California-based Opus Oils has launched Afraid Of The Dark, a new collection of four "elegantly terrifying" limited edition fragrances:
Vamp ~ "A striking Animalic Floral. Lush, Rich & Succulent. Her ageless style is enchanting & extremely addictive…With her porcelain features, she entices those who wish to possess her gothic beauty. With key notes of Smokey Gardenia, Blond Tobacco, Orange Blossom & Vanilla."
Ode de Vampyre ~ "Are you Dark & Mysterious? Brooding & Nocturnal? If so, this fragrance is for you! This Intoxicating blend of Ancient Essences is something you can really sink your teeth into. In the old castle he is waiting. Beckoning you to join him in his twilight vampire dance. With key notes of Blood Cedarwood, Saffron, Dark Rose, Orris Root, Sandalwood, Black Agar, Vetiver, Honey & Temple Incense."
Lady Death ~ "She calls to you from the shadows of your mind. Haunting, delicate & unforgettable... She waits for you to take a midnight walk through the family cemetery…Moss covered stones, ethereal night blooming succulents, midnight air, sweet anticipation of the last kiss of a ghostly apparition. With key notes of Black Lily, Narcissus, Plum, Opium & Oak Moss."
Charlie No. 5 ~ "Who’s the guy with the crazy eyes, well it’s Charlie… No.5 ♪ ♫ Forty Years of terror & still going strong!!! You may be afraid of the Big Bad Wolf but we’re afraid of Charlie… Strangely irresistible, this wild seductive man bewitched & enchanted with his deadly charms. With key notes of Dark Amber, Aged Labdanum, Vanilla, Musk, Dragons Blood, Indole & Cardamom Absolute."
The Opus Oils Afraid Of The Dark Collection fragrances are available in Parfum, Eau de Parfum and matching body products. (via press release from Opus Oils)
I would have loved these when I was 15–would have been the perfect thing to wear while reading Anne Rice books.
I did check out the website and thought their shctick was pretty cute. I kind of want some of the burlesque and bombshell stuff. Forgot to check prices…need to go do that…
I agree, though I got the Anne Rice bug at 20. (late bloomer, always)
I even saw her once when I was in New Orleans on vacation
Charlie is Manson? If so, I do not find that one funny.
I believe I have black humor and an interest in the macabre, but I’ve always found that story particularly sad.
Maybe cause I am a Polanski fan…
Or maybe I just need to lighten up and get a chocolate!
No – I agree with you. Manson just aint funny.
I was surprised by the Manson reference. I think you need to have REALLY black humor to appreciate it. It doesn’t offend me, but I’m having a hard time finding it funny.
OMG, I didn’t even catch that it was about Manson! I just figured “Charlie” was some horror movie reference that was lost on me, since I hate that crap. Geez louise, that seems like really poor taste! I have a pretty dark sense of humor, and even I wouldn’t go there.
It’s definitely crossing some line.
Miss Kitty, I have samples of all their lines and am hoping they’ll have a sample pack of these.
Anyway, the Burlesques, with a couple of exceptions, are very very candy. I have had good luck with the Divine, Island, and Fetish lines. Jitterbug is nice, too.
When I ordered, they were $2 per sample and a little goes a long way.
Those are very reasonable sample prices. I will have to order some. I really do like the humor of the line. (Charles Manson aside.)
You do have to get each whole collection in samples but they last forever and it’s fun to try them all – still only 8 or 10 bucks or so and they are very nice – they had to send my stuff a little late and sent me more than I had paid for.
Holy crap, those are expensive! Never mind!
It isn’t a budget line.
I think I wouldn’t mind so much if they weren’t oils. Although, it was the EdP I was looking at, so what am I saying? Yeah, still not sure it would be worth it.
These actually sound like great blends, but I’m unfamiliar with Opus Oils. Can anyone tell me what the quality is like?
The ones I’ve tried have been much sweeter than I like…but have only tried a few. I have my own idea of a “California perfume oil” fragrance family, and these fit squarely into that, but I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone but me.
I get it. They should make a perfume called California, and it should smell like the California cereals…fruit, nuts and flakes. No offence to Californians, I actually belong there.
I miss southern CA myself, very much.
I have been enjoying them Some of them are quite sweet, like I mentioned to Miss Kitty above. But there are some, like Voodoo, that I like very much. The samples are pretty cheap, and a little goes a long way.
Maybe I should check these out for my 13 yr old, and get her out of my #3!
LOL!
Dragon’s Blood?! I want that one!
I’m not sure about these. Vamp doesn’t seem all that “gothic” to me…I am interested in Ode de Vampyre, though.
OdV sounds best to me too.
Haven’t these themes already been done to death (ha!) by Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs?
The line seems to have a different aesthetic than BPAL though, even if there’s some overlap.
Oh, wow. I know some Goths who would love the idea of these, if perhaps not the execution or the price point. When I read the “Charlie” bit, I didn’t think of Manson, even if that was the idea. I thought of that terrible commercial from the 1990s where Cindy Crawford sang, off-key, about Charlie perfume.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orxmkiH4HUw
Parodied beautifully by In Living Color. Of course, you can’t see THOSE clips online.
They use his picture on their site, so it’s him. And I assume you’re supposed to think of that Charlie jingle!
Oh, really? Like, that’s how it sort of sounded? I actually can’t even view the youTube video I posted; I just vaguely remember what the In Living Color spoof sounded like (“They call it VERA!”). Well, aren’t I Captain Obvious today?
Yes, but now I can’t remember the original words!
Doesn’t really sound like my thing, although the notes, at least, for Ode de Vampyre (and can I say that that particular spelling makes me grit my teeth every time I see it?) sound kind of nice.
Fragrantica did an article on the burlesque series some time ago; here’s the link and I hope it’s not too big:
http://www.fragrantica.com/index.php?view=Pretraga&tippretrage=vijesti&q=opus+oils&kategorija=
Thanks!
I have to fit in a plug for my friend’s perfume, and this seemed like the place:
http://www.blackcorsetcandles.com/category_12/Asia-DeVinyl-Signature-Line.htm
And thanks again
I haven’t really grown out of this yet and don’t know if I ever will, though I have absolutely no interest in the Charlie. I don’t care if it smells like No. 5 and Joy had a baby together or they were just giving it away. I have a disturbing sense of humor, but it doesn’t extend to the murder of a pregnant woman and all the other innocents that died thanks to Manson. But he does have quite a cult following, so perhaps they’re trying to appeal to them? All the others sound great, though I should probably check the prices first. And yes, I immediately thought of BPAL and all the oils one can buy at goth clothing and accessory sites all over the net. Certainly not the first take on the theme (Scent by Alexis has some really interesting blends), but maybe a good one. Depends on price and quality.
I wish Scents by Alexis was easier to find & sample, I hear they’re great.
I didn’t realize until I got to the comments above that it was referring to Manson — I assumed it was that creepy ventriloquist’s puppet that sat on Edgar Bergen’s lap!
Ack, that’s creepy too. Not quite as creepy as Manson, though.
I Think it’s UPROARIOUS! LOL! I know… I get it… Manson isn’t Funny… yeah I Know! But i think it takes wit and yes a good dose of Subversity and Perversity to even make light of a man so heinous! this coming from the guy that loathes Kate Moss with a passion, i actually find this subversive wittiness alluring and the Juice sounds AWESOME, for all, Charlie Included ( love that it’s a Double Poke at Revlon and Chanel! BRILL!) I get the “Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge” of it all and it doesn’t bother me, so i will check out the website and see if i can get a sniff!
By The Way… Just learned from a perfume review here that Chanel in 1922 made a fragrance called “Chanel No. 55” Serious? I have NEVER heard of that one… any info on it, anyone??? I’d love you forever if you could give even the tiniest bit of background Info on it!
There were several numbered perfumes that are long forgotten. I know nothing…but nose around on Octavian Coifan’s blog:
http://1000fragrances.blogspot.com/
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Learning SO VERY MUCH about some rare Chanel Fragrances that i never, EVER knew existed! KISS KISS KISS AND HUG!!!!!!!! :-*
Hey, you need to kiss & hug Octavian!
but YOU directed me to him!
so hugs and kisses all around! LOL!
So I ordered samples of three of the AFOTD line. My thoughts: Vamp-Really “head shop” and herbal opening with a touch of gardenia. Middle is an average gardenia. Drydown is gardenia with a slight trace of vanilla. It’s okay, but not a must buy. Ode de Vampyre-Phew! Very medicinal out of the vial. There’s a strong note that reminded me of wintergreen Lifesavers over a blur of herbs and woods. As it dries on the skin, the sandalwood and cedar are more prominent, with something that almost smells of citrus though I don’t think that’s listed in the notes. The drydown is almost all sandalwood, with vague hints of herb and cedar.
Lady Death- Also starts out herbatious with a vague hint of fruit, then the plum becomes more pronounced with a touch of “head shop” and florals. As it dries down, the fruitiness dampens and it becomes more a blur of indistinguishable florals.
I also ordered a couple samples from Opus’s Island Girl line, but didn’t get a chance to try them out yet. Truly, I’ve had much more luck with BPAL or Scent by Alexis, who also offers a sample program for a very reasonable price.
None of these conjured up dark, vampyre, death, or anything particularly goth. I suppose this is a good thing since they aren’t exactly inexpensive. But I was hoping to like at least one enough to maybe buy for the novelty. As of my first testing, that isn’t likely to happen.
Thanks so much for the detailed reviews! Any BPAL scent you would recommend for someone who wanted an actual Ode de Vampire?
No problem. I’m really fond of Count Dracula from The Order of the Dragon collection a while back. It’s dark, spicy, and very well-blended. It’s warm and a bit cold all at once, and is actually a really well done fragrance. I get stopped often when wearing it. Notes listed were black patchouli, neroli, tonka, cinnamon,
bitter clove, leather, black musk, coffin wood and fiery ginger. It doesn’t scream head shop and the patch doesn’t overwhelm the fragrance. It’s just a chord among the sultry symphony that makes up this interpretation of Dracula. I’d adore it on a man, but also adore it on me.
Again, thanks!