Musc Tonkin, a limited edition parfum extrait from Parfum d’Empire which interpreted the scent of real deer musk, was sold out everywhere (at $150 for 50 ml) before I could buy a bottle unsniffed. The entire stock of Bruno Acampora’s Musc Perfume Oil was depleted at my local parfumerie. I could have ordered some over the internet, but to justify paying $185 for only 10 ml, it would have had to be the nectar of the Gods plus also offer immortality. While some see the exclusivity of a fragrance as a plus, it only makes me want to hunt down that elusive affordable alternative.
Although some Nemat Oils are available in many Whole Foods, dozens more fragrance oils are available on their website. There you can find 19 different musks of all kinds–Egyptian musks, amber musks, skin musks, and several of an animalistic or vegetal nature. Prices range from $16 to $34 for the smallest bottle, which is 4 ounces. Assuming you’d like to bathe in their fragrant musk oils, amounts up to 160 oz. are available. And there actually are some Nemat Exclusives I would love to bathe in…though their strength and sillage ensure a few dabs are sufficient. Bint El Medina (4 oz. for $25.15) is a contemplative woody musk which transports me to a Far Eastern temple after the monsoon. Using Geranium and Patchouli, Bint El Medina dries down to an intriguing scent as far removed from the Western idea of musk (warm skin or clean laundry) as one can get. Nemat’s Red Musk Superior (4 oz. for $25.15) is a take no prisoners musk featuring nutmeg and Geraniol. It’s red in tooth and claw lovely on its own but I mainly use it for layering. When used as a base, Red Musk Superior recalls how real musk was once used as a fixative; it can propel a wan floral into the scent stratosphere. Nemat’s most animalistic musk, African Safari (4 oz. for $22.50) is also one of their most complex. With a dry, earthy root aroma of Spikenard and woody touch of dark Patchouli, it could be favorably compared to Serge Lutens Muscs Koublai Khan. Although it is well rounded and smells completely natural, African Safari is entirely fierce. Think of an elegant lion nestled among the Serengeti grass; there is nothing remotely “goaty” about it.
The illusive Parfum d’Empire Musc Tonkin is said to replicate the aroma of real deer musk, derived from the musk pod of a mature male musk deer (species moschus moschiferus). The word Tonkin (derived from the musk called Tonquin) comes from Tibet, where male musk deers in heat produce some of the best raw material. Authentic deer musk is increasingly hard to find and has not been used in Western perfumery since the Seventies. With more affordable synthetic musks widely available and animal cruelty advocates raising public awareness, hunting Asian Bambi for his scent sack is considered unjustified. But it is out there; $45 gets you 12 ml. of authentic Grade C Deer Musk (called Musk Gazelle) from Ajmal. The Grade AA (most potent) Deer Musk is $99 for the same amount, with the grade A version sold at $65. All formulas are available at any of the many Ajmal stores located in luxury malls across the Middle East or from Arabic perfume suppliers on-line like Zahras Perfumes. The Grade C Ajmal Deer Musk I tried (the lightest and least expensive) had sufficient strength and persistence for me to forego buying Grade A. The feral facets of real deer musk are best experienced alone. For me, it evoked a scent memory of shopping for fur trooper hats (the muskrat particularly) in Russia.
Though many vanilla musks are widely available. I Coloniali makes one that is affordable but far from generic. Their Heaven Musk is a bold Bourbon vanilla musk anchored by an amber and woods base. This dark vanilla takes the jus far from foody straight into femme fatale territory. At around $25 for 100 oz., Heaven Musk Seductive Elixir is a body fragrance spray with the strength of an EDT, at the very least. It is made with natural ingredients, lasts well and has a satisfying sillage. Unlike most vanilla musks, Heaven Musk hasn’t a girlish face, as the smoky vanilla pod gives it a certain sultriness. It can be worn as a confidence booster when out clubbing or used for comfort after bathing when snuggled in your softest nightie.
One of the sexiest musks on the market, Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur, ($250 for 100ml) enchants the wearer and entices those nearby with a dense spice mix (cloves and cinnamon) on a base of gaiac wood, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka and musk. But if you want to spend less for a similar fragrance, there is Meharees (about $45 for 50 ml.) by the Italian company L’Erbolario. Meharees is made of natural ingredients with notes including bergamot, cinnamon, cedar, gaiac, sandalwood, vanilla and musk, all which are also featured in Musc Ravageur. While there is no fruit in Musc Ravageur, the scent of tropical dates dominate Meharees, along with oranges. Both Oriental spice bombs feature cinnamon. Switch out Musc Ravageur’s cloves for Meharees’ rose, trade the Malle’s tonka base for the L’Erbolario’s amber and you’ll see they are not exactly alike. But the end effect is so similar it is totally worth seeking out the more affordable alternative, especially when it is made with all natural ingredients.
Musk based fragrances, so plentiful in the market, yet so varied in olfactory impression, don’t have to be as precious as high grade oud to be treasured.
