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Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Mona di Orio Jabu: Perfume Review

The latest fragrance from Mona di Orio, Jabu, is attached to a great cause. It has been created for The Orange Babies Foundation, a Dutch charity that helps HIV-infected women and babies in Africa and supports children infected with the virus or otherwise directly affected. Jabu means "joy" and cites among its inspirations such heartening motives as children's laughter, exalting beats and African winds.

Mona di Orio's trademark intensity seems to be toned down in this new creation. Jabu, with its bright notes of orange blossom, petit grain and rose, is as vibrant as one came to expect from the perfumer, but it is also soft. Rather appropriately, there is something childlike in the sweetness of its creamy manoi and ylang-ylang, its velvety sandalwood and its delicately powdery benzoin...a certain, abstractly edible quality makes the fragrance incredibly lovable. Although not as forceful as many of di Orio's scents, Jabu is still deep and luxurious. Under that charming fluffiness one senses complexity. The base of raw, mushroomy-smelling myrrh and ripe plum is quirky and rich. The perfume has a satisfyingly solid feel and is very long-lasting. When you try it, see if you will also get the "lacquered box" accord somewhat along the lines of the one in Bond No 9's Chinatown. I find it fascinating and Jabu as a whole, with its vivid softenss with a twist - captivating and delightful.

Jabu premieres in September at Pitti. It is my hope that the scent will then be available to order in or from the States. Mona di Orio brand is in active search of a new US distributor, so fingers crossed.

For more information about The Orange Babies Foundation, please, visit orangebabies.nl

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19 Comments:

Blogger melisand61 said...

I do hope that a new distributor is found. I love Carnation and Oiro. I ordered a sample of Chamarre from overseas when it was released, but I find small samples to be so difficult to fully assess. It was interesting enough to make me crave a good spritz.

Jabu sounds even more tempting. The combination of plum and myrrh in the base sounds so substantial and rich. I also love the idea of a slightly toned down MdO scent that retains the line's depth, lasting power and, as you mentioned, quirkiness. Thanks for a compelling review.

10:30 PM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

This scent is one of the very few releases this year that I've fallen really hard for. I can't imagine wearing it and not smiling. Pure delight, bottled happiness. Have my fingers crossed she will find a US distributor.

11:14 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want it...and even more so for them donating to the orange babies in Africa...good job MO
hongkongmom

4:40 AM EDT  
Anonymous Lee said...

Me must sniff.

6:27 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your description sounds gorgeous untillllllll....the mushroomy-myrrrrrhhhe.. Can't do that at all.

Thanks for the review :-)
lovethescents

8:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Melissa,
I love Oiro too. And Nuit Noire. But Jabu is perhaps my favorite in the line. Chamarre was a bit much for me.

9:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

L,
I agree, it is smile-inducing :-) Fingers crossed indeed!

9:33 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

hongkongmom,
Definitely a worthy cause!

9:33 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Lee,
And report! :-)

9:33 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

S,
Yeah...if you don't like that, then you would like everything up to the base, and the base lasts a very logn time here.

9:34 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

I'm a Nuit Noire, Oiro and even Amytis fan, and haven't yet tried Jabu, but your article is endearing. It sounds a Mona di Orio, and the cause is noble. What happened with Chamarre?

10:13 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Fabiana,
I forgot Amyitis, love it too. Chamarre was, for me, a case of too many wonderful things all in one.

10:14 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Marina, those are the right words to define Chamarre, indeed. It was a transition moment in di Orio's generally paced and serene spaces of fragrance, I guess.

11:44 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

F,
I totally agree with that, it makes sense!

12:04 PM EDT  
Anonymous Flora said...

This sounds like it was made for me, I hope to try it sometime. Too bad this line is so hard to find.

4:07 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Donna,
I think it is made for you, and I hope it will be available somewhere here.

5:27 PM EDT  
Anonymous Kathleen said...

It sounds so delicious! I want one, and I hope it comes to the US- I was also excited by the new D&G launch. What's the best D&G Anthology cologne? I just saw the new commercial with my favorite supermodels! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U00iCwMRZ6Q) I want to try L’Amoureaux...

11:51 AM EDT  
Anonymous SophN said...

I think this scent really benefits from being toned down from di Orio's usual offerings. Fingers crossed for US distribution!

6:02 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This makes me think that I really need to go out and discover some new fragrances.

10:09 AM EDT  

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