Musk Lave

This is quite similar to the still available Areej le Dore Al Majmua What's the difference? Musk Lave does the bergamot in a more lush, smooth way. It's the weak point of Al Majmua, very sharp and piercing there Musk Lave is a bit sweeter, kind of syrupy. More dense (extrait vs EDP) and uniform compositionally. There's a more leathery quality to Lave. The deer musk leaves a subtle chocolatey note. They dry down very similarly - a gorgeous, earthy, somewhat musky, powdery orris. Al Majmua is a bit more spicy, lighter, more airy, more powdery, accents the florals. For $190 MSRP, given the choice, I'd pick Majmua every time to support Russian Adam. It beats $500-$1000 and supporting the secondary market in this instance Musk Lave is good, don't get me wrong. More of a collectors piece at this point.

I get a leathery vibe from this like a really dry, clean saddle or something. I have to really dig to pick out the lavender and when I do detect it, it's only the menthol-esque part of lavender... the blending is super smooth. Opening is a little smoky/funky but when it starts to dry down after 20-30 mins this starts to balance out and the other nuances come forward. At this point it smells so fresh and thought it is powdery, it's dry and fresh. I love it. Might need a back up bottle. I feel this is more overlooked than others from ALD and as such is still available for good prices. I tried before buying which is always smart but if you like Adam's other stuff then you should be fine with this too.

Quite possibly the best lavender on the market currently. In the opening you'll get this aged bergamot. It is as if the acidity from the fruit has been removed, and you are left with just the pure fruit smell. Delightful. Osmanthus is just a whisper providing that little extra touch to the florals that soften that lavender a bit. Musk is so expertly blended you might not even think this was a natural deer musk perfume. This juice is beyond smooth. Easy for anyone to like. Maybe a little sweeter than most people might expect but this is a welcome aspect of the fragrance for me. The base of mostly oakmoss and labdanum is made only smoother from the addition of iris. Another winner from Russian Adam.

Fortune does indeed favour the bold. This fragrance is like no other and I still haven't figured out if I like it. I know I am happy I own it, I know it is unique, I know that it uses crazy rare ingredients that spans over a century and trots through the entire globe to create a "fougere like no other". But, I don't know if I love it. Russian Adam loves animalics, and this possibly is best described as the best anamalic fougere on the market. But as it is bold, daring and risky - it cannot then be mass appealing. So by design, it will be loved and not liked. Therefore, sample for sure before buying but do sample because this does display extraordinary talent and aptitude.

OMG the first 90 seconds of this is amazing, like nothing I've ever experienced. then, it all changes. Then, the lavender, musk and bergamot start knocking about, and even though it's still nice and pleasant, it isn't as nice as the beginning. The beginning teleports me somewhere. When I was a kid, probably, and almost certainly something to do with food. Maybe those pink musk candies. And then, when that shifts, I'm shaken out of my trance. I'm slapped out of a stupor, I'm like a fiend that finally sees when all the dope is gone, or something similar. The musk finally overpowers the lavender and citrus, and then the dry down begins. I love that opening, though...