Oudh Osmanthus

So Mona di Orio was one of the early niche/indy brands I tried, certainly dating back to the older flacons which I think I remember seeing in Harrods possibly?. However, due to my overload and frankly the saturation of the market, I never really bothered to revisit them and frankly back then I probably didn't understand the sophistication of the works by the late Mona di Orio. However, visiting them afresh with discovery set in hand, I'm being treated to a masterclass in perfumery vibes which don't conform to stereotype. This is a later release, and is it really an Osmanthus or an oud? Well it's sort of neither and it's sort of both. Yeah. What it is, is a pretty perfume which opens with a fresh, powdery, chalky, fresh, lightly peachy osmanthus which is immediately unlike the style of a recent osmanthus I tried, the latest from Crivelli. However, it immediatley reinforced with a hazy, creamy woody musk accord, and light ambery effect. It's blending of the very best, not a angular jut or a steep slope in sight. It immediately makes me scan about for oud and it's a very well behaved oud, anyone expecting anything hardcore will be disappointed, but the tenacity and undercurrent just points in an oud direction, and while you don't get the characteristic 'cheese on the breeze' of even the most politely behaved work from a Ormonde Jayne containing real oud, you do get the sense that it's there but never manifests completely, and some will be happy with that. I actually thought of M7 myself, so to see others think too (plenty of down votes as well) is completely understandable. It conjures the same vibes while smelling nothing like it, so don't get your panties in a bunch it's not misleading to compare to the YSL in terms of style. As I wear this today, I'm really falling for it, truly I think while it's instantly impressive, it's also a bit of a quiet grower, steadily charming me. It's as a perfume should be, every present, evolving but never overstepping it's bounds and I think the orangey/peachy freshness and floral quality (which permeates top to base I feel) in there gives this a really lovely feel. Very Impressive stuff. Update 16/05/25 I wore this on a recent trip to Italy and it was perfect, this should be way more popular than it is. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind gatekeeping this best kept secret of the perfume heads, it's fine by me. The heaviness of the ambery 'oud' base is perfectly complimented by the heady, high frequencies of the floral top/mid notes. All in all, still a fan of this.

It is extremely expensive, true. Too expensive I guess. Now: this is VERY good. I received a tiny sample and at first I found it a bit too strong, animalic and a tad feminine. Too much, as in "everyone will notice you sprayed the whole bottle of a rare perfume on you even if you only sprayed once". I really don't know what I was thinking about that day since the next times I was totally mesmerised and now I think it is simply gorgeous. I disagree with the longevity issues. It is true that the huge blast of oud, osmanthus and amber softens a lot after the first hour, but it stays for aaaaages after that, 24h or more. It doesn't become a skin scent by no means but instead lingers pretty noticeable and truthful with its first charms. Not something common in most perfumes. It is a thick perfume that smells regal yet wearable. This is so expensive it is hard to think how would one justify its purchase... but I think we all have a few scents getting bored in our drawer and this would make up for them. This is magical, I'd wear it to special occasions in winter and I think that 100ml would last a decade, so perhaps buying one and splitting amongst friends would be a good choice. It might be true there are other scents alike for half the price... I haven't yet met any unfortunately. It is somehow in the same line of Jubilation XXV and Marquis de Sade 1740 for opulence but despite the fact I respect those two, I thank Mona for managing the sweetness better, never reaching cloyingland.

I'm 100% with @Fava Beans when they ask "why does everyone put ROSE with oud, when they could do this instead?" I like rose, but it has been done to death in perfumery, particularly with Oud, and I'm bored. Can't tell if I'm bored with oud or with rose. Oudh Osmanthus however, is so cleverly constructed it shows that I'm not actually bored with rose or oud, but merely of the constant repetition. This starts off with pretty dark and earthy patchouli. After about 30 minutes to an hour, it settles into woody osmanthus and oud that wafts beautifully every so often rather than projects in a constant trail. It is a really gorgeous composition and full bottle worthy. Longevity is moderate to strong. I also think its right bang in the middle of that unisex sweet spot where it's neither feminine nor masculine, but I would say it takes a strong personality to carry it off. I suspect a shrinking violet will not feel comfortable wearing it. My favourite from MdO is still and always will be Vanille, closely followed by Nuit Noire. Oudh Osmanthus rides a very close third. However, on its own it could be one of the best takes on Oud ever made. Wonderful stuff.

This is not a simple thing to describe, but previous commentors have done a fantastic job and I totally agree with their sentiments. It's beautiful and complex. The box says it contains real oud, the fragrance is called oud, but I don't want to start comparing this to real oud oils or bakhoors since that's not really the point of this fragrance (or perfumery in general). When a perfumer names their fragrances, nothing is more devisive than the word oud and its variants. With a name like "oud" people will have an expectation of what it should smell like, and if it's nothing like they expect they would immediately cast it off as a failure. For all I care this could have been called bathbubbles and it would still be the masterpiece that it is. I agree that the oud is not as prominent as Montales or even Amouage, but the true inspiration is the osmanthus-oud combo. It combines so beautifuly and eminates from the center of this and brings out the best of all the other notes. I get so much enjoyment whenever I wear it. In a market full of typical rose-oud combinations, this osmanthus-oud fragrance is pure genius.

عود اوسمانتوس مونا از اون عطرهای درجه یک و بسیار با کیفیته که متاسفانه هم کم گیر میاد هم قیمتش بالاست .هم فضای تکراری داره . استارت عود +اوسمانتوس با حس بوی فروتی و کمی شیرین که به سرعت رنگ میبازه حس فروتی و آکورد فلورال خیلی دو و سنگین میاد بالا این خاصیت اوسمانتوسه بوی شبیهه به بوی زرد آلو داره . قسمت اسمانتوسش عجیب با کیفیته و پررنگ . نقش بعدی رو امبر و فضای گرم ایفا می‌کنه در کنار حس بوی دارچین و میخک و وانیل .درست همون حسی که تو عطر وانیلش داره . با همون کیفییت بالا و گیرایی عجیب . پچولی نقش کپکی و خاکی نداره و حس منتول ازش فضا رو کمی تند و خنک می‌کنه . در نهایت همه اینا دست به دست هم می‌دهند تا نت عود رو تو خودشون فید کنند . قسمت مایوس کننده این عطر فضای عربی طور اما بسیار لوکس هست که حداقل برای من تکراریه . در ضمن فضای بویایی بسیار زنونه هست . واسه آقایون خیلی کاربردی نیست . نزنید که بُعد معنوی میگیرید . در آخر مثل همه عطرهای مونا کیفییت در حد اعلا .