Opoponax Intense
by Ava Luxe

I am very much prejudiced in favor of anything with a strong opoponax note: opoponax is one of the few notes that can pretty much stand alone to make a complete fragrance IMHO. Ava Luxe's Opoponax Intense is not pure opoponax, but it feels like it could be. It is combined with myrrh and frankincense, which gives the opoponax a richly resinous feel. And there is amber and benzoin and balsam to sweeten the mixture. The result is a rich, sensuous, resinous opoponax that is contemplative, sophisticated, comforting, and just plain delicious. It is linear; which is great as far as I'm concerned. It's sillage begins moderate and soon becomes a skin scent; and it lasts forever. This is truly one of my top three versions of opoponax that I have experienced: It’s a bit more wearable than Diptyque’s Eau Lente; a lot more casual than Les Nereides Imperial Opoponax. And deserves its place in the same fragrance library as those other two excellent fragrances.

14th March, 2008. (Last Edited: 18th April, 2008.)

Opoponax Intense is primarily a wood scent, yet I get a strong leather vibe from this, probably because of the benzoin. It's smooth, warm, and redolent in balsamic sweetness. There are ambery and incense undertones. This is rich and opulent, and would good layered as well as on its own.

27th April, 2007.