Monday, July 25, 2011

Smitten by vetiver - Mona di Orio Vetyver

Basically, you all need to smell it and then go buy a bottle (or a decant, the bottle is quite expensive and I'm not one bit grateful to MdO for making me want to buy it). But boy, it surely smells great.

This is by far my favourite vetiver. I am completely smitten by it. I keep testing it in order to get better
ideas of how to describe it but nothing worthy comes to mind. I am simply in love. :)
Notes: Bourbon vetiver, blue ginger from Madagascar, Virginia cedar, violet, cistus labdanum, clary sage absolute, tonka bean, musk.

I don't think any of my readers have any doubt now that I am a huge Mona di Orio fan.  I love her creations but some, I love more than the others. Those are also the most difficult to describe. I spray my little vial of Vetyver and I think I'm going to concentrate now, and describe what I smell, only to be disarmed and seduced by it and then I come up with only rudimentary notes. But nevertheless, here they are. :)

It's a sunny, dry, hay-like vetiver but the hay is interspersed with flowers and therefore smells a bit sweeter than hay usually does. But at the same time, the vetiver is giving it a  masculine vibe underscored by cedar. I think the ginger again is more in line with the sweet and feminine side of this vetiver.  The fact that it is all there makes this a perfect unisex perfume for me. Not that I ever take those labels into account.
It's a warm, snuggly vetiver, one you smell and then do everything to come closer and keep smelling it. I never thought I would say this about vetiver, but this one seduces you by making you weak at the knees.
I keep sighing deeply trying to describe it. :)

Eventually, it does veer into a more masculine vetiver, losing some of that initial floweriness (which  I have no idea why I keep referring to as such, as notes don't really list any except violet).

This is not a refreshing vetiver, it is a vetiver in line with the summer. It does nothing to cool you but instead makes you feel warmed by the sun somewhere in the flowery summer fields.

10 comments:

  1. Oh no another must try, and I haven't even tried Vanille yet, your review makes me want to test it straight away. I too am enarmoured with many Mona di Orios releases, and this whole d'Or series is great.
    What is the musk like, and since you don't mention it perhaps it's barely noticable?

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  2. Oh Ines I just LOVE the way you write about perfume - even when you write about the way it leaves you speechless, you turn it into poetry! :) Well, I've been intrigued by Mona di Orio for some time now and cannot wait to try her - I've a feeling I'll fall in mad mad love like you have. Gorgeous Post, mate!

    Zanne

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  3. Okay, that's it now, I cannot take any more of these seductive Mona di Orio reviews. Now I MUST seek them out. I tried to dismiss Tubereuse, since that is the easiest for me to dismiss, but truth be told, I think that one is gorgeous as well from what you are saying about it, and Ambre and Vanille were on my list anyway, now I'll have to add Vetyver. You'll stop now, okay? ;)

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  4. Asali, honestly I don't really get musk. :)
    But as I've been testing Musc (and there will be a review of that as well), I should say that MdO treatment of musk certainly works fine with me. I think the musk in here is what gives the perfume the feeling of warmth. I don't really smell it on its own.

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  5. Thank you Zanne! I'm sure you'd like them.
    Well, as soon as the package arrives, you should be able to try one (or 2, I can't remember anymore). :)

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  6. Dear Olfactoria, maybe I shouldn't tell you then I'm planning a review of Musc as well?

    Which I think you might like the best. :D

    *quickly hides away*

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  7. I've come to notice, Ines, that whenever you get all swoony over a fragrance, and then declare that you can't describe it, and then you swoon a little further, you somehow end up making it seem like the most irresistible damn thing around. You're a little tease, Ines. Good thing I love you so much! ;)

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  8. Dear Suzanne, your comments always make me feel better.
    You know, the only thing that can make me swoon is perfume (and occasionally a pair of shoes, or a glass of fine champagne/whisky, but that's it). :)
    Ha! Now I can't wait for you to try it, just so I'd know if you will like it as much (and I have a feeling you might like it...)

    P.S. I might be in a teasing mood as my vacation draws near and my exuberance proportionally grows. :)

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  9. It's stunning. And it's me saying that, who simply and flatly can't stand vetiver scents, they make my stomach turn up. But this one is something not from this Earth. Breath-taking.

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you found a vetiver perfume that works with both your stomach and nose. :) I also have some perfumes that turn my stomach but I can't figure it which note is responsible for it...

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