Onda Voile d'Extrait

I truly believe that when Vero created her perfumes, she wanted to embody certain aspects of femininity through each one. If that was the case, then Onda most definitely represents the burning passion. Of course, I don’t believe in marketing perfumes by gender. Still, when I see perfumes such as Onda, Bandit, Femme, and Tabac Blond targeted toward women, I can’t help but wonder what bold personalities women had back then. Bold, in capital letters, just like these perfumes are, and most certainly, how Onda is. I said it must represent the fire, the lust, and that’s because it makes me think of both. Another way I picture it is going down the spiral staircase in the castle, only to find the dragon’s lair. There, you find an old chest. Inside is the precious bottle of Onda. It evokes that imagery. There is a fiery opening that lingers throughout like a burn. Then comes a dusty and old leather garment, moving toward a smoky lair of woods, moss, and animals lurking in the dark. Note that my preference when it comes to Onda, and as a matter of fact, all of Vero’s perfume compositions, lies with the Voile d’Parfums and the Extraits. I am omitting the Eau de Parfums. For me, they fall short of the original idea and overall feel more top-heavy and less challenging. Therefore, I discuss the Extrait and Voile versions of Onda and briefly point out the differences between them. However, the core idea and scent are the same. It sprouted with the Extraits and was carried over to the Voiles. Onda is a highly complex composition built on three parts, skillfully coming together as each layer moves into the next, hence becoming increasingly intricate as it progresses. The first part is a punch in the face, a full-on assault of spices and aromatics that evoke the imagery of fire. A cauldron simmering on the flames, in which ginger, coriander, nutmeg, and basil are thrown. Give it a good stir and inhale the sinus-cleansing fumes. You can feel it burning your throat. The second part begins shortly after with a combination of cold and chalky powder, which I attribute to the orris, and a rugged leather accord that creeps in assertively. The afterburn from the opening carries through as the dusty leather aspect continues, joined by an ascending woodiness coming from the vetiver. It’s also at this point where Onda begins to get smoky. In the final stage, the vetiver begins to showcase its full spectrum of facets: smoky, peaty, woody, aromatic, and slightly nutty. The leather and the orris continue to dance while new performers join the party, such as oakmoss, lending a beautiful, velvety, and bitter dimension. Another one is honey (on the dry side and animalic), and of course, a fatty musk cocktail in which I can mostly distinguish the civet. It’s dark, earthy, smoky, dripping with lust, and how I like to call them, “old-world smelling.” It’s dark erotic poetry, and for me, it is bliss. To briefly touch on the differences, there is the original Extrait, the original Voile de Parfum, and the reissued Voile de Parfum by Campomarzio in Italy. The Extrait is the most brutal, borderline androgenic. Very smoky, peaty, dry, spicy, and woody. The original Voile is very similar to it, but it opens up and unfolds more slowly, so that one can identify more facets. The basil comes through better, the orris also, it feels more powdery and less dry and harsh. The latest reissue brings a few (and very welcomed) changes: the opening offers a more citrusy and juicy dimension in lieu of the fiery one, the heart presents a fruity and fleshy ylang-ylang, and the honey note is less dry and a tad sweeter. I find them different enough to be worth owning if one loves Onda as much as I do, and I admit that the Campomarzio reissue is my favorite, as it keeps the original DNA while adding some extra new layers to it. IG:@memory.of.scents

Onda is a creature of the night. What Vero has achieved is outstanding. She has managed to ignite my passion for perfume like the very first time! When a new launch, when a new perfume was scarce and you were so excited to try it, to live with it, without worrying that in a couple of days a new one would come. Days when perfumery was based on creating an olfactory piece of art that would transcend, create emotions. Making someone get goosebumps. This being said, Onda has taught me that Vetiver and I can get along. As long as said Vetiver is dirty, animalic, and skanky. All qualities that Onda surpasses. The opening is immediately pronounced on spicy ginger with a very smoky feel, Vetiver with leather, nutmeg/coriander perhaps? Don't know, but it's amazing. Soon after, there's a very potent honey note stripped to its bare essence. It's not sweet, but quite sulphur like, which I guess translates to 'piss' for some, but to me this is what honey is all about; as an animalic note it highlights its carnality perfectly. Ylang ylang adds a sweet touch, that rounds the composition making it feel extremely warm, lived in, human. Civet, quite pronounced lingers on the skin, on the verge of extreme without going all the way, along with cured leather, steeped in spices. The end result is a very smoky, slightly salty and indolic (ylang/honey/jasmine) take on animalic perfumes via Vetiver. The blending is so masterful that with seemingly simple ingredients, she has created a very complex perfume that wouldn't feel out of place in the 20's or 30's, without feeling dated. And if someone can create such complex perfume today, that is Vero. She ain't mainstream, she doesn't want to be nice. She's tough, she's lived and she wants to express the fire within. And even though I'm not keen on the massive number of new launches today, I'm really really anxious to see what she comes up with next. Sillage quite big, longevity outstanding! Bravissimo Vero!

Onda d`Extrait version has a stronger honey base than the EDP as of the top note, then it hoovers around every other notes and place them all on top for a little while but the honey remains at the base. The colder it goes the weaker the honey becomes but remains at the back, then the spices comes up and goes sharp specially the ginger and gives the effect of fireworks (burned cartoons, fire, and fire smoke) just like the effect in "Je Suis un Homme" by Etat Libre d`Orange. As i said before about Vero EDP & d`Extrait, both doesn't have the same notes pyramid. The Extrait de Parfum version is the strengthen version of the d'Extrait but the EDP is quite different than the d'Extrait & the Extrait de Parfum versions.

This is nice, a bit intense and very unisex. I would definitely agree with this list - Bergamot, Citrus, Mandarin, Ginger, Coriander, Basil, Iris, Ylang ylang, Honey, Vetiver bourbon, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk. Quite a bright intense citrus opening with the kick of vetiver, ginger, coriander and a smidgen of basil. Wait a little while and you become aware of two florals in the background. Honey is listed but if you are expecting much from it you will be disappointed. The vetiver, ginger, basil and coriander are really the main players. It is only after a few hours that I pick up the woods and musk way at the back. This would be very refreshing and invigorating to wear in the heat. Moderate silage and longevity

Gorgeous. Leather Leather and more Leather rolled in confectioners sugar sitting in a big soft overly large white flower with the merest hint of mint. It's really rather wonderful. Old school/skool perfume with a modernity to it, feminine and soft with a sweet pepper note. Rather complex and rather fine. Love it. UPDATE: This perfume reminds me of Tabac Blond and Shocking mixed - both of which found success in the 1920's I believe. I cannot stop sniffing the back of my hand, highly addictive and utterly beguiling.