The Library Collection Opus X

Opus X is more than a perfume, a shadow that follows you like the violin notes from which the perfumer was inspired. Like a melody that you have in mind and which never leaves you, this perfume balms our mind and we are transported in the magic of this rose with metallic accents with geranium to deposit us on a cloud of varnish. A perfume of inspiration and character for an informed nose, the must.

As strange as it smells, I actually find it quite pleasant! Almost a masterpiece even (I've never smelled anything like it)! It's an very unrealistic rose, so I wouldn't even call it rose centric.. Yes it smells like varnish, but much better than any real ones! (my violin does not smell this lovely) It's all about the fantasy here, and the gorgeous bottle & box definitely helps

My first impression echoes that of a lot of people below: this is the scent of Dracula's coffin. It's dark, seductive, but with something off-putting and disturbing about it at the same time. This is rosy varnish with a metallic edge, gothic and giving off vibes of Dracula's bloodlust and coffin. The presentation is excellent as is typical for Amouage. While many people don't care about the box, there's no denying this is packaged in a beautiful box with striking art representing the Stradivarius violin which is the inspiration for the fragrance. The color gradient of the bottle makes it look like blood is draining out slowly from the bottle, yet another connection to Dracula... 🧛🩸 Excellent blind buy for me, and I'm looking forward to future wears to really dig into this. Update (21 Nov 2021): Still gives me those Dracula's coffin vibes. ⚰️🥀 This is probably a love it or hate it perfume for most. I love it as a piece of art, but I have to be in the right mood to wear it. I find that Figment Man, which is another polarizing Amouage fragrance, is easier for me to spritz on mindlessly than Opus X. This is a STRONG perfume, which probably adds to how polarizing it can be. Not a safe blind buy unless you have extremely broad tastes and are interested in sniffing every fragrance under the sun.

I was dreaming of an unusual rose, that hasn’t been done yet, or at least one I haven’t owned. I collect rose based scents . My sister had recently purchased Highness Rose from Montale ... in the past, I had had it. It’s a beautiful soliflore without much else going on, and while I love it, I can only take so much of it. Then for a while I considered Amuage Lyric. Everybody seems to love it. I even sampled it. It was gorgeous, still on my wish list , but very mature, elegant , warm, pretentious . and my third choice was the Opus X, which was going to be a blind buy since I couldn’t find a sample anywhere. For months I thought about it, fantasized about it. Too much money to risk on a blind buy, But I loved the movie, the notes intrigued me . Still, in the back of my mind, the metallic notes scared me , and the oud in the base made me think it will just be another variation of rose-oud Montale style. Finally, I succombed to my attraction. Ordered it unsniffed . My early Christmas gift. What a surprise ! The packaging it beautiful. . The bottle is giant, and very awkward to hold and to spray. It does however have a golden base so you can display your bottle if you wish. The scent is a stunner. There is something raw and addictive here. I put just a tiny spray, thinking if I don’t like it I shouldn’t spray much so I could swap it. I couldn’t remove my nose off my hand . I sprayed again. For minutes I inhaled deeply , The most beautiful dark red rose was there in the beginning. Voluptuous, full bodied, But with leaves and thrones too ! Rough and majestic. I sprayed again, not that the two puffs were not enough , but it is addictive. The rose started to give in to a freshly cut lumber note. What is this ? Could this be varnish ? Of just the wet wood being carved ? Then another turn, and my hand started smelling like cinnamon bark. Not like the ground one you put in pies , but raw and unprocessed ...and here came the strange blood resembling note... a strange one indeed, mainly because it smells like fresh blood, when you just got a cut by accident, rather than stale blood on a napkin ( which is much more metallic and pungent ). And then the roses came back , with the ever so slight oud, just a tiny trace that keeps the lumber from taking over. At no point I sensed any amber. The drydown is the smoothest, purest insense. Sensual and creamy, not too smoky, exotic. Overall, it feels like a cold and mysterious rose. There is no playfulness here. It’s a serious piece of art that not everyone will appreciate. I can see this being a misunderstood beauty, a lone wolf in the army of beautiful rose scents, a general keeping the distance from all those beneath . Longevity is good, the silage is moderate but noticeable. The scent, in my opinion, unisex. But I am a woman and I am totally smitten with it, It isn’t as feminine and opulent as Lyric , but it. Is unique and for sure I don’t think there exists any other perfume to resemble it. It’s not sweet or sexy, but sober and elegant. Despite adoring it , I don’t recommend doing what I did and blindly ordering, as it is extremely unusual and might not be your piece of cake. My opinion is that this is one of the most incredible rose scents every created, and , like a rare wine, will be owned and cherished only by connoisseurs . I feel privileged to have it .

This is the first perfume that’s made me feel physically ill. My father used to have a small beef farm and would also hunt sustainably on our property. I won’t get into too much detail but they processed the animals in my grandfathers garage that was also a snowmobile repair shop. The smell if cold metal tools, old paint cans, mechanical grease, the cold concrete floor and melting snow off boots and the smell of fresh animal blood. This is exactly what Opus X smells like to me. Yuck. I do love an obscure scent that takes you on a journey, but not this journey.