Musc Shamal

Since its announcement, Musc Shamal has been on my radar. The idea of an oriental with both fresh and animalic edges—as well as the showcase of novel aldehyde “Noreenal”— were the source of this excitement. Having finally received my bottle and played around with Musc Shamal, I can comfortably say that the scent delivers in both beauty and finesse. As others have echoed here in the review section, this composition is primary one of common notes—amber and musk. However, perfumer Julie Massé skillfully elevated the fragrance’s core with a beautiful, slightly fruity floral blend that develops nicely along the powdery cedar and aldehydes. These meticulously constructed accords unfold from a moderately projecting opening—where Noreenal’s futuristic citrusy freshness is contrasted with a paradoxically “dirty” musk reminiscent of sand dust—to a base where the translucent simplicity of the amber and florals is showcased. Musc Shamal’s transition from opening to base occurs around the 1.5 to 2-hour mark. During my first wearing, I was caught off guard by the sudden drop from moderate to soft projection that occurred during this transition and thought the scent was about to vanish. Surprisingly however, the base notes continued to project softly until the 10 to 11-hour mark, making for a surprisingly solid longevity. For most of its duration, Musc Shamal melded beautifully with my chemistry and wore like a light second skin. All in all, Musc Shamal is a strangely addicting concoction. It's unisex, signature scent worthy and could be worn year-round. It's a standout in my collection and my favorite release of 2019. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 9/10 Projection: 6.5/10 Originality: 9/10 Overall (not an average): 9.5/10 Batch used for review: 62S500W

That's what the hugs of the person closest to you smell like. Perhaps that's what your mother smelled like when you were a child, who hugged you and gave off this expensive but very cozy care fragrance, without a hint of vintage and retro sound. If you are looking for a beautiful musky fragrance of purity or want to smell luxurious purity, which will not have all those sparkling kirke-like vanilla musks, as well as grandmother's musk in the style of musk cashmere or the aroma of cheap powder and soap in the style of tessori white musk, then you don't have to look anymore, it's in front of you. This is a collective image of expensive care cleanliness and a spa salon. Imagine that you are lying in a bathtub with a lot of Dove foam, rose petals are slowly floating on the surface of the water, an aromatic candle with amber is burning next to it, creating a shimmering atmosphere of comfort and tranquility. You close your eyes and everything around you becomes unimportant, there is only you and this feeling of peace. This fragrance has about the same vibe. The scent works according to the principle of the 25th frame, i.e. it imperceptibly smooths out the emotional environment around, so it is suitable for girls and men with a stressful lifestyle or prone to stress. The perfect perfume for a romantic date or meeting.

I swear this is the lovechild of Musc Ravageur and Oscar by Oscar de la Renta. Oscar was my signature perfume for a good 15 years. I find MS to be alluring, captivating, attention grabbing, flirty, good girl - bad girl (or boy), the type who means business during the day at work, but lets her hair down at night when she is getting down and dirty. I imagine this to be equally alluring on a man in that women would find him irresistible. I only managed around 7 hours of this in terms of longevity so for me, I'd be spraying clothes as well as putting it on my body, and then touching it up during the night to amp it up again. Projection was great for the first 2-3 hours. I feel the cost is cryworthy considering I don't get at least 10-12 hours out of it. It is for that reason I would suggest others try it before throwing copious amounts of money at the retailer.

A sensual wind with a rather harsh opening of rose and jasmine. Musc Shamal is the embodiment of dynamic movement and energy, creating a pulsating combination of heat and the burning sun in the desert. The hypnotic musk-theme is modernized with rose and mixed to a golden liquid with amber and cedar-wood. To me it’s a powdery scent that is a dance between light and dark with so many contrasts, it captures your attention immediately. The freshness of aldehyds gives this mighty musk cloud more substance and balances jasmine and citrus notes. It’s a captivating and enveloping fragrance, suited for all amber lovers and fans of oriental scents. Give it at least half an hour to develop, it needs time to shine with its full potential and lasts all day on my skin!.It reminds me of Myrrhe Impériale from the Armani Privé collection.

Musc Shamal is an incredibly addicting and enjoyable take on clean, soapy musks which I really enjoy. It opens with a thick, soapy cloud of aldehydes with a touch of citrus to aid that fresh kick, before the musk presents itself. Most likely ambrette has been used here for that musky accord, it’s sweet and clean yet does have a subtle hint of bitterness to it which is lovely. Soft rose and Jasmine add to the cleanliness of the scent, while vanilla and cedar enhance the powdery, sweet facets. This is a strange one to me - my mind keeps switching between whether I love it or not, but I think I do. It’s a great addition to any aldehyde lover’s collection, and is a brilliant interpretation of ambrette. This is one of my go to’s when I want something clean, simple and sophisticated without getting bored.