Patchouli Imperial for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Opium (1977) or Patchouli Imperial?

Opium (1977) lasts longest (Opium (1977) 88/100, Patchouli Imperial 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opium (1977) or Patchouli Imperial?

Opium (1977) projects furthest (Opium (1977) 82/100, Patchouli Imperial 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opium (1977) and Patchouli Imperial smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Coriander, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Cinnamon.

Is Opium (1977) or Patchouli Imperial better for summer or winter?

For summer, Patchouli Imperial is the stronger pick. For winter, Opium (1977) is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opium (1977) and Patchouli Imperial?

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. Patchouli Imperial has top notes of Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Coriander, Cinnamon and Rose, a base of Patchouli, Amber, Smoke and Benzoin.