I've not smelled the original, so this isn't a comparison. I have a tendency to pull a lot of chocolate with these types of scents, and this is no exception. It smells like a Big Turk, but in the best way. It's an uncomplicated sweet scent, perfectly balanced with rose and coffee, stopping it from becoming childish or screechy. This is everything I expected from Black Opium, but never found (overcomplicated mess of a scent profile). I think the simplicity is why it doesn't require much time to settle into the skin. I would say it stays pretty close, so don't expect it to walk into a room before you do. I would definitely buy again.