FRAGRANCE | Amouage Opus I EDP: A complex opus that does justice to its name

My, my, now isn't this a complex beauty! A fantastic blend of a lot of different things but without particularly focusing on a single showcase note, Amouage Opus I is indeed an opus. I love Amouage but I never meant to explore The Library Collection because there's just too many frags that I want and still don't own. However, ever since I got the decadent Opus VI, my "library" has steadily grown. 

Opus I has a warm and rounded, spicy-sweet opening. Some florals peek through but then quickly retreat. After a few minutes, a sweet and zesty orange appears. There's no piercing sharpness or any mouth-puckering sourness to it. It works well with the spice and instantly lifts the general mood of the fragrance. This goes on for several more minutes before a budding ylang-ylang enters the picture.

The ylang-ylang starts soft, then slowly but steadily builds its strength up. In its shadow is a rather shy tuberose and a couple of other florals. It's like you can smell the tuberose but not quite because it defers to the ylang-ylang's dominance. To be fair, it's not as if the ylang-ylang obliterates everything else, as it still respects the warm spiciness in the frag. More so, that there's some supporting work from the tuberose and other florals tempers the ylang-ylang's prominence. As a result, it's not as spotlighted a note as in Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Aqua Vitae Forte, even more as an underlying green accord is introduced. This new character lends the florals a vintage feel that I really like. 

The spice and orange later exit, after which a powdery trait suddenly breaks through. It's as if something exploded and showered all the sweet florals with powder. It's not baby powder, though, or anything clean for that matter; more like bitter spiciness with something green mixed in. The ylang-ylang soon steps back and blends into the floral fold, making it even harder to distinguish.

As is probably typical with Amouage, Opus I starts out strong and holds up really well for a couple of hours before gradually dipping in power. Hours later, I get a faint earthiness, with the florals now subdued but still very much at the fore. Further down the road, a very soft, musky undertone spreads across the remainder of the scent. It's like something sweaty and sensual while everything else is in a blurry haze.

Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, Amouage Opus I for me is stunning. It's easily perceived as feminine because of the florals but the warm spices and the green undertone make it perfectly unisex to my nose. The vintage references are not overt but discernible, easily elevating the fragrance's elegance factor. It radiates opulence rather than sexiness, making it ideal for more formal settings. I'm really happy to have this in my library.