SCENT NOTES: sandalwood, tonka bean, amyris, siam wood, muhuhu, rose hip seed, cedarwood, guaiacwood, myrtle leaf, cypress leaf, rosewood leaf, frankincense, saffron, pistachio, hazelnut, opopanax, lavender, ambrette seed, bay, rose, black pepper, nutmeg
Ophir opens as an opulent exotic sandalwood accord with its intense briskness immediately announcing that this is a sophisticated wood perfume. Suddenly a euphoric milky, nutty, spiciness of tonka bean, pistachio, hazelnut, and nutmeg show up to play a dangerous scent game living harmoniously alongside the woods, never fighting but always alert. Once the scent settles in, saffron becomes apparent with its unique notes of hay and metallic gold; this is when the secret is revealed that saffron is the true reason you’re wearing this fragrance. In the end, as the top notes fade, touches of rose, lavender, and black pepper energize for a final lap around the sandalwood.
This scent is just incredible. Words really don’t do it justice. It starts off extremely heavy with dried smoky wood and incense (almost smells like bug spray) but quickly settles on the skin into a sweet and mesmerizing scent that jumps between masculine and feminine. It is definitely a stand out scent and gets a ton of compliments. Type of scent you want to bathe yourself in.
So, this will sound strange but when I first put on Ophir I’m transported back to summers as a kid, standing in a big cloud of mosquito spray. I know that doesn’t sound complimentary, but…it is, kinda. After ten minutes or so of dry down that DEET-y pungency is replaced for me with the warmer, richer scents described by other reviewers. I don’t know, it surprises me to say so after describing it this way, but I kinda love it.
My girlfriend has been wearing pipe bomb for a while and I, a man, decided to try Ophir after reading the details about it. I love it. I like woody smoky scents and this is that but with a bit of a sweet hint to it. I’ve been told it’s def masculine but a women can pull it off too.
This is gorgeous. catching a waft of this off someone's neck is an olfactory dream. It seem to me to tip ever so slightly in the masculine direction. It's dry and somewhat medicinal, very wood-focused (the gaiac and sandalwood are most prominent to me), and there's a lovely incense thing going on. I am a woman and I would wear it, but it is definitely not fleur-based or traditionally feminine. It's contemplative/ruminative/meditative, quiet, soothing, not loud or perfumey, kind of like tam dao by dyptique, if you know that one. It seems to have high quality pure essences; i detect no chemical fabrication.
My absolute favourite since trying it in a Brooklyn boutique a few years ago, I have to have this perfume in my life! Please open a store in Amsterdam :)