Hey Posse, yes we received the devastating news recently that the Mona do Orio brand has died a sad and lonely death. WAAAHH! I’m partly to blame. It’s been a long while since I bought a bottle from them. They were still doing lovely perfume but those stupid bottles they changed to were crap and I didn’t want them in my collection. GAH! They really were the pits after that incredibly clever and beautiful box with the champagne cork inspired lid. So in my search through the boxes of decants for Decant Demolition 2025 I found a 5ml decant of Musc. It was the decant that inspired me to buy a bottle but when the bottle arrived I never wore it so moved it on. What was I thinking?!?
Musc by Mona di Orio 2010
These are the featured accords:
Neroli, angelica, rose, heliotrope, tonka bean, musks
MdO had an interesting way of naming her creations. The name was always an integral part of the scent but often it was not what caught your attention. In Musc the opening is this beautiful, powdery green citrus. Like walking through a field of wildflowers and bracken to get to an orange tree that was just beginning to flower. So more about the tree and leaves with this pretty hint of the flower. All set on a powdery cushion.
Musc is tentatively musky. There smell like both laundry and animalic musks but not like you’re in a laundry or cuddling a panther, it’s all too low key for that. We are well into the heart before my nose even gets a hint of the roses, the greenery and flower. Maybe a lemon jam breath of rose. Very tart marmalade. A whisper, no more.
For something so ethereal Musc has good longevity. It’s totally unisex and now it’s gone I’m sad not to have that bottle. You can see in the above pic that my decant is running very low, maybe 2ml left. I’m going to wear it in honor of MdO and in memory of her beautiful brand.
Surrender To Chance still has samples available
Were you a Musc fan, or any of the MdO line?
Portia xx
OMGosh, Portia – I’d forgotten ALL about that beef – that was uuuuugly. And I am glad the House continued after her death. I confess to not remembering too many of her perfumes, mostly because there is just So. Much. Stuff.
Yeah, it was not Luca’s finest moment Musette but it did stir up my desire for the brand. No such thing as bad publicity.
SO MUCH STUFF!
Portia xx
Ooooh I love MdO Musc. I have a tiny sample bottle. It is a weird intersection of powder and animalic musk, but I love it. I think they gave me a set of the tiny bottle samples with Tubereuse, Vetyver, Cuir, Vanille and Musc. I wish I’d purchased FB of the Musc and Vanille.
The only FB I have is her Oudh (before it was changed to Oudh Osmanthus), and it is different to every other oud. It’s fresh and oud at the same time. MASSIVE scent, one spray was a lot. I love it and I’m sorry she passed away so early and the house did not continue. I have to accept perfume and that experience as fleeting, and enjoy while I can. Gather rosebuds, and I hope you enjoy every moment.
YAY HemlockSillage! So happy to see another fan. I also notice the more I wear Musc, the more I can smell it and its texture. So sad I moved my bottle on now.
Yes, fleeting and wonderful.
Jin has Oud, it’s amazing.
Portia xx
I have Vanille, which hasn’t been getting much love this winter, this is a good reminder to pull it out. I had multiple decants in years past of Violette Fumée and meant to buy a bottle at some point…guess it’s not to be.
Hi Aquilera,
It seems some of the decanters online have stock of Violette Fumée. STC still has Oud, Musc and Nuit Noire available but I imagine not for long.
Portia xx
I had a bottle of one of the early ones … Carnation? But it didn’t really get worn so I sold it. Kinda wish I had it now. Luca Turin dumped on the brand so hard I always wondered if there was some personal drama there. I’m sorry to see the brand close.
Yeah, Carnation was gorgeous but I also didn’t wear mine and sold it on. I loved those grey velvet boxes though. So plush.
Yeah, Luca seemed to make it very personal. It felt like retribution.
Portia x
Musc sounds lovely, I hope you thoroughly enjoy your last 2ml. I had a decant of Vanille years ago, long gone now and it didn’t seem to make much of an impression on me. I wish I still had it, because I’ve been hit with a heavy craving for all the vanilla scents I can get my hands on. I’d love to hear some you guys love, especially if they’re not too pricey.
Hey rosaria,
If vanilla is your current vibe then Vanille would probably leave you cold. It’s a citrus/resinous scent that has vanilla enfolded.
I love Lux and Nuit Noire but only own their second coming.
Portia xx
I liked this house a lot but I seem to remember it was difficult to get here in the states. Sad that it’s gone.
Bummer Tom,
I think I got my very first MdO bottle at LuckyScent on our ScentSation Tour.
Portia xx
It is such a shame they pulled the plug. It caused quite a stir in the Netherlands, Mona di Orio had a lot of devoted fans here. I love Eau Absolue, I have a couple of roll-on 10 mls, also of Vanille and Rose Etoile. I have a FB of Tuberose, and I really like the bottle you find crap! If Musc would be still around I would surely buy it, as well as Oud Osmanthus, Lux, Myrhh Casati…but alas unless the house gets resurrected that will not happen.
I’m so happy you love the modern bottle Hamamelis. Glad it found some love in the greater world.
Jin has the OG Oud. I’ve got a couple, Vanille is my most worn and then Eau Absolu. What a beautiful brand.
Portia xx
This sounds very attractive, but sadly I don’t think I ever ran across any MdO scents in my travels. I’ll have to search the “M” drawer of samples to see if any are hiding in there.
I bet you find one DinaC,
Portia xx
Completely love this house, Portia. Etiket in Montreal had them, and I had written some reviews of things I had purchased. They contacted me and sent me the cutest bottle of Suede de Suede, in a perfect miniature box. I sprayed it on and was stunned at the complexity of it. Later I bought Musc, Dojima, and Suede de Suede. I’m glad I have them and wish I has santal Nabatea-I have a sample of it, and it’s gorgeous.
I remember LT’s one star reviews, and I was surprised. It seemed so personal.
And I meant to comment on your Xmas post but lost track of time-I’m glad you were able to salvage something of the day, after being treated so rudely.
YAY Carole, So happy there’s another MdO fan out there. Suede de Suede was really good.
On mature reflection none of us come out smelling like roses from Xmas. I’m a bit ashamed of forgetting that the best way to deal with bullies is to ignore their poor behaviours, blow roses and stand tall quite close to them. One day I’lll learn to hold my tongue, and if she’d been attacking me and not Kath I’d have smiled sweetly. Oh well, we did have a lovely day in the end.
Thanks,
Portia xx
I don’t think I have tried anything from this house, sadly. I do remember when Mona died and wondered if the brand would continue without her vision, I guess we have the answer now (they launched quite a few perfumes since then, but perhaps without the same interest).
Hey MMKinPA,
They lasted 13 years (I think) after Mona died. There were launches, some were very good. If you don’t get attention though then no-one buys your stuff. It’s a shame.
Portia x
I tried the first three MdOs when they came out and my heart didn’t go wee hoo. So, I pretty much stopped paying attention. I’m sure I tried various ones over time but it just wasn’t a house for me. There was a lot (and I do mean a lot) of noise when the brand launched and I recall a pilgrimage to Les Senteurs in London to try things.
I did have a bottle of Carnation from the originals Cinnamon but it never got spritzed so I sold it to my buddy Scotty. He freaking adored it.
Portia xx
So many times I told myself to order a sample set and I never did it… I had high hopes for MdO Perfumes because of many favourable reviews I’ve read but now I guess I’ll never find out. I don’t know why I hesitated for so long.
There’s just too much on offer Neva, we get what we are drawn to and the rest misses us. Just the way of dealing with excess.
Portia xx
Once upon a time I had a couple of decants/minis of Md’Os. I can see them on my old spread sheet but not my up to date records. They were Eau Absolue & Rose Etoile. I can’t remember their smell & must have gifted them at some point.
I do remember that when I found Basenotes Mona was worshipped & that she died in the first year of my joining. Since her death the house seems to have dropped off the radar of perfumistae land.
Musc sounds nice & very polite in the current beast mode climate
Eau Absolu is one I have a backup bottle of Alityke. It is so me, feels like it was made just for me.
Yeah, they did kind of die off but continued for nearly a decade.
Portia xx
Didn’t Luca Turin have some kind of beef with this house in his 2009 perfume review book? And gave every perfume 1 star. Never sampled or bought anything from this house. Always sidetracked with other things
Yeah, Luca was almost the death of the brand Eldarwen22 but fortunately a load of perfumistas took his bad reviews as a reason to search them out, and did. When your expectations are so low to find such beautiful, thoughtful and elegant fragrances was a boon.
There has been SO MUCH to sidetrack with.
Portia xx