Les Nombres d'Or : Oudh Osmanthus / Oud
Mona di Orio (2011)

Oudh Osmanthus is both rich and dry, two qualities that are rarely found together these days. After years of puzzling over what makes this perfume tick, I think the secret to its three-dimensional richness lies in its triadic composition of a) the smoky, dried-up husk of a vanilla pod swiped from Mona di Orio Vanille, which contributes a dark, almost liquor-ish background that one might call sweet until you get close enough to see what it is, b), a midsection (borrowed from the brand’s own Musc) of blurred, indistinct floral notes desiccating to a fine white talc, which gives the scent its tinder-box dryness and a slightly soapy, dandified air, and c) a lascivious civet note that twists the florals into a grimy, almost fecal leather note à la Jicky.

Here’s the clever bit – though there is likely some quantity of real osmanthus and oud oil in the composition, their shape is carved out not by the raw materials themselves but by little olfactory nudges laid down by the perfumer herself, like a trail of breadcrumbs in the forest. Hence, the faintly cheesy fruitiness of osmanthus is suggested obliquely by an odd but genius herbal note that smells quite like fresh dill, while the cheesey ferment of oud is brought to life by the leathery civet.

In many ways, Oudh Osmanthus is the analog to my other favorite oud-themed fragrance, Nawab of Oudh (Ormonde Jayne). Both are Western abstractions of an Eastern raw material, rendered in a haute luxe style that elevates them far beyond their source material. But they arrive there from two utterly different directions – Nawab of Oudh via the light cast by crisp linen tablecloths, the brass moldings of a posh London hotel, and freshly-peeled citrus fruits, Oudh Osmanthus via the chartreuse gloom of a velvet-covered room.

Both are eye-wateringly expensive. Adding insult to injury, Oudh Osmanthus was reformulated when the bottles were changed from the wine screw bottles to the golden disc bottle. It still smells great, of course, but its smoky dryness has been toned down and made less confrontational, which has in turn subtracted much from its previously three-dimensional quality. However, if I were forced to choose just two Western oud-themed fragrances to take with me into the apocalypse, it would be Nawab of Oudh and Oudh Osmanthus, and that, for a perennial flip-flopper like me, is said with not even a hint of equivocation.

A previously glorious soft white flowers & oud composition that smelled legit, maintained a gender balance (by the leathery beauty of osmanthus), and boasted a tremendous projection and staying power. It was rich, velvety, and gorgeous and wrapped you in wafts of luxury and warmth.

Alas... either reformulation (for a while now... since the bottles went from cubes to ovals) or, more simply, a heavy dilution of the quantity fragrance oil in the bottles have made this former Md'O stand-out a mere echo of its former radiance.

And it's not just the staying power; the scent does feel cooler in temperature and less enveloping (if less potentially cloying?) than its original release.

So do I like the scent less? Not necessarily. But every time I reach for a tester in hope that I will be able to replace the almost-exhausted original cube that I so value, I grimace and tell myself: "this is nowhere NEAR worth the hefty price tag."

Damnit. It was one of my favorite floral ouds ever. RIP.

Crash by David Cronenberg 1996

There are different type of oud from different countries that they do have completely different smells. I don't know what kind of oud is this, but it's the softest and the most wearable oud that I've tested by far.
For you guys out there that you don't have any experience with out and you're about to walk into the world of oud based fragrances this is a great start! something inoffensive and very pleasant and without rose and saffron! NICE!

The opening of this fragrance is very complex. at the beginning I can smell a resinous and kind of an oily smell plus some oud, some fresh notes, some green notes, noticeable amount of spice, some floral notes and creamy amber in the background.
The freshness of the scent by citruses is very mellow and it will disappears after a few minutes.
The oud note here is very soft and slightly bitter. just like a normal woody scent something like sandalwood for example but a little bit darker plus some oily quality.
The floral note is very smooth and charming with slightly powdery feeling but not powdery something like iris. not at all.
There are some green notes and some sweetness beside these notes too that they help smoothing the overall feeling of the scent.

The quality of the notes is superb and these notes meshed together in a very lovely and and pleasant way.
In the mid there is no change. almost the same smell only a little bit sweeter.

In the base I'm getting more cedar instead of oud. the smell is pretty the same as mid but now there is a sharp and kind of peppery smell of wood and I believe it's cedar. the sweetness (creamy type) and floral notes amp up in this part but they are still very mellow.

All and all it's a very nice and pleasing scent but paying almost $400 for this .... I don't know. I wouldn't do that! it just smells like a high quality ordinary fragrance. it doesn't smell cheap. no, not at all but at the same time it's not something unique, different and daring that shock you from the first sniff or even later on.
Projection is above average at the start and average in the mid and base and longevity is around 5-6 hours on my skin.

Spicy dryness in its glamour

Heavy and spicy but just the way I like it, dry and warm to a point you'll feel dry even in the strongest rain showers. This is not your regular oud, more spices here and oud simply serves as a complement to the rest. It takes certain guts to wear this one. It is not some "regular man/woman from the streets" fragrance. Either one is aristocracy or quite well eccentric, or maybe even both - and then - and only then does this fragrance come to its fullest potential. It is so strong and potent, yet not invasive but in a way decent, however also naughty at the same time. Rich and complex as it is, if you're a casual wearer, you'll never need a full bottle even if you come to adore it.

Pros: longevity, sillage, complexity
Cons: subjectively - none, objectively - zealously potent, extravagant

A hefty price tag for an extremely mediocre scent. There is, I agree, something a bit 'off' about it, and it lacks structure. I just don't get the hype about Mona di Orio - hugely overpriced and overrated.

Wondrous elixir I'm inexperienced in this category of fragrance, so I really feel inept as I struggle to describe this wonder. The other reviews here state it much better than I can manage. Maybe a synopsis will do:Smooth, rich, dark and deep.Complex, dreamy, mysterious, and exotic.Hauntingly beautiful, to be worn for those occasions when you want to stand out in an elegantly sumptuous manner.Now I'm ready to throw out my synthetic oud frags and take out a loan to buy a bottle of this. Once worn, never forgotten.Sillage is excellent, longevity phenomenal, over 18 hours. A bottle would last a very long time. Totally unisex. Pros: Rich, complex, incredible longevityCons: May be too intense for those who dislike Arabian style fragrances"

Beautiful I am an Oud scaredy cat . This is the one Oud that does not make me back away slightly or gulp a bit before sniffing. I can say I am quite blown away by the beauty of this scent. The fruity citrussy notes float out ,deepen with the touch of the cedar ,amber gris and patchouli .The osmanthus and the tart citric notes kind of lift this composition out of the oud rut -so to speak . The oud is soft, alluring ( ha ! Who would have thought ! ) It's a bit different. No band aid oudy smell , no thickness - it's clear and a touch earthy and lightly incensey. It's like no Oud I have smelt and that's probably because I am smelling the real thing - rare, precious and damned expensive. This is definitely unisex . Don't be a scaredy cat like me because it's called Oud Eau de Parfum Intense. It's intense but with a quiet and refined beauty . Montale ouds sort of present themselves forefront to your nose , this insinuates itself. There remains a tartness throughout the scent ,on my skin. Beauty ! And it smells like many natural ingredients were used - almost like a natural perfume . There is no relation to any Montale oud or the ouds from By Killian . ( Though the By Kilians are more inviting to me than the Montales especially the new Amber Oud and Rose Oud ) This is a 5 star composition by the late and lovely Mona di Orio .Pros: great quality scentCons: price"

The immediate outburst of dry incense and flowery osmanthus and sweet patchouli is unattractive to me. Something about it turns my stomach. This stage lasts about two hours on my skin, and it is not a comfortable or pleasant experience, I'm sorry to say. Eventually, it becomes very beautiful, luxurious and elegant, but that phase only lasts about an hour on me, and then it completely disappears -- making the whole experience unsatisfying...

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something off about this scent. I'm not really a big fan of Oud to begin with, and given that I don't detect an perceptible oud note in this, I should've absolutely loved this to bits. But I just didn't. Luckyscent labels this a masculine fragrance and I can see why. There's a strongly dry and smoky note which dominates the beginning that doesn't play out well on my skin. I can see this smelling amazing on a man, but on my skin it comes a cropper. Whilst I acknowledge the complexity of the creation and the nuances, I'm afraid I shall never be able to appreciate this scent in its entirety and thus will have to qualify my praise.

I like the combination of a white floral (Osmanthus?) and quality oud. The oud in the beginning is somewhat too medicinal for my taste. After some time the oud smoothens out and amber and sweet spices turn up and blend well with the floral and oud.

It is a pleasant fragrance, but expensive, and I think I will spend my money elsewhere and not on a full bottle of this.

Bone dry almost incensy oud slapped about by a hefty leather at the start. Mmm, interesting, I thought, but doesn't captivate. Gets rounder with wear, and the patchouli lends a hint of sweetness to the oud. Ends up in fairly standard Arabian attar territory – I was expecting something a bit different. Pass.