Vetyver

A sparkling grapefruit and ginger opening, that will be followed by a superb nutmeg-ish/green labdanum note. Shortly after, the orchestra tones down for the entrance of King Vetiver, without ever stopping to play. The citrus/ginger top will counterbalance the nutty-ness of the vetiver to give brightness to this fragrance, the nutmeg/labdanum will give a very elegant body (rare in vetiver frags), and the ginger note will dance with the vetiver to give a high definition to the vetiver all along, giving a vague impression of tobacco flower when combined to the musk, and a "3-D" sensation to this fragrance, without ever becoming sharp. There is a subtle herbal powderiness in the base, probably provided by the clary sage and the patchouli, but these 2 notes will never be individually noticeable. Also possibly a hint of frankincense and some violet (a vibe of Robert Piguet Bois Bleu). That said, overall, here the fresh ginger is a co-star with the vetiver, if not the main player. At all times, this fragrance stays very well tailored, without becoming loud and blurry, but never thin either. Projection on my skin is moderate (at best), but longevity as a skin scent is stellar (24hrs). Recommended? My nose (well trained for vetiver) can tell that it's one of the greatest vetiver fragrances around for sure, and a reference in the citrus-y vetiver department. That said, when tested side-by-side, it appears shockingly similar to Etro Vetyver, especially in the drydown. Sure, MdO's quality is (a tiny bit) better than Etro's, a (tiny) bit more sophisticated and (very slightly) brighter/fizzier, and the bottle and presentation are not comparable with Etro's, but still... If I could quantify, I would say that these two are 90-95% similar (MdO's being a bit brighter, with ginger and citruses more forward), and since I only care about the juice, that makes MdO Vetyver's retail price tag not fully justified in my book, despite my demonstrated addiction for the vetiver note. That said, if money is no issue or, if like me, you should manage to get the Mona's for under $100, that's a no-brainer! Bottom line: superb and full bottle worthy, but not at full retail! Mild to warm days, 30+

Mona di Orio's Vetyver is inarguably beautiful! Exquisite! Where to begin with this review? Let's start with the overall "Big Picture". It smells a lot like if you were to take a very pure, natural, soothing vetiver note and add a bit of Bois des Iles to it. On the whole, it's woody, but it's also a little powdery and does have a soapy vibe to it. I'm certainly not saying that men can't wear it, but I see it as a distinctive, elegant, classy, femmed-up vetiver. It's a vetiver made with a woman in mind. The vetiver itself smells really pure. It’s the one note that really comes through and shines in this perfume. The vetiver isn't sour. It smells clean and smooth, and then it's flanked by these other Chanel-like elegant notes, like iris paired with just a touch of musk. Sillage isn't great on me and neither is longevity. I always want to spray again after a mere 3 hours. But this perfume is such a stunner that while frequent spraying typically annoys me, I look forward to spraying this again to enjoy it all over again. Every second of it is rapturous! There's not much citrus, maybe just the first few seconds. I notice very minimal spice (doesn't smell like nutmeg specifically) bitter, camphorous dried sage, and these notes are so cohesive. Seamless blending adds up to something that smells like a modern classic. This perfume just makes me throw out superlatives. It's stunning! Smashing! Glorious! Beguiling! Extraordinary! Unimitable! My favorite by Mona di Orio, God rest her soul. She is still making beautiful impressions on us and has left such a remarkable legacy. Out of all the perfumes of hers I tried, this one is so stunning that I wondered if it was somehow personal to her because I almost feel as if I know her through this fragrance. I know that sounds weird, but this one really moves me. I read somewhere that vetiver was her favorite note to work with. It absolutely shows, if that's true.

Mona Di Orio fragrances do not scream, but rather they just whisper 'quality' and 'class'. Perfumes that have a richness and depth and body and are somehow 'substantial' without being heavy. This one is all about VETIVER...but subtly melded with a lovely ginger/lemon/cedar accord, perhaps the sage note helps give a little herbal note to the top, and the nutmeg some subtle spiciness, but I could not disentangle that from the notes that form the the lovely top note accord..earthy but somehow nevertheless still bright on the top. The base is rich and lovely...what I guess is that labdanum/patchouli/tonka accord, yet to my nose without this time the subtly 'animalic' musky note that is in the base of Eau Absolut. This has good projection and sillage, without being 'in your face' and it has on my skin good longevity. It is tuly unisex. To me, it is a bit more suited to a man, but a confident woman could easily wear it. No one who smelt it disliked it, but as with many vetiver fragrances, opinions were mixed about just how much folk liked it. It is clean and bright but yet rich and complex. I have yet to try Sycamore by Chanel, but so far of all the many vetiver fragrances I have tried, this is my favourite. It could be worn during any season, day or night and is something that could be someone's signature scent. It is just 'classy' and has a richness without being loud. UPDATE - it is potent juice and the base is quite heavy and can become cloying. So for me, 'less is more' and it is best with fewer sprays

I've sampled this a few times over the past three or four years. The first time I tried it, I was still very new to fragrances. I liked it but thought it was a bit too "stuffy" for me--maybe better suited to someone older and more sharply dressed. But each time I wore it over the years, I liked it more and more. What my inexperienced nose had interpreted as overly formal were really just its dry and intellectual aspects. I wore it again today after ordering yet another sample, and I really like it. I'd describe it as a spicy, mostly clean vetiver with a very natural feel and a fascinating, non-linear evolution. The ginger is probably the most prominent note on me for the life of the fragrance, and what a ginger it is. Spicy, exotic, evocative. Really nice stuff. Whenever anyone asks for a ginger-prominent fragrance, this is my number one recommendation. I also, of course, get the vetiver, which underlies everything with its shapeshifting translucence: glimmers of nut, root, smoke and soapiness. But not too soapy. In fact, as was mentioned below, there's the faintest hint of something animalic every now and then. To me it reads as a ghost of civet, and I'm guessing it's a combination of the musk, grapefruit, and spice. But don't let that scare you away: it's definitely not an animalic perfume per se. Above all, this just smells really good. If you want something that does well in warm weather and is generally "fresh" without all the negative tropes that usually implies, this is a great choice.

EDIT: My experience is from the release with the black wire wrapped around the cap, like the cork of a champagne bottle. This is a wonderfully inviting vetiver based fragrance. Vetiver is a curious note, in that it can be exposed in a raw and challenging form, or dressed up to be soft and easy going. Plus numerous variations in between. Mona's Vetyver creation is rather unusual. It starts off a bit strong with the vetiver note, somewhat salty/marine like smelling similar to Etro Vetiver. But as it develops the character notably changes. The vetiver and ginger starts to tone down and the accompanying notes envelop it. The labdanum, nutmeg, clary sage, and grapefruit notes are discernible, and together they really soften up the vetiver. There's something about this accord that gives a subtle hint of being animalic, and yet it's not. Almost "fresh breath" without the mint. I can see this working well for both men and women. In time the labdanum, clary sage and grapefruit notes fade, leading this fragrance into a slightly drier woodier phase as it recedes to becoming more of a skin scent. Longevity is about average. No, this isn't a bold vetiver, but it doesn't need to be. This is a beautifully constructed fragrance, something I'm glad to have finally experienced. Mona, you created something wonderful here and I'm so very sorry you aren't around to enjoy your creations! Overall: 8.5/10.

wow, a very special vetyver fragrance,had read some nice things about this, very woody and a litte spicy but a dry type of scent. i really am liking this more and more, definitely a quality frag..I get an herbal type of aura to it with the vetyver notes..i think with this one right up there with tom ford grey vetiver.. very interesting in its development..i could see myself wanting this one. it will be on my list..thumbs up..i look forward to sniffing some other ones from this house, this is very, very nice...good feedback among people i work with....manly and appealing, i like fragrances that tend to be one way or the other masc or fem..some unisex 's out there i really like but more partial to masculine scents. you will get that special attention with this one. people will know you are the not the run of mill guy, they will know you are particular, bolder type of personality.females will think, there goes a confident smelling man.. to me on this one, the dry down is exceptionally a warm dry vetiver and I enjoy the way this fragrance settles on me.

Stunning...just a brilliant fragrance! I am a huge vetiver fragrance lover, but I freely admit they aren't for everyone and most lean heavily on the masculine side. Mona di Orio manages to create a smooth-as-silk vetiver fragrance that is completely unisex and equally suited for men and all the gorgeous ladies out there. Mona di Orio Vetyver to be a fresh, rich, opulent, slightly-dry, lightly-smokey, not-too-green, not-too-rooty, not-too-bright, not-too-dark, it's just right type of a scent. In other words, it manages to capture that Goldilocks range and is simply just a brilliant vetiver fragrance. Performance is solid in that it lasts 6+ hours and projects moderately on my skin, which is again just right for this type of scent. I hate to admit it, but this one is on par (quality and experience wise) with Dior Vetiver and Vetiver Tonka, which are two of my favorite vetiver fragrances. My only regret is that I've used my 2ml decant of Vetyver and this one will set me back a few buckazoids since it has been added to my to-buy-list. C'est la vie.

Vetyver - Les Nombres D'Or Timeless, Unique, Alluring! The first spray on my skin is a bright, tart ginger and grapefruit accord. I sense a little bit of the nutmeg. The elegant dry vetiver comes through on my skin, it is the note that dominates on my skin. The fragrance is slightly warm and resinous from the labdanum and nutmeg. The scent is dusty, earthy and dry due to the vetiver, it blends with the labdanum beautifully. The musk is very sheer underneath the vetiver, herbal elements is provided by the clary sage. I catch whispers from the ginger for the life of the fragrance. It lasted on my skin for about 5 hours and sillage is noticeable. Vetyver from the late Mona Di Orio is an elegant, seductive and unique fragrance.

I was recently asked to name my favorite fragrance(s) and I decided then that I loved too many to have favorites, but I should have mentioned Mona d'Orio's Vetyver, because it's one of the very few perfumes I have ever smelled that genuinely smells gloriously sexy to me, as in whenever I smell it, I internally shout expletives and my field of vision fills up with fireworks. I think it's the saltiness of the vetiver combined with the heat of the ginger and the depth of musk, that makes this so beyond compelling to me. It's a very unique scent. There is nothing remotely comparable. Maybe it will be my new signature and I'll end up having one again after all...

As you can understand from the name it is a vetiver fragrance and the perfume shows change of vetiver's different aspect in every stage. It opens with incense and ginger like vetiver which is in a form that too much in your face, so its a bold fragrance. In the middle notes, Vetiver smells damp and spicy . In the drydown there is a smooth sandalwood and damp, rooty and eathy vetiver. Sometimes Vetyver can smell like fresh, rooty and sometimes it can turn into a very dark and depressing. Performance is great. Projection is very good in 2-3 hours and longevity is 12+ hours, even on skin.

ah bittersweet, drizzling gray monday, the end of my first bottle (newer bottling) four months since it arrived, i have often spent days enjoying the very mellow, very sweet vetiver that mona di orio concocted. much beloved by many vetiver fans, it defies gendered sexuality while it exudes sensuality. ginger, grapefruit, musk lighten and play with the herbaceous vetiver. it enfolds the wearer in a blanket of comfort. it has decent sillage, projection and longevity. my sadness is slightly brightened by the thought of going into my "vault" for the yet opened original bottling. oh, joy!

This Mona d'Orio fragrance is wonderful. The warm very, very dry vetiver combined with spices makes this an intoxicating day or evening fragrance. The sillage is good, the longevity is fair...I can get 5-6hrs of sniffing out of it. I wear this more than most of my wardrobe. I usually don't mention package or bottles, but this one has a great box with display stand, and a really classy Champagne bottle style cap.

Very original and excellent revision of Vetiver from this lovely house. Not exactly a vetiver scent, although this is always there. Have a lot of ginger and wood (and grapefruit in the opening). For this, vetiver lovers may not like too much. In the dry down, the vetiver turns into a incredible dry and lovely note. Longevity is great and sillage moderate. Masterpiece!!!! Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 6/10

"Quality, depth, and intensity" Definitely not a straight-foward vetiver. It oozes quality, sustains depth, and projects intensity at every turn. Sun dried, desert air, slightly medicinal yet graceful. A fantastic and complex morph to a more spicy and damp woodsy vibe.

Maybe the most balanced, well blended and refined vetiver I ever smelled. Not too strong, masculine, old man in suit, tie and cigar. I smell some floral and lemony note in it. Vetyver by Mona di Orio is really inspired and wearable. 9/10

It reminds we of the old beeswax candles we had in my primary school. Waxy, citrusy and rich. Lovely scent.

never let's me down - green, fresh and earthy up to now I cannot compare it with anything else unique

1 Word "MASTERPIECE " The world lost a genius when she passed away @ such an early age

My first knowledge of vetiver was one day when I sprayed an iconic scent: Vetiver by Guerlain. I got fascinated by it but felt that smell wasn't meant for me but for an older audience. When I later started reading more about scents, vetiver as a note was definitely not in my list of priorities. I linked it to people above 60. However, the thing is the more I read, the more I got curious about how vetiver had everyone else crazy and so I started a rather shy research. In every purchase I made I would ask for a sample of a different take of it. This way I got to discover a few of my favourite scents such as Timbuktu (airy exotic and fresh), Route du vetiver (heavy and enchanting), Encre Noire (dark), French Lover (weird mix with angelica) and a few other. Unfortunately, other gorgeous vetivers had me again watching the picture of my grandfather. That is the case of Vetiver extraordinaire and this Mona di Orio. I explain all this to show it is not a matter of criticising a scent for it being bad but instead in these cases it is only about what you want to smell like. In my case I still go for modern takes on vetiver where it is the main note, where it is not matched with overly sweet notes (Vetiver tonka) and where I don't feel uneasy for the age target of it. Of course this is cultural, in some places vetiver might bring to mind babies or young men... not in my place. In this case, although it is pretty fresh and enjoyable... I find it elegant and classic in style so I don't really know when or where I'd wear it. The tonka and grapefruit make a blend I don't feel particularly easy with. Don't think of old heavy vetivers, in this case it is well blended with other things and indeed it is modern and assertive without being stuffy, but it is formal and a bit talcy to my nose. I think there are many other vetivers in this same range and I'm afraid most are half the price so it's up to you to go smell many and choose which one fits you best. I like this, it is good stuff but it is definitely not for me. Thanks Skins (in Holland) for the generous sample.

YOU HAVE MADE IT!!"THIS IS IT!" The Aphrodesiac, the one fragrance that i get so many compliments from the Ladys!!..Perfectly balanced notes allures and demands attention with this sophisticated redelance..Ginger and nutmeg become more prominent as the perfume progresses, and in its dry down, Vétyver’s paradoxical freshness and dryness linger delicately on the skin. A perfect scent for warm weather, Vétyver is a rarity: a clean scent that is also complex.. Ive been trying to find the 1 and i beleive i have found it, with the NEW- Mona Di Orio-Vetyver..Its dangerous to say the least, if your going out specially where Felions Prowl..This is only for the confident conissueur,i say this cos you will be set upon!...*Grrr*!! 5 stars.10/10