Opus 1870

This is a truly elegant and very nice composition - a niche-quality offering with excellent ingredients! What I like is how it is so well-blended and the fragrance shows both balance and harmony. Personally, while I feel it could be unisex (if worn by the right woman - confidence, class, sophistication and sassiness required - :-) ), but this is a more of a masculine scent to me as a whole. The coriander and fresh-ground pepper open with just a squeeze of yuzu (one of my favorite citruses) - a sparkling top that is one I really like. The transition into the heart offers plumes of smoky incense that emerges seamlessly with warm ground cinnamon and the brilliant lush rose peaking through. Great stage in the fragrance as all the spices play perfectly together and the incense is very natural - more olibanum than anything overtly "head shop"...refined. The rose incorporated in here is the brilliance (and what allows it to be a possible unisex bottling). Not a deep rose - more of a lighter, closed bud at first with the bloom just starting to open along with the rich dusting of spices on the petals & incense wafting throughout...exquisite. The dry down starts with (from my perspective) the Virginia cedar that has a very natural and fresh-cut quality, with some of the dustiness coming in from the spices and incense which lasts into the base (but lightens - sort of a fade/drifting effect that is natural). Very pretty - I am more impressed as this develops. I then detect a nice clean white musk note that lifts the fragrance as the spices dissipate and the incense is now really no more than a nuance (faint note) in the fragrance. The final note that enters is the warm and smooth sandalwood - a quality ingredient that helps the rose carry through. Sandalwood is now precious and this has a very nice, niche feel to it. Not a rose-dominant scent at all, but a well-incorporated note in the overall scent pyramid - which I wanted to revisit. The rose never fully blooms for me, but it lingers wonderfully with the wood. Overall, I find this to be exceptional! I have been wearing various lighter niche Eau de Colognes that retail for a good amount of money that have excellent top notes, spices (including pepper), incense, and fully-integrated wood including rare varietals. This stands easily at their level and is actually a bit deeper due to its Eau de Toilette strength, which was my main reason of interest - notes that I love with perhaps more richness. No disappointment. Excellent review by Jack_Hunter here and sherapop offers a good perspective as well. It is not a loud scent, but one for the wearer and those very close to enjoy. Very good bottle, indeed. One that I see wearing in Spring and Fall or cooler Summer nights. I think this will work in Winter, but not on the coldest days - it would be a nice, refreshing scent on rainy days for sure here in California. My initial wearing tells me that it would project and last better with a bit of warmth and application to clothing also helps. Overall score - 8.5+/10. Recommended. One of the best from the house...? For me, yes!

Sneaky good stuff. Deceptively complex and performant -- just not loud. Over time, my respect for what Penhaligon's did with this one has only grown. There are no rough edges to Opus 1870, none at all. All its notes -- and I do pick up most of them at various times -- are handled with such delicacy as to almost reduce Opus to being dull and boring. But how could it be, when it's always changing, always revealing something new to its wearer and those near him (or her)? At the opening, I feel lots of pepper (black and some pink) and a smooth hit of yuzu, all with a hovering wisp of embers in the background. There seems to be something decidedly British about its opening, though I'm not sure how to describe it. Over time, that opening merges with some sweetness and soft but pronounced spiciness (cinnamon and clove rose, maybe a touch of cardamom) that brings to mind almost a lightly smoked chai vibe. All the while, a very subtle, almost powdery wood combo under-girds the whole experience, anchoring it for a deceptively long wear. On the whole, I find Opus to be ethereal in its lightness and iridescent in its many subtle facets. It only radiates about arm's length at most, but it does stick around a good 4-6 hours or more, depending on how you wear it. No, it's not a screamer. Performance blah blah blah. Performance be damned. Here's the thing: If you wear fragrances to garner compliments and get noticed, you wear something with "punch" -- but punch does not equate to quality. Sometimes you wear something to please yourself and reward those who venture in close. For me, Opus 1870 is a phenomenal fall/winter/evening scent that is light enough to pull off anytime you want to feel and exude contentment, equanimity and authentic kindness. For those who are familiar, it's like an airy, yuzu-backed blend of Loewe 7 Anonimo and Gucci Pour Homme II. Not the same exactly, but like both in some ways. In spite of the similarities, there is nothing out there that is quite like Opus. I give Penhaligon's high marks for uniqueness and artistic approach for this one. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really appreciate and love it.

Subtly dark and wispy in its lightness, Opus 1870 resides somewhere in that scorchy-woody-spicy space flanked by Azzaro Visit, Loewe 7 Anonimo and Gucci Pour Homme II, yet not blatantly similar to either. The connection others have drawn with Azzaro Visit is absolutely there - that smoky, woody, spicy goodness, though in this case, it's more suggestive of clove and cinnamon than Visit's pronounced nutmeg note. The smoky incense note is also more dry and churchy, bringing Anonimo to mind with that waft of "clove-smoking firebug who just burnt down a church" that is strange and at the same time magnetic. A light layer of very natural cinnamon - again dry, not sweet - reminds me of a very austere take on GPH II. Together, these notes are simply sublime to my nose - though I can imagine it might not be for everyone. Opus 1870 is not a freshie, nor is it a sweetened crowd pleaser. Its projection qualifies as intimate, wispy and ethereal - polite and mysterious, meant to draw the curious closer. This is a masterful execution of subtlety, a muted balance of spicy, scorched wood and a very dry incense. Poor sillage considerations aside, I honestly can't rave enough about this wonderful gem of a fragrance. Do I wish it had a bit more punch? Absolutely. But in every other way, I totally dig it. Definitely not your daily dumb grab, and for this reason I wouldn't recommend a blind buy - not at that cost. But fans of the aforementioned fragrances might very well appreciate the artistry of this unique take on some old favorites.

Reading other reviewers comments, I’m not sure what is meant by poor performance. Is it the longevity or silage? The longevity is what is expected from an EDT and the silage is moderate to heavy for good reasons. Opus 1870 is a woody musky fragrance from Penhaligon’s. The scent starts with a blast of yuzu and black pepper. The pepper does not last long but remains in the background. Throughout the fragrance development the yuzu remains consistent and gives the scent a fresh side. Personally, I don’t get much of the coriander, rose, and cinnamon in the process. The woody incense notes then become prominent and remain for a while. The fragrance ends with a clean musky base that remains the longest. Even though marketed for men I think it is unisex. As for the performance, I get about 4 hours on skin and solid 7-8 hours on clothes. Sometimes I smell the musky woody base on my clothes the next day. The projection however is moderate and I think for good reasons. For this type of scent it would be best to have low silage. At high doses the incense becomes really prominent and sharp. Spray too much and it quickly becomes offensive! Three sprays will do the job. 9/10.

This fragrance holds a very special place in my heart as it was the first fragrance I got after really getting into fragrances. The vibe it gives off is a a very neutral, unisex, clean, fresh but and old school sophisticated feeling with a light woody base, like a “fresh book”. Academia is what I picture. The most obvious top notes is the fresh Yuzu balancing with the pepper. No harshness at all. The middle notes I get most is the rose which is a very fitting touch and not overly feminine. It dries down to a very pleasant sandalwood plain and simple, not too creamy or woody if that makes sense. The performance however of course is not the best and it will only project decent for about 30mins, 1 hour at best if it’s not too hot in your country. And as it dries down to the base it will become almost a skin scent that people in close proximity can smell. Overall a very wearable and easy fragrance, it goes well in almost all occasions and it can be a signature scent as I have not come across anyone that wears this.

I got bought this scent for my birthday and I absolutely love it! As soon as I first sprayed it on, I thought to myself that it leans towards being a more masculine scent, and I still believe that to be true. But I adore a unisex perfume (Tom Ford's offerings being a personal favourite) and I think this smells very sexy on my skin. I did ask my husband whether he thought it smelled masculine on me and he was very surprised that I would even suggest it. On me, the yuzu and the coriander stands out for the first thirty minutes, then it mellows into a spicier, muskier scent. To me it almost smells of fresh, unsmoked tobacco after a while. But the yuzu stays put, keeping it smelling zingy. It is not like any other scent I own; fresh and masculine, distinctive, grown up, refined. It smells expensive (but then, it is). The sillage and staying power is also fantastic. A firm favourite of mine now, and I will replace the bottle after it is finished.

I became really obsessed with this scent. It’s really really classic, elegant, smart... and fortunately it doesn’t smell fougere to me. It’s just a classy classic men smell. I would definitely classify it into the 35+ male category, and i can barely detect any listed note. Maybe i would describe it as a fresh spicy scent? As usual within this “world”, i disagree with the performance “rhates”, as i can easily smell it after a lot of hours, and people around me too. If you’re used to spray 8-10 sprays of strong extracts, and maybe use 3-4 perfumes a day, that might be the reason why you are not happy with its performance. Lovely for every time of the year altough i would say spring and autumn might be its best time, any occasion any dress. Slight similarity with Mechant Loup and a very little “Gucci” vibe, but not a copy at all of any of them. They just share some small similar parts. Thanks for reading :-)

Some say it's boring, some say it's safe. Some say it's nothing special. The first two bits are true but that's exactly what makes it special. Opus is a beautiful, subtle scent that fits any occasion. It doesn't shout, but it's an exquisite and refined scent that's magnificently mature without being stuffy. The combination of pepper and cinnamon with the yuzu and light rose is to die for, and the way it morphs to and fro between pepper, wood and citrus is *chef's kiss*. It's somehow warm and comforting yet light and refreshing at the same time. An underated masterpiece imo. Everyone needs a fragrance like this, I know I can't stop wearing mine! Ps. keep an eye out for Penhaligon's twice yearly unboxed sale (sign up to their mailing list to get notified) - as you can usually grab this for £59 - which at that price is literally unbeatable!

absolutely love this scent. one of my favorites from Penhaligon's. on my skin i mostly get a peppery, fresh, woody, incensey, cinnamon candy type vibe. because it's an edt, i tend to spray heavy and reapply 3-4x a day (can easily go through a full bottle in 6 months) but i don't mind. this scent just works on me. i also love to layer it with Endymion. i wish they would release a stronger version cuz its signature scent worthy for sure, but the performance for the price...yikes. still, i just can't say no to Opus 1870 and it's a must have in my collection. I find myself stockpiling and will purchase a backup bottle whenever I come across it on a discount site.

Nose Note #410 It reminds me of some other mens cologne from late 90s - early 00s, Opus 1870 has some of those touches from the past. It rather simple: all about peppered citrus, but everything that supports this combo is done beautifully. If you like Xeryus Rouge, Terre d'Hermes, Kenzo Jungle Homme - I'll like this one (if you want to pay double the price of those, of course...). Projection is very limited. Longevity is also barely average. It's basically acting like a cologne, not EDT. 7.5/10. It's very nice, but not super special, and performance is appalling for the price P.S. It also distantly reminds me of Dior Sauvage EDT !!!

Now that's a strange one. It's amongst my favourite fragrances but I don't have it and I never had it. I actually got samples so I could try it on various occasions. What can I say? I love it. It's fresh, it's woody. It's not generic. It's classy. I love the Penhaligon's image and packaging in general but this one is my favourite. So why I never bought it? Because it's expensive but projection and longevity are a disaster. And apparently a lot of people agree on that. I want this perfume and I'll buy it one day for sure. I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get it cheaper because it's performance does not match its price.

Penhaligon's Opus 1870 is one of the finest fragrances out there, bar none. The opening notes are a splendid blend of citrus and pepper, which quickly dries down to a wonderfully subtle hint of pepper exquisitely placed on a bed of wood and rose with just a hint of cinnamon. Of course preferences are in the nose of the tester, but in my experience, few fragrances can compete with Opus 1870 for understated class and elegance. The only drawback is the relatively modest sillage. Longevity however is wonderful, and you'll be tempted to repeatedly sniff your wrists for hours on end. Opus 1870 is simply SUBLIME!

I have tried most of the range from this house and Opus 1870 for me stood out as the best. It opens with a really good peppery cedar wood scent with a beautiful Rose fragrance coming through in the background. As time moves on the Rose comes to the forefront and the woods move into the background. I find the scent elegant and refined and also restrained in the manner that it is never overwhelming but just compliments the wearer perfectly. A great woody floral that I found worthy of a purchase of a 100ml bottle and one that I am glad is part of my wardrobe.

There are fragrances/scents and there are memories of scents. For me, this is a memory of a scent that my fathers' suitcase smelled like when he would arrive from one of his long journeys abroad. I was a very young small child then and would often crawl in it, into this giant navy blue Samsonite, with my cat next to me and dream of traveling the world far, far away, on a journey to some exotic country. I never really liked my father, unfortunately. But I loved his suitcase and it's smell. And I absolutely looooooove Opus 1870 !

Love this one: it's so incredibly fresh, bright and peppery. The opening is SO fresh that it might as well fool you into thinking that it's just another citrus fragrance, but the coriander instantly corrects that. And then spices and cedar kicks in and turn it into a lovely woody spicy thing that is definitely warm. However this is a perfect scent for everyday, and I would not relegate it to winter because of the spicyness: it would be a pity. Longevity is, as always with Penhaligon's, quite a let down...

Opus 1870 is the fragrance I have been looking for. I got a sample from Lucky Scent and immediately loved it. The pepper smells great and the other notes go together to make a amazing fresh fragrance. I accidentally spilled some of the sample in my bathroom and I smell it when I got in. I bought a bottle and can't wait to start wearing it. I think it will become my daily fragrance I wear to work. Along with Sartorial and Lothair I am really starting to like Penhaligons more and more.

When Gucci Pour Homme II was discontinued and my original bottle ran out of juice, I was crushed. This isn’t an exact replacement by any means, but it exemplifies much of what I found compelling about that fragrance. A well-rounded scent with pepper and cinnamon serving as a comforting blanket atop the smoothest woody musks a perfume can offer. You can wear this anywhere, anytime. The mild performance is a feature, not a bug. Beautiful stuff. 8.5/10

I just love opus. I'd wear it anytime and feel like a much more sophisticated, gentlemanly version of myself. The yuzu and pepper work so we'll together in the opening and the dry down sandal and cedarwood kicks in to really round off what I would consider to be one of the most pleasant smells to pass my nostrils. If I could only chose one smell for the rest of my life, it would be opus.

An Spicy, Woody and fresh scent from heaven. I have smelled black Pepper, Cedar and Yuzu in this magnificent product the most. Both longevity and projection are moderate. It is a fragrance for all season. It is better to use it in day rather than night. It is a perfume for male and I suppose it is not suitable for very young people. سمپل ارجینال جهت تست موجود است

This smells like a very light, freshly cut ceder plank. There is a lot going on in the fragrance and it's blended very well. The price point for an EDT however... Not really any value, the same house has better performing EDPs that perform well at the same price. I got this at an airport for 60 pounds- well worth it at that price but not at full price

This is an incredible fragrance because it is not all that remarkable, but it remains exquisite. There’s nothing coming from this bottle that will blow your mind, but it will remind you of just how blissful something understated can be. It’s so simple but is done so well. Masculine, classy, woody, fresh, lightly spicy. Superb

This is heavenly soft, warm, woods and flowers. Zero sweetness, fruits, or desserts, So my dream scent. I could happily wear this every day. I have a small sample of this, and I hope I can get a bottle soon, as I would love to spray rather than dab. Smells great on me, but it would smell dangerously sexy on a man.

The cinnamon with the pepper, sandalwood, and rose give off that "tea" vibe—similar to GPHII and HM HiM. However, this has a heavier body to it, and is very smooth. The base is where the cinnamon mixes with the cedar, and it's wonderful. More conservative, more confident, more assured.

Very warm and attractive men's fragrance (from a female point of view). Sexy but not the least bit sleazy. One of my top two favorite male fragrances (for men, not me). It feels to masculine for me to wear... But I love it so much I might just wear it anyways!

اُپيوس ١٨٧٠ يه عطر چوبى و ادويه اى هست كه اجزاى تشكيل دهنده اش به خوبى با هم تركيب شده و بوى بسيار بالانسى رو ايجاد كرده تركيب عطر اينقدر شفاف و با كيفيته كه بيشتر نتهايى كه تو هرم بويايى عنوان شده قابل تشخيصه دوام و پخش عطر هر دو در حد متوسطه

Agree with rezzmail’s comment below. Opus 1870 is really amazing and suited for every occasion. I’d consider it to be a perfect office fragrance as it is quite light and inoffensive. IMHO it leans masculine instead of being unisex.

My friend wears this one, it smells awesome on her, and on me too whenever she shares a spray. Some free association here: cedar-y woods, crisp but not sharp, serious but doesn't take itself seriously.

Very, very beautiful fragrance! Love it so much! It's fresh and spicy and gourmand with cinnamon and soft sandal. Perfect, bright and lifts up mood. Wish more longevity and sillage. Too weak. Unisex.

Opus is great. The combination of pepper and cedar ends up as a great "skin but better" aroma. Not too obviously woody, not too spicy. Great daily driver if you can justify the price.

This is one of the most versatile fragrances I own, a beautiful peppery, citrusy opening with a dash of rose in the background, very office safe without being too subtle.

My favorite men's fragrance. Calm, woody, dry, but sweet as well. It makes me feel like I'm sitting in a quiet corner of an old library full of precious books.

Wow, I just received my bottle. I love it. I find it to be a cross between Dunhill edition and Penhaligons Blemheim Bouquet, both of which I love.

Very peppery and spicy. A really unique fragrance yet it does not offend. If the performance was better I would stockpile dozens of bottles.

This is my new favorite “light” scent. Perfect inoffensive, refreshing, non-blue fragrance. I highly recommend this to anyone interested.

DAY-TO-DAY Likable, fresh, daily scent - an easy-to-wear spray and go that has a touch of class. It's going on the short list for xmas.

People missing Gucci homme II. This one does really smell like it . Performance and sillage are decent. Very nice perfume

I truly love this one but it wont stay on me splash smell puff gone pity

I wish it was available in a "Intense" version..

azzaro visit is a good copy of this scent.

lovely fragrance for men, 30 plus..

Penhaligon's is one of those perfume houses that is synonymous with English tradition, in the same vein as Floris and Trumper. These perfumers are renowned for producing refined, classic fragrances, some dating back over a century. Of course, each of these firms strive to stay up-to-date by adding new, on-trend scent offerings. Some work well, while some seem to miss the mark as far as I'm concerned. As I already have examples of Floris and Trumper in my collection, I'm keen to add a bottle or two from Penhaligon's. To that end, I've tried a variety of samples, which include: Opus 1870 (here reviewed) Halfeti The Dandy Blenheim Bouquet Endymion Highgrove Bouquet Juniper Sling Sartorial Babylon I've not majorly disliked any of them, but several are not my style. Babylon is a hit with me, but it doesn't seem to be a classic example of Penhaligon's, as it is one of those more on-trend offerings that I spoke of earlier. Of the others, two stood out as being reasonably modern interpretations of older style fragrances. These were Opus 1870 and Endymion. They are different in how they present, but there is a certain elegant, subtle commonality between them. Both are exactly what I'd expect from a house such as Penhaligan's. My difficulty now is to choose between those two contenders. Each seem perfect for formal and special occasions, daytime or evening. Both seem more appropriate for cooler weather, spring and autumn. Neither scream, nor whisper. Opus 1870 opens with a fizzy blast of spice, with pepper and coriander to the fore, gently supported with hints of juniper. What citrus there may be here, I find difficult to detect, as the pepper overpowers most everything else. Within 15 minutes the spicy edge has mellowed out slightly and warm amber starts to peek through and there is something else there that I cannot quite describe, perhaps it is the listed notes of incense and/or cinnamon mixed in with the pepper. Whatever it is, it is extremely pleasing to me. No doubt this will sound odd, but this unknown smell puts me in mind of the look of two different ice cream flavours that have been mixed together when melting, resulting in a swirling pattern. It also puts me in mind of the sensation I get when eating ice cream and something hot at the same time. Sometimes I do appear to have synesthetic episodes and this is one of them, so I should make clear that Opus 1870 doesn’t smell like ice cream in the slightest. An hour into its development on my skin, Opus 1870 retains its warmth and mellow spiciness. I cannot pick out a rose note at all, but cedar, sandalwood and predominantly musk notes are showing themselves. It all works together extremely well in my opinion. At four hours, it has died down to a skin scent, whether this is completely due to a lack of strength or an element of nose-blindness, I’m not sure, although I note other reviews make the same comments. For many people this might prove a deal breaker, but I do not consider it a problem. Extra sprays at close quarter, plus some reapplication throughout the day, would I’m sure counter this. UPDATE: Even after four hours when this had seemed to die down to a skin scent, my wife picked up on it from a distance and said it was nice, without any prompting. Tested: 1ml decant Seasons / Occasions: Spring, autumn and winter. Good for formal and special occasions Key thoughts: Refined and classic; a modern interpretion of an older style. Overall rating: 8.5/10 Buy full bottle: Undecided (between this and Endymion)

Kokuların hafizamizdan geçmiş günleri, kişileri, olayları, bazı gıda ve ürünleri cagristirdigini hepimiz biliyoruz. Bu konuda ciddi bilimsel çalışmalar var. Bazen kokular yukarda sıraladığım gibi belirgin bir kişi ya da maddeyi değil bir atmosferi çağrıştırır. Penhaligon's bu konuda başarılı bir marka. Opus ilk kokladigimda bana ahşap yoğun tasarlanmış ve Avrupa da bir ülkedeki çalışma odasını hatırlattı. Bunun nedenini bilmiyorum. Belki bir uzmanla konuşmam durumunda nedenini ogrenebilirim. Koku baştan sona fazla bir değişim göstermiyor. Hemen hemen aynı kalıyor. Birlesimini okuduğumda şaşırdım. Önceden rastlamadığım bir nota-koku bekliyordum. Ancak bildiğim ve hep rastladığım bir bileşimi var. Ancak sanırım oranlar ve bileşim buna neden oluyor. Kesinlikle karakterli bir koku. Bu kokuya güzel, harika, başarılı falan demek istemiyorum. En çok hak ettiği iltifat bence karakterli olduğu. Her mevsim kullanılabilir. Ofis ortamlarında hiç rahatsızlık yaratmaz. 35 yaş üstü için uygun. Takım elbise ile bir aksesuar niyetine kullanılabilir. Agresif değil, akdenizli değil, yakışıklı değil. Görmüş geçirmiş, guvenilir, dengeli bir adam var karşımızda. Ancak haftasonları biraz daha eğlenceli koku tercih edebilirsiniz. Yani bu birazda haftaici için uygun. Tabiki ten üzerinde denemeden almamak lazım. Çünkü kokuların hepimiz için farklı anlamları var. Belirli bir kalitenin üstünde olduğu için "kötü" bulmayacaginizi tahmin ediyorum. Ancak begenmeyebilirsiniz. Belki de bu koku size lise yıllarında kök söktüren Kimya hocamizi hatirlatacaktir, kim bilir.

Probably one of the most masculine of theirs that I've tried. A surprisingly transparent cedar, sweet and mild without the common acrid undertones. Much smoother than Visit, Rush, etc., and perhaps closer to a more subdued Rocabar. The deep foresty-ness is there, but is much more raw, natural and unadulterated. As it develops, it gets sweeter, with what I believe to be nutmeg...again very much like Visit but more natural and less obtrusive. It's weak, which I don't mind, but it's also oddly incomplete. I'm not sure what else I would have had them add, but it's one of those scents that feels like half a composition, no doubt because they've purposely left it simple. By the end, the spices become very heady, so even though you have to sniff vey close to smell it, it's lost some of its appeal as far as I'm concerned. Like Racquets, the far base is a bit like Geir if you only sniff it briefly.

I know the "This perfume reminds me of _________" section is about as subjective as it comes but as someone who has just tried Opus 1870 and has Gucci Pour Homme II as his signature scent I can't help but notice a Strong similarity. Granted only 2 notes are similar between the two (cinnamon and musk) but the overall light, classy feel and scent are nearly the same (to me). There is a slight less sweetness to 1870 but unless you inhale it deeply it's not that noticeable. I'm glad to find something else similar to GPH2 and, as of this wearing of 1870, would highly recommend it. I guess we'll see if the masses agree... **And I guess the people have spoken...it went from 3 "yes" in the "reminds me of" GPH2 to nada. That's fine. I'll wear it again and unless the sample I was sent from First In Fragrance was wrong I'll continue to be COMPLETELY reminded of GPH2 every time I wear 1870.**

I had no idea this was a men's scent, I simply thought it was unisex, but considering my growing men's fragrance collection, it doesn't change much in my review. Opus is such a smooth, smokey, and refined cologne. It's like an everyman scent that doesn't conjure much in terms of a particular scent family as it mingles in and out of spices, citrus, and woods. I got a sample of this since I've found myself attracted to Penhaligons and their overall aesthetic. Opus 1870 is such a smart scent for how mundane and everyday it is, the perfect signature scent that caters to the whole year. Something that doesn't need to be flashy, that just leaves me to get lost in it's simplicity. As a student, it really adds to the cool and collected vibe of academia. I can easily see myself buying a full bottle some time in the future.

I am quite taken with Opus 1870. My taste runs to subtle and discreet old fashioned fragrances. They don't have to be from 1900 but I like fragrances in which I can sense a connection to the past. Important for a house like Penhaligon's. I understand that their penny counting masters require now that they churn out strong and popular scents, but for the most part they're not for me. But they still create masterpieces with that historical connection from time to time. Castile, Endymion, Bayolea, and Lothair all fit that category. As does Opus 1870. I get the citrus and the pepper, the light rose and the incense, and the soft woody base. It's a fine cold weather fragrance for close quarters. Give me Opus 1870 by day, and Endymion by night and I'll be content from now till Easter.

Penhaligon OPUS 1870 opens briefly with a masculine demeanor: somewhat aromatic, with the characteristic coriander of many colognes. Shortly thereafter, however, this morphs into a lovely floral woody fragrance entirely suitable for women. In fact, if it were possible to experience the drydown in isolation from the opening, I would definitely have guessed that this was a creation intended primarily for women. The floral and the woody elements are perfectly balanced into a subtle, slightly oriental composition. The incense is not at all heavy, serving to complement not dominate the other notes. Unfortunately, the staying power of this relatively low sillage fragrance is not that good. Otherwise I would have considered adding OPUS 1870 to my wish list. Still, it's quite likeable!

Lovely peppercorn incense with soapy accords and hints of citrus. What an excellent office scent! The coriander and cedar give this a warm soapy feeling while the yuzu gives this an edge. They're both over a beautifully blended incense and pepper that are so heavy and deep. The latter is incredibly potent and comforting when you let it sit for a bit. On the whole this feels very tame and clean without being generic or boring. I imagine a well put-together man wearing this for a business-casual affair (This is inherently more masculine but I can see a woman destroying with this too). I appreciate how light the sillage is -- it reinforces this "I want to smell good but I'm not gonna put in your face" kind of attitude. Reserved but well-groomed. This is a winner.

Edited review after a few months of wearing: Like it, don't love it. To me it is pepper all the way with some citrus and woodiness. I get very little rose if any. For the price, I would say there are better options, although I very much enjoy wearing this. One thing that I still didn't figure out is with which outfit, style or personality would that fit best. I like matching scents with outfits, weather and mood but this one never feels like a perfect match for any of the styles I try to pull off. It's too potent to be formal, too mature to be cool and young, too risky for dates, too expensive and spicy for home wear, not sporty at all and doesn't feel alternative or modern. So I don't know when this is best suited!

A spicy, citrus-fruity opening where woods and a touch of rose slowly comes into play to create a harmonious heart phase. Opus is fresh and friendly but still with some alerting vibes. The dry down is a slightly spicy wood fragrance where I imagine that some Yuzu stays in the game for a while. This is the first Yuzu centered fragrance I really like. To my nose Yuzu normally takes over and often becomes almost choking. In the case of Opus 1870 it is very well balanced with spices, rose and wood. If you’re not into Yuzu fragrances but like to give it another chance, I really think Opus 1870 is worth a try.