September 4, 2011
NEW FRAGRANCE Review: Mona di Orio Les Nombres D’Or Oud: “The di Orio Recipe” + NIB 3.3 oz Oud Draw
Stop! Wait! Don’t click that link!
I know you are looking at the title and thinking to yourself, “Good Grief another oud!”
I’ve said it before and I will say it again it is not the ingredient that is boring but the lack of imagination in using the ingredient which makes it pedestrian. That is why you need to stop and read this review because Mona di Orio has created an amazing oud fragrance and she has also created a blueprint on how to make something special out of something overdone.
Step 1: It’s the real thing baby
One of the reasons for “oud overload” is there are synthetic equivalents that are much cheaper available for perfumers to use. I have had the opportunity to smell real distilled oud essential oils and the source of where they come from creates a specific unique character in each of the different oils. This variation and depth will only show up when you are using the real thing. In her interview with Michelyn Camen, Mme di Orio talked about working with the oud essential oil:
“The first time I smelt a sample of an oud essential oil, I was not convinced, there is also many different qualities and origins, as I was not seduced I was not really interested to work with it… Last year my provider called me, he just have received a new quality from Laos and this time when I smelt it, I was totally subjugated, intoxicated… Such an aura, such a essential oil, at this moment I realized deeply why this product was so mystical, intimate and secret for thousands of years and through many religions in the world.”
I have also had a chance to sample a number of oud essential oils and the one that has also stuck with me and invaded my consciousness is one from old trees in Laos. I am sure her source is different but just like Mme di Orio the Laotian oud I smelled intoxicated me with possibilities.
Step 2: Blaze your own path
Another reason the spate of recent oud fragrances have been so forgettable is it seems perfumers aren’t taking the time to try and look for different partners. Instead of falling back on the typical, and now almost trite, dancing partner of oud, rose; Mme di Orio went a different way with spectacular result. Again from her interview:
“I wanted to create something unique and I thought about blending oud with somethimg rare and also precious, really different and unexpected like the absolute osmanthus from China which smells a little like jasmine and apricot confit and finally such a good match.”
This choice of osmanthus is part of what makes Oud such a dramatic success.
Step 3: Give your soufflé time to rise
Amateur chefs often rush when attempting to make a soufflé and while the result isn’t unedible it is not as complete as it could have been. I have a hypothesis that when perfumers start working with real natural sources of materials they are not careful enough to allow these natural ingredients a little more time in the macerating oven so that they rise to create a fluffy fragrant soufflé. In her interview Mme di Orio speaks to this:
“Until now, the Oud has been the perfume the most difficult I've created. It is such a particular essential oil, with an incerdible strong personality! I never experimented an ingredient which needs to macerate for such a long time before being totally integrated to the other components. Normally I'm used to wait one or two days before being able to smell my sample and checking where and how it goes. But with the Oud essential oil, I had to wait for several days before to be able to smell a sample totally and perfectly blended, this product needs a lot of time to integrate the other ingredients. So it was a very long and complex creation which drove me crazy sometimes ! Perhaps because I wanted the Oud to complement the absolute Osmanthus which also has a 'big' personality and it took a while before to find the ideal proportion.”
Mme di Orio spent the time to understand all of the possibilities that her central combination of osmanthus and oud could supply before taking the time to put it into the oven for the proper time.
These three seemingly simple steps are what Mme di Orio used to create an oud fragrance which I think is going to become one of the measuring sticks by which all oud fragrances are measured.
Les Nombres D’Or Oud starts with a brisk palate cleanser of mandarin, petitgrain and elemi. These three top notes have the effect of setting the stage for what is to come. Like a good opening act they appear, do their job, and get off the stage because the stars are about to show up. Make no mistake even though this fragrance is called Oud it is a two note show and that other note is osmanthus. .As Mme di Orio mentioned it is a little bit jasmine and a little bit apricot but it also has a further complexity which makes osmanthus stand out. In the heart there is a touch of patchouli also which eventually gets pushed aside as the Laotian oud comes forward to snatch the osmanthus’ attention.
As this amazing luminous, smoky, exotic oud strides forward the osmanthus rushes into its arms and together create a mysterious floral accord that is simply fantastic to experience. Mme di Orio also understands this because Oud holds on this high note of development for hours on my skin. It is a long time before the ambergris and musk are detectable to my nose. There are other things present in Oud but if you notice them over the osmanthus and the oud you’re a better perfumista than I Charlie Brown.
Les Nombres D’Or Oud has 24-hour longevity and above average sillage.
Les Nombres D’Or Oud is my favorite fragrance of 2011, so far. If you had told me that my favorite fragrance this year would be an oud-based fragrance I would’ve thought it unlikely. If you love fine fragrance you really need to try a sample of this. It might not convert you to loving oud, if you’re not a fan, but it is such a good example of great perfume architecture that it is something to experience. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it once again, “It ain’t the ingredient, it’s the artist.” Brava Mona di Orio you are proof positive I am right.
Disclosure: This review was based on a mini sample provided by Luckyscent
Thanks to Mona di Orio we have a 3.3 oz bottle of Les Nombres D’Or EDP Oud for a draw. To be eligible leave a comment naming your favorite flavors or ingredients you discovered by experimentation that created something surprisingly memorable. Draw ends September 6, 2011.
-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor
Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, EIC (Art by Amadeo Modigliani: Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (July 12, 1884 – January 24, 1920) was an Italian artist who worked mainly in France.Mona bears an uncanny resemblence to many of his female models, and has a French and Italian background)
Teas, coffees and chocolates are among my favorite flavors. If you stick any of those on the menu I’m likely to order it to see where it goes~ Cumin is another spice that intrigues me, mixed lightly into Chinese dumplings it is actually QUITE amazing =)
When I was an undergraduate in college, I stayed in the college town over the summer to work at an unpaid internship. I had only the little money I could earn bartending one night and one day a week,
I shared a house with four other students who were similarly penurious, and I became famous that summer as a gifted cook. Now, I am not a gifted cook, nor have I ever been. But twice a week, when it was my turn to cook, I managed to make a dinner for all of us out of the very sparse fare to be found in the cabinets and the refrigerator.
My triumph, I think, may have been the raspberry chicken served over couscous with raisins. We had no raspberries, but I glazed the chicken (thighs, of course!) with raspberry jam. I think the raisins in the couscous may have served to trick the palate into thinking actual raspberries were present in the dish.
I wouldn’t serve this dish today, but as a flavor experiment in trying to satisfy five hungry students, well, not bad!
I am ever in awe of di Orio’s artistry and very much look forward to smelling her Oud creation that has been so talked about lately. Osmanthus is a wonderfully exotic note and I’m excited to see how it combines with the oud.
One of my favorite desserts, which I experimented with upon reading a recipe, but which is also a classic in Persian cuisine, is an ice cream combining pistachio, saffron, and rosewater. Truly sublime.
Thanks for this opportunity and for the wonderful review.
What a wonderful review and fantastic draw,thanks!
The discovery of these ingredients mixed together was fantastic for me and for more reasons than one. For years now my dad makes his own bread,just because he likes doing it and it smells and tastes great. When i was at my parents house one day we made one together and i added cinnamon,dried fruits and sunflower seeds. Can you imagine how that smelled,so good
Well blended,the smell of bread op top and the other ingredients you can pick out of you smell good. Then my dad got very sick and we almost lost him to cancer but with the help of some big miracle he survived and is alive and kicking! When i was at my parent’s a few weeks ago he was going to bake bread again and we made the same receipe, now it even smelled and tasted a 100 times better than it already did 
Your favorite perfume of 2011?!?! Wow, I must give that a try.
As for mixing unusual ingredients, last night I made a fabulous salad. It was made with raw kale, blueberries, toasted pumpkin seeds and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Everyone wanted seconds (and thirds).
Thanks for the great review. Sounds amazing.
First of all, english is not my langage, so I hope you will forgive my mistakes, and above all, I hope you will understand me !
Thank you for this review. I have been following Mona di Orio’s work for some time now, and it is such a good news that her Oud is your favorite fragrance for 2011. I am not surprised, she is such an upstanding artist (I mean by “upstanding” : integrity)
I was walking in the piedmontese moutain, not so far from Turino. And I found myrtle. It was a surprise, because I though myrtle was a mediterranean sea side plant. I immediately dreamt about a recipe (some game favored with myrtle), But I picked, by mistake, the berries (and not the leaves). Then I bought some veal, there were no more beef….And finally I was not able to run the cooktop. Well, I was just hungry, so I ate a veal tartare mixed with myrtle berries…the most strange dinner I have ever had. I will never forget the flavor of this tartar…And I am not anymore smelling “L’eau Trois” or “Blue Mediterraneo Myrto” in the way I was doing before this trip in the piedmontese moutains…
I had so much Thai basil one summer that I decided to make a Thai basil sugar syrup. From there, it went on to become a favorite cocktail flavoring! Shake 1 jigger of gin or vodka and 1 scant shot glass of Thai basil syrup over ice, strain, enjoy!
I’m very bad at cooking, but I love teas and pastries, and I have discovered many delicious flavours miking different teas, like camomille, jasmine, and mint.
And orange peels, orange juici, chocolate and saffron make a gorgeous chocolate mousse.
Interesting and creative review.Jimmy Fallon has an ice cream by Ben and Jerry’s that is fair trade vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge-covered potato chip clusters- sounds awful but it may taste delish
my favorite part of the review was Mark Benke’s approach to comparing fragrance to baking a souffle. Tried it once and it fell flat
I hope I win , as I love osmanthus and oud,but cannot quite picture how they work together
Last week I put some cinnamon in a risotto and the result was mahvelous, not rice pudding-like as I had feared. Now I’m going to play some more savory cinnamon combos to see where I can take them.
I love to experiment with flavors- meat with fig, or in chocolate-chilli sauce. Lot of spices- so Oud will suit in the theme! Thank you for amazing draw!
When it comes to flavours I think Italian cuisine has the ability to combine two or three simple elements and end up with something completely different than the sum of its parts. Take saffron+rice+ parmigiana = risotto Milanese. Or Marsala wine+eggs+sugar=Sabayone. Somehow the end result is so densely woven that it cannot be broken down. Greek cuisine has some strange combinations with remarkable results as well, like feta cheese and watermelon. Or feta cheese and honey.
When it comes to perfumes I am not that well educated but I have noticed that jasmine and berries have a cooling, metallic result.
For me one of the most interesting recent flavour experiences has been chocolate + salmiakki (a type of Finnish candy). The idea was not my own experiment, but I love it nevertheless! In perfumes I’ve recently been layering Annick Goutal’s Duel with Eau du Fier, they share a little bit of the same dna and create a fascinating mix of intense tarry smokiness, leathery effect and fresh aromatic notes.
I have sampled Mona’s Oud and love the unusual osmanthus + oud partnership as well, I would be soooo happy with a bottle of this quite animalic (in my opinion) beauty… Thanks for the draw!
We like to add flowers to our salads (e.g. calendula). Another of our favourites is rose oil,/chocolate gravy with roasted chicken or rabbit. A nice combination are pears, strawberries with some sherry gratinated with goat’s cheese.
I don’t like layering simply because there are enough well composed fragrances to choose from. I would be more intrigued in building a fragrance from scratch.
Strawberries with freshly ground pepper were such a surprising good combination. Pepper amps the flavor of strawberries.
Cantaloupe and peppers – green bell peppers, smoked paprika or hot peppers… I don’t know why, but it works!
Thank you for entering me in the draw… I am intrigued. I typically love oud and can’t wait to smell “the real thing”!
Would love to try some different oud fragrance, because all Ouds that I havetried smells pretty much the same. Well, my recipe is not on the igredients of perfume, it is more on a drink.
One of my favorite beers is Schlenkerla (Smokebeer). Taste is, as expected, smoked with mild bitterness. So once I decided to put some cinnamon into my glass of beer. The effect was very intriguing – I felt like standing near the fire on Christmas..
Teas, fruits, and wine are probably my favorite flavors. Cinammon is also a delight.
Hot peppers, chocolate and bacon are my favorite flavors. O wonder how that would work in a gourmand fragrance.
Funny how many people have mentioned spicy and sweet combos. I found myself last winter playing around with putting cardamon, paprinka and cinnamon into my brownie mixture. I had heard of using chili pepper, and I’m sure it’s been done before, but not by my amateur cooking skills lol.
While it wasn’t the resounding success that I had hoped for, I think I’m looking forward to trying to fiddle more with cardamom in winter cooking this time around.
That’s a boss of a bottle, congrats to whoever wins it!
Reading the comments made me hungry!
So many creative ideas.
Fresh cucumber is very good drizzled with fresh honey.
Fresh watermelon is amazing with crusty fresh bread.
More common, yet still mindblowing combo is a simple salad made of tomatoes, cucumber, lots of dill, sour cream and black pepper. There is something simple and amazing about it, each time i make it i’m in love all over again.
Mona di Orio is a great talent and this is a very luxurious draw!
Playing with flavors?
I love basil so I enjoy my variation on mojito using basil instead of mint.
I also love a cold summer infusion made with grated ginger , basil , mint lemon and ice cubes.
Black figs are one of my favorites. Simple dressing: 1 balsamic : 3 thyme honey. To complement: any goat cheese.
And hot hot hot homemade baguette with real butter and lavender honey.
Incense and amber are just a delicious combination of basic notes that I absolutely adore in fragrances. The smokiness of the incense offset by the syrupy sweetness of amber is something I never thought would work well together, but they are a match made in fragrance heaven for me!
One of my most recent favorite flavor combos was discovered in a chocolate bar. Milk chocolate + salty peanuts is good…. but add a bit of jalapeno for spicy kick. Delicious!
Thanks for the draw.
I love sweet and savory! So, I topped bread with hot jalapeno jam and put pickled cucumber and Valencia onion slices on it. Fantastic! Thanks for the draw! I love the new Mona di Orio collections!
My favorite flavors are chocolate, chili peppers and caramelized onions, but not all together! However, chocolate + chili works as does onion + chili just not the other way around.
ooh ooh! oud! this may sound simple but I add a tablespoon of curry to my spaghetti sauce–may sound weird but adds a touch of interesting spice to a sometimes bland sauce or I add a spoon of peanut butter to my mexican mole! the oud sounds amazing!