Mona di Orio Nuit Noire vs. i Profumi di Firenze Muschio Nero

I was feeling very Back In Black today, hence the Noire and the Nero, though I've usually found that any fragrances indulging in the "black" label are most likely not as deserving of the goth mantle as they pretend. I'm happy to report, however, that Mona di Orio Nuit Noire and i Profumi di Firenze Muschio Nero both have their heads in a black hole and their hearts in an appropriately inky blot of psycho-space.

Let the rorschachs begin!

MONA Di ORIO NUIT NOIRE: Lee at Perfume Posse had this to say about Mona di Orio fragrances in general: "All of di Orio's scents . . . have struck me as startling - not necessarily difficult to wear, but tricky, opulent numbers which take you in unusual and unexpected directions. You either enjoy the nasal hairpin bends or feel nausea at the journey."

Nuit Noire is (fortunately for me) the enjoyable type of opulent hairpin bend. It's challenging while still supplying a jolt of that olfactory thrill, and thank god because I've just about had it up to my eyeballs in narcolepsy induction sessions: "Oh, great, another flowery citrusy soapy zzzzzzzzzzz . . . huh? Wha?"

Nuit Noire mercifully spares us the boredom and heads straight for the funhouse, instead, with a confidence in its own craftsmanship that inspires an equal and emotional reaction -- like cliff-diving for the very first time. Are you being foolish? Maybe. Are you having a great time? Hell yeah!

Orange blossom, cardamom, tuberose, clove, sandalwood, amber, leather . . . the list of notes reads like an old-world piece of French perfume art (with a musk that's bold and dark rather than white and soapy, thank you very much), but Nuit Noire has been tweaked for the 21st century (i.e. it's more straight-forward and efficient) and the longer it sits on your skin, the more intriguing and attractive it becomes. Or you become. Or you both become. Or maybe it's just the world whizzing and rearranging its pieces and parts around you while you sit, contemplating your own now marvelously fragrant, fuzzy navel . . . or something.

If you appreciate a modern take on old-world French perfumery, then Nuit Noire comes highly recommended. A photo of the Nuit Noire bottle below:

You can find more photos of Nuit Noire at the following link -- Photos: Mona di Orio Nuit Noire

I PROFUMI DI FIRENZE MUSCHIO NERO: allegedly handmade, all-natural and based on recipes translated from an original manuscript discovered after the big flood in Florence in 1966, Muschio Nero means "black musk" and it's a heady, potent brew.

Where Nuit Noire is warm, with a rich tuberose at its heart and a golden tonka/amber in its base, Muschio Nero is a slice of dry, pitchy darkness on a plate with just the barest drizzle of honey over the top. It doesn't have any of the flowers of Nuit Noire, so it stays firmly entrenched in its bitter woods, opium spices and black musks, and if you've ever wanted someone to lean in close to you and then, startled, find themselves unable to pull back away, Muschio Nero will be your gravity in a bottle.

Muschio Nero is my favorite of the two, but as with any high-quality all-natural scent, its sweet sweet life is shorter than I'd prefer. It does manage to hang around for a solid several hours before its many charms begin to fade, but Nuit Noire will undoubtedly be the one to claim its rightful place on my trophy shelf, as a result.

The Firenze line is sold only in their boutique in Florence, Italy, but you can purchase samples from The Perfumed Court -- which is where I found mine. Mona di Orio can be purchased through Aedes New York.