Musc – Pure Essence

I am not at all a musk-freak, but a lovely knowledgeable friend sent this to me, told me it was iconic and that I definitely HAD to smell it. And although I was quite fearful of the words "mushroom" "vintage" "damp" "patchouli" "cloves"etc... I absolutely LOVE it! It is timeless. Elegant. Beautiful. The cleanest smell I have ever had the pleasure of smelling. If somebody asked me to describe it, I would say that it smells like the most luxurious cashmere throw on a cold, cold day. Comforting. Warm. Gorgeous!and it's seriously addictive too, so beware. Yes, the price is high, but the juice is STRONG. a dab is really all you need, so a bottle will last you forever. Also, it is extremely blendable, I have layered it with some of my favourite scents and it always works beautifully. The quality is totally off-the-charts insane- I can even smell it after a shower! Totally unisex, it would be an amazing gift for any perfume enthusiast and an absolute must-have I think... and get the oil if you can, I heard it's completely different/the best version from all the other variations! 10/10!

The part most people don't like about this is my favourite part, the opening with the dirt/fungus smell. To me it's naturally sweet dirt with beautiful clean musk, not shrill the way I can find a lot of clean musks to be. I would have bought myself a full bottle and lived in it but I find when it starts to dry down the "dirt" factor goes away and I'm left with a rather masculine musk, at least it does this on my skin, not sure if others find that. I stays on the manly side for a good 3 hours or so then dries down more and become more unisex/feminine as it seems to get a bit sweeter (but is by no means sugary sweet, a natural sweetness is the best I can describe it) and I love this phase too and it last for about 3-4 hours. If the masculine phase didn't last so long this one would be mine, and I still consider it just because I love the opening and dry down that much.

This perfume oil is definitely not your standard white musk. It has an odd, mushroom-y odor to begin with, and reminds me of the smell of the rotting wood-chip mulch that I spread on the garden after the pile has been sitting around all winter and has various sorts of fungi growing in it. It also has pronounced woody notes, like fresh-cut lumber from an aged tree. After about 15 minutes the sillage gets up to speed and is quite strong. Yes, it’s musk, but a mellow, spicy, earthy, woody musk instead of a skanky one. It doesn’t change a lot, but the fungal notes do subside a bit, leaving a uniquely earthy-smelling musk that lasts for 6-8 hours. I tend to like musks anyway, and I especially like this one for its unique qualities. If someone gave me a decent amount of the stuff, I’d wear it frequently. I’m debating whether it should go on my “get a decant someday” list.

Like many of you, I too discovered Acampora’s Musc through Katie Puckrik. Indeed, as she attests, this potion is magical, sexy, magically sexy. At first dab/spray, it’s all musky, loamy, earthy—yes, mushrooms (!!!) on a forest’s floor. But wait—this must contain some eye of newt and/or toe of frog—it’s as if a witch has conjured this liquid to life! As Musc takes form during its wear, you find yourself no longer in the wooded forest depths, but emerging into a clearing: gleaming brightness, the scent of a musky, herbal soap. A truly beloved, but beguiling, fragrant journey.

Ok, this one tears my heart and brain apart. It's a equally love and hate feeling. I hate animalistic scents that has musk and patchouli stand out like this one, but this one have the softness and sweetness that I love. Its sexy and addictive. At first sniff, it's a medicinal animalistic scent that remind me of the traditional Chinese herb store. The scent get softer quickly and stay that way the whole time. Its like morphine, bad and addictive.