The Library Collection Opus II Amouage for women and men

I get masses of the cardamom, cinnamon and incense at the opening - so much so it brought to mind an inferior version of Tauer's Incense Extreme! But give it a little time to settle - or grow which is more the case - and I am being assaulted by a very masculine (for want of a better word) and heady lavender, bay and cedar mix - this does smell excellent but for me this stage is just too masculine! I would just love to smell this on a man providing he was judicious with application as I have only a little on but it is incredibly strong for my nose - almost like a good cold remedy!

As the base notes hit and the woodyness and patchouli come to the fore this just reminds me so much of the Middle-East and almost every Middle-Eastern businessman I came across smelt (to a heavy degree) like this! To my nose it is not unique and very Middle Eastern! Maybe that is just the underlying incense running throughout the whole thing?

I really can't see how this is unisex - to me it is way too masculine and a tad overpowering at that! I think gentle care in application is needed here!

Again, it is a cleverly crafted perfume by the Amouage house but in my opinion not quite unique enough to warrant such a huge price tag! Saying that though there is good value for money here as a little goes a very, very long way!

Silage - massive. Longevity is very good!

If you want to smell like a Middle Eastern businessman then this is for you! Add a thobe, ghutra and an igal and you can even look like one as well !!!!!!!

I can't exactly say that Opus II is disappointing but at the same time it's not excelling at uniqueness either. It opens with a blast of citruses and lavander that's quite beautiful yet pretty conventional, then Cardamom takes over becoming kinda overwhelming but fortunately it quickly blends together with all the other elements (basically spices and amber. I don't get jasmine here). The typical Amouage frankincense note is quite remarkable throughout but it plays its main role during the drydown where Opus II turns into a discreet and well refined skin scent.

Overall Opus II is a superbly crafted composition that is able to be opulent and discreet at the same time. A perfect everyday's fragrance for anyone into refined elegance and for those who prefer "refined details" to straight in the face ostentation. Maybe not so distinctive or unique but still quite enjoyable.

Downside: The ridicolous price tag and the ugly bottle. It looks like one of those cheap splash-aftershaves from the 70's with the satin finish glass (Denim anyone?). The golden cap and label are not enough to make the difference.

Rating: The Juice (8/10)
Uniqueness (6/10)
Overall (7/10)

After what I would consider a disappointment in OPUS I, I consider this second offering as a standing ovation of a pine tree orchestra.
As if a cool winter wind whirls through a pine forest, bringing with it a warm breeze of pink pepper from the spicy south.
Accompanied by the smouldering scents of aromatic glowing warm/ wormwood (which is the first time EVER I have noticeably smelled this ingredient)the green flavours of bay and lavender thrush through.
Jasmine and rose only take a background vocal in this orchestra dominated by spices and woods.

There is a lovely soft piney scent from L'Occitane en Provence which I love, but THIS HERE is the London Philharmonic Orchestra version of it.

NATURE and CLASSIC MUSIC LOVERS alike, I think you would adore this scent!

I will deffo add this to my AUTUMN/ WINTER wardrobe for I LOVE IT!

This is the best one from all that group 1,2,3 . Really like that

edit 6/2/11
My chemical sensitivities have passed (these were negatively affecting my interpretation of MANY scents, with some chemicals bothering me more than others), and Opus II no longer irritates my throat or sinuses. Needless to say, I once again love this scent and stand by the first review I posted of this far below.


edit: 11/15/10
I've done a 180 on this (see my earlier reviews below).

I still like the opening and I find that the composition has a lot of potential, but I find that the dry down becomes too muted and one dimensional far too quickly on me now, and even worse, it is chock full of some synthetic that really irritates my throat. I think it's the same chemical that provides the mineral notes to TdH, as it has the same effect on me. I used to think this was iso e super, but it's not, as other iso e heavy scents don't bother me in this way.

So:
opening and first hour or so = 5 stars

drydown = 2 stars

average = 3.5, truncating to 3 stars.

Unfortunately, due to the actual physical pain it causes me, I'm going to have to rate it "dislike" now.

I was prepared to love Opus II, expecting a full spicy, opulent fragrance.
Opus II seems weak and uninspired for me. It follows the same line of Amouage Reflection Man, the idea of doing something mainstream with quality materials, trying to justify the high price in this way.
But it didn`t convinced me. I thought that they tried to do something that would easier to please, but in this process the scent lost personality.
It seems like a cross of solo loewe with pinches of Armani Prive Ambre Soie and washed base of Terre d'Hermes.
The opening has the same spicy, aromatic aura of solo loewe after solo loewe develops on skin. The pepper is spicy, but never gets at the front of the fragrance, like pepper fragrances as Piper Nigrum or Armani Prive Bois d`Encens. It`s a pepper combined with the sharp, aromatic aroma of lavender, the bitterness of wormwood somethins spicy that seems like a cardamom touch. I cannot see any relathionship with Rive Gauche, wich has a dark, fougere aura dominated by cloves and dark woody aromas. Opus II is too shy to go on that direction; when you think the fragrance will take of and raise it`s voice and give you a interesting spicy-aromatic aroma, the scent disappears, go soft. The pepper-lavender aroma stays for a while, and then gives space for what it feels some moments like a homage to the beautiful cinnamon that Christine Nagel used in her Ambre Soie for Armani. But the same problem that happens to the opening happens to the heart too, the cinnamon never goes completely on focus, and seem more like a ghost of an interesting cinnamonic fragrance than an interesting one. The amber seems to start appearing at this point for me, and if there`s is any jasmine and rose here, it`s completely hidden for me.
When it gets to the base, what i got it`s a soft, subtle, patchouli and musk base, that makes me think of terre d`hermes base, with some incense added.
Opus II was a big disappointment for me. I don`t see any creativity here, although i see the quality. It lacks the luxe touch, the strenght, the longlasting aroma of other Amouage Scents. I wouldn`t waist 300 dollars on what could have been priced 100 dollars at most.

I WAS not a lover of the Amouage line but...I ve discovered recently some really exciting beauties here: Ubar and this one Opus II.. It s so gorgeous, so rich so silky all the notes complementing each other so perfectly I cannot stop sniffing my arm..and I know my decant must replace ...they are alas very pricey so please sample before you buy! I think that even if you cannot wear it you ll still recognize it as the masterpiece it is!

Excuse me if I don’t go into more of the over-the-top raptures that this scent generates in others, but it just didn’t do that for me. It’s well crafted, well-mannered, and nice enough, but it doesn’t make me want to rush out and rob a bank so that I can buy a big bottle of it.

To me, Opus II starts out smelling like a typical high-end “man’s cologne” with lots of lavender and woody notes. Lavender is right up there with lily-of-the-valley as one of my least favorite notes to wear. It’s funny, because I think lavender smells just beautiful on plants, but it’s not something I particularly want to smell like myself. After 15 minutes or so the lavender calms down and some low-key spices start to come through, cinnamon and cardamom along with the bay leaf and artemesia and what is probably vetiver, even though it’s not listed in the notes. At that point the scent takes on a culinary herbs & spices tone, exciting perhaps for those who’ve grown up on a diet of bland foods, but not impressive to this reviewer who is forbidden to make Thanksgiving stuffing for the in-laws’ get-togethers because it’s “too spicy”.

This is not to say that Opus II is a wimpy perfume. It’s not. It’s strong, with a woody sharpness that persists for far too long. It’s got good sillage, and lasts for the better part of a day, with traces of the sweetish clean-musky drydown still lingering on clothing the next day. Maybe I was expecting something different, but I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by this one.

WARNING ****
Do not test this magnificent perfume unless you are prepared for the resulting dilemma when you realise that you simply must have this perfume no matter what.
Any description from me cannot add to the previous posts, other than to say I totally concur. Opus II is a beautifully crafted perfume with a perfect blend of spices and excellent use of cardamon and cinnamon. The magic of this perfume though is the delivery of such notes. It is delicate yet not lacking in strength.
Unlike many other unisex fragrances,
it hasn't lost it soul to cater to the broader market. This would be equally appealling on both women and men, and best enjoyed during the day.
The dilemma is, can one justify the cost of acquiring this perfume given the hefty price tag?
Well, for me, the answer is YES...now, the question is HOW?

For me, Opus II is like having listened to someone outstanding recite a poem or deliver a monologue with utter eloquence that its left me enraptured...wanting more...On my skin, the cardemom is divine--the pink pepper & wormwood intertwine with the cinnamon & jasmine...The cedar & amber close this verse ever so gently...Encore! Encore!

I agree with the previous poster, as soon as I smelled Opus II, I knew I had to have it in my life. Before that, I wasn't even really a perfume person. I was sticker shocked when I saw the price, but my lovely husband did get it for my birthday after about a month of me raving how good it smelled. Whilst I can't describe it in any way close to the aforementioned, it is a divine fragrance that lasts and lasts. When I wear Opus II, I actually find myself smelling myself because it's just that good!

I must say that I am overwhelmed after having tested Opus II. It is a magnificent, beautiful fougere. In short, it smells something like a cross between Rive Gauche PH and Fou d’Absinthe, the two not blended together but instead a new formula inspired by the two, created with an unlimited budget and blended by God himself.

The notes of Opus II may sound generic but are woven together with such careful precision and subtlety that they literally dance on the skin in an olfactory equivalent of the glimmering iridescent display of light dancing across a most exquisite piece of abalone. This is a fragrance that is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

You know that feeling of magic that sometimes washes over you during the winter season? There is an utter, almost eerie, stillness in the air, and all the earth is asleep, and the quiet and solitude do not leave you feeling alone so much as they magnify your own sense of self, your own awareness of life and existence? The way we rush from the car into the houses of friends and families to escape the bitter cold, and are met with the wonderful scent of chai tea, cinnamon sticks and apple cider, christmas trees, bay leaves and mistletoe. The warmth of friendship. All of that; all of the wonderful and beautiful elements of winter have seemingly been distilled. That is Opus II.

Yes, truly a wonderful fougere that shimmers and floats above the skin, and will remind you, if you are so inclined to listen, that magic really does still exist.

Now, for a less poetic breakdown:

The scent opens with a big dose of bay laurel and pepper, although even these have an airiness about them as they are lifted by a translucent lavender note that is not immediately detectable. Soon the lavender weaves its way into the opening accord but it's unlike any lavender note I've ever experienced, it is so ethereal and again, translucent; perhaps the best word for it is crystalline. It is not herbal or overly aromatic like the lavender note in Oxford and Cambridge, it is not heavy and thick and stuffy like it is in the opening of so many 80s men's scents. It is just.. crystalline. Underneath this is a note that is not fully discernable but it adds a bit of darkness and greenness and ups the aromatic factor of the opening: I am quite sure this is the absinthe note at play, which I think may be a combination of actual wormwood oil (which is aromatic, slightly minty, and very green) and a star anise note. The opening is simultaneously spicy and smooth, filled with a number of heavy essences that are rendered in such an airy and translucent way that it really does, for me at least, evoke the sensation of cool winter wind against the skin.

Cardamom soon becomes apparent and it is rendered smoothly and very natural, akin to the cardamom note in Invasion Barbare. Yes, Amouage has, at least in Opus II, really upped the quality and natural factor of their ingredients. While I've always loved Amouage, I have to admit that some of their scents are more synthetic than some/most of the offerings of other ultra high end houses like Xerjoff or MCDI. Amouage though, always had the ultra-lush and luxurious factor, and always put their synthetics to good use and hid them quite well amongst the naturals. Still, this scent feels like a step up in quality from the other Amouages, although it is not as lush or luxe as some of them, but that is due solely to the genre of scent. It definitely feels as high quality and natural as any of the Xerjoffs, not something I could say about many/any of the previous Amouages. If Rive Gauche were a Lexus, Opus II is an Aston Martin.

The usage of cinnamon here is absolutely the best I've ever smelled - it is so real and even a bit woody (this is the whole cinnamon stick), but it feels as if the scent was merely dusted with this freshly ground cinnamon stick. Again, a very ethereal usage of a note that really helps keep the shimmering, magical effect of the fragrance alive. At the same time that the cinnamon becomes more prominent, the anisey note of the absinthe accord becomes stronger and joins with a very muted jasmine and rose and perhaps some labdanum and a hint of vanilla from the base to create a very natural smelling rendition of the 'shaving cream accord' in Rive Gauche. I always loved the idea of Rive Gauche but found it a bit synthetic, especially that cream accord. I didn't know you could make such a natural smelling cream accord. I should mention that here it is not quite so upfront and center as it is in RG - it is present and definitely is a large contributor to the texture during the middle phase, but it stands far enough back to still let the cardamom, lingering bay, dusty hints of cinnamon, and lingering lavender (now joined by a lavender absolute note) to lead the play.

This continues down into the base where the woods pick up with intensity slightly. It's hard to pick out exactly what is going on as the whole of it is so carefully blended that no notes really stand out at this point. The opening and heart have such extreme clarity and separation of the notes (and yet, when taken together as a whole, they all work perfectly, too) and in the base they begin to meld together the way that it's hard to pick out the individual spices that go into a great chai tea. It is a soft base, the creamy aspect is still present, and there is a hint of spices still but they are completely smooth by now, no piquancy left. The lavender absolute note (a sweeter, softer, more coumarinic lavender note than the essential oil) is detectable, and the anise is too, slightly, and there is a hint of smoke from the incense. It is so peaceful - this is the warmth I alluded to in the poetic review, escaping the bitter cold of the outside (which was magical in its own way) and cherishing the newfound warmth and comfort of the sanctuary of home.

I should add that the anise note is never so strong or out in the open that I think it would render the scent unenjoyable by those who don't like anise. It's truly a background player and, while noticeable if you are really looking for it, does not jump out and scream or misbehave in any way.

Fans of Rive Gauche or Fou d'Absinthe absolutely need to check this out.

edit: It's been a long time since I've been so moved by a fragrance. It's also been a long time since I knew, so quickly, that I absolutely would have to own a scent after testing it just once. I have no idea how I'm going to afford this! Santa, all I want for Christmas this year is a bottle of Opus II. I'll be really really good, I promise!! Please?!