What does Opoponax smell like?
Opoponax smells of warm, sweet resin with accents of honey, dried fruit and ambery lavender. A powdery, faintly animalic facet gives it a velvety, almost leathery texture, while a smoky touch recalls incense. On skin it barely evaporates: it unfurls slowly in the base and extends amber and vanilla accords for hours, adding a soft, glowing density underneath everything else.
Origin and production
Opoponax comes from shrubs of the Commiphora genus, notably Commiphora guidottii, which grow in the arid regions of Somalia and Ethiopia. The gum resin seeps from cut bark, dries into lumps and is then steam-distilled for essential oil or solvent-extracted into a resinoid. A close relative of myrrh, it has been used since antiquity as incense and as a fragrant material.
How perfumers use it
A base material, opoponax builds deep amber accords and anchors lighter notes. It pairs with vanilla, tonka bean, labdanum, incense and spices. Guerlain's Shalimar folds it into its famous vanilla base, Parfums de Marly's Carlisle pairs it with patchouli and vanilla, and Amouage's Interlude Man blends it with incense and labdanum in a very smoky composition. It brings warmth with a soft, powdery finish.
How to wear it
Best in winter, opoponax suits lovers of deep, warm, enveloping ambers worn in the evening.
