This smells nasty as a badger's arse on card, but on the skin the sweet, playful nature of the florals begins to dance and flirt, and the (admittedly strong) civet doesn't completely dominate. On skin it also quickly loses the petrolly, chemical edge that remains when I spray it on a strip. It doesn't smell like Malle's Superstitious, but it shares something, perhaps the loud, unabashed jasmine fanfare with skanky retro opulence. I'd say Opus IX is easier to wear than Superstitious, maybe because it lacks the explosion of cheesey aldehydes. I'm a sucker for beeswax and here, it really creeps in after an hour or so, absolutely marvelous. This is a unique and beautiful creation which could never have been very popular, and is a far cry from Amouage's current output (I'm not a salmon-hater BTW). It does that thing of being very modern while also seeming like a love letter to 80s bangers of yore.
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7 months ago
The Library Collection Opus IX, from Amouage was released in 2015. The perfumer behind this creation is Nathalie Lorson and Pierre Negrin. It has the top notes of Camellia, Jasmine, and Pepper, middle notes of Beeswax, Guaiac Wood, and Leather, and base notes of Ambergris, Civet, and Vetiver.
This smells nasty as a badger's arse on card, but on the skin the sweet, playful nature of the florals begins to dance and flirt, and the (admittedly strong) civet doesn't completely dominate. On skin it also quickly loses the petrolly, chemical edge that remains when I spray it on a strip. It doesn't smell like Malle's Superstitious, but it shares something, perhaps the loud, unabashed jasmine fanfare with skanky retro opulence. I'd say Opus IX is easier to wear than Superstitious, maybe because it lacks the explosion of cheesey aldehydes. I'm a sucker for beeswax and here, it really creeps in after an hour or so, absolutely marvelous. This is a unique and beautiful creation which could never have been very popular, and is a far cry from Amouage's current output (I'm not a salmon-hater BTW). It does that thing of being very modern while also seeming like a love letter to 80s bangers of yore.