The Library Collection Opus VI

I bought this perfume blindly about a week ago after i ran into some money. At the time i wanted Opus III because it is the only one i had smelled from the library collection but it wasn't available at the perfume shop so i got Opus VI and boy am i glad i did. AMOUAGE OPUS VI - THE PRINCE OF PERSIA This is more than a scent, a fragrance, this is an experience blended with such amazing brilliance and complexity it makes me want to cry a little. It tells a story. The prince of persia Stage 1 / first 3 hours The prince of persia fights a man who stole a sacred painting from the temple.. An old sacred temple, the finest incense is burning.. it's strong.. there is a faint smell of an animal.. a goat or a horse.. must be the labdanum.. there is booze.. must be the criminal, he reeks of rum.. everything is supposed to be peaceful but it's not, u can sense ANGER, blood.. The prince is angry.. Stage 2 / 3 - 6 hours The prince has left the temple and is now with his concubine he has changed to clothes only fit for a prince he is dressed in white everything is white, but he didnt shower. he smells of incense but it's not strong.. the criminal has rubbed off some of the booze on him, he smells of rum.. and incense.. he is with his concubine.. he doesn't love her but she was given to him by his father the king. he treats her with kindness but not tenderness, she likes the way he smells.. he smells rough but refined at the same time.. it's the amber.. the amber tries to calm the fire of the incense and the booze and the smoke and it succeds for a while.. but the fire lurks.. never fully going away.. , she likes it.. he doesn't smell like a spoiled prince. he smells like a king.. he is her king.. Stage 3 / 6 - 9 hours The fire is finally reduced to ashes. the prince is back in his palace with his wife.. the woman he loves with all his heart and has loved since he was a teenager. he is naked, only she is allowed to see all of him, she smells like vanilla ice cream, his heart yearns for her.. he wants to treat her better, she deserves better.. but he is a prince.. he can show no weakness, no emotion.. there's a flower somewhere.. he couldn't help it.. he brought his wife a flower (a rose maybe?).. she knows where he has been she can smell some feminine oils on him.. she starts to cry.. he kisses her and wipes her tears off.. she melts, he then carries her and throws her on the bed in one motion.. she wonders how he can be so soft but yet so firm.. so dominant, so possesive but yet so tender.. Amouage Opus VI smells like a prince who was born into infinite opulence.. a prince with a tender heart who sees people suffer amd hurts inside.. An angry prince with a tender heart. a man of honor, an emotional and sensitive man who has learned to build strength from weakness.

OVERALL RATING: * * * * Opening: Magnificent! Incense, labdanum, spice, benzoin or ambergris. A plush palace lined with old tapestries and priceless carpets. Middle: My God, it is actually getting even better! Now the true amber/labdanum scent emerges, merging perfectly with the incense. It is unlike any other amber I have ever experienced--authentic, rich, animalic. The spice notes are still there, but they are changing. It is the pepper! Delicious, warm. Vanilla is in this, too--I swear it. Dry Down: This is where Opus VI reveals itself as a masterpiece. Patchouli, Vanilla, Amber, Labdanum, Spice, a bit of Sandalwood, and an unidentifiable (to my nose anyway) flower. This is the scent of a man of honor, achievement, and rich experience. A king with a tender heart. The brilliant and almost-never-wrong Kafkaesque did not appreciate Opus IV, owing mainly to what she described as a "goatish labdanum." I can't say that I detect any hircinous notes, but if they are there, then I say "bravo!" The ancient method of collecting labdanum was to sheer the beards, legs, and undercarriages of goats who trod amongst it. In fact, the false beards of the ancient Pharaohs were said to be made of the finest goat-hair, doused in natural labdanum. Part of the appeal of this scent is is its deep, earnest respect for tradition. Amouage has been careful not to allow itself to be pigeonholed as an "Arab perfume maker." This may be the most straightforwardly "Arab" fragrance they have yet produced...and I love them for it. If this is a scent built around integrity and reverence for tradition, then why shouldn't it include the authentic animalic notes that have always been a part of labdanum, at least until the advent of the chemical age? Look, let me put it this way: I am someone who is never satisfied. Even if the perfect situation falls into my lap, I find fault with it, pick it apart, and am perfectly capable of convincing myself to walk way. I have tried to do this with Opus VI to no avail. The numbers: Scent: 5/5 Sillage: 4.5/5 It is not a Montale-like sillage, invading every nook and cranny of the room, but it wafts gently around you throughout the day. Longevity: 5/5 10 hours of good projection on my skin, and it lingers until aggressively washed off in the shower.

Opus VI is another olfactory artwork from Amouage's Library Collection. In a nutshell, it consists of a multifaceted amber accord, enhanced to perfection by a cloud of patchouli in the base. In equal parts dirty, chocolate-y and balsamic, the surprising complexity of patchouli is showcased here. Overall, this scent is masterfully put-together - there is much to admire and appreciate here. OVI opens with pungent, animalic amber from initial spray. It is musky, bolstered nicely by the subtle incense note, adding a little dry smokiness, and bridging the gap to the balsamic phase of this scent. The patchouli is present from the beginning, initially dirty and herbal, becoming smoothly balsamic as it develops, melding seamlessly with the amber accord in the vein of the extraordinary Le Labo Patchouli 24. It is leather-like in its early phase. The amber accord becomes sweeter as it develops, with a nice smooth sandalwood note adding depth. The balsamic patchouli becomes increasingly chocolate-y here. When it eventually dries down, dry vanilla creeps in, complementing the sweet amber nicely. It fades to a powdery vanilla skin scent, perfectly sweet with no trace of animalic leather evident. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is an autumn/winter scent. Perfectly unisex despite its increasing sweetness, OVI is a deeply satisfying, beautifully composed amber-patchouli scent. My favourite Library Collection chapter so far. 4.5/5.

Opus 6 is part of my trifecta of Amouage faves, Jubilation and Interlude being the other two. Straight up I would like to say this is by and large an Incense frag. If Incense is not your thing, probably be a good idea to sample this first and not do a blind buy despite all the hype. You get a hit of the incense right away on first spray along with the pepper and herbal leafiness of the bay note. The Incense stays to be joined by the nagarmotha mostly in the heart and then the labdanum and amber add a layer to the base along with some woody notes from the sandalwood. In summation, Amouage does great incense frags and this is one of the best out there. Smells very rich and opulent and gives me immense pleasure every time I spray this. Projection is quite monstrous the first hour or so, people will smell you when you walk into a room. It settles a bit after that but always has a nice scent bubble around you for most of the scent life. Longevity likewise is good, I get about 8 hours regularly. Two other favourite frags of mine it reminds me of are L'Artisan's Timbuktu and Tom Fords now sadly discontinued Sahara Noir. If you like either of those two, do get your hands on Opus 6. This is a Love for me. 9/10

There is a filthy animal (not just animalic!) note in the opening phase, however this is nicely offset by the amber, incense and spices. Key to understanding the spicy aspect of this perfume I believe is the West Indian Bay or "pimenta racemosa." Some brief research tells me that this type of bay leaf contains notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and vanilla. This explains why the fragrance feels so richly spiced, whilst having a fairly simple note pyramid with relatively few notes. The later development of this fragrance (after 6 hours) really surprised me. Just when I thought it had faded to a whisper of amber with dry woods, I suddenly smelt the spicy bay leaf note reappear. Wow! Then the whole thing seemed to resurrect itself, and now, 8 hours in, has gained new life on my skin. Not unlike Jubilation XXV there is a slight ghosting effect, where the fragrance seems to disappear then reappear. However, it is now very much "there" again, as a rich and strong amber. Speaking of Jubilation XXV, in my view Opus VI is the fragrance that Jubilation was always trying to be. Opus VI feels like REAL opulence and luxury....Opus VI is the true King; Jubilation is a mere pretender to the throne.