Thoughts On The Mystery of Musk Project

It has been very enlightening, to say the least, participating in the Mystery of Musk perfume project. First and foremost I have learned a LOT.

• I have gotten to know new-to-me essences and witnessed how those I am familiar with that I wouldn't have thought would blend well together can...well...blend well together.
• I've learned about nyctanthes abortristis and if my rational side overrides my impulsive side I won't try to grow one in my living room. :^D
• There are natural perfumers who I'm familiar with and have wanted to try their perfumes for some time. This gave me that opportunity.
• I was also introduced to other perfumers I wasn't familiar with.
• I learned that really reviewing someone else's work is hard.
• Several of the same raw materials were used by the majority of the perfumers yet each composition was so different from the others.

I really enjoyed reading some of the reviews posted so far. There are many varying opinions and impressions made. I tried not to read too many reviews before I posted my own so I have a lot of catching up to do.

A big thank you to Anya & Elena and the NPG perfumers! And also to all the bloggers for their creative reviews.

The Mystery of Musk - Temple Of Musk

Temple of Musk by Alexandra Balahoutis of Strange Invisible Perfumes

The last of my Mystery of Musk reviews is of Temple of Musk. This perfume intrigued me right from the start. The first sniff smelled of a gingery citrus then turned, briefly, astringent. Different from the other MoM perfumes as there were no sharp spicy or sweet floral notes. It was powdery and somewhat woody (although it could just be a personal thing but I kept seeing images of twigs). And clean. There was a meditative or spiritual feel as if it were part of an ancient ritual except for the fact that it is an especially soft perfume. Temple of Musk didn't last long. Maybe an hour before it faded.

one word: fantasy

The Mystery of Musk - Verdigris

Verdigris by Elise Pearlstine of Bellyflowers Perfumes

Verdigris opens with a bold spicy cinnamon-like note paired with a wet "green" note that fades after a couple minutes into a warm sweet mildly spicy earthy scent. Fresh cool fir balsam absolute is sweetened by green mandarin, clary sage and ylang ylang essential oils. As the heart steps in violet leaf & lavender absolutes begin to bloom. Clary sage and opoponax absolutes round out the middle. Verdigris really has that outdoors feel to it. Contrary to the warm spiciness the more I sniff the more I picture hiking through a forest taking note of all the flora, resting by a cold stream, the heat of the sun shaded by the tall trees and sitting quietly as a furry forest resident peeks its head out to see if it is safe to move further.

The base, which is made up of several heavy hitters such as patchouli, labdanum absolute and Africa stone tincture is suprisingly light. With ambergris and benzoin completing the base the animalic note is there, just very faint. Verdigris puts me in a relaxed state of mind.

one word: nature

The Mystery of Musk - Musk Nouveau

Musk Nouveau by Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co.

The inclusion of a natural isolate Phenyl Ethyl Acetate, in the top note lifted the perfume out of it's musky dark base and made it sing with bursts of lemon and sherry. I included black pepper to spice it up. The heart blended champaca, jasmine and aged beeswax with a musky sweet drydown of oud, angelica, coffee and amber.

Aged patchouli, angelica and oud add to this blend. The drydown is warm and slightly sweet & smoky. Musk Nouveau is a beautiful perfume.

one word: enchanting

The very first whiff of Musk Nouveau transported me to the wild. The tease of an animal scent is brief though. The perfume becomes something warm and sensual. Smoke and flowers. Very inviting. There's a faint fruity note in the background and although I am able to pick it out as a separate component it blends well with the other essences. After an hour or so the animalic aroma returns blending well with the rest of the composition.

As noted on Charna's blog:

The Mystery of Musk - Drifting Sparks

Drifting Sparks by Lisa Fong of Artemisia Natural Perfume

Drifting Sparks opened strong with the quickest burst of citrus. The citrus note appeared and disappeared so fast that if I hadn't sniffed right away I might have missed it. It flowed right into sweet soft florals with head notes of mastic & beeswax absolutes, rose otto, bois de rose and cedar wood. It reminded me of a couple Artemisia perfumes I've tried in that there is an exotic floral feel to it. As the heart notes started to move forward the citrus note made a subtle reappearance. Rose, orange blossom and jasmine sambac absolutes form the heart along with nyctanthes abortristis blossom essential oil. The heart is interesting. Rose & jasmine took turns peeking through ever so lightly. One moment I felt as though I was walking through a fragrant rose garden. The next moment I smelled the sweet warmth of jasmine (and possibly nyctanthes aborttristis as the blossoms are described as being highly fragrant and sweetly scented). As the base notes started to come forth it became less sweet, more woody and earthy, still with a faint floral. The base is composed of ambergris, agarwood, angelica root, ambrette seed & black current absolutes, oud, motia attar, sandalwood and siam wood.

Drifting Sparks is a lovely fragrance with a tropical feel. It's not a very strong perfume, aside from the initial citrus blast. It lasted about 2 hours before fading. I didn't get much of a musk "kick" rather something more warm & woody and not so "dirty". That said Drifting Sparks is a fragrance that I'd love to add to my collection.

one word: exotic

The Mystery of Musk - Musk Eau Natural

Musk Eau Natural by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Parfum des Beaux Arts

In formulating Musk Eau Natural perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz set out to create a natural musk soliflore by using only those essences that were listed in the brief as botanical and animal musk-like scents. A challenging task, to say the least, considering the list contained only 21 essences. Even further, 4 animal essences were listed and she chose to use only one: beeswax. I think she pulled it off. From the very first drop Musk Eau Natural brought the heat. Spicy, animalic, sensual. At first raw & edgy then becoming surprisingly soft, powdery and lightly floral. A spicy sweetness adds to the body of this perfume while lifting the floral notes. It clings as if it were a natural layer of my body. It is warm and sweet with just enough spice to give it a kick yet gentle enough to coax an admirer in closer to get a better whiff. I could definitely wear this.

one word: Sensual

The Mystery of Musk - Kewdra

Kewdra by Anya McCoy of Anya's Garden Perfumes

Kewdra was inspired by Kudra, "the highly-fragrant Hindu heroine of the Tom Robbins novel Jitterbug Perfume." Blended around Pandanus odoratissimus, or kewda (kewra), a native flower of India, Kewdra opens with the distinct sharp fresh floral of kewda next to a sweet syrupy boronia. Both of these essences are separate and blended at the same time (if that makes sense). Other essences used were green gardenia, angelica root, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed, beeswax and ambergris. Initially, as if each one was taking a turn dancing for the other, there was a contest between kewda and boronia, vying for the top spot (the separate part). Yet they tamed one another (the blended part). On their own I think of kewda as being cool and boronia as being warm. A situation where opposites attract. Oddly enough my first whiff brought pictures of fire to mind. Plumes of reds, oranges and yellows.

It wasn't long before the back & forth of kewda and boronia ended and Kewdra softened and became more rounded, maybe thanks to the beeswax. There was a faint sweet floral that peeked through that I didn't recognize. Having no experience with green gardenia I'm guessing that is what it was. I can also smell the patchouli early on. It seems it is the patchouli that gives boronia a bit of a lift.

The list of essences in Kewdra is fascinating in that there are several strong aromatics that can pretty much stand on their own yet, other than the competition between kewda and boronia in the beginning, no essence overpowers this blend. Patchouli & ambrette seed lend a mild musk and earthiness while sandalwood & vanilla lend a sweet creaminess. Sweet & tart, floral & herbal, woody & earthy.

The dry down is fabulous on me. Sweet, woody, musky. Kewdra was still very strong after 2 hours and detectable at least 5 hours later.

one word: mystical

The Mystery of Musk - Graines de Paradis

Graines de Paradis by Nicholas Jennings of Sharini Parfums Naturels, France

Let me get this out of the way. Graines de Paradis is gorgeous!

Two strengths of this perfume were sent in, 8% and 16%. This review is of the 16%. My first thought was "Wow this is strong!" Graines de Paradis opens warm and citrusy. At first I wasn't sure I'd like it but was I ever wrong. As I drew in more of the scent both citrus and floral notes filled my nose. The citrus faded rather quickly leaving behind mildly spicy floral and earthy notes. The base is simply beautiful. Its place in this composition is established right from the start and holds through to the end moving from head to heart to base effortlessly without losing any of its character. First as a background for the florals and citruses then as a partner to the florals before taking center stage. Along with organic corn alcohol and organic orange blossom hydrosol 19 essences were used to build this beauty.

Top notes:

white grapefruit, ginger CO2, green mandarin, cognac, wild cherry and rooibos red tea tincture

Heart notes:

white rose flower CO2, linden blossom flower CO2, tiaré flower, néroli, jasmine, genêt flower

Base notes:

ambrette seeds, angelica root CO2, iris CO2, Australian sandalwood, aged agarwood, olibanum CO2, patchouli, vanilla tincture

This is one long lasting perfume. I sprayed it on one afternoon and it was still detectable the next morning when I woke, surprisingly through all my hand washings.

one word: captivating

The Mystery of Musk - Sensual Embrace Eau de Parfum

Sensual Embrace Eau de Parfum by JoAnne Bassett of JoAnne Bassett Perfume

Sensual Embrace...she's a captivating little thing. Sensual Embrace is a temptress on a mission and in all likelihood will succeed. She teases you with her beautiful scent. From the very beginning the citrus of clementine & orange blossoms and floral of jasmine, tuberose and rose de mai hold each other as they dance 'round and 'round. Sensual Embrace is warm and enchanting lifting the spirit while calming the soul. Ambrette seed & patchouli contribute to the muskiness, tobacco to the smokiness, sandalwood and an amber accord to the sweet warmth. There's also a faint spiciness to this composition. The citruses from the top seem to linger a little longer than I expect of citruses before fading, making way for intoxicating florals to dance with a glowing base. This is a good thing in my opinion as I love citruses but most often they are fleeting. It's very well blended moving from top to bottom with ease. Sensual Embrace is a classy, "grown up" fragrance.

one word: seduction

The Mystery of Musk - Dionysus

Dionysus by Adam Gottschalk of Lord's Jester Inc

There was no list of notes sent with this perfume so I'm going to make a complete boob of myself and guess at what's in it.

Update: I located the blog for Lord's Jester and there were indeed several essences listed. I'm going to leave my guesses anyway. According to the Lord's Jester blog there are 17 notes to Dionysus including ambergris, africa stone, cognac and jonquil.

Dionysus: the ancient Greek god of wine.

Dionysus opens with a strong spicy wine note (allspice or clove? cognac?) that starts to dissipate almost as fast as it appeared, leaving behind an earthy, wet, smoky (hay?), musky, animalic (hyraceum?) aroma. The initial spiciness was an olfactory jolt but Dionysus moves seamlessly into a smooth, sexy, sweaty, animalic extension of my own body scent. The hyraceum (?) jumps out and dips back into hiding again and again. There is nothing timid about this perfume. It is fleshy & raw and develops into something sweet & balsamic (peru balsam?), yet still very primal. There's something floral but I can't pinpoint what it is. Dionysus gave me at least 2.5 hrs of its time and the spiciness lasted the duration, albeit on a softer scale. This perfume is pure heat.

One word: sex

The Mystery of Musk - Where Are Those Giveaways?

So far listed:

Yahoo Natural Perfumery Group is giving away Sensual Embrace from JoAnne Bassett

winner selected: congratulations Johanna

Basenotes is giving away Drifting Sparks from Artemisia Perfumes

Ca Fleur Bon is giving away Temple of Musk from Strange Invisible Perfumes

winner selected: congratulations MimiGardenia

Perfume Shrine is giving away Musk Eau Natural from DSH Parfums des Beaux Arts

winner selected: congratulations Dionne

Olfactarama is giving away Verdigris from Bellyflowers Botanical Perfumes

winner selected: congratulations Dionne

The Non-blonde is giving away Kewdra from Anya's Garden Perfumes

BitterGrace Notes is giving away Musk Nouveau from Providence Perfume Co.

winner selected: congratulations Kjanicki

indieperfumes is giving away Tallulah B2 from A Wing And A Prayer Perfumes

winner selected: congratulations La Bonne Vivante

Olfactory Rescue Service is giving away Craving from Perfume By Nature

winner selected: congratulations Dionne

Grain de musc is giving away Graines de paradis from Sharini Parfum Naturels

winner selected: congratulations Disteza

Not listed yet:

First Nerve

I Smell Therefore I Am

The Mystery of Musk - Craving

Craving by Ambrosia Jones of Perfume By Nature

There's a thin line between confidence and conceit. Even the most confident person may take a step back away from Craving, giggling before finally building up enough nerve to try it. This perfume makes a bold statement and anyone wearing it better be ready to walk the walk. Craving announces "I am here! Let the fun begin!" This potent potion opened with a boozy kick that caused me to draw my head back. It teased my nose with a hint of chocolate before giving in to a delicious cocoa delight and buttery caramel. Honestly, I'm not a fan of gourmand fragrances but Craving has captured my attention. It is rich and decadent bringing out the wild side. It is warm and honey sweet demanding closeness. Craving is beyond enchanting, beyond seductive. With notes of cocoa liquor, roasted nuts, Australian sandalwood, vetyver, ambrette seed, oud and hyraceum, it is lusciously hypnotic.

one word: lust

The Mystery of Musk - Tallulah B. & Tallulah B2

Tallulah B. by Jane Cate of A Wing And A Prayer Perfumes

Tallulah B. has a very soft and feminine opening with a burst of fresh cut flowers and a bit of powder. It brings to mind something old, something vintage. Not in a dusty, musty, moldy sense but rather a perfume worn in a time long past by a woman who is very comfortable in her femininity. Tallulah B. is quiet, clean, fresh and sophisticated. The florals of jasmine, muguet tincture, rose and linden blossom play well together and last from head to heart before taking a step back to allow the rich base including warm sandalwood and sensuous vetyver to come through. The florals are never far behind though. The freshness and femininity is ever present. Tallulah B. is an intriguing scent. Quite different from the other more earthy musks I've tried Tallulah B. catches you off guard. She sneaks up on you when you least expect it and beckons you to come closer.

one word: romance

Tallulah B2

Warm sweet cream infused with rich plump vanilla beans and fragrant rose petals. This is the impression I get when wearing Tallulah B2, the revised version of the perfume submitted by A Wing And A Prayer Perfumes for the Mystery of Musk Project. The florals of Tallulah B2 are not as intense as the first version yet very much in play. It is warmer, sweeter, creamier with an underlying earthiness. Head notes include grapefruit, mandarin & sweet orange with heart notes of rose and mimosa and base notes of vanilla and botanical musk. There is also a bit of rosewood. Tallulah B2 wraps its arms around you and makes you feel comfortable and at ease. The scent remains close to the body and hugs you gently. Tallulah B2 is quiet and pretty. Naturally pretty.

one word: alluring

The Mystery of Musk Project

What is the Mystery of Musk project? Get all the details here: Anya's Garden blog

Tomorrow is the big day to start posting reviews of the submitted musk perfumes from the perfumers of the Natural Perfumers Guild. I have thoroughly enjoyed this process and am grateful to have been able to participate. Thank you to all the perfumers for your wonderful creations. My reviews will be posted in no particular order. I can hardly wait to read what the other evaluators have to say.

If you're on Twitter search #momusk for The Mystery of Musk Project tweets. Below are the links for the perfumers and bloggers.

And don't forget...

There will be one full bottle sent to the bloggers from one of the perfumers for a giveaway. Each blogger will receive only one bottle. Basenotes will receive one bottle for a giveaway, chosen randomly from the perfumer’s selections. The Natural Perfumery Yahoo Group will also have one bottle given away, bottle size at the discretion of the perfumer, and may vary from 4mls upwards.

Participating Perfumers (site and blog):

Adam Gottschalk – Lord’s Jester - blog

Alexandra Balahoutis – Strange Invisible Perfumes

Alfredo Dupetit – BioScent by dupetit

Ambrosia Jones – Perfume by Nature - blog

Anya McCoy – Anya’s Garden Perfumes - blog

Charna Ethier – Providence Perfumes - blog

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz – DSH Perfumes - blog

Elise Pearlstine – Belly Flower Perfumes

Jane Cate - A Wing and a Prayer Perfumes

JoAnne Bassett – JoAnne Bassett Perfumes - blog

Lisa Fong – Artemisia Perfume

Nicholas Jennings – Sharini Parfums Naturels

Participating Bloggers:

I Smell Therefore I Am - Abigail Levin

Perfume Shrine - Elena Vosnaki

The Non Blonde - Gaia Fishler

Indie Perfumes - Lucy Raubertas

Bitter Grace Notes - Maria Browning

CaFleureBon - Michelyn Camen

Olfactarama - Pat Borow

First Nerve - Avery Gilbert

Olfactory Rescue Service - Ross Urrere

Grain de Musc - Denyse Beaulieu

Yahoo Natural Perfumery group evaluators (those without blogs will be posting to the group)

LisaA [that's me ~ you're already here ~ all is well :^) ]

Marla Robb

Chris Morrison - Joie Botanicals

Alfred Eberle

Pueblo - Mystery of Musk Perfumes

Basenotes evaluators (I'm not sure who the evaluators are) are blogging on the Basenotes site. Visit here to see the reviews.

The Buzz: Who's Talking About The Mystery of Musk Project

What the participating perfumers are saying:

Ambrosia of Perfume By Nature on her blog, Perfume By Nature

The Mystery of Musk Competition

JoAnne of JoAnne Bassett Perfumes on her blog Aromatic Journeys

The Mystery of Musk Project

What the participating bloggers are saying:

Perfume Shrine

The Mystery of Musk: Revolutionary Joint Project in Animalic Notes

Bitter Grace Notes

Musk Party

The Non-Blonde

The Mystery of Musk- A Joint Project

Also, check out Chris' blog Joie Botanicals. Chris is one of the members of the Yahoo Natural Perfumery group that was chosen as an evaluator.

Butterflies, Butterflies, Musky Little Butterflies

If you read my last post and followed the link to learn more about The Mystery of Musk project then you'll have read the part that states five members of the Yahoo Natural Perfumery group were to be randomly chosen to evaluate the musk perfumes made by the select group of natural perfumers. Well...I was selected as one of the evaluators! Oh-Em-Gee! I am excited and extremely nervous at the same time. This has already been a learning experience and if I don't pass out every time I think of evaluating then this will also be a very fun experience. Reviews will be posted here and other participating blogs the week of July 1-7. Click on the Mystery of Musk link above for the list of bloggers. Those chosen from the Yahoo group and Basenotes who have blogs will be added here as I get the links.

Ironically, before I learned that I was going to be an evaluator I had decided to step a little further out of my comfort zone and start blogging weekly about niche perfumers/natural perfumers whose perfumes I've had the pleasure of sampling. Tune in tomorrow to see who will be spotlighted.

Ohhh...there goes those darn butterflies again.

The Mystery of Musk - A Natural Perfumers Guild Project

Select perfumers of the Natural Perfumers Guild, perfume bloggers and Basenotes have come together on a project about the beloved musk! You can read more about it here: Anya's Garden blog.

Participating Perfumers:
Adam Gottschalk – Lord’s Jester
Alexandra Balahoutis – Strange Invisible Perfumes
Alfredo Dupetit – BioScent by dupetit
Ambrosia Jones – Perfume by Nature
Anya McCoy – Anya’s Garden Perfumes
Charna Ethier – Providence Perfumes
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz – DSH Perfumes
Elise Pearlstine – Belly Flower Perfumes
Jane Cate - A Wing and a Prayer Perfumes
JoAnne Bassett – JoAnne Bassett Perfumes
Lisa Fong – Artemisia Perfume
Nicholas Jennings – Sharini Parfums Naturels

Participating Bloggers:
I Smell Therefore I Am - Abigail Levin
Perfume Shrine - Elena Vosnaki
The Non Blonde - Gaia Fishler
Indie Perfumes - Lucy Raubertas
Bitter Grace Notes - Maria Browning
CaFleureBon - Michelyn Camen
Olfactarama - Pat Borow
First Nerve - Avery Gilbert
Olfactory Rescue Service - Ross Urrere
Grain de Musc - Denyse Beaulieu