Today I want to talk about musks. Why would you want to smell like an animal? Why wouldn't you? In perfumery, "animalic" smells can be obtained naturally or made synthetically. Sometimes it smells like a real animal and sometimes it smells like a mystical creature from our fantasies. The term "musk" is used as a catch-all to describe smells obtained from a variety of sources. Actual deer musk can be found in vintage fragrances, but for ethical reasons is now being reproduced synthetically. A perfume that's known as a musk just leave a certain impression. Not always hit-you-over-the-head animal barnyard smell, sometimes it's more of a powdery or milky or woody smell. Maybe a trace of leather or suede. A musk is fuzzy around the edges, so to speak. Musk oil grounds a perfume to hold it onto the skin longer but it can also serve to round out any sharp notes. I have not sampled as many musks as I would like but today I'm going to talk about a few that I have tried and their differences.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FOR HER by Narciso Rodriguez
( + rose, patchouli and sandalwood)
This smells lush and expensive because it is! I smell orange blossom more strongly in this than any of the actual listed notes. NR for Her is lacking the soapiness I associate with most musks. It's silky smooth, like a foundation garment beneath a little black dress. I try a little bit of this on when I see it in stores but I can't justify spending $120+ on a single bottle of perfume when there are bills to be paid. The problems of being a perfumista on a budget. Samples of this are probably all I will have until the day I win the lottery. On that day all bets are off and I will fill a bathtub with Prada Infusion d'Iris because why the hell not.
SKIN MUSK by Parfums de Coeur
(+ sandalwood, undetermined white floral notes)
My favorite musk! Seriously. Cheap as chips but what a wonderful essence. This is the lip gloss of perfumes... it goes with every occasion or outfit, you can layer it easily with another perfume or you can just wear it alone for a soft "natural skin" baked in the sun. Downright impossible to over apply this one. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how many compliments I have received on Skin Musk. It's so unpretentious and easily available. Almost feels like a secret weapon.
LOVELY by Sarah Jessica Parker
(+lavender, patchouli, orchid, cedar)
This is just so fresh and so clean. Classic feminine musk with that sharp lavender herbalness. Floral and ladylike, stays relatively close to the skin but lasts all day. I also heard this has apple martini accord in it...I wouldn't be able to tell you that's what I'm smelling here but there is an ever-so-slightly fruit and booziness underneath all the wood and leaves. I hate to use the word "shampoo" so often when writing about perfume but shampoo has a freshness while still being a chemical....so I think it works when describing a smell. You don't even have to know *which* shampoo, because it's already been rinsed out, metaphorically, and you are left with wet clean hair and scalp. That's what SJP Lovely makes me think.
PERFECT VEIL by Sarah Horowitz
(+sandalwood, vanilla, bergamot)
It's a much pricier version of Parfums de Coeur Skin Musk without the longevity or sillage of Skin Musk. Why would you bother paying this much more? That said, this does what it says it's going to do.....wrap you in a perfect veil of powdered musk and clean laundry coziness. The least animalic musk I have tried, it reminds me of a dry armpit touched with antiperspirant. It's what you wear to a job where you're not allowed to wear perfume. People will think this is just how a clean and deodorized YOU smells. The packaging looks more elegant than Skin Musk. Meh, whatever. This is pretty but I will save my pennies.
CLEOPATRA by Tocca
(+ patchouli, grapefruit, peach)
A lot like NR for Her, almost as pricey, the prettiest bottle. The fruits give it a nice fresh feeling and the patchouli doesn't smell like patchouli, it's more background noise to keep this stuff on your skin longer. This is a clean green musk and yes, I am going to throw out the "shampoo" thing one more time because it reminds me of a fancy salon. I have tested almost every fragrance from Tocca and Cleopatra was the only real standout. Not very good longevity on me, but then again, my skin will eat a whole milliliter of perfume for breakfast and claim to be hungry again an hour later.
KIEHL'S ORIGINAL MUSK by Kiehl's
(+orange blossom, Tonka bean, ylang ylang)
Like a hippie's armpit, this is the musk floating through the air of head shops, outdoor music festivals and organic farmer's markets. To me this smells a lot like a baby's scalp, that powder and sebum combination. You know how after spending time with your lover you can still catch traces of their skin scent on your skin and on your hair? That's how Kiehl's Original Musk feels to me. Almost too personal to be worn to work.
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