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Mona di Orio's Vetiver - Best Vetiver I Have Smelled

post #1 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:00am
Thread Starter 


On application I get a blast of vetiver with ginger and woods with a light musk with a hint of sweetness joining not long after.

This vetiver is bone dry and arid like the desert, a desert vetiver if you like. It is what you can imagine sandpaper to smell like.lol

Imagine if you were in a desert sandstorm with the dry hot sand hitting your face. But also a cool musky breeze with a hint of sweetness running through it been part of the sandstorm. That is what I get with this.

I am not fond of vetiver fragrances and I'm not too keen on the citrus,sour or dirty rooty earthyness of a lot of them. But this one is fantastic and I am loving it.

I guess I have found the one Vetiver fragrance that blows a lot of the others out of the water. I just love the dryness of this desert vetiver. It is going onto my to buy list.
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post #2 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:07am
Nice review Jack ! I like some vetivers and have a very small amount (for a wearing or two) that Marino sent me. This makes me want to try this one. I am assuming that this is a clean vetiver and not too smoky ? I certainly like the dry aspects that you mention. I will try it this week and have only sniffed this one from the lid and not on the skin.
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post #3 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:09am
I like this one a lot too. It's complex vetiver - very satisfying . Thanks for the great review.
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post #4 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nersh View Post

Nice review Jack ! I like some vetivers and have a very small amount (for a wearing or two) that Marino sent me. This makes me want to try this one. I am assuming that this is a clean vetiver and not too smoky ? I certainly like the dry aspects that you mention. I will try it this week and have only sniffed this one from the lid and not on the skin.

There is no smokyness but more of a breeziness with a slight sweet muskyness and its wonderful mixed in with the bone dry desert vetiver. You know I have also been testing the vanille and I thought I would like that more than this. And its the other way around.
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post #5 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:20am
It is my favorite vetiver as well. I love the combination of the natural smelling Virginia cedar with the vetiver. Beautiful balance, IMO.
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post #6 of 26
3/23/12 at 9:47am
Thank You Jack, dry does it for me!
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post #7 of 26
3/23/12 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by drseid View Post

It is my favorite vetiver as well. I love the combination of the natural smelling Virginia cedar with the vetiver. Beautiful balance, IMO.


This has cedar in it ? Oh boy, im gonna like this one.
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post #8 of 26
3/23/12 at 10:44am
Also like her take on vetiver.
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post #9 of 26
3/23/12 at 11:27am
I love this scent. One of my favourites without a doubt. What is also amazing is the longevity, I get easy 10+ hours with this beauty.

Incidently it is my SOTD btw.
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post #10 of 26
3/23/12 at 12:30pm
thanks Jack ... wonderful tribute to a wonderful perfumier ...
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post #11 of 26
3/23/12 at 12:47pm
Nice review. Vetiver is one of the four pillars of my fragrance preferences, and this juice sounds like a fine example that I should try. Vetiver is one of a very few scents that has decent longevity on my skin. How did the longevity stand up for you Jack?
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post #12 of 26
3/23/12 at 1:15pm
Thread Starter 
I got eight to nine hours out of this so I am well pleased.

This fragrance reminds me of a trip to Egypt I took in the early nineties with that intense heat blast you get when you step outside of your hotel coupled with the desert sand. In the base notes of this fragrance the breezy muskyness start to become prominent over the desert vetiver. And it reminds me of Egypt at sunset when the desert sands cool.

Its amazing where your imagination can take you when you are smelling a fragrance. For me Mona's "Desert Vetiver" is all about the sands of Egypt from the scorching midday heat to the cool sands of sunset.
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post #13 of 26
3/23/12 at 1:46pm
My review of Mona's Vetyver and Les Nez Turtle Vetiver Front
I really didn't like Mona's vetiver... it smelt like a soggy chinese five spice.
Whereas the Turtle Vetiver was exactly what you describe, cracked desert earth.
Interesting how opinions vary. It's unfortunate because I REALLY wanted to like the Mona.
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post #14 of 26
3/23/12 at 3:12pm
I have to agree, this is one very good vetiver scent. This house is awesome and needs more praise imo
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post #15 of 26
3/23/12 at 3:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oupavoc View Post

I have to agree, this is one very good vetiver scent. This house is awesome and needs more praise imo

I think Mona gets a lot of praise. I unfortunately haven't like a single scent of hers I need to explore more.
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post #16 of 26
3/23/12 at 5:33pm
This is my fav Vetiver as well, I think it has surpassed Sycomore on my list of late.
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post #17 of 26
3/23/12 at 5:39pm
It's great and very sophisticated but not as complex as many say (at least IMO). When it comes to this type of fragrances I generally prefer bolder and edgier interpretations on the main theme but, the MdO is still among my favorites as one of the most elegant around...
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post #18 of 26
3/23/12 at 6:52pm
Mr. Jack Hunter, you better not be bullshidding me because I too detest Vetiver's after my disastrous experience with Guerlain's Vetiver. I traded that bottle to another BN'er and he was of the same opinion, he felt bad trying to slide it off to another BN'er so he claimed he used it on the lawn as he lived down in Florida to ward off aligator's and Honey Badgers! I only know this, that stuff was so bad I was going to pour it on my lawn as well. It was almost like an original Disney cartoon! The planted Mimosa Grass picked up roots and walked a full meter square and replanted themselves from where I poured just a spritz or two!

I've had a chance to try her Cuir and danged if it isn't right up there with Kinze Ten (if not better) real close call. Today I tried her Oud and like the vetiver dislike you described, I haven't found a decent Oud (yeah including Montale's and Amouage's too) that I really liked. With Mona's Oud though instead of one spritz on each wrist, I wished I did two on each!

So I'm gonna take your word for it and hit luckyscent for a bottle of it. Worst that can happen is it'll end up on the 'Free to Good Home' thread. So don't be shidding me man!
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post #19 of 26
3/23/12 at 7:08pm
I really want to try this one.
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post #20 of 26
3/23/12 at 7:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indaco View Post

I really want to try this one.

You should very well done vetiver
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post #21 of 26
3/23/12 at 7:17pm
I own this Vanille, and Cuir. All excellent fragrances. I also really like Oud and will probably get a bottle soon.
I agree this is on of my favorite vetivers.
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post #22 of 26
3/25/12 at 1:21am
Nice but too weak.
I also don't feel its very complex. On a scale of 1-10 it is a 4 in complexity.
I need to spray a third more than usual to get acceptable projection.
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post #23 of 26
4/14/12 at 1:32am
the best vetiver!!!! love the MONA LINE... RIP
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post #24 of 26
9/2/12 at 6:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

Nice but too weak.
I also don't feel its very complex. On a scale of 1-10 it is a 4 in complexity.
I need to spray a third more than usual to get acceptable projection.

Hedonist, You and I seem to have similar tastes in frags. I am thinking of buying a bottle of MdO Vetyver but the projection/longevity sucks, did you find a solution? how many spritzes do you use?
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post #25 of 26
9/2/12 at 8:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possum-Pie View Post

Hedonist, You and I seem to have similar tastes in frags. I am thinking of buying a bottle of MdO Vetyver but the projection/longevity sucks, did you find a solution? how many spritzes do you use?

usually spraying more suffices but not this time.
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post #26 of 26
9/2/12 at 11:58am
I concur with hedonist it is very weak on my skin. I prefer Encre Noire and Sycomore.
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