Tickle Me: Eau Pear Tingle by Opus Oils

By Tom It's not a secret that I really like Opus Oils, the Hollywood-based house known for it's cheeky, wink-wink packaging containing seriously nice scents.  Recently, house nose Kedra Hart took up the challenge to create a scent that could be experienced by people who were anosmic to scent.  This of course makes the scent hard to review, since I am anything but unable to smell perfume.  So I can't comment on its central purpose; I can comment on what I'm smelling.  Eau Pear Tingle starts off with a literal tingle of mint.  It's not mint in a chewing gum kind of way: it's like going into your garden to the plant, ripping off a handful and burying your nose it the torn leaves.  It's bright and peppery and quite wonderful (do I smell parsley in there?).  It's joined by lime blossom, pear and musk that balance each other perfectly: the pear is juicy while the musk and lime cuts the sweetness.  It kind of reminds me a little bit of Annick Goutal Un Matin d'Orage, not necessarily in the notes but in the sort of green and vaguely watery aspect to it, like wandering in an orchard after a hard rain.  Jasmine is discernible but not overwhelming while the listed pine seems to be there only to add some more "tingle" rather than being up in the front: Filles en Auguilles this isn't. Would I wear it?  No.  Pear and I aren't friends, no matter how well done.  I also think this is one that I'd rather smell on a woman than on a man: there's something about its musky sweetness that makes me think of the nape of the neck of a woman who has just pulled up her hair into a chignon to escape the warmth of the afternoon and is enjoying feeling the breeze, lightly pressing her icy glass of mint tea to her throat.  It's another feather in the cap for Kedra Hart and Opus Oils and can see why it was nominated for a FiFi award. Available at their website in various sizes and products.  My sample was sent by the perfumer.  Image from their website.

Briefly- Opus Oils Vampira: Moon Garden

By Tom Sorry, this one's going to be short. I'm helping a friend move to NYC and frankly on this Sunday night I am wiped. Opus Oils is the Hollywood-based lair of perfumer Kedra Hart, where her winking, gothy packaging contains some really lovely scents. The latest of which is the first in a series that's a tribute to Z-list horror movie actress and TV host Vampira (see "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and the Tim Burton film "Ed Wood" for an explanation) called "Moon Garden". Seeing that it's about Vampira, and comes in a coffin-shaped flask, you might be expecting something camp. It's not. It's lovely: contemplative and almost melancholy. It's the olfactory retreat of a woman who might even be a fine actress but has to pay the bills by being a camp icon: quietly lovely jasmine and orange blossom with a touch of tarragon and clove, wormwood and a hint of civet to give it some (if you'll pardon the expression), bite. I don't know specifically about the price of the new perfume, but others in the coffin-shaped vials are $75 for 1oz of oil and $150 for 4oz at The Opus Oil website

Wilde in the Streets: Opus Oils Dirty Sexy Wilde

By Tom The last time I visited Opus Oils shop on Hollywood Blvd was a year ago, when I was welcomed by the owner, Kedra Hart and shown her lovely line of oils. When I got notice that there was going to be a new one, the start of her new "Animalic Instincts" class, I was there when the door opened. Once again greeted by the handsome face of the fragrance Tiger Powers (I love a man who makes me feel short..), Kedra showed me the new scent and the coffin-shaped special-edition bottles available. The coffins cute in a "nudge, nudge, Goth, Goth" way. I think I'd fill them with booze.. The notes for "Wilde" are listed as "Galbanum, Red Mandarin, Violet, Rose, Night Jasmine, Blond Tobacco, Oakmoss, Coumarin, Musk, Civet and Ambergris". On me the opening is a super-suave combo of the galbanum and the mandarin with tobacco, with the flowers peeping up later before settling into the animal notes and the hay-like coumarin. On me it's not so dirty, but decidedly sexy in a your-skin-but-better kind of way: as elegant as a Savile Row Suit with a bit of retro-smokiness. Best part? It's $50 for 1 OZ of oil. I was at Neiman's this weekend and entirely unimpressed with the new Tom Ford musks, mainly because I had just smelled (and bought) this for about a quarter of what the studiedly louche Mr. Ford charges for his EDT. I love finding people like this, who are great at what they do and are passionate about it; the antithesis of the manufactured, airbrushed, corporate anodyne coolth exemplified by Mr. Ford.

Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume

By Tom Okay, I have to admit, I always told myself that I didn't like perfume oils. I think this prejudice comes from bad memories of growing up in the 70's in what can only be called a capital of hippie earthy-crunchiness: yes, there were the preps all over the place but there were also a big arty contingent that lived in incense-burning, patchouli-oiled, tofu-chomping, loft-dwelling splendor, making art out of old bathtubs and opening food co-ops. Lately however, thanks to Strange Invisible Perfumes, Ayala Sender (I will be reviewing your generous package soon, I promise) and Opus Oils, I think I am going to have to change my tune... The lovely and talented Wendy was the impetus for my visit here, since she literally ran across the Hollywood Blvd. shop in her peripatetic travels. She set up a date for a bunch of us to drop in. Lazy putz that I am I decided to stop on my way home from work rather than stick around downtown until 8 or go home and come back. I'm just that way. In any case, I stopped in at about 6-ish and was greeted by a strapping, handsome man who invited me in and introduced me to Kedra Hart, the strikingly attractive Master Blender behind the scents. She walked me through most of the line, including the Absinthe line (which smell of wisteria with a breath of wormwood, preferring not to go with the obvious anise, and I say "thank you" for that..), Burlesque and Fetish among others. I was happily surprised by the fact that these were wonderful to a scent: balancing bright and dark with depth and an almost ludicrous lushness to them that comes across as intense and yet wonderfully playful. Then she brought out Jitterbug. There are a few notes that I am a total sucker for if they're done well and jasmine is one of them. I adore the smell of it; it's one of those scents that I love about and associate with Los Angeles, as I've written about before. Unlike Sarrasins, the opening of Jitterbug seems to be more of the jasmine of the South than that of the Southland: it is more fulsome, with almost a bubblegum sweetness to its opening that's quite captivating but quickly becomes deeper with the addition of ambergris and brighter with orange blossom. I wrote of Serge Noir as reminding me of a sort of Summer's end at the Connecticut shore, in my minds eye this is what some lovely young thing in a fringed dress would smell like in Savannah in the 20's; a good girl enjoying the effect of her newly bobbed hair and Patou gown on the local boys. Blooming youth and innocent sexuality. Would I wear it? You betcha. I find that the oil isn't a sillage monster (and if it is, please don't burst my bubble) so I can dab it on my wrist and have some olfactory armor against the daily attack of the drabs. Another spreadsheet? A PowerPoint? The car needs to get smogged? Fine. I've sniffed my wrist and I am in Jitterbug heaven... Jitterbug is available in an array of sizes and products including scent, body butter (yum) and bath salts, all of which are available at the website. The store, if you are in Los Angeles is at 4959 Hollywood Boulevard near Barnsdall Art Park. This might be the perfect scent to wear there...