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

Perfection in a flower.

First of all, as a man, I got involved in a "tuberose crazy love", and started searching a nice tuberose scent to start with. I've read good reviews about Carnal Flower by Malle, of which I have a sample. But I blind-bought Tubéreuse for first.

What I got was a very luxurious soliflore, with a sweet and peppery opening from pink pepper (this note lasts for a while). Then the delicate and fresh/green tuberose starts to emanate (it hasn't great projection/sillage but big duration). It is a creamy tuberose, without a big animalic nuance, but with a "carnal" facet, like hot skin, on mine.
It becomes even more floral and accentuated until it disappears, many hours later. It is very well blended and smooth, without any edge.

It is suitable also for men who like white florals, as it isn't too "feminine".

This is one of the most beautiful takes on the Tuberose I have ever tried. That is quite a feat, as I have tried just about all of them, the good, the bad, and the quite ugly.

This is the answer to Fracas if you have ever worn it and felt self-conscious in a crowd or wondered if a man might approach you and ask "how much?" Not that Fracas is bad, but she is far more daring and "come hither", which does make a woman think twice about if she is NOT looking for male attention. Of course, this beautiful concoction might lead to male attention anyway, as it is suggestive of a quieter sensuality that might suggest a longer term interest...or the old saying "it's the quiet ones you have to look out for".

I definitely get the pepper in the opening, which for some may be bothersome, but I find it a nice balancing feature that illuminates the scent and doesn't last for me as a "pepper", but smooths out and lays gently in the background. The tuberose is bright, green and herbaceous, but somehow still sensual. How did Mona do it? It is a juxtaposition of scents that somehow work. Truly artistic!

As the scent wears on, the creamier facets of the flower start to come forward, and the reward is a gorgeous aspect of Tuberose that embraces the beauty while keeping the notorious skank at bay. There is something else happening here...but I cannot quite speak to it...yet. But I like it. A lot!

Subtle tuberose I've seldom stumbled across a low-key tuberose scent, so this was a very pleasant discovery for me. I think it's lovely and I highly recommend to those who think that tuberose is too stridently loud for their tastes.The opening notes are green and slightly sweet. Oddly, my nose reads the pink peppercorns as woody notes, and that note continues throughout the long life of the fragrance. Since I love woodiness I welcomed that development. The tuberose and heliotrope came into play, quietly, but quickly. There is a creamy quality to the fragrance, probably the coconut and the musk working together. Frankly, I'm really delighted with this fragrance. Another example of fine ingredients at work here--a very natural smelling scent.Sillage is moderate, longevity over 16 hours. A perfect day or night fragrance. Men who like tuberose in moderation would find this to be a real treat. Write Reply250 Characters leftPost ReplyCancel Pros: Not too sweet, complex, long lastingCons: None"

The top notes come on aldehydic, and almost chalky. Gradually it subsides into a soft but subtle and remarkably dry accord of tuberose, vetiver, and the least sweet coconut I've ever encountered ( quite a world away from Carnal Flower ).

The sillage on this is quite remarkable to my nose: it is beautifully light and diffuse, like an eau de toilette, yet it endures like a heavier eau de parfum. It's the most airy tuberose encountered, yet it lasts. Apollonian tuberose, painted with watercolor.

Though I'm a wear-what-you-want, when-you-want type, if you love tuberose and need a classy tuberose soliflore for work that's subtle yet lasts, get this.

Such a sophisticated and complex fragrance. It is very different from other tuberose fragrances out there. Earthy, green and interesting. I can't get enough of it. I love the way the peppery note is overtaken by a delicate tuberose when it dries down.

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.

A completely different take on tuberose . I watched a youtube interview of Mona saying how she came up with the 'story' for her Tubereuse . She was inspired by her own tuberose plant - the smell of it at night kept her from sleeping .
This tuberose scent has been described as not a night blooming flower but as a twilight one- greener ,earthier and less lush .
The opening is a spicey ,earthy pink pepper and bergamot explosion- it's very vivid - doesn't disappear quickly and slowly, little peeps of a sweet tuberose come through . The tuberose is not wild and overwhelming but it's smooth and quieter.
In the dry down as the white florals take over, this scent reminds me of Fracas in pure parfum extrait- rich ,smooth ,quiet ,golden and humming along with your heartbeat.
This is not a just a soliflore but a scent story of a tuberose plant ,flowers and all . It's still very much in the Mona di Orio style . It's not squeaky clean , quite french and sophisticated.

First sniff I thought Rubj and their openings are alike, but Mona's Tubereuse is a revelation. Decidedly not sweet like Rubj and good deal less expensive, thankfully. While definitely a tubereuse it is so much quieter, really a lovely hypnotic scent that has good but not over powering sillage. As I move my arm I'm catching whiffs of it and each time is a lovely surprise. Mona's comment about it being a twilight tubereuse is spot on, it isn't the full blown suffocating night time flower, but the light whiff of the fragrance as the flower begins to open. Truly masterful perfumery with obviously very good material. Oh Mona, how we'll miss you!