What’s so special about it?
Musk has a soft, ‘warm skin’-like quality that draws others nearer. The deer-derived source has long been replaced with a synthetic version which makes it much more appealing, especially for animal lovers, and the sensuous note is now part of the recipe for a perfume hit.
Just ask Narciso Rodriguez: The eponymous fashion label is perhaps best known globally for its enduring ‘For Her’ EDP, launched in 2003, and inspired by a traditional musk oil worn by an acquaintance Rodriguez had never forgotten.
Known as a floral woody musk, the original (and its numerous offshoot scents) are still popular, and lots of people still claim it’s their perfume that incites the most compliments.
L-R: Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense EDP; Byredo Blanche Absolu De Parfum; Givenchy Irresistible Nude Velvet EDP; Juliette Has a Gun Musc Invisible EDP; The Maker Naked EDP
Now, the brand has released Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense EDP, amping up the concentration and adding fruity notes of peach and citrus to the mix with sophisticated white floral notes and that enduring musky profile.
Perfumery seems to be embracing a new wave of ‘clean’-smelling scents as tastes evolve to something fresh, rather than just floral, or sweet. For example, Indie-cool perfume brand Byredo has also landed on musk for its Blanche Absolu De Parfum, using it to enhance the fresh, ‘clean-sheets-and soft-skin’ scent.
Givenchy Irresistible Nude Velvet EDP is primarily a woody-floral, but it brings together powdery iris and a velvety musk in another elegant new release.
Not brand-new but experiencing a revival, Juliette Has a Gun’s Musc Invisible EDP smells soft, cosy and clean, like a hug in a bottle.
Finally, fragrance line The Maker spells out the appeal of the note in its ‘Naked’ EDP, using passionflower and musk to evoke the scent of a love affair.
