Les Nombres D'Or - Tubéreuse by Mona di Orio, 2011

The tuberose note in Tubereuse is surprisingly toned down, barely perceptible as part of a citrusy-powdery white floral. Granted, I've never smelt actual tuberose but this fragrance doesn't feature any of the two faces of tuberose common in perfumery - neither the lushly indolic nor the weirdly, chemically candy-sweet. Perhaps it's more the Fracas "type" - I have only a vague recollection of the scent but I think it's powdery like Tubereuse, though with a much more pronounced tuberose note. As Tubereuse warms up and melllows on skin the florals melt into a general creaminess. Hiddena at the heart of the composition is a spicy tang I can't quite identify as Mona di Orio's signature civet but which nevertheless radiates an animalwarmth - perhaps cumin? As it's not clearly discernible it never gets obscene. I find this intriguingly elusive animalic note to be the best thing about the fragrance, but unfortunately it soon disappears completely as the composition turns from creamy to sugary. It ends up candy-sweet, not in the fashion typical for tuberose (think Tubereuse Criminelle, Narciso Rodriquez or Histoire des parfums) but in a powdery way that reminds me quite a bit of Habit Rouge.