Opoponax bases are a subset of amber (or ambreine) type bases; both are loaded up on citrus, animalics, resins and sweet crystallines (vanillin and coumarin in very high doses usually). While Ambreine bases are usually erogenous and very vanilla-oriented, Opoponax bases are drier, more agrestic and often featuring lower (but still significant) amounts of crystallines. A classic base, Black Opoponax was used by Jacques Cavallier in the classic men's oriental fragrance Opium Pour Homme (1995) at around 5%. This base is extremely versatile and fits just as nicely into a post-modern fragrance as it did into the '90s YSL hit. Absolutely IFRA compliant and built entirely without the use of any musks (nitro or otherwise), this base is an excellent fixative. With judicious amounts of luxurious oriental resins, natural Mysore sandalwood and patchouli Aceh oil, Black Opoponax is a fragrance in its own right.
