Philos Opus Noir

#783 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Okay, you know how I hate the soaring marketing blurbs for scents. This is going to sound like one, so I apologize up front. The last real vacation I took was really a stayover at a trade show I attended in Barcelona that had been scheduled for the week before the Festival of Saint Eulalia. I toured the Picasso and Dali museums, danced the Sardana, the Catalonian "Dance of Defiance," in the public square, and prayed in the Cathedral of Barcelona, which would be Eulalia's basilica if only the City of Merida didn't also claim to have her body in the basement of their cathedral (and in those days any arguments between the Spaniards and the Catalonians they ruled, the Catalonians lost). The interior of that cathedral, with all it's shrines, statuary and musty clothing on the statues dressed in fine silks, cloths and skins, all the exotic and very old woods, the earthiness of the stone, dampness of the crypt, all the flowers throughout the various shrines that lined the walls, it's a smell I've smelled in more than two dozen European cathedrals (and some summer castles) from Scotland to Hungary. I call it the "Dracula's Castle" smell. Philos "Opus Noir" smells like that. And to top it off, I went to bed last night wearing this fragrance, and to my horror dreamed I was joining a monastic order. This is car pool, elevator, office, nunnery and monastery safe. Business appropriate, especially for vampire's assistants and funeral directors. I love it, but I think this is one that only comes out at night. ; )

The person below me said it perfectly, this is a beautiful forlorn fragrance, perfect for all seasons, but especially autumn and spring, and especially rainy days. I don't know what it's duped from, and I don't care. I really don't, and neither should you. You should own a perfume based on its own merits, and this has that. It's a gentle floral-leather fragrance. The fruit is only a suggestion of sweetness that rounds out the ylang-ylang. To me, this is near perfect the way it is. It lasts about 6-7 hours on my skin, becoming a skin scent a wee sooner than I would like, making this a 9/10. If not for that, it would be my #1 favorite scent.

I was quite intrigued by some of the reviews I've read about this perfume, so I purchased a bottle (very reasonably priced). I like it so much, I bought a backup bottle ☺️. It's a very unique fragrance, but a really lovely one to me. Longevity is excellent (minimum 6 hours on my skin), and projection is really good to! I use it on its own or layered with Zara hypnotic vanilla, which makes a really pretty combination (I like experimenting with different layering combos 🙃). Definitely a keeper for me because of its uniqueness, and I'm glad it's part of my collection 😊.

This stuff is so dang sexy smelling, dark and primal with a sweet face. Maceration makes a helluva difference too. Ever see those old movie clips of Elvis fan girls screaming and fainting at the edge of the stage as he wiggled his hips at them? This. This makes me feel weak in the knees, especially when my husband is wearing it. Smells good on anything or anyone as far I can tell. Wowza. 10/10 I'm a fan girl of this formula. ♥️😭♥️

I was genuinely surprised by this one. It was very inexpensive, and thus my sites were set fairly low. But I love it! The turkish rose and fruits mix nicely together with the rose, not being too powerful. The dry down hits a little bit differently, which I like.And it's more of a masculine, dry down. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone who wants something a little different in their collection. Other than a bluefreshie

The drydown reminds me of Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier a lot. I own both and they have a very similar yellow floral sweet smell. For anyone that ever wanted Fleur du Mâle, I recommend this highly. My bottle of Philos Opus Noir was just opened so it is possible this will change in time, but without time to settle, the two fragrances are very similar.

This is an amazing scent, soft and elegant. For those of you who think it is leaning to feminine side, I layer it with Lalique Encre Noire and it gives it a more masculine side with an earthy touch from the reinforced vetiver and the cypress note. I have been complimented many times when I do this mix. I encourage you all to try it, you won't regret it.

This is oddle comforting, especially if youre into dark brooding scents. This perfume makes me think of damp fall leaves in the dead of night, cold winter winds and the dark. It is the perfect for the goth baddies who want to smell like they look. Its about as mysterious as Black Orchid without being as conflicting.

Love this one! Classy and unique. Reminds of church for some reason. Unisex leaning feminine but still can be pulled off by a masculine person. I like to layer this with Oud For Glory!

Very good fragrance for the price-Philos Opus Noir Long lasting and brings good compliments. Nice black velvet bottle .

Really good fragrance for winter and fall. It smells like rice in a really good way. It gave me a lot of compliments.

Hidden gem, so beautiful, unique, 10/10.... I would definitely repurchase! It's a love 🫶🏻

Perfecet perfume for funneral. Update After few weeks ...i am in love🫶

This is the favorite fragrance of Vampires. Fabulous!

This is extremely amazing! I'm on my second bottle!

Very good fragrance for the summer months

I didn't have high hopes for this, but this is a great Xerjoff dupe! It's pretty straightforward about that. Starts out with a flowery, slightly creamy blast of ylang ylang and rose, then immediately mellows out into a medley of all the notes at once, which is when the slight fruitiness appears. That fruitiness is what makes it pretty wearable in summer, unless it's scorching hot outside. Drydown is soft, sweet and just slightly herbal and spicy with that vetiver kick. The scent is very hard to describe in a way that would help imagine what it smells like. It is very similar to Ange ou Demon, there's that vanilla base and prominent ylang ylang. It's sophisticated, but not overwhelmingly "mature" or intimidating. I actually kind of disagree with the original Opera consensus that it's only for formal events and never for anyone who can call themselves young. You can absolutely pull this off if you have the right aesthetic - wearing something dark and avant-garde works very well. I also feel like it leans slightly towards traditionally feminine rather than being completely unisex - the base is quite sweet after all, which not all men might be ready to wear in public. Definitely not blind-buy-safe, unless you've already tried and liked the original Opera and/or Ange ou Demon.

I still can't make up my mind about this one, like others have said - I enjoy smelling it, but not necessarily want to smell it on myself. As a female, I wore it to the theatre for the Peaky Blinders show and thought it suited the vibe perfectly (I dressed up for the theme). I think this really is great for opera and theatre venues (and yes, funerals, like someone said below). I think I will keep it for the pleasure of sniffing it, and maybe will try to layer it with nice vanillas this autumn. If anyone tried a good combo for a female, let us know! Personally, I would love to smell Philos on a suave man, as a woman, I struggle to make it feel really sexy. I also have Givenchy Angels & Demons, which is similar to this but more vanillic (and more feminine), and originally I was planning to get rid of Philos for the sake of A&D. But let's see what I can do with layering combos. Lastly! I think this will be great for Halloween!

Smelling this I wonder when and where I could actually wear this fragrance. All I could think of was Church. Looking back at previous reviews I'm not the first person to conclude that. I have some other frags I would put in this category and they're a bit different, usually with smoke and incense as their primary notes. Instead this is more of fruity sweet although not in a gourmand way but more a laundry detergent or fabric softener kind of way. This stuff projects well on the open but then settles into a more moderate performance. Really great sprayer for a cheapie. Also the bottle is quite fuzzy and will probably catch a lot of dust. Very unique. Not sure if I'd call this another Maison Alhambra winner as it is a bit too niche in it's use and purpose to generally recommend. Although I can't say I regret buying it.

A very dark sensual fragrance, the other reviewers weren't kidding about this being a forlorn and Gothic fragrance; it makes me think of a funeral home but it's strangely comforting! It's predominantly rose, ylang-ylang, and leather with vetiver and nutmeg, the fruit only adds a tinge of brightness to this ambery floral fragrance like a dim candle in a dark room. I cant quite put my finger on it but it does make me think of a Tom Ford fragrance except this would be more wearable but nonetheless it's still pretty polarizing you either love it or hate it, but it certainly continues to grow on me. I cant help but wonder what maturation will do to this, but for 16 bucks I'm not mad this'll be perfect for the upcoming fall and for Halloween.

It's a pleasant floral amber and not sickeningly sweet. Ylang is a "yellow" scent but the rose and fruit make this more purple or deep orange. I really like it and it smells good overall. It does not evoke a church. Maybe it evokes Halloween. None of that pumpkin spice stuff rather a fragrance for a "pretty witch" or "cute warlock", version high school dance. Does $200 Opera Xerjoff smell like this? I hope not. Maybe this is a Disney or rated-PG Halloween version of a niche scent. It's easy to wear because it's not too aggressive but it is strong. Not many 10 buck fragrances offer 100ml of a good blend in this genre.

Pra mim esse perfume sai extretamente frutado e é uma BOMBA! Juro pra vocês que depois de uma hora que eu aplico ainda me sinto um pouco sufocado. Aliás, parei de usar em dias amenos (15. 16 graus) porque é impossível usar em ambientes quente e abafados. Eu acho ele ótimo pelo preço, mas se você nao gosta de perfumes frutados e ATALCADO não compre esse perfume. A embalagem é um luxo, pesada e com excelente qualidade

I like it a lot but it’s not for me, that is, I wouldn’t actually wear it. It smells very luxurious and gothic but the ylang and fruits are a little strong for me. Definitely has that Erba Pura vibe but very dark, feels like black licorice. Perfect for Morticia Adams. Projects well, will fill a room if you do more than a few sprays, and lasts forever.

Mildly yucky as a perfume, but actually a delightful and evocative scent: dead, wet autumn leaves on the forest floor. It smells...forlorn. I don't want to smell LIKE this, but I do enjoying smelling this. I feel like this should be worn with a dark somber velvet dress or like an actual cloak. I either wear sweatpants and slides, or full tailored-suit-and-heels bullshit, depending on circumstances; in short, I NEVER project the right vibes to make this a scent I can wear (unless I layer it elaborately with cheerful Live Laugh Love spicy things in the fall, which I intend to). The bottle is pretty and the name punches way above its class. Its a brilliant gift if you have any peaky, hollow-eyed, soulful poets in your life

Update: I find myself regretting selling my bottle of Opus Noir. Considering purchasing it again. God, I really wanted to love this perfume because I am ADDICTED to Opera. It makes no sense why I love that scent so much, it is just so weird, and yet, I love it. But I would never pay that much for a fragrance. So I was looking for a dupe. This is insanely affordable, and not at all bad. I was wearing it for a couple of weeks. But it's quite similar and yet it's missing something and it's not at all smooth like the original. Sure, it is WAYYY cheaper than the original so what did I expect? Still, I think I am going to get rid of this one and accept that I won't find a dupe for Opera.

This fragrance is quite lovely on the skin; however, I did not like the smell on paper for some reason. To my nose, this is a very unisex fragrance, and it smells like what I imagine really old-fashioned perfumery smelled like. I couldn't tell you why, but I imagine a priest could use this as his signature fragrance. I doubt I will ever empty this bottle, but it is a very interesting old-fashioned-smelling perfume, and it’s growing on me. I can’t imagine spending the kind of money Xerjoff wants for Opera on this scent profile, but for the price of Opus Noir, it’s an interesting novelty.

Edited review on this blind buy. Quite pleasant fragrance, but this is for women only in my opinion. Too sweet on my skin. Gave it to my daughter. Edit again: something happened. I gave it to my GF instead. Hallelujah. I love it on her. The flower and leather combo is damn sexy.

Hardcore cloying vanilla-rose combo with white and yellow floral drydown. If you wanna be felt like freshly laundered bed linen with extremely strong fabric softener in the style of Arabian hotel, but it is not much noir in dark sense of the word, more like vintage. Very sweet, almost solely feminine. Test before buy.

This gave me a very severe bad skin rash on both my hands and neck. I Also start sneezing for literal hours after spraying. I don't trust the ingredients this has, idk what's in there, but I've sprayed a lot of fragrances on my skin, never had any skin reactions like I had with this one. Be VERY careful. I'm good with dupes and all, Smell-wise this is almost 1:1 but health is non-negotiable.

just smelt a free sample. HORRIBLE. dont even go near it.

I could not have been more disappointed. It was way too floral, rossy, fruity and feminine for my taste. I thought, based on the notes, that it would be more balanced with the cedar, vetiver, leather, musk combo....I could not detect any of them. I waited, hoping they would emerge and tackle the bossy rose, Ylang-ylang and fruity sweets...but they were large and in charge, in perpetuity. Another review mentioned church, and this is 100% an old, musty, downtown, city folks, red velvet pew cushions church smell, no doubt. Now, it's not bad... I just don't think it is in my wheelhouse to smell like my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher, as you hear the nylon thigh friction as she walks down the hall, in a waft of this perfume. Sighs

I will not pretend I can smell any of the notes. In the opening it smells like Surf or Cold Power washing powder (a washing powder from the 90s type of smell)... then it turns into something dry, grassy + chlorine + a fleshy young banana and maybe kiwi shoe polish (i think it's the leather). But this banana is like an organic banana you get from your uncle's yard in the rural area not one you buy from the store... It definitely gives me a lot to think about. I guess that's what the folks mean when they say 'niche', 'complex, 'takes you on a journey', 'tells a story', 'unfolds'. haha. It's unusual but very wearable at the same time. That's all from me.

Its crazy how close this Fragrance is to the original, i almost found it better than the original because the original opera is sooo strong, two little spritz and u can smell that thing from far away, this is a little toned down, than the original and more masculine than the original in my opinion. the original sooo expensive, if u like the original u have to try this, is very well done. but here is the problem a lot of people dont even like the original smell wise thats why maybe u will also not like this. But again its very well duplicated, so if u dont wanna waste ur original, buy this u will not dissapointet.

Interesting scent! A lot going on. I think the strongest note is a strong, slightly old-school yellow floral ylang-ylang note. This reminds me of church around Christmas time. I get the nutmeg note. This is not a safe blind buy, quite heavy and unusual. This is a fall/winter scent, would be good for a more formal occasion. I think I've smelled a perfume that is extremely similar to this on an older relative in my childhood, it's stirring memories.

The firts spritz is straight forward Opera by Xerjoff but after like 3 minutes it turns into really earthy and patchouli scent. It is nice unisex fragrance. I can imagine wearing this one all year round. Pay attention to the fact that this scent is not for everyone, definitely not for younger teen leadies. This perfume has its chatacter and reminds me of forest witch. It's different and niche smelling one.

Love love love! I've had this for quite some time and it's become one of my favorites. The notes just seem to meld together so well, it's sort of hard to explain what it smells like. The middle notes are where it's at though. The leather/ylang/nutmeg thing? Totally amazing. It's also dirt cheap. It must have shitty sales because it's among the cheapest MAs you can get. More for me I guess!

I love love love this perfume. I have bought it based on the fact that it is a dupe for Opera but I did not expect it to be this good of a dupe. It is so good that I rarely put on Opera anymore. It is a love it or hate it scent so deffinately not a blind buy but if you love Opera by Xerjoff you will love this as well and for the price it is a steal.

Purchased this one, because someone mentioned it was pretty similair to JPG fleur du male, to my nose the are really not similair at all!!! I am dissapointed, as I have been on a hunt for a good fleur du male dupe for years, however this is not it, the search will continue

If Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë was a perfume... 🍂🖤