Tuesday, August 25, 2009

SOTD: Marc Jacob's Blush

My relationship with jasmine has always been on the tenous side, some how I bring out the indoles in even the least indolic of jasmine fragrances, but something strange has happened. A few years ago I tried Marc Jacob's Blush and well I detested it, I mean seriously did not LIKE it, it bloomed on my skin in the most perverse way, others spoke of how easy and lovely it was, and me, well Pooptown, USA would have been a good description. And then the other day through a swap I received a sample of it and because I constant curiousity decided for the hell of it to retry Blush. What hit my nose was not indolic at all but rather something very similar to L'Artisan's Le Chasse aux Papillons but hints of wonderful delightful peach. As I said inwardly to myself "Holy Skin Chemistry Change Batman!"
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image: Peach Tulip Trio by Tulla Booth

Friday, August 07, 2009

SOTD: Musk To Musk by Montale

Montale's Musk To Musk is unlike any musk I have ever tried. It is beautifully airy and spiritual, putting is like having mist over a desert effect, strangely dry and yet at the same time moist. It is one of the few scents with aoud I can wear. For a musk it is delightfully aromatic and full of strong imagery. This can be worn by men or women easily; cool, clean, aromatic, woodsy, with a lovely nutmeg and rose note.

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image: Veil (Danae) by Lisa Holden

Thursday, August 06, 2009

SOTD: Suaded Musk by Gap

I'll say it now I don't really like this musk, but I received it as a gift which was a coffret set of Gap oils. I'm not quite sure why I don't like it because the reality is I should like it; it is very much in the family of Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal but that is the thing musk lovers know when a musk is not working for them. I think I find it too powdery and sweet and the slight tang it has just adds to cloyingness of it. I'm going to layer Madini's Azahar over it and see what happens.

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image: Summer Haze by Hyde Solomon

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

SOTD: Mure et Musc by L'Artisan

L'Artisan's Mure et Musc is an originator scent, if you love Trish McEvoy's No. 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk or Philosophy's Falling In Love you better give this fragrance some thanks, well at least the original version. I few years ago I received a decant of Mure et Musc and truthfully I am not all that impressed and from what I understand there is good reason: L'Artisan at some point reformulated it. What I smell now is a somewhat dirty citrus musk, clean and not clean at the same time, the barest hint of blackberry, and overall it has a masculine edge. Another musk to take into consideration from the berry musk category is Montale's Fruits of The Musk, pumped full of berries and roses this musk is absolutely luscious. While I love that L'Artisan helped to create the category of blackberry musks I'm just not in love with this originator.

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image: Nido d'Aprile by Piero Gilardi

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

SOTD: Vanilla Musk by Kuumba Made

I lied. There is another type of musk that can get you instant compliments: the vanilla musk. This scent is ubiquitous but with good reason, it smells just really good, but as musks go there are many varieties of it, the high end expensive kind ex. Lea St. Barth and Sage Machado's Pearl. These two both play on the vanilla musk category in different ways Lea heightens its formulation with a distinct almond note and Pearl goes woody with addition of a prominent sandalwood note. The funny thing about Kuumba Made's Vanilla Musk is that it is dirt cheap and easily holds it own with the above mentioned expensive vanilla musks. In someways it might actually be a better perfume for perfume lovers who want a vanilla musk that is edgier, the beginning of Vanilla Musk is almond, a really good almond I should add, followed by a heart of soft amber (through out the whole thing is vanilla), below that is clean musk that actually has an edge of civety skank. What is interesting about this vanilla musk is it has major sillage. It also in my case has been a man magnate. Wear it when you seem to be forgetting how good simple can be.
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image: Avian Headdress by Francesca Sundsten

Monday, August 03, 2009

SOTD: World's Best Egyptian Musk by Sweetcakes

A few years ago this scent caused quite the uproar, it proclaimed itself to be the "World's Best" Egyptian musk for the most part it was quite the let down. In the frenzy of the arguments over the scent a very kind POLer sent me a sample. This is not an Egyptian musk scent, but neither is it horrible, it is a rather intriguing use of fruity red currant mixed with a sweet clean musk there is also a definite hint of lemon rind in there and just maybe a dash of Egyptian musk. I could lovers of Montale's Fruits of the Musk or L'Artisan's Mure et Musc finding it enjoyable.

***Update: This is actually a true Egyptian Musk it just takes awhile to get there but once it does oh my is it lovely. Very akin to NR edt in the drydown.

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image: Butterfly Series: Redcurrants with Two Butterflies by Joanna Hill

Sunday, August 02, 2009

SOTD: Musc Botanique by Strange Invisible Perfumes

This is a strange little beauty. I don't have much experience with natural perfumes so excuse if I make a few mistakes. The opening of it is strikingly green for a moment I afraid this scent is going to be just very green, while I admire green scents, they don't usually sit well on my skin. This softens though and sweetens becoming a candied Egyptian Geranium, this musk follows in the steps of Perfect Veil, Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal, and Ava Luxe's Nude Musk. Sweet musks laced with tangy soft notes in Perfect Veil, Opal, and Nude Musk it is citrus, but in Musc Botanique it is geranium, a wonderful come smell me closeness that just makes you want to breath in the scent of necks as you hug. Wear this type of musk if you want compliments, trust me they always work.

Notes: botanical musk, Egyptian Geranium, white amber.

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image: Passion Flower 8/99 by Nall

Saturday, August 01, 2009

SOTD: Egyptian Goddess and Musc by Reminiscence

Its that time of year when I look at my fragrance choices for the season and I sigh. August is that month where I can smell the change of seasons in the air but the heat of summer remains, I want to wear opulent orientals but know it will have disastrous results in being over powering. So its around this time I start reaching for musks. Musks have that beauty of not being too heavy but providing a soothing sensuality that melds with your skin.

To be truly honest with myself musks are also a scent I consistently get compliments on, I also get compliments on rose based scents, and vetiver scents; this makes me wonder if compliments are based also on how people view the person who is wearing the scent and whether they think that scent goes with their character.

Yesterday I put Narciso Rodriguez eau de toilette, sometimes I forget how beautiful the bottom is to the fragrance with the combination of vetiver, egyptian musk, and patchouli. Its honeyed earthiness just makes you want to delight in your own skin.

Today the craving continued at first I spritzed on a sample of Reminiscence's Musc, a powdery mild musk with almond and with a drydown that hints at animalic naughtiness. If you like Madini's White Musk, Musk Pierre, Sage Machado's Pearl, or Lea St. Barth you will enjoy this. I am curious as to why almond is so often paired with musk.

But then I realized I wanted more musk so I dabbed on Auric Blend's Egyptian Goddess, which maybe one the worlds greatest cheap buys ever as far as fragrance is concerned. With the application of heat on the skin this one blooms, and hilariously enough is probably the fragrance that has given me the most compliments in my collection. If you like Narciso Rodriguez eau de toilette try this.

Forever how long it takes the next couple of days will be dedicated to the explorations of musk in my collection.
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image: Idyll by Patrick Cierpka