Egyptian Musk

There is something so incredibly comforting about Musk in perfumery. This, to me, is the ideal form. I discovered Nemat's Egyptian Musk in my local Whole Foods (can that sound any worse?). Since day one, it's been a love affair. And though I've tried to move on, I keep coming back for more. How does it smell? It smells archaic - but in a venerable way. Something royal. The musk is complex and dense. Attars tend to have the latter quality, but not necessarily the former. This is more than a simple, fresh, clean, musk. This has character and distinctness. Upon application, I get notes of amber, dank patchouli, and an almost camphorous bottom. All I can say is, it's glorious. As with most oils, the scent is linear and stays close to skin, but presents with impressive projection for an attar. Longevity is also good. Solidly unisex. I can't help but feel it's become the "old reliable" in my collection, as it's simply perfect in so many ways. Want to smell clean, but not boring? Wear it on it's own. Want to boost other fragrances? Layer this first and spray over it. It only compliments whatever you combine it with. Layer this with Molecule 01 and people will be all over you. Highly recommended and well worth it's humble price tag.

Oils usually wear pretty linear on me, whether they be high end, niche or grocery store chic, linearity is the theme. But this Egyptian musk is a roller coaster, and I’ll try to describe the different stages to help people decide whether to buy it or not since it’s hard to find (by the way Nemat is sold at Follow your Heart in the San Fernando Valley-the whole line). The first thing you need to know is that the opening is sharp and pungent, almost aggressive with what appears to be aldehydes and a nose piercing powder that can be uncomfortable, but fear not, let it sit for 10-20 minutes and you get a powdery floral that’s better than the opening but it’s not your final destination. Another 10 minutes and the Egyptian musk that can be found in the Narciso Rodriguez line emerges, way more powerful than Narciso’s oil, this is more like the pink edp with even more musk. After several hours you get a sweaty clean white musk that’s light but detectable. Recommended for musk fiends only.

Nemat's Egyptian Musk is a really interesting scent -- in a good way! To my nose, it doesn't resemble the musk in either SJP Lovely (which I don't especially like) or NR For Her (which I love). Rather, this musk has almost a mineral-ly, metallic quality, closer to the musk in Reminiscence Patchouli Blanc -- itself a really interesting fragrance. Egyptian Musk is the kind of musk you find in the beautiful, insanely inexpensive, and decidedly unisex Paul Sebastian Fine Cologne or in the rich 1932 classic, Tabu, by Dana. Egyptian Musk is neither a clean, white laundry musk, nor is it a dirty, animalic musk; instead, it's a musk redolent of the warm ground and concrete -- petrichor? -- when the summer rain starts falling late in the afternoon. It's a really nice, warm, powdery, non-floral, un-sweet musk that I have really come to appreciate. <3

This perfume oil is a great value not to mention that it smells terrific, sort of like incense and musk. Some of the Nemat oils take a while to macerate but this perfume smells strong right away. It's good for layering or wearing solo and lasts a decent amount of time for an oil. The scent sits close to the skin and it better for days when you want a low-key scent. This would be good for a signature as it's special without being too showy. This is one of the more unisex or universal Egyptian Musks I feel. It would be just as good on a man. If you like EM, I highly suggest you give this one a try. It's really a standout.

I’m obsessed, it smells sweet, clean, warm, musky. Does smell like incense but I like the smell of this way more than incense. Sits close to the skin as with any oil. It’s indescribable, the citrus isn’t screechy at all, the fresh clean notes balance out the warm musk perfectly. Definitely a more feminine scent due to how sweet it is. It smells like fresh laundry but with a distinct warmth, earthiness & groundedness. Well blended in perfect harmony. I wear this all the time, even to bed. Very inoffensive and pleasant scent overall, I could never get tired of this smell. 9.5/10