Musk Khabib

You want to know what happened to Bortnikoff, why none of the newer fragrances last more than a couple of hours and even then they don’t project, and no sillage? And yes I bought my bottles from Bortnikoff. Some major reformulating took place around 2020. It’s not just Bortnikoff, many Niche and designer houses panicked in 2020 during Covid and reformulated their best sellers. They were not making the sales as ppl didn’t know what was going on were not buying unnecessary items. Sales in the beauty industry plummeted. But as things got back to normal, those crappy reformulated bottles are still out there floating around. I try to never buy any perfume made in 2020. You’d think they would reformulate back to the original formula but why should they? People don’t know what they did and the greedy slobs figure we will see the great reviews for the older formulas and buy the reformulated perfumes unknowingly. So many ppl thought they bought a fake. Nope, the only ones ripping us off are the perfume houses themselves. So now u know. It’s a terrible thing they’ve done but they all do it. There’s no Oud in any of your perfumes, just synthetics and accords. Same with rose oil. It’s all accords and cheap synthetics. Oud is VERY VERY expensive and so is rose oil. Now days the chemists who can create the most realistic floral or Oud perfumes using all synthetics are the ones in high demand. Many of the best perfumers sold out to Lauder or Shiseido or the many others. And what is the first thing they do, they have everything reformulated and done for much cheaper. With cheaper ingredients and notes and instead use more accords, more synthetics and very little natural ingredients, if any at all. Oh if ppl only knew the truth. This is why I look for vintage perfumes, and try to buy from small Niche and Indie houses. I love Ensar Oud, he’s got some of the most beautiful and complex smelling ouds and real Mysore sandalwood. And Areej Le Dore. I also love Papillon and Francesca Bianchi, Electimuss, Lorga, Profumum Roma, MDCI, TRNP and many others. And I happen to love Kerosene, I know he uses mostly synthetics but the man is a genius in creating perfumes. I’m not happy with Roja, the quality of his fragrances went down while prices went up. Another over hyped house with a greedy slob owner. But like I said, he’s just one of many many Niche houses who are all doing the same thing. And we keep buying their perfumes and they keep lowering the quality and raising the prices. They only get away with it because we, the consumer allow it. So bottom line we are to blame. Not me anymore. I’ve got enough fragrances to last me a few lifetimes. Any I finish, I won’t be repurchasing. Unless I feel the need to over spend at Ensar Oud.

The magical factor about Bortnikoff fragrances comes not only from the superb quality of natural materials, but also from the harmony of each formula, it feels very special when you wear these fragrances. His newest Musk Khabib is absolutely stunning, and it has taken me up to five wearings to figured it out and be able to build a solid opinion. Musk Khabib unfolds on first spray with a rich futuristic smelling ylang paired to bergamot and cardamom, the introductory floral accord alongside the citrus and spices packs a decadent creamy sweetness that is almost eatable, but within a matter of five minutes the composition goes through a big transformation, the ylang ylang retains its sweet bombastic aroma but at this point the bergamot begins to faint and the deer musk comes to the forefront, giving the fragrance a vintage musky floral quality that can no longer be found in new fragrances nowadays. At this portion of the fragrance everything else works around the musk and the ylang rounding the composition with fine nuances. The subtle jasmine presence further compliments the ylang, and the ambergris in combination with deer musk releases a sensual animalic aroma, while the oakmoss, vanilla and cedar wrap the stunning perfume in a majestic woody chypree foundation with semi sweet powdery contrasts. Musk Khabib reads on my skin as ultra luxury vintage meets modern, with a twist, as it feels perfumy but with that artisanal touch that Bortnikoff fragrances are known for. This is a jewel for fragrance collectors and lovers of legendary vintage masterpieces. If you’re looking into getting your next freshie or aventus inspired release, I say look elsewhere, but if you’re into fine olfactory experiences, and the art of perfumery, than Musk Khabib is the perfect scent for you.

I never thought I would like a yellow floral. I've grown massively into a deer musk (and musk in general) fanboy over the last year or two. I kept seeing this come up over and over as one of the best deer musk perfumes and I finally got myself a decant of it. I did my best not to read about the components, the longevity, etc. All I knew is it was heavy on ylang and that slightly worried me, to be frank. The first spray was a revelation. Ylang bomb for sure, with a subtle spiciness... and that musk! Once the initial ylang onslaught tames and your skin warms up and activates the musk (for those who didn't know, musk when cold tends to be "pissy", then your skin's warmth activates it and it tends to become much different), this becomes an absolute sexy bomb. Yet, it manages to keep itself reined in and not push out like crazy, meaning you can get away easily with this in a closed space without getting in trouble, unlike other houses whose musk can fill a room. I love a room filler a times when I want to make a statement but at times I want to be subtle, I want to let others come in close and entrance them. That's what happens with this. People were intrigued, asking me what it was. Yes, it's a shame it doesn't last more than 3-4 hours on skin (especially in cooler weather, this is safe in warm weather, at least the formulation I have) but this is the kind of stuff I'll wear to dinner or to a specific event so I'm fine with it. Heck, I'll just reapply. Now, I've since then read about reformulations and rumors and whatnot, I can't say if it's true or not but I'd love to experience of those "vintage" ones and see. Regardless of longevity, this is a beautiful, creamy, floaty and sexy floral musk. Gorgeous stuff.

Bortnikoff's Magnum opus! I usually try to give reviews from an objective standing, well not today! This masterpiece mesmerized me from the first sniff. Gentlemen and ladies this is how apotheosis smells like, this is the smell of Elysium! This is how you smell when you have drank from the holy grail and your once mortal carcass has ascendent to a higher state of being! Rejoice for brother Dimitri the alchemist has captured the royal succor of the heavens in a moderately priced flacon! On a serios note I would place this scent alongside chypre palatin as a contemporary vintage leaning frag with about that level of detail and complexity. Great quality and good performance. Some have said it turns into a skin scent fast, that's not my experience, it's actually quite strong in the opening hours. I won't bother to describe it because it really does it's own musky, flowery profile and musk can be subjective. But I will say it leans masculine but it's not a "manly man" scent. The price is high so definitely try to get a sample first. Cheers! Later thoughts: considering the foolish pricing of Diaghilev, this could be a great vintage centerpiece for a collection, alongside other not-as-ridiculously-priced vintage inspired fragrances. The quality of course is not on par, but it is no slouch either, especially given the price you are getting a good vintage musk to satisfy the ich.

Musk Khabib by Bortnikoff is not the feral beast that the name might imply... in fact, it would fit more the image of a gentleman in a silk robe rather than an MMA fighter. And before we start, I am not saying that the 2 can't coexist in the same person :D The opening greets you with bergamot’s brightness, spiced by cardamom and light nutmeg. Then comes the heart: a creamy (but not cloyingly sweet) resinous warmth that comes from a balsamic combination of ylang-ylang and cedarwood. The base is where MK differentiates itself from similar more mainstream compositions. The deer musk and ambergris with soft vanilla create a clean talcum-like vibe. Performance wise, on skin if we consider the final musky phase, MK remains easily detectable for around 12+ hours. In terms of projection, it is barely moderate but I suspect that it will radiate much more during warmer months. Overall, this is a well-made chypre with a slight tropical twist and a refined musk accent. I am getting used to Bortnikoff style now, and it is clearly different compared to other "artisanal brands". Dmitry's signature is much more centered on the (often floral) supportive notes rather than giving an overbearing relevance to ouds and/or animalic elements. MK is no exception... those who are yearning for skank and scandal might need to look elsewhere.