Posted by Kevin
on
20 June 2007
After reviewing Serge Lutens’ Muscs Koublaï Khan, I decided to explore perfumes with musk as the main attraction and started to read about real musk. Writing about CBMUSK on his website, perfumer Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume says: “True Tonkin Musk no longer exists in the contemporary world…. So this is my own interpretation of what I'd always imagined real musk to smell of. Whether it does or does not, I cannot know.”
Fortunately, Tonkin musk does exist because musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) still survive. Unfortunately, the musk they produce is obtained illegally by poachers and sold for use in traditional medicines and, to a lesser extent these days, in perfumery…
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Posted by Kevin
on
13 March 2007
Grandson of Genghis Khan, reformer, warrior, Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Yüan Dynasty emperor — Koublaï Khan was a powerhouse and his name evokes long-ago-and-far-away exoticism. But when I look at Koublaï Khan’s portrait (from the National Palace Museum in Taipei) I see an approachable man, someone who loves to eat, a man who seems amused and ready to giggle, someone I can imagine gossiping with over a cup of milk tea (or something stronger).
What did I expect from Serge Lutens’ Muscs Koublaï Khan? I imagined a scent that was a bit strange, a rough-and-tough perfume with a strong “personality”, a perfume of Mongolian sturdiness coupled with Chinese finesse; I expected something contradictory and complex (like Koublaï Khan himself, who was an admirer of Buddhism but who spent much of his life invading and conquering lands and peoples).
Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido does not reveal the ingredients for Muscs Koublaï Khan online, but I found a company description of the perfume from 2000…
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Posted by Marlen
on
25 November 2005
Of all the Villoresi fragrances, Musk is by far my favorite. Perhaps the least astringent, and one of the easier to wear fragrances, Musk by Lorenzo Villoresi has notes of galbanum, flowers, cardamom, geranium, rose, musk, amber, sandalwood, rosewood and oakmoss.
Musk begins with nearly all of its key players present — I can immediately detect the floral notes juxtaposed against a warm woody base, highlighted by the sandalwood and musk, and sweetened by a touch of amber. What sets this scent apart from other musk fragrances is the following: 1) I don’t get that hairspray effect as I do with many other musk scents, 2) this is not an animalic musk — no fecal, cumin or civet notes, and 3) the floral notes (especially the rose) create a rather bright and soft top bouquet that is quite unusual in a musk composition…
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Posted by Robin
on
9 April 2005
Last night I was looking through the list of fragrances I have reviewed so far, and was rather disturbed to see how few would qualify as affordable. I distinctly remember thinking, in some now distant past, that $100 was an awful lot to spend for one small bottle, now, it hardly fazes me. Surely there are still lots of wonderful fragrances to be had for under $25, right?
All of which is a roundabout way of introducing today’s fragrance, Egyptian Musk by Body Time. Body Time was established in California in 1970 as The Body Shop, and eventually sold their name to the British firm of the same name. They are best known for their China Rain scent, and they also have a full line of perfume and essential oils. For DIYers, they carry a few basic perfume making supplies, including a perfume & cologne base…
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