NUIT NOIRE EDP BY MONA DI ORIO

"It takes two to tango"

Mona di Orio loved to explore light and darkness while creating her beautiful perfumes. 

This is exactly what happened to her brand. It faced dark moments with her passing away in 2011 leaving Jeroen heartbroken and with a challenge in his hands: how to perpetuate a brand that no longer has its perfumer. But just like Mona wanted, the light was still there: JEROEN OUDE SOGTOEN.

I get frustrated sometimes when I find only articles mentioning his loss and how the brand is fighting to stay alive. Yes she was the perfumer. Indeed important. But not less important is the work that Jeroen has been doing as the creative director of the brand since its launch in 2004.

A creative director is a vital person in a project of fragrance development. As the name says itself, it is the person who gives direction to where the project is going to go. In case of fragrances, creative directors (as myself  - yes, I am creating fragrances) will be the starting point of the fragrance. They will bring an idea, a story to be told. They will set the mood, the tone, the personality and the path where they want to explore that idea. Many or most of them even choose the ingredients, or at least the main ingredients to transform the idea into a scent. Creative director and perfumer will work alined to bring together their own talents, backgrounds, taste and passion and when that happens, beauty is created!

A creative director doesn't have to know what ingredients to combine to make a rose smell real, but they are the ones choosing if it will be a rock n' roll rose or a classic one.

Jeroen was leading Mona since the beginning and that is the reason why the brand can continue to amaze us with scented beauties. Proof to that is that both beautiful fragrances EAU ABSOLUE EDP and VIOLETTE FUMÉE EDP were launched after Mona had passed away. The second was entirely created for Jeroen (it was his signature scent) and it was about what he loves, his memories, his tastes and after her death he decided to share with her fans. IMO, the most beautiful of the brand.

At that time I wrote "Their affinity, their connection, their perceptions are forever in his heart, but he misses her everyday, and IMO sharing the ONLY fragrance that she made especially for him and that till this day he was wearing only in special occasions is his way of coping with this great personal loss. Sharing HIS personal fragrance means that he want all of us to have a bit of their friendship; he wants to form a different, but somehow a bond with all of us".

Photo credit: MONA DI ORIO

So we are now in 2015 and truth is, IMO, Jeroen is not fighting to keep the brand alive, he is simply continuing to lead the brand. Some people mentioned "he is somehow moving forward" - That makes no justice whatsoever to all the work he has been doing in the brand since 2004. It is not somehow. It is with the same passion, hard work, research, sense of style, sense of luxury, sense of fashion and an amazing feeling for business that he always had! You can already see magnificent changes in the design of the website and the fragrance bottles. Elegance is something that they both had and is now explored even in a more refined way.

He is bringing back perfumes that were discontinued - LUX EDP and NUIT NOIRE EDP and adding a new collection called monogram with one scent so far called MYRRH CASATI EDP bringing perfumer Melanie Leroux. All fragrances are presented in the beautiful new round perfume bottle concept for the 10th anniversary of the brand.

I am going to start with NUIT NOIRE EDP. The perfume although kept in a revamped flacon it is coming in its original formula. To those saying otherwise Jeroen already explained that freshness is the only difference from perfumes mixed 5 years ago. Aside from that it is indeed the original formula. It belongs to the signature collection which brings scents that are really expressing Mona's passion for art and chiaroscuro, therefore they come in the black bottle.

NUIT NOIRE EDP by MONA DI ORIO
Perfumer: Mona di Orio
Relaunch: 2015
Gender: I would say it is more suitable for the feminine gender
Olfactive notes: Orange flower, cardamom, ginger, orange, frankincense, cinnamon, tuberose, sandalwood, cloves, cedarwood, amber, leather, musk, tonka.
Brand description: Nuit Noire elicits the steaming sensuality of a dark, sultry night in North Africa, exotic, spicy, and animalic. A strikingly carnal affair, the raw energy and heat at the start rises from floral notes colliding with woods, spices and leather, but as it is with lovers, this sophisticated floriental dries down richly intimate into a velvety seduction of spices.The honeyed floral sweetness of orange blossom, intense tuberose, and robust, spicy cardamom seduce each other and tease for dominance. The indolic quality of the orange blossom and tuberose pulses with a ripe lushness. Brighter notes of ginger and oranges arrive on the hot wind of this vibrant souk and bring with it an intense accord of incense, spices and woods from frankincense, cinnamon, cloves and cedar and sandalwood. Notes of animalistic musk, comforting leather, vanilla-sweet tonka and warm resinous amber develop into a creamy, velvet intoxication. This primal nocturnal journey becomes darker and spicier.

The very first time I felt it on my skin I recall thinking  "It smells naughty"! 
Truth is that naughty is never obvious. It requires skills.
Yes, NUIT NOIRE EDP is slightly indecent and far way misbehaving with carnal floriental notes, but it is not a mundane perfume. It also contains a virginal girlie powdery side wrapped with vibrant ginger orang-y bow. 
Somehow lust is not explicit, it comes also hidden in layers of gourmandise. Like a couple on a dance floor orange flower, cardamom, ginger, orange, cinnamon, cloves and the vanilla-sweet tonka are a mouth watering combination that take turns into velvety creamy naughty notes of musk, amber, leather, tuberose and sandalwood. 
It is a seductive dance of light and darkness; feminine youth and male lust.
I could not find anything more enlightening than a scene of Scent of a Woman with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar dancing Por Una Cabeza by Carlos Gardel, when grumpy and blind Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slader leads beautiful, young Donna to the dance floor teaching her how to dance one of the most sexiest dances of all times: the Tango. Delicate flawless enlaced by roughness in one magical, sensitive and beautiful moment.

Also, if I had to put NUIT NOIRE EDP in one word, nobody better than Slader to define the fragrance:





Sample provided by Mona di Orio brand as usual (Jeroen and Henrike).

To order a 75ml/2.5 FL OZ fragrance go to MONA DI ORIO.
Click to find a RETAILER near you.

WHITE PERFUME EXTRAIT BY PUREDISTANCE

Photo Credit:+ Q PERFUME BLOG

I haven't been quite active in my blog not only due to lack of time, but also because I haven't been presented to fragrances that I find worth writing about.

Since my last article about niche I have been feeling really disappointed with perfumery in general. Too many dull creations, too many blogs writing about them...too much of everything.

Last week I had a huge surprise when finally my newest PUREDISTANCE creation arrived.

The brand presents a dream in white & gold; a flow of happiness. An intimate escape from harsh reality. And that is exactly what it is. The harsh reality of 1000s of niche fragrances one copying another, one using more OUD than the other and finally an ESCAPE. I am happy to see that among so much olfactive stupidity someone finally presents something that it is worth buying. (I know many perfumers are hating me right now or shouting who she thinks she is...but that is the freedom of speech that millions are fighting for these days. In my blog, I say what I feel. Simple as that!*)

How beautifully crafted WHITE is. JAN you excelled yourself with this one!!

No wonder it is another Antoine Lie creation. He has also composed BLACK for the brand, which is a very sensual perfume. White is a mood transforming perfume that makes you fall in love.

Photo credit: PUREDISTANCE website

Following the trend of looking for local exclusive ingredients and their uniqueness PUREDISTANCE is presenting the following composition of Olfactive notes: Rose de Mai (France), Orris (Italy), Patchouli (Indonesia), Bergamot (Italy), Vetyver (Haiti), Tonka beans (Venezuela), Sandalwood (Mysore) and musk.  Concentration: 38% perfume oil

WHITE PERFUME EXTRAIT is a complementary fragrance to BLACK IMO. The sensuality continues to flow in a subtle, gentle and smooth provoking way.

At the very first whiff you understand what the brand is about. Happiness is a smile that does not show gum. It has style.

PUREDISTANCE is 100% niche because it reflects JAN E. WOS' personality: PUREDISTANCE is JAN and JAN is PUREDISTANCE. Impeccable manners with a sincere humor. 

The fragrance itself has an opening that brings a whiff of greens evolving a beautiful real rose. In my last article I mentioned the smell of real roses remember...well, PUREDISTANCE would never think of using something else in its compositions.

After a few minutes the creaminess of sandalwood will be rounded with Tonka unfolding the sensuality to the perfume shaped by a luxurious orris note. Vetyver brings a smokiness and a rare bitter chocolate undertone which is not so easy to find these days. Most vetyvers are simply earthy and dirty.

It is a delicious gourmet perfume that reminds me of another one that provoked as much as this one: Le 6 by Ida Delam. While Le 6 is a pure into the panties perfume, WHITE is more of an invitation. Just as BLACK, it won't press you against a wall and penetrate you right there. It will whisper something very charming with an understated wish to penetrate you. ;-)

Photo credit: Lucien Clergue

WHITE could be easily understood as the olfactive interpretation of French photographer Lucien Clergue black and white nudes.

Truth is that WHITE is not so white...it has shades of BLACK.

*sample was provided by the brand as many or most of the perfumes are, and yet many of them I don't review because I didn't relate to them in a positive way. I keep an objective view even being friends with some of the brand owners. I am not paid or encouraged to write articles.

SMELL IN THE CITY - AN URBAN OLFACTIVE JOURNEY - PART THREE

If you haven't read the previous posts here you can find the links: PART ONE/ PART TWO.

My smell walk could have ended once I found myself under the lime trees. It would be considered an amazing olfactive experience of smelling scents in natura, after all I have encounter many sources of raw materials. Curious as I am and eager to find more beauty I continued to explore the park and its surroundings.

Location 07: Hortensias.
Even that they were beginning to bloom I caught one that had a hint of fragrance. Truth is that these flowers have a very delicate smell that is almost imperceptible. Slightly flowery, they are more beautiful to look than to smell ;(.

Location 08: Sweet Alissum.

Although Sweet Alissum is a border/edging flower from the Mustard family and said to glow in the dark (I have never seen it) it does not smell like mustard at all!

What a joy to the senses is to experience the sight and the smell of these beautiful little flowers! Originally from the mediterranean region they bloom beautifully in Brazil. And the scent? OMG the scent! Pure golden sweetness!

It is very floral - gourmand mixing notes of honey dew, honey comb and pollen. 

By far my favorite honey note of all flowers.

Location 09: Plumeria.

Most commonly known as frangipani these flowers are natives here, found in white, dark pink, light pink and pink and yellow.

Although it releases most of its scent by night in order to attract moths  (their pollinators), here in São Paulo you can smell these flowers from far. They are everywhere and right now it is an endless display of beautiful trees in the entire city!

I am surrounded by them. All my neighbors have at least one tree in their garden. My right neighbor has a tree that is almost the size of her house.

I smell these beautiful flowers from the time I wake up till I go to sleep feeling blessed by this gift from Nature.

It evokes a sweet tropical scent of sunsets at the beach and picnic under trees. It is a sensual and alluring fragrance reminding tiare and jasmine with fruity undertones. 

When I close my eyes under a frangipani tree and smell the scent of its flowers I feel elevated. It is a mythical experience for me.

In perfumery the fragrance of frangipani varies according to its extraction method.

The British brand Ormonde Jayne has a beautiful Frangipani perfume that I recommend to every person who likes the scent of this flower.

Location 10: Magnolia Champaca.
Here in Brazil they are not yellow at all. In fact they are dark orange, almost red.

Heady-floral, creamy, warm, exotic, Joy-ish (by Jean Patou), magnolia - like fragrance with a hint of a tea note and a apricot undertone, it is by far the most beautiful scent I've encountered in the park. 

Champaca is loaded of carotenoids, ionenes, jasmonates and indoles which are some of the main ingredients of its brilliant scent.

Although lime blossom was equally amazing somehow Champaca is more luxurious, more chic.

Finishing the smell walk in the park I could not be happier to close my fragrant experience with the scent of green mangoes!

Outside the park, near to the place where I parked my car I found 3 mango trees.

Final location: Mango trees.

Unripe mangoes, what a scent!

Luxurious, ethereal, fresh, green-ish floral, delicate with a fading metallic hint (due to acetone molecules). It is a perfume ready to be bottled and sold.

Just like frangipanis, the mango trees are to be found all over town. In my neighborhood I have seen many, but not with this quantity of mangoes.

Yes, it screamed JEAN CLAUDE ELLENA loud and clear!

In my next smell walk you are going to take a walk with me and discover why São Paulo in a way is similar to NYC and the versatility of cultural backgrounds and how they influence in the general olfactive experience. Stick around because it is...

To be continued...

SEX, FOOD & PERFUMES - PART II

But how to explain the relationship between sex and food? Is it biological?

My guess is that it is evolutionary. As all carnivore animals, we are all hunting - mating beings. That said, he who brings the food gets to mate with the female. Food and sex were and still are the main factors of human survival in this planet, therefore the ability to supply food establishes the relationship between a male and a female in which men demonstrate how well they are able to provide and take care of themselves and their future offspring. 

Back in 2009 I interviewed Dr. Avery Gilbert, a smell scientist, author of the book What the Nose Knows and blogger about the sense of smell and some aspects of their influence on human behavior. Back then he said that smell preferences has a lot to do with our biological and genetic constitution:

"...People often disagree about individual smells but there is agreement about general classes of smells. For example, fruity and floral notes are liked, while fecal and rotten ones are not. If there were no broad trends in preference there would be no perfume industry. Are odor preferences due to learning and experience? That’s the default assumption of most psychologists, who tend to dislike biological theories. I think the more we look for biological or even genetic bases for differences in odor perception, the more we will find".

Still interested in his opinion about human behavior and scents I asked him last week what were the food aromas that in his opinion triggered sexual attraction.  "Sweet notes and ripe fruit" he answered. Sharing the same line of thought that I have on human evolution and social interaction and also choosing fruits like Norman Veenker, he thinks that these notes in a hunter-gathering world would occur briefly in season, and would be associated with indulgent feasting; a nice compliment to sex. Also fruits were rare, desirable and exciting to find, therefore they were treasured, just like lovers.

I raise another question - Is it possible that linking food to sex has to do with the fact that we are breast fed mammals? Is it possible that men are sexually attracted and aroused by female breasts because they still have that satisfying rewarding sensation of being fed in their memory? An equation Food = female = sex?

Researching this subject I found out that nipple stimulation induces the production of oxytocin and its release not only can result to female sexual arousal, but also increases the feeling of bond and trust. Normally the stimulation that brings the nipple to pop out (erection) is for breast feeding. Funny thing is that when humans are not breastfeeding they are also able to feel the same sensation during breast stimulation as a foreplay and erotic stimuli (just like they do when breastfeeding).

Breasts hold two basic functions: nutritional and sexual.

I found the most primal relationship between food and sex in the nipples.

Does this answer the question of why gourmet fragrances are so successful?

In 1992 Thierry Mugler launched Angel, a perfume that was created to evoke the tenderness of the memories of a childhood, and for the first time food aromas were used to compose a fragrance for women. The notes were sweet as a childhood memory must be. Caramels, chocolate, vanilla, honey, coumarine, associated with dewberries, red berries, bergamot, helional, hedione and patchouli opened a new olfactive family in perfumery - the oriental gourmets. 

For year the success was explained by the fact that we all have a sweet tooth and that the fragrance brought to women the memories of their childhood.

I disagree by saying that we don´t need a fragrance to bring back our child memories.

All it takes is to open a family album and look at the pictures.

Angel brought a warm sensation to fragrances that was broad and new. Mature ladies felt young wearing Angel. It had a emotional "botox" effect on them. Today I think that the love for Angel has to do with the fact that youth equal being sexually active and fertile. What this means is that in a monogamic society, if a man secures a mate, he needs to finds one with the most reproductive potential. Choosing a younger woman maximize reproductive success, therefore women need to be young to be desirable. 

Our culture values youth and 22 years later Angel is still a success, and not only that, the advertising of the fragrance became over the years more and more related to sex, exposing more skin and displaying sexier models. 

Asking Dr. Gilbert if fragrances can enhance sexual attraction and desired he confirms my thoughts on Angel:

"...Smell is a major channel of social communication for most mammals, and a lot of the broadcasts are about sex: gender, maturity, availability, and so on. That’s our evolutionary background. Being human, we also interpret smells symbolically. So all sorts of odors can become eroticized".

But explaining the success of gourmet fragrances, he also adds:

"They are easy to enjoy—even a beginner can recognize food-related aromas. Also, they spark more psychological associations than do floral and botanical notes: for example, to hunger, flavor, eating, and mouth-feel."

I have had been thinking of writing about the food - sex- fragrance interrelationship for a long time, but never really took the time to research it properly until I met Hervé Mathieu.

Hervé Mathieu is French and an international consultant for marketing strategy and luxury perfume development and blogger, and in his blog I discovered the video series Chromatic Porn Food.  Hervé's article was not only my starting point to this journey, but also very kind to share with me his thoughts on the matter. His insights are really interesting and worth reading:

"My personal theory is that fragrances are a substitute for the sense of smell that the human species has lost with time and evolution. As mammals, we used our sense of smell to identify our potential mate. Throughout the millennia, the accuracy of the human sense of smell has constantly decreased, and during the recent ages it has been “civilized” a lot: as described by Patrick Süskind, people used to live in stench. Nowadays, in most developed countries we cannot stand strong smells anymore. As a consequence of that, I believe that fragrances are not only used for pleasing the senses, but also to convey a message within a socially acceptable seduction ritual. This message must not be too obvious or explicit, but nevertheless most of us can easily decipher its implicit code: some fragrances are “hot” and some are not, some are overtly sexual while some are business-like and casual and this is readable by anyone".

When I asked about food aromas that can trigger sexual desire he explained:

"Aromas that can trigger sexual desire can be classified in two main groups. The first group are aromas that “disguise” the skin, pretending it is something that it is not... According to studies, Vanilla is the most-liked aroma in the world. Obviously, so a skin wrapped in vanilla will be attractive. Other aromas which are related to vanilla such as chocolate or caramel can have a similar effect. The other group is made of those aromas that enhance the natural fragrance of the skin, such as spices. Cumin, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove and of course chilli have the ability to excite the senses when it comes to “spicing things up”, as we say! Some voluptuous flowers can also have an effect on one’s libido like gardenia, which I consider as the sexy side of jasmine. Femme de Rochas, which was created in 1944 by Edmond Roudnitska has a lot of spices in its original formula and it is by far the most erotic fragrance I know!"

But how do we explain the success of gourmet fragrances, I asked Hervé?

"They are a different, somewhat more explicit way to express sexual desire: “I want you, I love the taste of your skin, I want to devour you” are things that lovers commonly say to each other. With those gourmet notes, we are getting closer to one’s appetite for the desired one. They are a new way to express a very ancient feeling".

Luca Turin once said that the scent that drives men wild is bacon and Farginnay tends to agree.

As the brand describes the fragrance "bacōn Classic is designed for men and women.  A common question, does this fragrance really smell like bacon?  The answer is yes & no.  Our Classic formula is a sophisticated spicy maple fragrance with just a hint of bacon and the fun… is in finding it.  This artisanal Classic formula is lovingly crafted with the pure essential oil blend of bergamot, orange, lime, grapefruit, black pepper, cedar wood, vetiver, guaiacwood and two pinches of Bacon salty goodness.  What on earth could you be waiting for?  Available while supplies last." 

Pork Barrel, a brand of sauces and Spice Rubs for barbecued pork meat whiffs pork on the skin with their QUE Cologne or Eau de piglet as it has been called by other reviewers. As the brand describes it it is an intoxicating bouquet of smoke, meat & sweet summer sweat "Que is an intoxicating bouquet of spices, smoke, meat & sweet summer sweat, and is the latest development in wearable scents and is quickly becoming a hit among meat lovers, grill masters and backyard BBQ’ers. Recognizing the absence of a barbeque-scented cologne and perfume, Pork Barrel BBQ worked with a team of craftsmen and fine perfumers to create the perfect barbeque aroma. Until now, no fragrance manufacture has ever succeeded in bottling the intoxicating scents associated with barbeque and its mixture of spices, smoke and meat. This product is 100% real and sure to make you a hit at your next backyard BBQ and makes a great gift for your favorite BBQer."

My question is: Do we really want to smell like food?

My guess is NO, but as advertising teasers or attention capturers fragrances with food and beverage aromas became really trendy. Burger King, Pizza Hut, Stilton Cheese and many other brands are developing their perfumes as a marketing strategy to leverage sales.
It is odd, it is fun and most of all they are multi-sensorial marketing strategies. 
The last marketing campaign is the launch of EAU DE TOST by The Federation of Bakers to challenge the fashion for bread-free diets. The perfume was developed by The Aroma Company and the composition brings hints of caramel and bitter-sweet notes, yeast and malty base notes to produce the aroma that reminds of a toasted bread.
Smelling of bakery goods is not new in perfumery. We have over the years many launched perfumes that contain in their composition the smell of cookies, cakes and pastries.

To end this journey I made here a compilation of articles and lists of fragrances for you and I leave a question: Do you like to smell like food?

I end this article by saying goodbye because for me now it is lunch time and I am craving for a steak, potatoes and bacon!

Sweet readings:

A beautiful essay on Angel EDP by Luxury Activist

Le Whif

Sweet tooth fragrances table

Vive La Gourmandise!

Cooking with your nose

A brand with a vast collection of gourmet fragrances: Parfumerie Générale
Read - Delicious Perfumed Gourmandises
Recommended gourmet fragrances from PG - Tonkamande EDP, Praliné de Santal EDP

Bakery goodies:
Eau de Tost 
Mefisto EDP by Xerjoff
Tommy Girl 10
Matin Calm by Comptoir de Sud
PooPoo Pidoo EDP by EgoFacto
Jeux de Peau by Serge Lutens

Chocolateries:
Piment Brûlant - L'Artisan P
Bond N9 So New York
Eau de Frohliche by Erik Kormann
Iris Ganache by Guerlain
Coromandel by Chanel
Angel by Thierry Mugler

Lovely Gourmandises:
Prada Candy EDP
Royal Rose by M. Micallef
L by Lolita Lempicka

Perfumed Food Porn:
Le 6 by Ida Delam
Secrétions Magnifiques by ELO

Strange Gourmandises:
Poivre Piquant - L'Artisan P
Bois de Farine - L'Artisan P
Love EDP by Killian
L'Heure Defendue VII - Cartier
Womanity by Thierry Mugler
Lobster by Demeter
Bacon by Farginnay
Stilton Cheese by Stilton
Pizza Hut fragrance
Burger King fragrance
Tamale by Demeter
BBQ Pork Body spray