What does musky aroma mean? What does musk smell like, what does it smell like? What is it made of? A line of unsurpassed musk fragrances: Montal musk

Musk is one of the most mysterious ingredients in perfumery. It gives the aroma sensuality, spatiality, warmth and liveliness. Musk is included in almost all modern fragrances. The musk note is an animalic, sweet, slightly ammonia-like scent.
But perfume lovers know that musk can be very different: repulsive and attractive, chemical and warm, sweet and balsamic, sharp and enveloping, earthy and powdery, buttery and chocolatey, sharp and leathery, resinous and spicy, dry, piquant and woody.
Initially, musk was obtained from the musk glands of male musk deer - a small deer that lives in the mountain forests of the Himalayas, Tibet, Eastern Siberia, Korea and Sakhalin. The musk gland is an internal "sac" located between hind legs animal. This “bag” is filled with musk - a thick, pungent-smelling secretion of brown-brown color. Chemical composition musk is quite complex and contains many components: fatty acids, waxes, aromatic and steroid compounds, cholesterol esters and the actual “odorous” element - the macrocyclic ketone muscone.
What we mean by the “smell of musk” is, one might say, the “trail” of the aroma of natural musk. To obtain the aroma that is familiar to us, musk “weathered” for some time, all the quickly evaporating components left it - and the result was a warm, sensual, sweet and powdery aroma.
Musk could only be obtained by killing an animal. To get a kilogram of musk, it was necessary to “sacrifice” 30-50 deer. This method of obtaining musk was used until 1979, when musk deer (or musk deer) were protected by the Convention on international trade endangered species of fauna and flora (CITES). In addition, musk deer is included in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia.
Scientists were faced with the task of creating artificial musk. In fact, synthetic (nitroglycerin) musk was obtained back in 1888 by scientist Albert Bauer. It was named Musk Bauer. Soon other types of nitroglycerin musk were invented: Musk Xylene, Musk Ketone and Musk Ambrette. Even then they began to be used in perfumery.
In 1981, nitroglycerin musks were banned due to their toxicity. They have also attracted the attention of environmentalists due to their poor biodegradability.
Nevertheless, nitroglycerin musks managed to participate in a number of famous perfume creations. For example, in many compositions by Ernest Beaux, creator of the famous Chanel No.5, Musk Ketone occupies more than 10% of the composition. Musk Ambrette was used by perfumer Francis Fabron in L'air du Temps from Nina Ricci. Subsequently, nitroglycerin musk was to be replaced in these fragrances by another type of synthetic musk - and this turned out to be very not an easy task: meet all environmental and health requirements and maintain the original scent of the perfume.

But even before the ban on nitroglycerin musks, another family of artificial ingredients was “treading on their heels” - polynuclear musks. The first such musk, Phantolide, was introduced by Kurt Fuchs in 1951. Later, many different “musks” were invented, which received names, nothing speaking to a person, far from chemistry: Celestolide, Fixolide, Tonalide, Galaxolide: For example, Galaxolide is part of Tresor from Lancome, created by Sophia Grosjsman. This musk has a clean, sweet-musky-floral-woody scent.
Another type of musks is macrocyclic musks. They can be both synthetic and natural (the same musk from deer is also macrocyclic).

Artificial Habanolide with metallic undertones is used in Emporio Armani White for Her by Alberto Morillas, and in Glow by J.Lo it is combined with a white floral accord. Nirvanolide is a clean and sweet, powdery, long-lasting and slightly animalic scent that is close to the banned Musk Ketone. It is used in Forever Elizabeth by Elizabeth Arden, created by perfumer David Apel. Another scent close to Musk Ketone, Muscenone, has a very elegant and airy musky aroma.

Musk odors can also be obtained from plants. Angelica root contains Exaltolide, and ambrette seed contains Ambretollide. Both of these substances are a type of macrocyclic musks, but not synthesized, but natural. In addition, musk can also be obtained from galbanum: the plant, which has a fresh green smell, contains substances from which plant musk can be obtained. If it is said that natural musk is used in the composition of the fragrance, then this is precisely musk obtained from plants, because animal musk is currently not used in perfumery.

Musc Ravageur, Frédéric Malle

Contrasting colors

“Destructive Musk” was released in 2000, and perfumer Maurice Roucel began working on it - not by order, but for the soul - back in the mid-1990s. Ready formula he offered it to many perfume brands, but no one took it: the scent was considered too much. All these in highest degree decent people are now gnawing on elbows that have never touched a table as Musc Ravageur has rapidly become a bestseller. And it is really good - a classic aroma as the French perfume school imagines it: a fresh spicy-citrus start and sultry golden amber in the base. But the real art is how beautifully Roucel’s pearlescent musk shines through the strokes of dense and heavy animal notes. Here it is similar to the white for which the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer became famous, adding particles of alabaster and mother-of-pearl to the paint: his paintings are filled with an unusual transparent light, warm and moving. Musc Ravageur gives the same feeling of warmth and movement of heated air.

Clair de Musc, Serge Lutens

Lunar path

In the portfolio, Serge Lutens has one of the most, in the opinion of the perfume community, “atrocious” musks, Muscs Koublai Khan, about which we have already written. And there is Clair de Musc, which instinctively rhymes with Clair de Lune, a play by Claude Debussy. The point is not only in the similarity of the names, but also in the general airiness and spaciousness of the sound, the even emotional tone of both works, and their almost landscape statics. Technically, Clair de Lune is “white musk” (it is based on the substance gabanolide and ambrette seeds) without pronounced animal nuances, but with beautiful floral support, poetically - a night garden: iris, jasmine, orange light, bathed in moonlight.

Adr_ett, Nomenclature

Chemistry and life

The main character of Adr_ett is synthetic musk helvetolide, with iris, pink pepper, and pear in the supporting roles. By its nature, helvetolide is cool and foggy, like autumn air, and everything else with it turns into flowers behind the glass of a greenhouse: warmth and colors are at arm's length, but you stand outside - and between you there is cold glass, fogged up on the other side.

Price 9900 rub. for 100 ml

Buy "Rive Gauche" in the Tsvetnoy department store

Musk Oriental Goldskin, Ramon Molvizar

From childhood

A very grown-up name - here you have musk, the East, and “golden skin” (and literally: when you spray Golskin on the skin, it remains). But the bottle is absolutely fabulous - either a fragment of a goblin mirror, or the knob on Sailor Moon’s wand, and the contents are completely rooted in deep childhood. This is how baby clothes smell: clean natural fabric, delicate floral scents, sweet milk and something elusive and delicate.

L'Air de Rien, Miller Harris

Musk 1960s

The aroma of bohemian staleness: LʼAir de Rien smells like the suede collar of an old but beloved coat, a greasy armrest in the lounge area, hair washed the day before yesterday and trampled autumn grass. Everything else that users remember perfume forums In connection with this composition - teenage sweat, dirty laundry - is the result of the interaction of rather obvious components: musk, patchouli, vanilla, cistus and indolic orange blossom. Despite the simplicity of the composition, LʼAir de Rien has a lot of suspense and sex - like the best songs of Jane Birkin, to whom it is dedicated.

Musc, Bruno Acampora

Strong organics

Kate Moss, by own confession, loves “forest smells.” For example, Bluebell by Penhaligon's, which smells like bluebells from English woodlands (but actually hyacinths, soap and hot metal). Perfume oil Musc from the Italian brand Bruno Acampora is another scent in the hot rotation of the British model, but unlike the steely Bluebell, it is truly completely organic. And the unmistakable smell of forest litter: wet earth, mushrooms, rotten leaves and something animal - as if small animals were darting between the roots.

Musc Pure, Officina delle Essenze

White Musk for adults

Aphrodisiacs are substances that provoke sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Ancient Greece. These substances are present in products of plant and animal origin and are part of perfumes. Musk is an aphrodisiac that has had unconditional popularity for many years.

Musk is a rich aphrodisiac, however, for some women it is unpleasant and sometimes disgusting. Before purchasing perfume with musk, it is better to check the girl’s reaction to this substance. Products with musk should also be added to the bath, so that after bathing a trail of noble aroma remains.

History of appearance

Musk is valued by perfumers as a fixative that reduces the rate of evaporation of components, which allows the aroma to remain on the skin for a long time in its entire volume. Initially, musk was the name given to the secretion produced by the glands of the musk deer. Musk deer is a small deer-like animal. Every adult male of this animal has such a gland. It is located in the groin area and is filled with active and acute secretion.

Scientists are convinced that the musky, pungent odor refers a person to the testosterone odor, which is present in the body of women and men, acting as a human pheromone. This is precisely what explains the effect of the substance on sexual desire.

Nowadays, the word "musks" is often used to describe a whole range of aromatic substances. Usually, we're talking about about animalistic notes, for example:

• Daman,
• Civet,
• Castoreum,
• Artificial compounds that are created in laboratory conditions.

Animal musk is considered the most valuable raw material. Musk deer still live in the mountainous forests of Pakistan, India, China and Tibet. The animal is often found in Siberia, but the population is steadily declining.

The natural substance was actively used until the end of the 19th century, but this substance was always considered very expensive and inaccessible to the general population. Interestingly, there are plants that have olfactory properties similar to musk. Plants produce macrocyclic lactones, that is, compounds with a musky aroma and a fixative function.

Some of the plants are used for perfume purposes as musk. Among them:

• garden angelica,
• musk flower,
• ambrette

Musk is recognized as the most expensive natural product on the planet. The gland of an adult musk deer contains only up to 20 g of this substance. In order to extract the substance from a euthanized animal, a special spatula with a groove is inserted into the bag that closes the gland duct, through which the substance flows.

Features of musk

Three types of products are created from animal secretions:

• black,
• red,
• white.

Black musk is a powerful male ferromone; its dense smell has a stimulating effect on women.

Men who smell musk from another man subconsciously understand that he is dominant over them.

White musk oil has the following characteristics:

1. Quickly excites
2. Enhances eroticism
3. Has a relaxing effect on women.
4. A subconscious erotic reaction appears. Musk compounds are used in eastern countries to harmonize relations between men and women.

It is enough to add a few drops of white musk to any perfume to make the aroma erotic and memorable. Musk should be used strictly in quantity. For 100 ml of perfume, a maximum of ten drops of infusion or essence is required. Some people cannot smell musk.

Love scents

Musk, an aphrodisiac for women, shows itself perfectly in various perfume compositions. One of the most popular is the composition called “Geisha”.
The basis is (in drops):

• Musk infusion – 1,
• Ambergris infusion – 3,
• Ethyl alcohol – 20 ml.

Additionally you should add (in drops):

• Jasmine - 4,
• Anise – 4,
• Ylang-ylang – 4,
• Fennel – 4,
• Rosemary – 4.

The Pharaoh fragrance was created specifically to attract women.

The basis is the following substances (in drops):

• Musk infusion – 3,
• Ambergris infusion – 1.
• 20 ml of ethyl alcohol is also added.

As a supplement, a mixture of the following oils (in drops) is suitable:

• Rosemary – 4,
• Cinnamon – 3,
• Neroli – 3,
• Ylang-ylang – 4.

Musk is an aphrodisiac more effective for women than for men. However, in any case, it is worth remembering that scents with musk give new colors and sensations.

Aromas with this substance will give new sensations and colors, however, we should not forget that at home nothing relaxes people more than cozy atmosphere, pleasant music, delicious food and sincere attitude towards each other.

Musk is one of the most expensive ingredients in perfumery. It is difficult to say exactly when the substance extracted from the glands of deer was first added to perfume. The carrier of musk, in the classical sense of this name, is the musk deer. This antlerless deer lives in Siberia and Northern Mongolia. The male gonads produce a substance that looks like honey and is reddish in color. Over time, the musk hardens and turns black.

Until the mid-19th century, only musk of animal origin was used in perfumery, until plant musk was discovered in 1888. Similar in smell, but more extracted in a humane way substances from plants or artificially created substances are still used today.

Just imagine, to obtain 1 kg of musk substance, it was necessary to kill 140 deer. That is why now the extraction of animal musk is under strict control of various international animal protection organizations.

What does musk smell like?
Each person hears this component differently. To some it smells like soap, to others it smells like a soft, iridescent milky haze, and to others it smells like a harsh animalic scent with a woody undertone. Possessing a complex, multifaceted aroma, musk is a bit reminiscent of the smell clear skin, angelica root and hibiscus seeds.

Musk in perfumery
Musk can be found in the base notes of many fragrances because it is a powerful fixative. It can easily decorate a rich oriental or fresh floral or fruity aroma. I will not review these publications; I’d rather talk about the compositions in which this component is the leading violin.

Musk fragrances Narciso Rodriguez
In just seven years, American perfumer Narciso Rodriguez released more than a dozen musky compositions. Having become a recognized expert in this area, he captivated many with his very first publication. Narciso Rodriguez For Her. Sweetish musky shades create a feminine and sexy pyramid that leaves no one indifferent. Here, emerging through the sharp and aggressive top notes, delicate, thick and sweet shades turn into soft balsamic undertones.

You can't help but mention the perfume Narciso Rodriguez For Her Musk, where musk is accompanied by ylang-ylang, jasmine and orange blossom. Another thing that comes to mind is female For Her Musc Intense and male For Him Musk. There is also Narciso Rodriguez Musc for Her, where musk reveals itself against a background of orange blossom and osmanthus.

The paired edition is also interesting Essence And Essence Eau de Musc. This clean and at the same time dominant scent is truly long-lasting and sensual. The pink-iris duet adds femininity to the edition for the fair half. Essence Eau de Musc very similar to its mate, but here the iris becomes more obvious.

Cacharel Noa
A clean, delicate, classic and feminine scent. The composition is modest, discreet and feminine, surrounded by a transparent haze. Powdery floral notes and sweet woody undertones emerge through the musky veil.

M. Micallef Royal Muska
A mixture of musky and floral shades that captivates from the first breath, barely noticeable, but forever. The perfume melody mixes with the aroma of the skin and forms a special intimate harmony. A truly royal scent, where musk and rose complement each other, creating the perfect combination.

Montale musky fragrances
Montal distinguished himself with a special love for musk, releasing a whole series of musks. These include the ginger Ginger Musk, the pink-musky Roses Musk, the oriental Aoud Musk and the fruity-strawberry Fruits of the Musk, as well as the pomegranate-floral Dew Musk (pomegranate, ylang-ylang, patchouli).

Tom Ford Musk Collection
After experimenting with vanilla, tobacco and vetiver, Tom Ford decided to explore musk. Last year, four musky-based fragrances appeared.
For a designer, a true musky scent should not be pretentious or heavy. Inhaling musk is like inhaling the scent of naked skin. The collection includes the floral musky Jasmine Musk, Urban Musk with slightly more pronounced animalic notes, the pure creamy Musk Pure and White Suede - a scent that combines notes of musk and leather.

You can also try Amouage Gold for her, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Fraicheur Muskissime, I ncense & Musk Henri Bendel and many others.

One of the most common perfume components is, along with amber, musk. Most modern fragrances have not used natural musk for a long time due to its high cost, but at the same time, the “base” of almost every perfume composition contains the name of this component. Perhaps, only in selective perfumery can one “meet” natural musk, which has the most valuable perfumery properties: it has an ennobling and fixing effect on the aroma, and also serves as a natural pheromone and a powerful aphrodisiac.

Animal musk of natural origin is a specific product that is produced by the musk glands of the males of some species of mammals, such as deer - musk deer, muskrat, civet, muskrat, musk ox and some others. In animals, this substance acts as a special signal with which males “mark” territory, attracting females and warning other males. And in waterfowl mammals, this ointment-like substance also serves as a means to protect the fur from getting wet. Such a prosaic substance, but, nevertheless, the price for it is incredibly high.

The history of the use of musk in perfumery is not very humane: the main source of this substance was the glands of deer - musk deer, but for that. To get just 1 kilogram of this specific ingredient, hunters killed up to 40 individuals. This led to a sharp decline in the deer population, and could have led to the extinction of this species, but in 1979 hunting for this species was prohibited.

But people did not want to give up this component, which gives perfumery a special depth, warmth and sensuality. And synthetic musk, a substance based on nitroglycerin, began to be produced on an industrial scale. However, soon the “musk” made from nitroglycerin was banned, as its toxicity was proven. By the way, it is “nitroglycerin musk” or Musk Ketone that is part of the original version of the legendary Chanel No.5 perfume, created by Ernest Beaux. In this fragrance, almost a tenth of the entire composition is synthetic musk.

Currently, most perfume compositions contain a variety of types of synthetic musk that are harmless to humans and the environment. For example, the famous Tresor from Lancome, which was created by Sofia Groismann, contains an artificially synthesized musk called Galaxolide.

At the same time, chemists and natural scientists have learned to extract... plant musk, which is produced from galbanum and is practically no different from animal musk, only less harsh and not so exciting, while retaining the main quality that was valued in animal musk - warmth and sensual softness .

A special type of musk is white musk. Contrary to popular belief, white musk is not called so because of its color, but because of its cleaner and fresher aroma, comparable to the delicate smell of clean baby skin.

Unlike ordinary musk, which is mainly used in sensual evening scents, white musk is appropriate in perfume compositions intended for everyday “wearing” - to work, for a walk or a casual meeting with friends, even to the office. White musk is more refined, more neutral, less sexy and hot, but its sound is much more elegant and sophisticated.

Selective perfumery offers a huge selection of scents with a note of white musk. At the same time, it is important to know that white musk, like ordinary musk, is used in both men's and women's compositions, but it sounds differently in them: for men it adds confidence and brutality, sexual attractiveness, and for women it makes them more tender and sensual .

M. Micallef offers a whole collection of fragrances with a note of white musk: a fruity, citrusy, musky feminine fragrance created by Martina McAleph and Geoffrey Newman Ananda, and then - floral scentAnanda Parfum; chic perfume for chic women - Art Collection Ananda, woody-spicy aroma Automne, flawless and perfect perfume - Black Ananda, perfume Crystal Woman No. 11, rare in beauty and richness, spicy and warming - Hiver, carefree, light and charming - Lucky Charm, elegant and classic - Note Vanillee, passionate and deep - Watch inspiring and dreamy - White Wings.

A great connoisseur of white musk is Montale, inviting all its fans to enjoy the soft and seductive warmth of this amazing perfume ingredient : Aoud Blossom - oriental citrus perfume; aroma of flowers and fruits - Fruits of the Musk, striking in its sound oriental - spicy Ginger Musk, sexy and luxurious - Musk to Musk, floral-fruit jewel - perfume Pure Gold bright and sunny - Soleil De Capri, and finally, the quintessence of white musk - a charming perfume White Musk.

White musk gives a unique sound to many aromas, and in all compositions it sounds differently, leaving a warm, enveloping and dizzying smell of something close and tender on the body and clothes. Judge for yourself: you will find white musk in such dissimilar scents as majestic and mysterious feminine scent D`Orsay L" Intrigante; bold and daring, dedicated to Alexander the Great, chypre fragrance for men Parfum d'Empire Iskander; a defiantly beautiful and immodest feminine scent Technique Indiscrete Indiscrete; divinely harmonious and idyllic perfume from the legendary Guerlains - Guerlain Idylle; a delightful, strong and masculine perfume Frederic Malle French Lover; heavenly and relaxing peaceful perfume Feel Good Woman by Sergio Tacchini; fragrance for unconquered and free women - Angel Schlesser Esprit de Gingembre for Women; refined, velvety and infinitely sensual - Roja Parfums Enslaved Parfum; charm, mystery, seductive mystery - this is Christian Dior Escale a Portofino; complex, luxurious, but dynamic perfume Amouage Dia Woman, and many others - just listing all the scents with this note would take several hours.