Fragrance comparison

Opium (1977) vs Serenity

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 8,479 ratings analysed

6 wins

Opium (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent

3.978,395 votes

Rank #424 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Serenity

Pure Sense

3.5084 votes

Rank #17,259 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium (1977) takes 6 of 7 categories.

Opium (1977)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Serenity
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Opium (1977)6/7

Serenity1/7

Ratings & consensus: Opium (1977)
Community sentiment: Opium (1977)
Longevity: Opium (1977)
Sillage & projection: Opium (1977)
Value for money: Opium (1977)
Versatility: Serenity
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

SerenityPure Sense

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 8,395 votes

Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%

3.50/ 5 · 84 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

Category winnerOpium (1977)Rating 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

25%Love

31%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

8%Hate

84 votes

Category winnerOpium (1977)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityOpium (1977)

SillageOpium (1977)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value46

Category winnerOpium (1977)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

balsamic83%

woody74%

aromatic65%

powdery56%

sweet100%

fruity92%

coconut84%

woody77%

vanilla69%

aromatic61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody and aromatic

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

Top15-30 mins

MintPomeloDavanaBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MarzipanDried FruitsPlumWild BerriesPinot Noir grapesCinnamonNutmeg

Base6-8+ hrs

CoconutTonka BeanSandalwoodIncense

InformationalShared notesPlum, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Serenity, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring19

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring33

Summer37

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night81

Category winnerSerenityMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex36

Women61

Men2

Unisex34

Women64

Casual 36%Date 28%Work 25%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#424

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Raymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#17,259

PerfumerAlexander Yashin

Launched—

Reviews8

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 →

Pure Sense Serenity offers a curious and comforting twist on modern gourmand perfumery. The fragrance starts with an unexpected splash of cool garden mint, bright bergamot, and slightly bitter pomelo peel. That herbal zest keeps the scent from becoming overly cloying. Soon, a rich heart of crushed marzipan, sweet drie…

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, Opium (1977) or Serenity?

Opium (1977) takes 6 of 7 categories. Opium (1977) is rated 3.97/5 from 8,395 votes; Serenity is rated 3.50/5 from 84 votes. Choose Opium (1977) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Serenity for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Opium (1977) or Serenity?

Opium (1977) lasts longest (Opium (1977) 88/100, Serenity 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opium (1977) or Serenity?

Opium (1977) projects furthest (Opium (1977) 82/100, Serenity 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opium (1977) and Serenity smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Plum, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Sandalwood.

Is Opium (1977) or Serenity better for summer or winter?

For summer, Serenity is the stronger pick. For winter, Opium (1977) is the stronger pick. Serenity suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opium (1977) and Serenity?

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. Serenity has top notes of Mint, Pomelo, Davana and Bergamot, heart notes of Marzipan, Dried Fruits, Plum and Wild Berries, a base of Coconut, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood and Incense.