LM Parfums O des Soupirs by Mona di Orio

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Finding ‘new’ Mona di Orio fragrances can create the same feeling of joy as the discovery of a Van Gogh painting. It is a rare delight. As many of you might know Mona di Orio died very suddenly from a minor medical procedure in December 2011 at the age of 42. At this moment one of her un launched fragrances has just been introduced by the Dutch perfume company Maison Mona di Orio: Eau Absolue. Later this year another ‘new’ fragrance will be presented by Maison Mona di Orio for the Les Nombres d’Or Exclusive line.

Some weeks ago I read on the parfumaria website some of the Laurent Mazzone (LM) perfumes were attributed to the perfumer Mona di Orio. This had been rumored before on several perfume websites but it was never officially confirmed by LM Parfums. Yesterday LM Parfums officially confirmed three perfumes were made by the perfumer Mona di Orio: Ambre Muscadin, O des Soupirs and Patchouly Boheme. I will review O des Soupirs briefly.

O des Soupirs is a very happy uplifting original floral perfume. The opening was a bit off putting as it reminded me of the scent of plastic dolls and gave me the impression of something artificial but after its top notes its scents were wonderfully uplifting to me. At this moment it is my favorite of the three perfumes but this might be due to the season we are in, as it is spring time. O des Soupirs gives me the feeling of a young girl being in a candy store and feeling intense joy of choosing a candy. The purity of innocent joy like the children on the painting.

O des Soupirs means water of sighs, O being short for eau. What a beautiful delicate name for a perfume ! Lovers of fragrances made by Mona di Orio can enjoy these three newly found perfumes. I can imagine this to be very happy news for lovers of Mona di Orio perfumes.

LM Parfums can be bought at www.parfumaria.com, www.jovoyparis.com, and www.ausliebezumduft.de and many other niche perfume shops online.

Do you own a perfume made by Mona di Orio ? Which one is your favourite ?

Leave a comment by telling us which Mona di Orio perfume is your favourite and subscribe to our website or follow us on twitter or tell us how you follow if you already do, you can win a 2 ml sample of O des Soupirs, draw will close on Sunday 16 august 12.00 AM Parisian Time. We will contact you by mail if you are the winner. Worldwide draw ! And the winner is: Fazal ! We have sent you an E mail. Congratulations, Fazal ! The give away is now closed.

Painting by John Singer Sargent, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1885-1886,  copyright Tate of Britain.

First published on April 8th, 2013 Re edited: August 11, 2015

Ramon Monegal Cuirelle My first leather perfume

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Ramon Monegal 1

Searching for Spanish perfumes I came across the Spanish perfume house Ramon Monegal. Ramon Monegal is the perfumer of Ramon Monegal perfumes. He is fourth generation of the family that founded the company Myrurgia in 1919. Myrurgia is best known for its old fashioned Maja soap with the Spanish dancing lady and perfumes like Alada. After years of working for other famous designer brands like Adolfo Dominquez and Massimo Dutti, Ramon Monegal makes his perfumes since 2009 in artistic freedom. This has always been his dream. He wrote an interesting fictional novel this year called La Perfumista.

Ramon Monegal 4

Fortunately I was able to smell most of the collection of the 16 Ramon Monegal (RM) fragrances. Three perfumes are only available in their beautiful luxury store in Barcelona. The line includes leathers, roses, vetiver, patchouli, iris, ambers, musks, woods, tuberose and a light orange flower. It is a very wide range. As if Ramon Monegal sampled ideas for his perfumes for years in his Moleskine booklet and took them out some years ago to develop for his own perfume house.

Personally I prefer his oriental perfumes like Ambra di Luna, Mon Patchouly and Cuirelle. The white floral Cotton Musk got my attention as well.

Ramon Monegals perfumes are developed in a classic artisanal masculine way. My personal impression is that the perfumer Ramon Monegal knows very well what he is doing and how to make perfumes. When I smelled Ambra di Luna I was reminded a bit of the classic Guerlain perfumes Mitsouko and Shalimar. It is as if Ramon Monegal made it winking to both the ladies Mitsouko and Shalimar adding some honey smoothness.

 

Other Ramon Monegal perfumes gave me this classic and smooth feeling as well. His perfumes might appeal both to men and women over forty who prefer more classical artisanal well made perfumes. I can even imagine the former Spanish King Juan Carlos or Queen Sofia wearing his perfumes. Especially Entre los Naranjos (between the orange trees) might be an excellent eau de toilette for former King Juan Carlos, very Spanish, spicy and strong, like a strong cologne. My father really liked Entre los Naranjos.

Some of the Ramon Monegal perfume names are surprising as they are a bit different than their name might suggest like their Cuirelle. Personally I am not a fan of leather perfumes and I was put off a bit by the perfume Cuirelle, because of its name. But when I tested the perfume I was a totally surprised. This was not a leather perfume but a very smooth soft oriental perfume. The official Ramon Monegal website says that it is not a leather perfume but an interpretation of it with cat like flexibility.

Ramon Monegal made Cuirelle and Mon Cuir because of his love of the real leather. Personally I do not smell the leather note but it reminded me more of liquid caramel. It reminded me especially of the perfume Musc by Mona di Orio . Mona di Orio´s Musc is not the typical musc perfume as you would expect but a much more accessible musc perfume as Cuirelle is a more accessible leather perfume. Cuirelle is now one of my favorites of Ramon Monegal and my first ‘leather’ perfume. I enjoy wearing it especially when it is a rainy cold day. It is like putting on a nice smooth leather coat on your shoulders.

Try Ramon Monegal when you prefer perfume houses like Mona di Orio, Ormonde Jayne, Teo Cabanel or the classic Guerlain perfumes. If you are more into modern perfumes and modern perfumers this might not be something for you although it certainly is worth a try.

I like the fact that Ramon Monegal is a Spanish perfumer and his Spanish heritage is noticeable in his perfumes. This makes his fragrances special compared to other perfume houses.

Have you tried a Ramon Monegal fragrance ? If so which one ? Or which one would you like to try ?

Cuirelle eau de parfum:

Longevity: about 4 hours

Sillage: it becomes part of your skin

Perfume group: soft oriental

Notes: Somali incense, Indonesian Patchouli, Vetiver Bourbon, Green Cedar Wood, Cinnamon, Extract of beeswax.

Photographs : courtesy of Ramon Monegal projects, www.ramonmonegal.com.

Origin of sample: pr sample

Originally published: August 2012

Re edited: August 3, 2015

 

 

 

BOIS 1920 Notturno Fiorentino Rose, where did you go ? Le Voluttuose collection (part 1)

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Bois 1920

After reviewing Neela Vermeire’s wonderful rose perfume Mohur edp I was inspired to smell other rose perfumes. Le Voluttuose collection by BOIS 1920 was announced as a collection based on rose (according to a BOIS press release) so I started smelling after buying a BOIS sample set.

BOIS 1920 is an Italian perfume brand which very surprisingly was founded in 1920. BOIS (BOttega Italiana Spigo) is pronounced boys. Le Voluttuose is a series of three perfumes and is based on the rose theme: Rosa di Filare formerly known as Kimono Rose, Notturno Fiorentino and La Vaniglia. All are dedicated to different aspects of the female world, sophistication, confidence, elegance and mystery.

The intention behind the perfumes: Rosa di Filare is elegant and feminine, Notturno Fiorentino is mysterious and La Vaniglia is soft with an eastern heart. Quite an interesting idea one would think but how did it turn out ?

Notturno Fiorentino will be reviewed first. The whole collection is said to be based on rose but where is the rose in the Notturno ? I smell a boozy spicy perfume, a bit like the Dutch People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo, but very little rose. After the top notes fade you might smell a very light rose in the heart notes but this is still overpowered by the spicy notes. The drydown is more earthly with patchouli and woods, finishing off with tonka bean and vanilla. I actually quite like the drydown.

As a woman I did not find this perfume very mysterious or intriguing, just another variation on the spicy oriental theme. Men might think otherwise. I did find the whole idea to portrait different aspects of the female world interesting; sadly this perfume did not turn out intriguing. The press release said men will not forget the woman who wore this perfume. But will women themselves want to be remembered by this perfume ? This might be quite different for the other two perfumes La Vaniglia and Rosa di Filare. At first sniff Rosa di Filare was a promising rose perfume. To be continued….

If you like spicy oriental perfumes just stick to/ first try Armani Prive Cologne Ambre Soie, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan or People of the Labyrinths Luctor et Emergo.

Notes according to First in Fragrance

Topnote: Bergamot, Black Pepper.

Heartnote: Jasmine, Turkish Rose, Black Currant

Basenote: Vanilla, White Musk, Tonka Bean, Cedarwood

Originally published: August 10, 2012

Photograph by Esperessence

Update: July 29, 2015

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