Hey Hey Fragrant APJ Family,
Recently the lovely Ruth K from FFF had a bunch of splits going and another one I grabbed was never on my radar, I had never heard of it or remember reading anything about it or anything. It was the name that I instantly fell in love with. It said to have been inspired by The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built to please the queen Amyitis.
Amyitis by Mona di Orio 2008
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cumin, heather, green pepper and green notes
Heart: Iris, violet, Guiac wood and Virginian cedar
Base: Saffron, opopanax, oakmoss and amber.
Though Amyitis is in no way how a working farm smells it does remind me in some small way of running over the fields in sheep and wheat country in outback New South Wales on my relatives property with my sister when we were kids. I smell wet vegetation and healthy soil, recently turned. Woods and flowers blended on the breeze that carries a hint of summer, maybe a reminder.
I love the story but think that there needs to be a more dessicated counterpoint to truly capture the story of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, yes they were lush and green but they were surrounded by dry desert and rock weren’t they?
It warms towards its close and becomes deep and tranquil and surprisingly warm. Maybe 5 fully fragrant hours and much longer as skin scent. I have enjoyed the ride immensely.
Photo Stolen PickyWallpapers
Further reading PerfumeSmellingThings and PerfumePosse
I can’t find Amyitis for sale anymore but SurrenderToChace has .5ml/$5
Till tomorrow be well and happy.
Portia xx
AustralianPerfumeJunkies 
I have a tiny sample of Amytis and cherish it. I hope it will eventually be re-released.
Do you need some more Birgit?
Portia xx
The shipping costs from there to here are outrageous, so I wouldn’t feel good saying yes… 😦
I’ll be back in your area soon enough. I’ll save you some.
Portia xx
xoxoxoxo!!! 😀
I was a bit frustrated a few weeks ago, the whole first MdO line was still available here (we’re behind perfume, and other, times) and I was thinking of buying some of those only to learn some guy came and took all the bottles they had. 😦
I love the first MdO line. Well, I love the Nombres l’Or too. Basically, I love everything Mona did.
Hey ines,
I wish I had been on the frag blog scene before Mona died. I missed all the BruhuHaha and the drama.
I am only now discovering her fragrances and was extremely lucky to be included in this split.
Portia xx
I missed all the drama as well. It must have been such a shock to the community, her perfumes were so loved.
So sad.
Portia x
Galleries Lafayette here in Dubai used to have all of these original Mona scents and then I checked back recently and they were gone. The SA didn’t know what happened to them except that they were changing up their stock and these were out. I feel so lucky to have gotten Oiro and Nuit Noire and my mom got this one. She loved the green notes in it as you mention. I just saw on the MdO FB page that they plan to release Lux, Nuit Noire and another one (can’t remember off the top of my head) in 2014. It will be interesting to see how close to the original they are. In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to the two new scents they plan for this year!
You are so lucky being in Dubai. What an incredible selection you have,
Portia xx
Amyitis doesn’t work for me at all. I didn’t have cumin in “my” list of the notes but that would explain 🙂
Hey Undina,
Every page I read had a different set of notes. I usually use the Fragrantica notes and it does feel a little cumin-ish but really it could be any of the herbs that people put in their lists.
It smells like a naughty CHANEL 19 at points.
Portia xx
Well, if it does, it’s gone so bad that I do not recognize my beautiful and refined No 19 😉
HA HA HA!! Just a reminder Undina, not really like it. HA HA HA! I am laughing so hard. It’s hard to type
Portia xx
I love you too, dear 🙂
The notes and the review and the No 19 reference all have my head spinning – The Dandy too heard about this house too late in the day and after the tragic loss of the perfumer.
I have heard from a friend out in Dubai that the original line is still available here and there, he describes the UAE as ‘the places perfumes go to die’ on account of the incredibly well stocked secondary and discontinued market there.
I may have to get him on the look out again as this sounds as though it could go with my skin type rather nicely and as we never experience Babylonian heat here in Britain, perhaps the absence of an arid edge would be just fine.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I am thinking of a stopover in Dubai just to do the perfumeries. They sound incredible don’t they?
Portia x
You had me at “Hanging Gardens of Babylon”! It sounds lovely.
You are the best Lanier.
Portia xx
I love the story behind this, but I have always been scared off by the cumin. Blerg. 😦
But did you try it Natalie? It may not be so cumin it hurts. Maybe?
Portia xx