Musc

UNISEX?? This is a total feminine powder bomb to me. While I think people should wear whatever fragrance they like despite any label, this is outrageously feminine in my opinion. Once it settles, after a good hour, it is an absolutely beautiful fragrance. The opening is pretty potent and a little all over the place for me but after 15 minutes it starts coming together and you could consider getting around other human beings but I would highly recommend waiting at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. Others may not share the joy until this settles a bit. But once it develops into the final product, it is actually quite soft and lovely while still having a little heft to it. This has an spicey amber oriental vibe to me initially and I was not expecting that. I don't think there is even any amber in there but the combination of notes creates it for my nose. It is definitely a fall/winter fragrance in my opinion. While it is soft and powdery there is a weight to it and it just feels like a bit much for the warmer months. I am wearing it today in August and it keeps indirectly reminding me that fall is around the corner. I can see how it could be something that some would fall madly in love with.

A lot of people think Musc smells like some sort of baby/body lotion, and I see where they are coming from, but to describe Musc as a cosmetic product is a bit unfair and quite reductive. Yes it smells powdery thanks to a delicate almond-leaning heliotrope note, but it also smells a bit salty, like sun-dried skin. Not quite something you apply to your skin, but more so your warm body wearing a lotion. Its structure is dry and airy, not wet and dense like most baby powder smelling perfumes'. It's more or less a skin scent but lasts a long time. I wear it on cozy evenings spent alone, quiet nights dedicated to introspection and recharging.

In my opinion this is the best muscs ever made in perfumery. There is nothing artificial or metallic in this fragrance. You can feel real animalic musc note, however it is nothing unpleasant or stinky. The fragrance creates unbelievably cozy aura, like warm blanket made of Kashmir wool. Forget Musc by Serge Lutens. This one is sophisticated made with passion not to shock people around as other niche musc fragrances. Tonka is perfectly balanced and together with heliotrope creates buttery soft aura similar to almonds. I can imagine how perfect it will be to wear this fragrance during cold fall or winter days.

To quote Lady Macbeth "Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't.” This went straight to the to purchase pile and i can't wait to have a full bottle at my disposal. A perfect, balanced fragrance. Good for day, night, casual, dressy, it makes me rethink my " no signature" policy. I usually don't pick up much from musk notes but this one I can smell in all it's glory. Powdery and light with something darker and dirtier lying just underneath that just hovers on the edge of perception. Cravable, lovable, warm, sensual, makes you want to lean in closer with its tonka dry down.

Despite few terrific comments - by..... some "laureate" experts - I believe that M. di O. Musc is - in all its complexity - one of the best existing or at least that I've chanced to meet. Sincerely I'm so puzzled because I've never been a fan of this ingredient... but...."coup de foudre!" That was the very first time I fell in love with it or Mona must have put a spell on me. I'd suggest to those who ignore what I'm talking about to have a go with it: try it on your wrist and.......wait, the miracle won't be late!!! ;-)

I am a huge musc fan, when I wear it I often get compliments from men! I can wear this soft musc to go to work, I also have the Lorenzo Villoresi musc but that is so strong and lasting I only wear it to go out. Unfortunately the only shop in my city that sold it recently closed. I am not use to bying things on the internet, so I will cherrish the little bit that is left in the bottle until I find another place to buy it. Edit: december 2014 I decided after all to order a new one online! Can't imaging myself without it.

When I first sampled this I didn't much care for it, thought it was forgettable. One day I needed something unobtrusive and I reached for it and then I fell in love. It's not too soapy, powdery or sweet, not too animalic, it will offend no one, interest no one, seduce no one. It will never precede you, speak for you or insult those around you. It is polite, warm and well behaved. If you don't like or want a statement fragrance but you do want a calm, collected, confident embrace of a fragrance then this may be for you.

To tell the truth,I'm not a big fan of Musc,but I like that:yes it's simple but suave and no synthetic at all. I'm in mourning for the cancellation of the old Mona di Orio Line,such a loss! They were difficult perfumes,especially Nuit Noir,because of the known indolic note,but in these scents I could recognize all the talent of the creative Mona.

با رایحه زیبا و ملایم گلی شروع میشه و بعد رایحه پودری به رایحه گلی اضافه میشه و با ملایمت یه حس مخملی زیبا داره رز به اون شکلی که بشه گفن رزی خیر ولی یه رایحه ملایم و پودری توی عطر داره بنده زیاد حرفه ای نیستم ولی اون چیزی که به عنوان مشک توی چندتاکار دیگه بو کرده بودم رو اینجا حس نمیکنم به اون شکل فقط کمی پودری بودن بیشتر میشه

This is gorgeous. On application, I get a lovely baby powder scent that lingers until the vanilla and musc remain. This would be very suitable for work wear as it has good lasting power but is close to my skin. I only got a small sample, so this may become a full bottle as soon as I can afford it.

Full on powder in the beginning, but after a while MDO Musc dries down to one of the most loveliest and softest scents I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It contains very little musk but this is a wonderful fragrance to say the least. Again I warn you, powder phobics beware.

Very lovely soft musk that on me evolves into soft flowers and even a rose/chamomile type scent. A bit gourmand with the tonka and almonds. Absolutely loooove this. It's very feminine and yummie! 9/10

Wonderful, mystical and smooth! It can work for those guys who like powedery scents like Dior Homme intense. Dior has a woody quality as well what makes it more masculin.

being eau de toilette it lasts and lasts very long.Not for everyday use, I have to be in the mood for Musc.

I remember when sampling "Musc" few years back (2013 maybe) and so as Ambre, i didn't like any of them! or in another words, i didn't understand any of them cause i was so much concentrating on "Cuir" as it was presented to me by a seller in a niche shop & it was one of the weirdest fragrances that my nose experienced back then that even took me days and weeks to accept it, got along with it, fell in love for it, got used to it, and then wanted to experience something weirder than it (Cuir). From that experience, honestly i didn't understand how the mind works until i meet Jeroen this month, He summed up what i was facing and made me realize that the "NO, NOT FOR ME" rejections was just new scents that i haven't smell before and i am rejecting them just because of that! The weirder things that i have realized after meeting him are the replies i get from the sellers i know for years in some niche shop that i always go to every-time i meet them, they keep on giving me that look of "Really! now you like it? what happened?"... it was because i gave these weird scents more time to understand, find away to enjoy it, and again give it more time, cause who knows it might end up to be one of my favorites! and that what i was exactly experiencing.. for instance, i used to extremely dislike animalics now the animalic is my favorite note! so as for vanilla, & floral. Now this musc as Jeroen described, he said Mona wanted to create something animalic but she didn't want to use the Civet so she combined few notes to give an animalic with sensuality, something sexy, luring, and full of ecstasy... Eventually .. yes she did... This is a sexy musc, animalic with slight clean fresh.. skin smell (not skin scent) that shouts sexuality AND NOT synthetic in any way and surprisingly it doesn't contain real civet!!! Superbly blended & balanced.

Fragrance with a very prominent note of musks, with a powerful heliotrope and a smooth, pale rose note. The opening of neroli is short and since the beginning appears a note of aldehydes undeclared enduring enough and that brings the whole effect between soap, clean and somewhat waxy. All this combined with heliotrope and musks produces a sensation almond, dense and creamy, all very wraparound at the same complex. And wake lasts well above the average, with a semilinear evolution. It's funny, but Musk and Rose Etoile feel them as the most retro versions of Mona, however, Musk is not among my favorites. Rating: 6.5

This was a totally unexpected hit for me. The opening is big and floral with the heliotrope, but it settles very quickly into a beautiful delicate musk. This isn't a sexy, feral musk, its sweet but not too sweet, light and ethereal, almost like clean scented skin. There was definitely a touch of fresh linen and laundry in there, a clean soapy note. This is very understated with minimal sillage on me, but it's long lasting. I think this is a summery day time fragrance.

A present. This scent was very unable to scare on me, and it had a smell of low-fat milk with sugar or a small sweet or two that dropped into my glass and drowned there. People around me liked it. Did I? Well, it was kind of nice and even not bad sometimes, when I felt like it, it did not sound like a screaming scent. But I like milk that has all the fat it should as long as I can remember.

muschio dolce che ricorda un bel po' teint de neige di villoresi, senza però quell'effetto di borotalco. non si tratta di un muschio bianco (per fortuna) nè del muschio erbaceo, ma piuttosto di un muschio non troppo invasivo perchè sostenuto da eliotropo e fave di tonka. il risultato è un bouquet dolce e leggermente saponoso, che non comprerei, ma che non mi disturba troppo. discreto.

Like a floral baby powder. Its very innocent and sweet, like a dried rose in the sunlight. The powdery musk makes it like a very expensive baby powder. The heliotrope and neroli are nice delicate floral notes but the rose does not come through as much. I really like this scent, its very pure and delicate and different from other perfumes ive smelt.

Pleasing, soft and musky. I am a big fan of heliotrope, so obviously this is a winner in my book. Definitely not the kind of musk that evokes carnal desire in me, that would be a strange juxtaposition. I have a feeling that I would tire of the scent if I were to walk around smelling like this for a whole day, though.

This smells like a very expensive cream. Such a nice powdery, creamy almond (heliotrope) scent (reminiscing of baby cream) with musc in the back, all well blend together. Inoffensive (max 1 spray) and great for a night out. Feminine leaning for sure.

Mmmm! Almondy Heliotrope is what I mainly smell. Also a little tonka and rose. I can smell the neroli distinctly in the drydown. Very good scent. Great for a heliotrope lover with lots of spare cash. -

Kind of sweet for a musk. Moderate sillage and longevity. Not terribly distinct in my mind and a bit too "clean" for my taste. Leans feminine.

If you bake, you'll know the smell of almond extract and that what it smells like to me, not as simple of course but quite distinctive.

Lovely! Clean, sweet, straightforward musk. Actually.. no, not clean but rich and ambery and powerful. The only musk l like.

Very natural, very beautiful and melancholic fragrance.

I swear that there are more notes in this perfume than the house suggests. I get a very distinct cassis or possibly berry note in the top. I personally don't like cassis at all. Interestingly that note dies down significantly as the fragrance develops on the skin. Also, the top notes contain an awful plastic scent. I'm not talking about plastic dolls heads, but something more like an old plastic container. Greatly dislike that. The top notes also contain a crisp, crystal musk that is sweet and charming. It is indeed powdery at first but not a powder bomb. As the perfume develops I get less musk and more heliotrope. Also, it continues to smell sweet, but I smell honey, not tonka or even vanilla. I don't find this particular perfume to be creamy whatsoever but cold and crisp. A cold, crisp, floral musk. There is certainly rose in the heart, and to be honest, Musc begins to remind me very much of the classic Ombre Rose. Ombre Rose would not have the crystal musk so strongly, and it is more powdery, but I thought it was a good reference point as to the style or character of this perfume. Another reference point could be Mazzolari's Alessandro or even L'Instant Magique, although the latter two play up the creamy, almond/heliotrope theme a lot more. Despite not liking cassis nor the plastic note, once Musc dries down it is really enjoyable. A few words to describe this perfume are charming, sweet, ladylike, clean and polished.

@ "Bandit" below Sorry but I believe you are giving Mr. Turin far, far too much credit (& unfounded power) for the fate of Mona's first line. Yes I agree that whatever was going on there between them certainly felt more personal than professional. And his reviews of her fragrances were mostly totally unfair (although accurate in parts). And yes I'm sure it will probably make a certain dent in sales. But I hardly think it would be enough of a dent to cause a "discontinuation". Mona was already having problems with her line way before "The Guide" even came out. (Of course Turin didn't exactly help things !) Besides I think what you say about "perfumistas" taking his reviews too seriously is also somewhat incorrect. Any true "perfumista" and 'fume lover will still sample any fragrance regardless of Mr. Turin's reviews. And will certainly not be swayed by his reviews of a scent. And it will actually be true perfumistas who will most admire Ms. Di Orio's work. So she wouldn't be loosing much in sales there. ... I think it will be mostly perfume novices or even people who know absolutely zero about perfume who will probably take Mr.Turin's reviews "as gospel", or more seriously. And those will be much fewer than you might think. And also not really the sort who would enjoy Mona's heavy handed style in fragrance. (And the sort who will only purchase a scent rarely). And besides, I actually think Turins "negative advertising" will probably generate more interest in Mona's line, than had he gushed about her perfumes instead. Negative reviews in fact generate more interest than not, especially with perfumistas who want to explore if the negative reviews are indeed warranted or not. So Turin & Sanchez might have very well done Mona a "back-handed" favour. I believe her new "Les Nombres d'Or" line is actually much more "public-friendly". And will, I'm pretty sure, do much better all-round than her previous one. (Though much simpler compositions, they are all nevertheless still brilliant and easier to like. (Not exactly something the previous ones were). ... And besides her first line has not actually been discontinued as such, and will be re-introduced sometime in the near future. ~ "Les Nombres d'Or" is the best and wisest thing Mona could've done for her line ! Their increased sales will ensure she will be able to reintroduce the original line-up of fragrances for us all to enjoy once again.

It was really awful, when I tested Cuir and Musc from Mona di Orio. For me, Mona di Orio was a supernova, full of talent, fun and risky, with her own vision of perfumery. She produced the best perfumes in the whole niche department, imho. Than came Luca Turin and labeled her Nuit Noire falsy "civet fart". He hated her for something we probably never find out. It felt personally, if you asked me. He dismissed her whole line without reason. Let me say only this: Luca Turin was and is often wrong, but this time he was wrong big time. Mona di Orio's got talent. Her perfumes reflected that. But unfortunatly Turin's false reviews destroyed her reputation and after that her business. Especially the niche lovers tend to believe in Turin blindly. In the end Orio was forced to discontinue her whole line. What a lost! I was curious, how her new take on the niche market would be and I am heartbroken: Cuir and Musc are mediocre one-note-scents, that heaps of niche houses produce. Boring. Her Musc is sweet and cloying. It's not white, it's not powdery, it's not egyptian, it's not dirty, but it's too much and for sure, if you tend to being not able to smell musk perfumes at all, this one is smellable for you. The first impression I got from it was: Face cream! Oh my, as if I needed this in my life. There are much much better musks out there. The easiest way to find a better one is to pick one of Ava Luxe's. She has a whole range and even the ones I don't like too much, are better than Orios Musc. I could cry.

So, musc in a leading role is a genre I shy away from, because most reviewers label these fragrances as 'white synthetic' or 'plasticy'. To those reviewers I say 'Try this.' Remember when you were young and went on dates? That feeling you had when you got a whiff of someone you liked (and hoped that they liked you too), and forever after how that scent made you feel? You'll reexperience that with Mona's Musc. There are two supporting notes here that I am no fan of: Angelica, which is usually too heavy (Guerlain's Angelique Noir); and Tonka, which tends to make things a sweet stinkerfest (Guerlain's Tonka Imperial) You'll pick up on the tonka here if you take a good whiff, and it smells fainly of almond. But in general, my hat's off to Mona, because whatever it is that she did this composition really works for me. There is nothing heavy or sweet about it; everything is perfection. And a little exciting. Oh to be young again.

I really wanted to love this as I have loved or at least really liked everything else I have tried from MdO. The scent itself, believe it or not, is almost identical to Burberry Brit for Men. The projection and longevity are far superior, however. I really wished this was more like the actual notes listed and not identical to J&J baby oil. The three notes they have in common are Musk, Rose, and Tonka Beans. I wonder if the combination of these three turns into baby oil to my nose. There is also one other fragrance I own that is nearly identical, but I cannot recall the name of that one for now. I'm not very hard to please when it comes to fragrances either, but this is just a huge disappointment.

Vaguely floral with soft rose, neroli, and vanilla-ish notes, combined with the gentlest of musks. It leaves behind a cloud of clean and soapy smell that is calming to the senses and has good projection and lasting power. Easy to wear in public and close spaces without the risk of offending anyone. What I get the most from people is "you smell like baby powder" but with a beatific smile on their faces. love it! Edit: I've been wearing it for more than 2 weeks now and still love it and the sense of calm that it brings. The longevity though is so poor. After 2 hrs it is just skin scent. It almost disappear after 3 hours.

A gentle soft floral musk. This does not punch you in the face, but is presented in a more delicate manner. Very subtle, yet intriguing. I was not familiar with the notes before trying this and anticipated a stronger musk. This is not that scent. It is uniquely unisex, yet leans a tad feminine. It smells very refined and high quality. I am happy to have sampled this. The dry down is great. Have to wear again for a more in-depth analysis as my experience has come from but one days wear I am impressed with this house so far.

I'm usually puzzled when people say a perfume smells old-fashioned but this is definitely old-fashioned in a pleasant rather sentimental way. Lots and lots of heliotrope, some tonka, and a bit of that pastry note that the more delicate Guerlain perfumes have. I'm not getting any neroli at all, which would greatly improve this. Not bad but nothing special. Sillage: 2-3 feet Longevity: 3-4 hours Value to price ratio: poor, for this price get the Villaresi Fabulosity: Granny and Tweety-bird 3/10

I like this perfume and I like niche perfumes too. I' don't think niche perfumes are always the best but I'm not a fan of Turin and his wife also. I think they write what they are payed for. Their reviews are not always fair and I consider his wife just a p.r. in the world of perfumes, only a talkative woman using a pack of adjectives and no juice in what she writes. In any case this is a nice frag, quite easy but not Mona's best, that's what I think.

This review is based on a decant. The opening reminds me of Habanita (EdT) a bit. The dry down I get tonka bean with a hint of almond, which at this stage reminds me of Midnight in Paris a bit. Projection and longevity are moderate on my skin. All in all, it's a powdery musk. Not the funky animalic kind.

Ilayda said it : this is delicate floral baby powder in a very nice way and reserved as Fava Beans said. If you like musk, and many do, this one is a nice variation and does not copy anything else, showing the inimitable talent of Mona di Orio. As it is ends up soft, I love this for spring and autumn.

Starts off as intense baby powder. It's off-putting, but the drydown is lovely! It's when you can finally see all the listed notes come together and sing. The problem is that by the time this dries down, its nearly disappeared. Beautiful scent, but not FB worthy for me due to poor performance.

Definition of smelling classy and clean. Which lasted a few seconds then it's clean musc and Tonka which gives it a comforting characteristic. I find a lot of the Mona di Orio perfumes lead in a different direction from the initial few seconds of the opening. IG: eatandsmellgood

First musc I've actually been able to smell! And oh what an aroma it is! Stunningly beautiful, lasts all day and then some with a great sillage that has dh saying 'my, you smell great', every time I pass him. This really is all I want for Christmas :)

This perfume smells heaven, a balanced and harmonious flowers accord. At first it's quite strong and powerful, then it becomes mellow and sweet. There is a lovely flower that I cannot detect which stays with me all day.

This smells like a very simple pairing of ambroxan, heliotropin and several white musks. Its radiant, warm and comfortable but not unique enough to justify the price tag IMO.

I just tried this one, I normally really dislike powdery scents and dont like musc. But this one is gorgeous. I am so glad that I have the MDO Sample set.

It is soapy, warm, inviting. A bit too powdery for me. Will finish the sample, but won't purchase full size.

Colin nailed it, but however intricate it may be, it has nothing on mr. NR's muscs regarding pleasing smell.

good ,dood musc with some note of almonde which I like so much,there is also sweet powder.

Too sweet for my taste, sweet baby powder. The heliotrope is just cloying on my skin.

almond and heliotrope powder. no musk. meh.