Opus 1144

Opus 1144 is aimed at celebrating the gothic style. From architecture to sculpture, panel painting, stained glass, frescos, illuminated manuscripts and all its other artistic declinations. It's a bold and complex fragrance that's so hard to describe just like it's so objectively multifaceted. If you, like me, struggle with sweet fragrances, the opening of Opus 1144 could result a bit challenging for being so incredibly thick and powerful to the point to make yourself questioning your sanity. Forget about any avant-garde trickery or modernist type of perfumery as Opus 1144 is really all about solid classicism. A dense, kind of syrupy, vanillic floral opening juxtaposed to a typically-french citrus counterpart. If you can't deal with its sweetness, I'd say hang in there because the best has yet to come and keep in mind that extraits de parfum are generally slower to properly settle down... The fragrance starts then to evolve into an opulent and decadent dusty oriental that has nothing to envy to a bunch of the best Amouage feminines (the most balmy-oriental ones such as Opus VI, Epic Woman and Lyric Woman). The overall sweetness of the opening is remarkably tamed down by a plush musky-leathery bone-structure that, together with smooth creamy / woody notes and resins starts lurking in the back to then slowly drive the fragrabce towards what is in my opinion its real essence: the majestic drydown. There's definitely something classically french about Opus 1411, something familiarly comforting while all this is paired to a dark nature that gives this composition a brooding character. Like falling into an abyss of powdery decadence. An endless echo that gets lower and lower in tone as time goes by...and it goes on and on and on for hours...darker, more dusty, drier. It's quintessentially gothic and agrees with red / purple velvet and black marble. If you're drawn to bold and complex fragrances, Opus 1144 is a mandatory stop and, trust me, it won't leave you indifferent. Rating: 8-8.5/10

Instant love for me. From start to finish this is an exquisite potion that is easy to wear and totally unisex. I was scared by some reviews and didn't dare to blind buy. A big mistake I made as this is a safe purchase. Amazing opening with a photorealistic feel of huge marble halls, the finest palaces and yet so so wearable!! The blend is so well made that you can feel the vanilla, the benzoin, the citrus and something slightly metallic and incensey but cannot define where is every ingredient separated from the whole. I love the fact that it manages to smell great without being too sweet, or too powdery or strong. Everything is there to be enjoyed without getting tiring. It is powdery in the drydown, yes, but not Marie Antoinette like. In the drydown a strong note of what I believe is bitter lemon or lime (not bergamot) adds a slight gourmand touch that again is far from being foodie. At some stage I thought I was experiencing a fruity vanilla, then a lemon icecream with champagne... but don't get me wrong: it never gets far from the general idea, it simply makes you travel through dark golden sanctuaries (not somber, this is deep and spiritual but not sad!). I am definitely wowed and I am happy I finally find a fragrance of this style that doesn't make me wonder how often I'd reach for it. It could be everyday in colder months!! I have liked in the past other scents such as Chypre Palatin (too elegant and powdery for my style), Dulcis in fundo (too sweet and gourmand) and some Guerlains from l'Art et la matiere (gorgeous but too expensive for a similar treat). This is somehow close to all of those but without the things I struggle with. Plus it is downright unisex unless you are a guy who finds anything with vanilla challenging. I'm in love with this. I can't find a single "but...". It transitions ten times in 10 hours without a single flaw. Go buy a bottle before it gets reformulated my friends!

They don't make 'em like this anymore, folks. Yes, the opening is a bit assertive, but once it smoothes out, it evolves into the most symphonically beautiful treatment of resins that I have ever encountered. The iris here takes on both powdery and waxy facets, creating a beautifully rounded texture. I can understand the Gothic associations with candle wax and red velvet that others have noted, but I'm afraid that my contextualization heads toward the mundane rather than the sublime - it's like eating a birthday cake, blown-out candles and all, with citrus sponge and vanilla buttercream icing. Delicious and decadent. Having read the prior review, I'm afraid that this might have been reformulated - does anyone know for sure? This review is for the juice in the all-grey bottle, not the black-and-grey one that is currently shown on the Twisted Lily and Luckyscent websites. Hmm... Luckily, the bottle that I have will likely last forever - longevity is almost 24 hours with just one spray, and while the projection isn't enormous, it definitely has the extrait quality of changing the very air around you, if you know what I mean. I could imagine a reformulation of this being fairly interesting, as it is somewhat monolithic and I think that it could possibly benefit from being given a bit of room to breathe, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind being smothered to death with this stuff. It's just that good.

“The Basilica of Saint-Denis... is of singular importance historically and architecturally, as its choir, completed in 1144, is widely considered the first structure to employ all of the elements of Gothic architecture... The site originated as a Gallo-Roman cemetery in late Roman times. The archaeological remains still lie beneath the cathedral... Abbot Suger’s great innovation in the new choir was the replacement of the heavy dividing walls in the apse and ambulatory with slender columns, so that the interior of that part of the church was filled with light...” —Wikipedia Gothic cathedrals are made of both heft and ascension, shadows and light, and so is Opus 1144. the color brought to mind is pale yellow, a vision of Heaven: two generous handfuls of lemon-orris powder, tears of elemi resin and jasmine absolute held up to the sun, a sandalwood rosary... go to bed with its slightly sticky amber vanilla, wake up the next morning to the surprise bonus of pipe tobacco. Opus 1144 finds a balance between the elements of ether and earth, bringing light to the darkness. similar to Shalimar and Habanita, but enough its own thing to stand well apart. musical accompaniment : “PPP” by Beach House /current extrait

I don't know about the whole Gothic architecture imagery and whatnot -- what I smell is an indulgent lemon/lime dessert, as in THE lemon/lime dessert of your dreams. So sweet and tart at the same time, it makes your mouth water and sides of your tongue ache. Then vanilla and powdery bliss that lasts ALL DAY. This may be either a nightmare or nirvana depending on your taste, to me it is divine. I'll share a couple experiences I had while wearing this. First, I had been holding my toddler and then gave her to someone who said to her "oh you smell just like a baby, all powdery." I don't use baby powder on her so it was definitely the Opus 1144 that had rubbed off. Also, I was on a trip and had a travel sized Lady Speed Stick in "Powder Fresh" with me which I hadn't used in long time. When I put it on, I was reminded a bit of Opus 1144. Now let me tell you, these experiences did not deter me from buying a full bottle! But again, some may be very put off by the mere idea of their fragrance smelling like baby powder or "powder fresh" deoderant. I do see the similarities to Shalimar, but I'm very happy to have both. If you love Shalimar and powder, this is a must-try!