Amouage Library Collection - Opus VII | Perfume Review | A Journey through the forest.

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  Amouage Library Collection - Opus VII


                                                                           

                                 

                    If I am asked about my favorite Amouage fragrance then 9 times out of 10 my answer would be Opus VII from the Library collection. It has been a love since the first time I ever sniffed it. It’s a very complex fragrance, I have difficulties identifying all the notes, but I have built an image around it over time.

                The top of the perfume, the initial blast is like entering a forest which is too silent, not even a sound of the crickets just some gushes of the cold wind carrying a scent from distance. I am surrounded by tall trees and small shrubs around my feet, mossy and slippery. There’s a stench in the wind, unusual, unholy, almost intriguing, and captivating as if the forest knows what fascinates me. The reason why I mentioned this phase as the top of the perfume is that Opus 7 has the same kind of effect on me, the mix of nagarmotha and galbanum which is woody, and balsamic which makes this start curious for me. The top also has some cardamom and nutmeg both of which are spices with warm nuances and some sweet undertones, just as the stench that was inviting me to walk deeper into the woods following the scent.




                Every step from here on is a journey I might regret. The fear is being consumed by this place is scary and yet tempting, it’s as if I always wanted to be here, to become one with the forest. Like I mentioned there’s a stench that I am following, so far it smells like burring leather, oud, and something peppery. It’s calling me towards it and it’s getting stronger as I walk towards it. I don’t have a good feeling about this anymore, there’s fire, smoke, and utter silence, my pace has now slowed down, I am more scared than excited and I second doubt my choice of coming here.  I stand near the fire that burns with it some animal skin, some powerful woods, and some spices, it is just waiting for someone to chant some words and complete the spell. The fire is warm and gives warmth to the body but its smoke gives the cold chills, it’s started working its charm on me as soon as it hit my nose. The stench which was being carried by the wind right from the start was coming from this very fire. This is where I connect with the perfume’s heart, the smoky leather the spicy oud which is unusual for me and certainly unexpected. Oud isn’t my favorite note and neither do I like to play with fire but a gaze in the flames showed me that there’s more to the forest than the fire. The place that I am right now is only a gateway, a process to cleanse what’s within and prepare for the beauty of the forest that lies ahead of this fire. After having dozed me in the smoke of the fire which was weirdly purifying I walk ahead. As I walk past the fire, I get the smell of strong leather just one more time.

To my surprise the flames were right, I did walk into a beautiful place, cleansed and ready to be one with the forest. This part of the forest is different from what I stepped into, this has a light, chirps of the birds, sound of the insects, calming breeze, and sandalwood trees giving off a beautiful scent. The patchouli shrubs around me smell earthy and medicinal; I could rub them on me all the time. This phase is the dry down of the scent has my favorite notes which are patchouli, amber notes, and sandalwood.



The beginning of the journey was a spine-chilling one but it ended up being a home for me, a place I wish to dwell in and belong to. I wish it would rain every morning in this forest to wake up to a breeze that brings a smile to my face and comfort to my soul.


Artists:- Alberto Morillas and Pierre Negrin.

Notes:-  Galbanum, Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Fenugreek, Nutmeg, Amber, Agarwood, Patchouli, Leather, Ambergris, Costus, Musk, Sandalwood, Olibanum, and Cypriol / Nargarmotha.


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