Simon Tooley
Fragrance

What is Your Fall Scent Wardrobe?

Simon Tooley, Etiket brand creator and perfume enthusiast, shares his top fragrance picks for the ...

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Simon Tooley

Simon Tooley, Etiket brand creator and perfume enthusiast, shares his top fragrance picks for the upcoming fall season.

When fall comes around, just like we feel the need to change how we dress, I think we feel the need to change our fragrance. We tend to look to heavier scents; scents with notes of Amber, Oud, Vanilla or Patchouli come to mind. It doesn’t mean we have to change our signature scent if we have one, or perhaps we have one for the fall that we only bring out then. For me when fall hits, I definitely change my fall scent wardrobe, and I look forward to wearing old favourites or trying something new.

Thirty-Three by Ex Idolo

Thirty-Three EDP by Ex Idolo
One of my favourites is Thirty-Three from Ex Idolo, this scent with thirty-three-year-old oud, takes me on a journey that includes notes of rubber and a deep sexy dry down. On a woman, it is just as beautiful.


Thirty-Three is a fragrance created from hand blended and very special ingredients. Vintage Oud is the soul of the fragrance, distilled in 1980 and aged until its release in 2013.

Suede de Suède by Mona di Orio
I love the latest scent from Mona di Orio, Suède de Suède which is somehow perfect for fall, it reminds me of a hand-made pair of suede gloves that I bought in Lisbon, deep brown and trimmed in red, this fragrance is much more than suede of course. It has a rich earthiness with the patchouli, my most favourite note, and leaves me with the warmth of suede and musk at the end.

Inspired by memories of the Mona di Orio Swedish in-house perfumer Fredrik Dalman, Suede de Suède unveils a perfume that evocatively caresses the skin like soft Swedish gloves. A smooth woody suède accord warms you like the silky backside of a fur.

Savoy Steam Penhaligon's

Savoy Steam by Penhaligon’s
One of the newest launches from Penhaligon’s, Savoy Steam, is a surprising take on their original scent, Hammam Bouquet from 1872, it has an Englishness that has both humour and sexiness and the touch of rosemary and eucalyptus are a perfect foil to the rose and pink pepper.

A fitting tribute to the original Penhaligon’s scent, Hammam Bouquet, Savoy Steam has top notes of bergamot, lemon, eucalyptus, mint, pink pepper and rosemary; middle notes of rose, geranium, cardamom, hedione and tea; base notes are benzoin, incense, vanilla and white musk.

Close Up Olfactive Studio

Close Up by Olfactive Studio
I think one of the recent launches from Olfactive Studio, Close Up, deserves attention with Amber and Tonka, and a Green Coffee top note that makes me smile. There is a richness that just makes you want to spray it on your turtleneck so you feel that intensity each time you wear it.

Intense and contrasting, the amber tones combine with a freshness. It has a full- bodied character that blends seamlessly with anise and green coffee. Zooming in even closer, each ingredient gains in intensity and distinctness.

GALLIVANT LONDON

London by Gallivant
Finally, my pick for a fragrance that goes from spring to summer to fall and into our cold winters is from Gallivant, called London. It may be the reference to the Pet Shop boys but who doesn’t want to be an East End Boy or a West End Girl? The rose mixed with leather, sandalwood, patchouli and cedarwood take you from the of ce to the “pub” to meet your “chum” after work. My go to scent this fall so far.

It’s a floral leather fragrance. With a watery green head, of cucumber and violet leaves. A floral heart, with Rose de Mai Absolute, rose oil and orris root. And base notes of leather, sandalwood, patchouli and cedarwood.

Come meet our experts to find out what would be your ideal fall scent: a scent that would suit you like your wardrobe.

Vetyver Mona di Orio
Fragrance

Review: Vetyver by Mona di Orio

This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance ...

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This is a guest blog post by Vic from ScentBound. Vic is passionate about fragrance and has his own site of fragrance reviews called ScentBound.

Mona di OrioOne thing I love about Mona di Orio is that her fragrances are never just another take on a popular note . Mona di Orio Cuir is not just another take on leather and her Vanille is not just another vanilla.
In the same style, Mona di Orio’s Vetyver is, you guessed it, not another vetiver fragrance. It is a fragrance of subtlety and elegance. Much like Jean Claude Elena’s watercolour creations for Hermes, Mona’s Vetyver is transparent and delicate without being boring and dismissible.
In an interview with Les Senteurs, Mona di Orio mentions that her favourite note was vetiver. She used to add a drop of it in all her compositions. Her love for the ingredient made it only natural for her to create a vetiver-based fragrance.
Vetyver by Mona di Orio
What sets Mona’s Vetyver apart is that it features a natural vetiver essential oil from Borboun. This particular variety has a strong dry, earthy undertone, which translates beautifully in the composition.
The sceptics among us might say, “so what, a vetiver is a vetiver.” Not so. Most other fragrances are made either with aroma chemicals or vetiver oil sources from Java and Indonesia. Regardless of the source, a vetiver will smell like vetiver. The difference in the source and the quality of the raw materials becomes evident in the subtleties of the aroma. Mona di Orio’s Vetyver is an example of this. The quality vetiver from Borboun shines in Mona’s composition.

“In Mona di Orio’s Vétyver, she wrests every facet she can from its earthy-citrus scent, like a pianist exploring the intricacies of a particular key in a Bach piano concerto. Fresh, dry, peppery, hesperidic and even minty – Vétyver marries the best Bourbon vetiver with notes that bring out its herbaceous-fresh qualities.” – Maison Mona di Orio

Vetyver opens with a dry earthy vetiver note with a touch of grapefruit. A cool ginger accord chimes in to make the composition sparkle. Mona di Orio masterfully combined two opposites – dry vetiver and fresh citrus – to create a sensation of dry freshness.
Even though grapefruit and ginger are present, they don’t define the opening of Vetyver. It stays decidedly dry and earthy. Just when the citrus starts taking its leave, a spicy note of nutmeg appears and swirls the Borboun vetiver into a wild dance. The two stay together in an embrace well into the final moments of the fragrance. In its final hours Vetyver stays close to the skin creating a soft aura of herbal freshness.

When to Wear It
If you are looking for a universal, yet interesting fragrance, Vetyver is the one for you. The fresh ginger-grapefruit combo make it a great choice for a hot summer day, while the dry vetiver and spicy nutmeg are perfect for colder weather. If you are looking for some warmth in the dead of winter, Vetyver may not be your best choice – despite the nutmeg and labdanum, the composition stays on the fresh side.

Depending on its use, vetiver can be either hippie-smelling (think incense shops) or elegant and sophisticated. Mona’s Vetyver is the latter, which makes it appropriate for any occasion. An Sunday brunch with your yoga besties? Vetyver is your scent. An art gallery cocktail party? Mona’s Vetyver will make you fit into the creative crowd.

The only downside of Vetyver is its longevity and projection. During my wears I didn’t get it to last more than five hours and the at the end of those, it stayed close to my skin. The solution? Bring the bottle with you.

Vetyver from Mona di Orio is sold exclusively at Etiket in Canada.

Vic from ScentBound

Bohea Bohème by Mona di Orio

What is a tea fragrance? Did you even know that there were fragrances infused or ...

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Bohea BohèmeWhat is a tea fragrance? Did you even know that there were fragrances infused or inspired by tea? I certainly didn’t when I started my journey into scent. We have a few of them at Etiket: Oolong Infini by Atelier Cologne, focuses on blue tea, and Penhaligon’s Malabah, is all about Early Grey tea, but I want to talk about the latest scent from Mona di Orio: Bohea Bohème.
This creation is by their new in-house perfumer, Fredrik Dalman, who studied at the same place as Mona di Orio, Art et Parfum. Now I am not sure that there is any need to make any further comparison about whether this fits the mould of a Mona di Orio fragrance because it simply is one. As with any creation from the house, Jeroen Sogtoen is involved in the direction of the fragrance and the end result will and does have that magical chiaroscuro quality that all of the Mona di Orio scents have to one degree or another.
1438750494856On first spraying Bohea Bohème I am taken to Hong Kong, to an afternoon tea I had at the Peninsula Hotel in December of 1998, I remember the year as I had missed the excitement of flying into the old Hong Kong Airport. It was the first time I had ever had a deep dark oolong tea and I was doing my best to love it as I sat there feeling quite swell sipping tea and eating sandwiches and all of the clotted cream I could get out of the silver serving dish and on to my scones. Scent for me, as I have said many times, is always a memory first before it is anything else. After the first spray I wanted to see where it would take me. Would I stay there sipping my tea or would I continue on and where would I go?
If this scent were only about tea then it would never have taken me anywhere. It is the layers of scent that transported me. The first whiff of the Italian Bergamot and the soft gentleness of the Florentine Iris and the sweetness of the Osmanthus Absolute that round out the fragrance to take me from my cup of tea, in this case Wuyi or Bohea tea all fir and pine, to the beautiful surroundings of that elegant lobby, the Rolls Royce waiting out front, and the warm, humid air that beckons one to finish their tea and head out to catch the ferry to cross the harbour and then on to whatever the night may bring. This is an elegant and sexy fragrance that is certainly not prim and proper even if it starts with tea, it ends far from there and I can’t wait to see exactly where. I have a feeling each time I wear Bohea Bohème, that final destination will be different.
I’m 67 years old, but still fully working as a lawyer, slim, athletic, fit and like to have sex, also with significantly younger women. Viagra from http://www.papsociety.org/viagra-sildenafil/ very helps.
As I have read in other reviews, this is a skin scent; it stays on your skin more than it surrounds you. I like that. I like that it can be so personal, until you meet someone and they lean in to kiss you, smile and say, “What are you wearing?”

Simon Tooley
Founder & CEO of Etiket

Notes: Italian Bergamot, Cardamom Absolute, Florentine Iris, Blue Chamomile, Poplar Bud Absolute, Fir Balsam Fraction, Boxtree absolute, Geranium Absolute, Black tea oil, Smoked Juniper, Oakwood absolute, Sandalwood India, Beeswax Absolute, Bay leaf Absolute.

To order Bohea Bohème or a sample, click HERE.

 

Mona di Orio: Perfume to be worn

I am often asked how I choose which perfume brands I bring into Etiket. I ...

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Mona di Orio at Etiket: Perfume to be worn
Mona di Orio at Etiket

I am often asked how I choose which perfume brands I bring into Etiket. I wish I could say there was a formula or a science or it was even a well-studied business decision, but it is never any of those. Very simply I fall in love with the fragrances and the story that is part of those fragrances. Mona di Orio perhaps exemplifies this better than any other collection of perfumes that we have in the store.

Mona di Orio Perfume at Pitti Fragranze 2014
Mona di Orio Pitti Fragranze 2014 (Photo: Petit Parfum Blog)

I am sure I had heard of Mona di Orio before I went to Pitti Fragranze (the niche perfume show in Florence) in September of 2014, but I had never smelled it. It was not even on my radar as one of the brands I wanted to look at when I was there. I remember so clearly how it happened that I met Jeroen Oude Sogtoen  (designer and co-founder of Mona di Orio) and when he walked me through the collection.

The collection was being shown in a booth with other brands and I was looking at another brand from New York when the Mona di Orio bottles caught my eye. I finished sniffing where I was and made my way over to see what the gold bottles with their oval shapes were all about. As I stood there looking at the collection Jeroen came up to me quietly and asked if I had any questions. I introduced myself and asked him to take me through the scents.

A perfume show is a very noisy and animated place. But when Jeroen started to tell me the story of who Mona di Orio was, it seemed as if there was no one there but he and I as he took me on a journey.

Mona di Orio
Mona di Orio

The story of Mona di Orio is not a happy one, but it is a beautiful one, in the true sense of how romance in literature is defined. It is like a prose narrative of heroic deeds in an imaginary setting that is not imaginary at all. It is the story of Mona, a woman who by chance falls into perfumery and is trained by a master perfumer, Monsieur Edmond Roudnitska. She finds her true calling and begins her journey into the world of perfume. Through coincidence (or was it?) she meets Jeroen and with his vision for design and her nose they create the fragrance house of Mona di Orio in 2004 and launch their first three fragrances: Lux, Carnation and Nuit Noire.
As Jeroen told me the story and took me through each of the fragrances I was simply moved to tears. The passion of their partnership for what they did together was so strong and so beautiful that it had to come out in the scents that Mona created. Mona’s ability to take experience, emotions and moments from our lives and pour them into a bottle, and Jeroen’s vision of design meld everything into one perfect collection.

Mona passed away in 2011, and Jeroen has continued on the legacy that they had created together. It seems to me pointless to describe these fragrances, words never do justice to anything we smell, you need to experience them yourselves to truly feel and sense the complexity of light and dark and shadow that is the signature of Mona di Orio.

My favourites are Myrh Casati and Nuit Noire but there is not one that I would not wear or suggest depending on my mood or simply the way the light is falling that day. These are fragrances to be worn and enjoyed for their pure and utter ability to make us dream, remember, or make us smile

Simon Tooley
Owner of Etiket

Perfume Review: Mona di Orio Musc Eau de Parfum

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me “What fragrance are you ...

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If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me “What fragrance are you wearing?!”, I would be a millionaire… or very close to it. I am pretty loyal and quite selective when it comes to the scents I wear and I’m a creature of habit.  If I love it, I will wear it for weeks, months and even years – if it fits the season of course.

So, what am I dressing my skin in at the moment? A new love – Mona di Orio Musc. I enjoy ‘clean skin’ musk scents, but those that are a little less on the powdery side. For me, wearing a musk in the winter is heavenly as they tend to be beautifully warm and comforting.

When Mona di Orio arrived at Etiket, I was immediately taken by Tubereuse for its gorgeous green, fresh scent. However, once I took myself through the entire line, one gorgeous flask in particular stood out from the rest – Musc.

The opening is very floral with notes of heliotrope and rose, but these notes dissipate quite quickly and settles into a delicate sweet musk. For me, it smells like lightly scented clean, soapy skin. It’s an understated scent with surprisingly excellent sillage and average longevity. And the compliments keep pouring in!

Natalie Cola,
The Etiket Insider Beauty Editor

Mona Musc blog

Olfactive Family: Oriental Floral

Availability: In-store and online.

If you like Mona di Orio Muscyou may also like ETRO Musk EDT  and Tauer Perfumes PHI-une rose de Kandahar 

CLICK HERE for more details about our Fragrance Sample Program!

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