Les Nombres d'Or : Vanille (2011)
by Mona di Orio

Delightful, almost honey-sweet cocktail to begin with. Slight fruity, rum drink accord.

As this settles, some lovely spice and balsamic layers appear. The vanilla is accented by the other heart notes, changing its spots with a prominent and sweet profile, that is different, from other vanilla perfumes I've experienced, in way I cannot describe fully.

Spiced vanilla continues. The leather smells like suede. It is complimented by the other base notes - especially ylang ylang and amber.

At times, the clove wants to overpower the vanilla. Matters not - I love this! This is a beautiful vanilla that remains different throughout its wear. In time, it is just All vanilla. Well done!

This is not your typical sweet vanilla scent, not by a long shot. It’s a boozy, spicy rich vanilla with a good dose of smokiness thrown in – it’s like a grown-up, over 18 vanilla. A vanilla with its kick-arse boots on – leather ones – instead of its nice 'lady' shoes. I like it.

I was very impatient to smell this one. May be I was expecting too much. That's a very masculine take on vanilla, may be too masculine for me. I appreciate the work, I know it's well done. But I hate the opening. It nearly made me sick. Then, the smoky notes really irritated me. I loved the "cardamom-type" spice I got then, but I wanted to remove the smoke. The dry down was more tolerable, and the vanilla gorgeous, but less original.

An interesting opening for Vanille by Mona di Orio. There's a definite citrus tartness upon spraying this that reminded me just a tiny bit of Sunshine Man by Amouage. I say just a "tiny bit" because Sunshine Man has not only citrus, but vegetal brashness about it. Vanille by Mona di Orio has nothing brash about it. It is as smooth as butter, but with a hint of citrus in the opening. I also picked up some woodiness that developed right after application, and a muted spicy aspect as well. The buttery vibe is probably my favorite note and I'm assuming after reading the note list that it comes from the rum absolute along with the sandalwood, which always strikes me as having a smoothness about it that I feel adds to the rounded, smooth character of this fragrance. This is an enjoyable wear and I'm looking forward to applying in a higher concentration to see if it projects any better. My one negative comment, and it's not really a completely negative comment, but it would be that I'd like better projection from this fragrance. It wears very close to the skin on me, and I'd prefer to pick up more of it coming off my skin. Other than that, I've really enjoyed this fragrance today.

A grand floriental, dreamy and lush, is the opening impression of this perfume. A gorgeously nectary ylang (similar to the starring note in Perris’s soliflore) holds the centre ground, ringed with gourmand accents of booze and orange, deepened by heavier notes of clove and smoky guaiac, all soaking though into a woody base which has a creamy sandalwood as its quality turn. A seamless composition, blending bracing, fresh notes with richer, dirtier ones in the manner of classic perfumery. The orange and petitgrain (with its suggestion of citrus leaf) accord is a particular point of interest, always just there, lifting the congregation of other notes with its brightness. It hangs on for a good three or four hours, after which the perfume grows mellower and just a shade sweeter.
And as for the vanilla? Well, as an eager cook I’ve smelled plenty of freshly split pods and, despite what the PR may assert, they ain’t to be found here. What one does get is an abiding vanilla base note that is fine in the mix but hardly the star. The only reason why this may matter is due to the name of this perfume; disregard it and enjoy its many pleasures instead.