JEANNE RIDEAU words
MARION MAIMON photography

Please note that each image is credited with reference codes, listed at the end of this editorial.

MUSK, A PURE AND INTIMATE OLFACTIVE EXPERIENCE

JEANNE RIDEAU words
MARION MAIMON photography

Please note that each image is credited with reference codes, listed at the end of this editorial.

Smelling musk could be translated into the sensation of being inside a comfortable bubble of sweetness, a bed of white cotton looking like an endless field of clouds one can see from the window of a plane. Present into the three following fragrances, musk is brilliantly associated into three different compositions.

Created in 2018 by in-house Chanel Nose Olivier Polge, 1957 is a powdery fragrance where white musks embrace head notes of bergamot, iris and neroli followed by honey, coriander and pink pepper as heart notes. The base notes gather cedar, vanilla, alongside the white musks. The overall creates a sweet harmony of floral and woody notes.

The bottle has a minimalist style based on two colours: black and beige, a reference to the timeless shoes created by Gabrielle Chanel in 1957, also a year of success in the U.S for the designer and her brand.

For L’Artisan Parfumeur, musks have led to a fruity and floral scent: “Mûre et Musc”. This fragrance is actually the first perfume of L’Artisan Parfumeur, created in 1978 by Jean-François Laporte. The inspiration comes from the olfactive memory of harvesting berries harvest on a sunny day at the countryside. Musk is known for being the ingredient “fixing” a scent, so why could it not fix a memory?

The composition unexpectedly gathers musk and berries, alongside basil, lemon, mandarin and orange as head notes, with berries and other fruits from the forest as heart notes closing on base notes composed of oak moss and white musks.

White musk is the fetish ingredient of Narciso Rodriguez and undoubtedly present in the latest fragrance “Pur Musc For Her”. Sonia Constant, the Nose behind the scent, starts with a bunch of white flowers (jasmine and orange blossom) as head notes, married with musk and Kashmir woods as heart notes and associated with base notes of amber and patchouli. The composition results in a floral scent, celebrating the sensuality and femininity of Narciso Rodriguez’s muse and its obsession with musk.

The bottle also introduces a bicolour packaging, where black (symbol of mystery) and white (symbol of purity) translate an idea of chiaroscuro and duality, illustrating the contrasts of a woman’s personality.

Fragrance

[FR01] L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR Eau de Toilette “Mûre et Musc”, 100ml 115€ • [TOP] Basil, Amalfi Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Orange [HEART] Blackberry and Red Berries [BASE] Musk and Oakmoss. [FR02] CHANEL Eau de Parfum “Les Exclusifs — 1957”, 200ml 320€ • A sensual accord of white musk is delicately fashioned with floral notes of bergamot, iris and neroli, woody notes of cedar, powdery accents and a hint of honey. A luminous scent, a statement to the timeless style of Chanel. [FR03] NARCISO RODRIGUEZ Eau de Parfum “Pure Musc for Her”, 100ml 77,50€ • [TOP] Musk [MIDDLE] Flowers [BASE] Cashmeran.