The effortlessly sensual appeal of musk perfume notes
Published: 28/03/2024
A quick look through fragrance notes in some of the most iconic perfumes will see a familiar ingredient pop up time and time again: Musk. Why, you ask? Well, you’re probably no stranger to musk yourself (90s teenager ck One devotee, anyone?) With its effortlessly sensual appeal, musky notes tend to draw people in like magnets – not to mention the endless compliments and requests for what perfume you’re wearing.
Get to know musk, a universal fave fragrance note that makes perfume smell so good.
What does musk smell like?
Imagine the scent of a warm hug. Creamy, soft, mellow and comforting, the sensual scent of musk is oh-so-addictive! It’s also a fragrance note that now has many different interpretations – from this smooth cocooning warmth to the clean scent of fresh cotton bedlinen, and my personal fave, a fluffy transparent effect. There are even some musks that bring more woodsy, earthy and animalic facets, or delicate berry tones. But one thing they all have in common is their subtle nature, which make them the perfect everyday scent.
Clean musk is finally here
Musk’s history isn’t quite as soothing as its smell. Did you know that in the past, the natural scent of musk perfume came from the sex glands of male musk deer (yes, you did read that right!). The not-so-smooth origins of this popular fragrance note is what gives it this alluring, almost primal animalic scent quality. Thankfully today, perfumers create synthetic notes of musky scents in the lab – so you can enjoy your fave scents, guilt-free.
For Whispers of Me Eau de Parfum, an alchemy of next-generation sustainable musks bring raw and transformative addictive powers to the scent. Senior Perfumer Dora Baghriche (the nose behind many niche perfumes today that have an obsessive following) worked with upcycled Sorbettolide® and upcycled Helvetolide® to bring fluffy, creamy and even fresh berry facets to
The second-skin effect
So, what does musk bring to a scent, besides evoking a certain je ne sais quoi that makes it smell so good – and always has you reaching for the bottle to get an extra spritz? The power of musk lies in its ability to blur the lines between what’s the fragrance and what’s you. Like a natural skin-enhancer, it’s the reason why musk smells different on everyone.
We like to call it the second-skin effect, as the scent of musk becomes enmeshed with the warmth of your skin to create sensual depth and texture in the perfume. And as a base note, musk lingers and lingers on the skin with an alluring closeness, long after the other notes have disappeared.
Will you awaken your sensuality with the scent of Musk?
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