Signature Collection : Nuit Noire
Mona di Orio (2006)

This smells like Papillon Salome aka indie Bal a Versailles with an acid Bubble Yum spooge tuberose and a sweaty-armpit-wearing-orange-blossom-deodorant accord. A slurry of Civettone bum rushes the scene with its cat-bum flavor Wintergreen Tiger Balm, and a pair of dirty drawers tossed to the corner in a fit of passion.

It's the breath of a trashy hook-up after that post-coital cigarette, a soapy lather with a hint of Frumunda cheese (good hygiene is a must!), hot ball flavored loaded hot balls, and a drunken stupor burying its face into a sable in an overstuffed closet. This is one of the more obscene creations, and I'd buy a full bottle if it wasn't so damn expensive.

Orange shitsicle

I enjoy most of Mona di Orio's scents but I could not abide Nuit Noire. It opens well with a sharp and spicy orange rind, not unlike dried Persian limes. But that promise is quickly overpowered by creamy indoles poured over a fresh turd. And make no mistake, it's almost pure indoles for me, plasticky, mothbally indoles. Did I mention over a pile of excrement.

Perhaps if I'd waited for more than half an hour before desperately trying to scrub this from my skin, something more tolerable could emerge. But life is too short for this.

Don't get me wrong, I love my skank and filth. But it has to be paired with something beautiful. For those who detect a more complex bouquet, I truly envy you because Nuit Noire does smell of higher quality ingredients.

Initial burst of fresh crisp orange...then , a spiced up wad of bubblegum appears for a little bit...gentle waves of orange flowers and tuberose....a tribute to chypres from the past...also makes me think of MAII/Cologne Reloaded...that deep bass layer of animality...spicy aromatic wood as it progresses...hits a point where the notes start forming accords and becomes harder to pick out individual notes...kind of sexy smelling...an erotic edginess...well blended...unique and different...not sure if I would buy a bottle, but i sure do enjoy smelling it...a spicy floriental...

My worst criticism of this scent is that it feels a bit "ancient" and clunky, as if the movement from one note to another is made by walking up a rickety staircase, rather than by taking the escalator. The civet is a bit front and center here and its dry down on clothing gets a tiny bit musty and somewhat fecal-smelling, but I definitely appreciate N.N's nod toward vintage animalic scents, and I find its use of orange blossom fairly enchanting. As wearing-time goes by, I recognize Mona's signature base which seems absent only in her Cuir, so if you're bothered by that set of notes, be forewarned. This definitely leans toward the feminine side of things, and if you're someone who longs for the floral animalics of a bygone age, give this one a try. Just understand that this smells nothing like any modern or contemporary scent, but seems more of an homage-of-sorts to a different era and to glamorous silver screen divas like Norma Desmond.

A perfume that takes a while to come round on my skin. Upon opening it gave the impression of having sat in the cupboard for too long, like it was trying desperately to be a gutsy old school floral complete with unwashed underwear, but the end result sadly resembled an emanation from a bottle that had turned. The blast of orange blossom-heavy white florals that soars out at the start distorted and gained a plastic aspect, the civet-musk power chord of the base felt airless and stale. It seemed all yellowing lace, fur, and hair; old age in an instant.
And yet, despite all that, there was a perverse pleasure in wearing it, as if one were tempting fate. There seemed to be a core of oriental warmth to the composition, rendered in a creamy, body-hued manner which called out to me, willing me to risk entering the boudoir that time forgot.
And then in a final change Nuit Noire blossomed, the orange flowers became bright and radiant and imbued with a triple-milled soapiness, and that base began twinkling with spicy refinement reminiscent of a classic Caron. Worth the wait? Ya betcha.

A warm and orangey/powdery Oriental in the mold of Shalimar and Emeraude, Nuit Noir bears a very misleading name. It smells pretty bright to my nose. Not particularly original but very well composed.
Reminds me greatly of the similarly enjoyable Ligea "La Sirena" by Carthusia and would be a 'next step' recommendation for fans of Midnight in Paris.