Musc Tonkin

Opens with a spicy, waxy, indolic floral accord. I’m no floral expert but my impression here is of jasmine and ylang ylang, possibly alongside tuberose, carnation, and lily. As it dries down, the connection between that opening and the promised animalics becomes clear, as the waxy and indolic characteristics of the initial bouquet intensify. I wonder whether there might be just a hint of frankincense bolstering the spicy warmth that now comes to the fore. The floral indole becomes more clearly animalic, with sabaceous, fatty, and slightly fecal nuances. To me this is potentially a much more challenging animalic accord than that of MKK, but I love it. New players also seem to join the bouquet in the first hour, with the initial creamy/waxy white number taking on a rosier hue. Somehow animalic florals always seem the most perverse to me. Even Keiko Mecheri’s innocent-on-paper Oliban becomes surprisingly sexy once the ambergris rears its head. This is no exception and is perhaps the most emphatic exploration of the synergy of flora and fauna on the market. On my skin the middle notes seem to include honey, sandalwood, the barest vanilla, and a hefty dose of oakmoss. The Venus in splendor of the first act turns out to have a masculine side: less the Venus of the Romans than Dietrich as Joseph von Sternberg’s Blonde Venus. Whether she’s wearing a top hat and tails or a gorilla suit is up to you. At this point the fragrance is somehow both glamorous and cozy. Where the opening suggests sumptuous silk gowns of bygone days, the middle suggests (and I mean this in the best way) a well worn jean jacket, perfectly constructed but warmed by the body and frayed enough to give it a certain je ne sais quois. As the day stretches on, MT remains present as a slightly slightly floral, very animalic spicy chypre. While less challenging in this phase, the scent remains engaging, seeming at once to be dusty and waxy, luscious and desiccated. All the while you can rely on a hazy, powdery, slightly metallic musk with a civet-like depth to anchor things. To me this fragrance is sensual, cozy, yet put together. Perfect for a formal occasion but maybe less so for a professional one. I agree with other reviewers that this has a vintage feel, almost a fantasy of what perfume once was. While I adore it, the opening of this fragrance does seem to me to be resolutely womanly, which is why I have never bought a bottle despite loving and wearing samples for years in the privacy of my own home. Maybe someday soon I will lean into the spicy indoles, earthy oakmoss, and that lingering fatty, animalic goodness. And apply 30 minutes before leaving the house. I also agree with some others that this perfume has a Kiehl’s original musk vibe. But where the floral character of that blend often feels distracting to me, here the whole point seems to be a kind of figure-ground ambiguity between plant and animal. I should also say this is the ONLY fragrance I have ever seen my cat take an interest in.

It was 2012, a year that I consider a turning-point in the history of perfumery; it is when very acclaimed brands started heavily reformulated many of their scents, changing their DNA. In that panorama Marc Antoine Corticchiato released his take on deer musk (forbidden since 1979) with a limited release of 1000 bottles of Musc Tonkin, classified as an extract de parfume. I am lucky enough to have bought one of those bottles; in 2014 they releaseed an eau de parfum version which feels different, less pungent. Then Parfum d'Empire came back to release the extrait version like the current one. Note that the latter is closer to the 2014 eau de parfum than the original 2012 extrait. Here I will describe my experience with the original 2o12 Musc Tonkin, but note that the differences are not that much. In a following review I will make an attempt to deconstruct the current version by chemical components. MK'opening is a pure blast of animalistic skank that feels concentrated perhaps painful to current noses, but then it settles into something quite sexy. I say this because MK is an old-school floral chypre: the musks are the base to make a floral accord splendid. My guess of notes would be: Orange Blossom/Neroli, Gardenia's accord, Ylang-Ylang, Peach, Cumin and, possibly, Coumarin. Middle: Jasmine Sambac, Damask Rose, Narcissus, Honey, Labdanum, and Patchouli. Base: Musk, Civet/Castoreum, Angelica root, Oakmoss, Tonka Beans, and, possibly, Benzoin and Vanilla. There is a strikingly interesting contrast between the fatty animalic skin and hair and the floral and slightly fruity heart. There is a leather, slightly urinous and barn-yardy undertone (p-cresyl phenil acetate? that could be responsible for that narcissus feeling I get). I detect something slighly hearthy, extremely intimate, carnal that smells of panties: cumin and other spices are in this juice. You cannot get that urinous undertones without civet which I think is missing from today's version. And when the floral heart finally emerges, I am blown away by its beauty. I smell very creamy, indolic flowers that I suspect are gardenia and ylang-ylang. The latter’s buttery notes are redolent of slightly banana-like custard, and they add a necessary softness to the pungency of the oakmoss and the intimacy of that funk. The leather note remains but it is no longer raw, pungent or rough as it was in those opening minutes. Softened by the florals, it is smoother and extremely subtle. In the late drydown I feel some tonka undertones, a faint woodiness, benzoin, and a touch of vanilla. It’s quite erotic and seductive, and calls to mind the famous nudes from Delacroix or Rubens. Please, consider following me on IG @alexolympia6

My fragrance journey has been made up of many smaller, often repeated "note journeys" in which I smell a range of perfumes themed on notes in which I'm temporarily interested. Musk is the single earliest olfactory memory I have, as my mother wore White Musk for my whole childhood and, since becoming a frag nerd, I've smelled a long list of others. Musc Tonkin I find it quite far down the animalic end of musks, but animalics are a path with many branches, and determining if something is "more" or "less" animalic than something else rapidly becomes impossible, as what each of us finds disturbing/ illicit varies widely. Musc Tonkin, to my nose, opens with a super heavy middle-animalic musk which is cloaking an enormous heap of warmly rotting flowers. Not quite as sweet as ylang-ylang, but further down the yellow end of the floral spectrum, there's a warm, sweaty, intensely humid sensation which deletes any freshness from the musk and renders the whole thing particularly dirty and unwashed. It's really a wonderful smell - think stale genital sweat mixed with lots of soft, pillowy musks and intense floral heat - it's somewhere down the more feminine side of naughty, with a petal-like, quivering sensitivity which, I think, is meant to give the scent its eroticism. I like it a lot but I do have my qualms - it's a lot "hotter", heavier and thicker than my favourite musks (MKK and Kiehl's). I find Musc Tonkin reminds me just slightly of waking up while ill, with sweat caking my bedsheets and a staleness in the cloistered air of the room - if a giant took me in their fist and exhaled over my whole body it would smell rather like this. A feverish musk. In the mid-to-drydown Musc Tonkin doesn't change a huge amount but it softens considerably and the hot florals mercifully retreat into a gentle, background butteriness. Now with some air in it, the scent opens up and becomes a less challenging wear. This is great from the standpoint of wearability but I think MT's distinctiveness starts to give way ever so slightly, and in the far drydown it could easily be the dregs of any quality white/yellow floral scent with a generous heap of powder-clean, admittedly vintage-inflected musks. The journey is an interesting arc, and it makes me feel like I'm being smothered by a naked torso under several quilts. Overall, however, I think I prefer the more saline Kiehl's or rosy-spiky-ambery MKK to MT, but for hardcore white/ yellow floral lovers this is a great one to try.

First spray. There must be a cat in this perfume store. She just peed. Someone should clean it up and put the animal outside so I finally could test the perfume. Five minutes later. I wonder why people tell that MKK is an offending fragrance. MKK is a sweet and innocent floral garden compared to Musc Tonkin. Well, there is cumin in MKK, but who does not like cumin? They must be evil people. Cumin is nice. However, this MT is fighting me hard. Is it something with my nose? I wonder whether it’s legal to wear fragrances like this in public. Two hours later. I don’t like it. And I wonder why I keep smelling myself if I don’t like it. I usually remove those perfumes I don’t like from my body. I do have a soap. But I did not remove this one. Let me smell it again. Next day. I don’t know whether I like it or not. And what if I do? How many people will be offended? Would any woman talk to me when I wear this one? But why would I wear it at all? Third day. I spray it on my chest in a larger dose and wear it for hours. I remove my shirt and I go running. I come home. I lie on the bed. I put the shirt on my chest and smell it. A memory lurking in the corners on my subconscious mind knocks on the door. Four years ago I opened a white paper box hidden in my treasury. There was a black panties in it. It had been lying there for at least 2-3 years. I could remember putting it there, however, I couldn’t remember who left it in my apartment. I smelled it. My eyes teared up. It was the best woman scent I have ever smelled. Even after 2 years it was so perfect it touched my soul. I wanted to cry. “I should have married this woman, whatever she looked like. I would be happy with her for the next 100 years. How could I forget who she was? I must find her. Or someone who smells like her.” So far I have not found anyone smelling as good as the forgotten woman smelled, even though I have been trying hard. And now, Musc Tonkin reminds me that fragrance. It’s not the same. It’s able to recall it. Finding this fragrance lifts the burden from my shoulders after many years. There is hope. There is salvation.

Marc-Antoine Corticchiato seems to have created a homage to the massive musk bombs of the 70s and 80s with Musc Tonkin. If that wasn't his intention, I'm completely fooled. I don't follow the impressions others have of Musc Tonkin being animalic and "filthy." As someone who grew-up on and around farms, an avid outdoorsman, and sometimes-hunter, I've smelled animal musks and other excrement and this doesn't put me in mind of those experiences or memories at all. Instead, what I get is completely an old-school/retro powdery floral chypre that would make Jean-Paul and Edmond raise an eyebrow and nod in approval. Though that nod of approval would likely pique their curiosity to use Musc Tonkin as a base because, basically, that's all this perfume is: a very well-crafted musk base. Not much is going on besides. The opening has touches of bitter green herbs but they are so minute and fleeting that you could almost safely ignore them. What follows is simply that floral chypre musk base. But, before you get any ideas that this is a criticism, it's this simplicity that is Musc Tonkin's winning formula. Corticchiato did such a wonderful job composing this musk accord that it would almost be a shame to overlay it with a bunch of other stuff. Soapy musky, resinous, a touch sweaty/salty and dirty (animalic), a note of clean and smooth suede, and containing the perfectly silken fine threads of indolic jasmine weaving their way in and out of the musk material(s). It is gorgeous, and gorgeously simple. I would surmise that this could be easily worn year round, yes even in the summer, but it's exothermic nature requires the wearer to be careful; in high heat and humidity it could probably be close to suffocating if too much is applied, but as is typical of an extrait in the classic form I'm finding it staying very close to my skin on this balmy spring day (and lasting forever). Well done, Mr. Cortichhiato, for taking us on a wonderful trip down memory lane.

When talking about this one(EDP version, to be precise), the one sure thing everybody can easily spot is a true-to-life musk note. A faint leather note is in the background. The heart is enriched with a touch of flowers. There may be some spice in the opening. Above all that - musk, and a lot of it. Very natural and animalic musk, with nothing antiseptic, detergent-alike or 'white' about it, until the very end when it becomes slightly soapy. That's all I spot in Musc Tonkin, but I don't think Corticchiato wanted too much complexity when he made this one. All that being said, the way it's mannered and measured makes it less challenging than, say, MKK. I must agree with some reviewers that this one smells more like an enhanced skin scent than like an animal secretion. The one thing to have in mind, though, is it can deceive you into thinking it has no sillage, but it can be spotted from afar even if moderately applied - it just doesn't seem like that to the wearer. Longevity is solid - on my skin it lasted for seven hours before I took a shower, and I could still feel the traces of it after that for an hour or two. One more thing. I couldn't help but think how good this one can be for layering. I feel it can bring a hell of a lot of character to a less challenging composition, it can strengthen its base and give a bit of a dirty charm to it. It doesn't mean this one is not good by itself, it is. It's just that its simplicity and linearity, while not lacking in quality, can make a wonderful addition to pretty much everything you can imagine. Generally, this is not what I look for in a perfume, but, with this one, I kept sniffing the bottle, the blotter and my forearm all the time I possibly could. Right now, I'm enchanted, but maybe it's just the way I feel today. My opinion can change the next time I try it. I hope it won't. 9,25/10

Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, I love you. Must tonkin is a gift you could leave as a legacy. Thank you for this creation, for your boldness, for your "no fucks given" attitude. I bought the extract when it came out in 2008 i think. I have always loved animalics especially those with a vintage feel to them. Nowadays I also own the eep. Must tonkin is one of my absolute favorite perfumes, maybe even my signature (schhhhhhh don't tell her) The extrait is a beast with devilish intentions until it mellows into kitty fur bedazzled with diamonds and champagne. This woman is regal, a tsarine. I hate to gender label fragrances or notes for that matter but this is feline to me. Very noir, very red nail polish, perfect locks and a dress that can kill. She comes out guns blazing and sips on a cocktail after the inferno has burned out. The edp however is somewhat different. The notes are easier to get a sense of. I get white flowers, mostly gardenia and jasmine with a good dollop of lily of the valley. Oakmoss (that seems to be a favorite with this brand) some aldehydes, civet and a lot of africa stone. Theres also something sweet behind, maybe a sweetness in one of the different muscs used. She's still a lady but she doesn't mean any harm, however she's a femme fatale the old school way. She's in black and white, she knows all the tricks and she lures and seduces you. I love the edp. She always gets me compliments and she gives me erotic dreams. I have owned two bottles of Music koublai khan that I love dearly, but must tonkin will forever be my favorite skank.

Musc Tonkin. I have a bottle of the EDP (not the limited edition parfum extrait pictured above). This penetrating beauty earns a well-warranted appreciation for its alluring impression of natural deer musk and the ability for it to make me feel elegant, regal, sensual, natural, warm, comfortable, confident and fortified. Musc Tonkin's one-note description truly compels me to read this as delicately sweet animalic musk. As I relax into this scent, it becomes a doe in heat frolicking among wild jasmine bushes (despite deer musk being derived from stags). As it fuses with my being it becomes of human flesh. Initially I detect lactonic fruit nuances of apricot and a hint of melon -- clean with a delicate ferment. A gentle bite of bitterness, metal, aquatic, ozonic like celery seed balances the musk as it rises. Rather reminiscent of civet, equally as rich, but softer and more refined, there is a sulfurous, nitric component, a little sour, fatty and salty like fresh human sweat; sweet mossy tar oddly meconium-like; tempered with spicy elegant petals like carnations and saffron. Chypre floral indeed. Fascinating. Beautiful. Predecessors that come to mind: the animalic musky drydown of Opium vintage, the mysterious sulfurous cystine amino acid (crystalline amber) accord of Costume National Scent Intense, the enigmatic equine soapy floral-leather blend in Cuir de Russie. Yet somehow Musc Tonkin culminates into something quieter but still strong and even more corporeal. Lush and serene. Pregnant with possibilities.

2014 EDP release. Musc Tonkin extrait is one deep and dense animalic perfume. An instant love from first sniff, and one of the bottles I treasure the most in my collection. Mostly because of its exclusivity. The EDP takes the same formula and makes it airier, slightly less potent. It's still one of the most animalic perfumes currently available, so lovers of vintage feeling orientals don't fear. I don't feel it's a different perfume, just less dense. The top and middle notes are more easily discernible. The base notes take longer to arrive. Also the notes are more recognizable this time; the gardenia is more prominent with its mushroom facet, the oakmoss, the leathery castoreum, the urinous civet, the furry musk. Plus it hasn't lost the intense saltiness I love from the extrait. ('Turd on the water' like Gaia so accurately said) If you like one, you'll like the other. I can save the extrait for special occasions and use the EDP to indulge without fear of running out. Sillage and longevity are still remarkable. And people who smell it actually remark that it smells very sexy. So even though it's quite heavy it won't scare people. I also have a feeling that a light spritz in the summer will liven up any simpler perfume, particularly colognes, and glorify white florals. Let's hope it stays permanent in the collection this time! And MAC, if you're reading how about a second batch of the extrait? Please??!! :-))

Musc Tonkin is a creative masterpiece. It comes off as a very warm, very fluffy floral. It’s soft, round and pungent. It smells quite “purple” and it has no sharp edges whatsoever. As a matter of fact, it’s so round and slick, it’s downright oily. I see why this may not be the easiest scent to appreciate unless you know what you’re getting into. You might not like it the first time you wear it. Personally, I was somewhat lukewarm about it at first, but give it a chance, because the moment it clicks is worth waiting for. It doesn’t project a lot, although it does last, and in the air it doesn’t really smell like a perfume. It smells like a person. Not someone who just came out of the shower, but more like someone who took a shower this morning and wore a nice floral scent, but now it’s the end of the day and they’re coming back from work. Some of the most comforting, intimate scents you’ll encounter in your life are not necessarily 100% clean and presentable. Oftentimes they’re lived in, they’re imperfect, and the sense of comfort you gain from them stems from familiarity, of having embraced those imperfections. Musc Tonkin feels like one of those scents. This isn’t something I’d necessarily wear to feel presentable around other people, but it’s the perfect thing to wear to bed, at home or when you crave a bit of intimacy.

Musc Tonkin by Parfum d'Empire--I'm not a musk lover, but this is not your every day, the usual and boring, musk. It's a super velvety animalic with an extreme intensity, warm and sensual scent. It develops slowly and every 7 to 10 minutes it reaches my nostrils forcing me to take a deep breath, inhaling the most beautiful mixture of powdery notes, rose petals and possibly violets. I don't need to smell my arm--the scent is all around me. It doesn't matter if I apply a little, then it's soft and shy but it grows with time and it becomes mature and round. If I apply a lot, it's intense from the start but it never gets too animalic and dirty. I even wish it was a little dirty, but to my surprise this scent is heavenly the way it is. Oh, and it's extremely sexy--warms up my skin and my senses, wishing to be touched, kissed... I love how it plays games with my imagination. I would say it's a unisex fragrance but it does lean more toward the feminine side because of the soft floral notes. The longevity is about 8-9 hours (which is a lot on me), and sillage is pretty huge. It's not loud or overwhelming and it gets compliments even from strangers.

There are lots of missing notes in the note description above and this fragrance has much more than just musk. On my skin, Musc Tonkin is a very floral Chypre smelling sensual, slightly powdery baby skin like with lots of floral undertone. It opened with a somewhat sweet fruity citrus and Labdanum combo. I recognised something peachy, creamy, fatty, and lactonic that resembles the scent from Aldehyde C-14 mixed with Bergamot and Labdanum. I also smelled a distinct Civet note among other animalic musk mingling with some unidentifiable flowers. I also detected a hint of seaweed and somewhat metallic notes within. As the scent developed, there was a woodiness added to it and a mossy note became more noticeable in the late dry down. I do not find this fragrance dirty like many people said; however, I do find it quite sexy as it sort of smell like warm human skin. As I have never smelled natural Tonkin Musk before, I do not know how closed this fragrance is resembling the real thing. Musc Tonkin has moderate sillage and quite long lasting on my cooler than average skin.

Wowser!!! I'm surprised this isn't talked about or in the top 10 animalic fragrances list. 1 spray on my wrist and delicate transfer onto pulse points - It is quintessentially feminine. Like a woman's skin. Beautiful, delicate, alluring, mysterious and captivating. Almost feline, a cat that's rubbed up against me, purring. 2 or more sprays and it steadily warms on body heat, growing into a wild cat on the prowl, a panther, a jaguar, a man-eater. No, the scent isn't a castoreum like wet dog but a distinctly large feline presence. Slowly encroaching it's hunting ground. Something tells me this is the real deal animalic. It's beguiling and gorgeous in measured doses/dabs but too much and you're in for a treat. Being a man, I must admit defeat, it's beautiful but I cannot pull this off. There's no fecal or poopy notes at all (being an animalic frag enthusiast, I would know) but Musc Tonkin is in an elite class of its own. This has wayyyyy more claws than MKK. MKK is a baby's scalp in comparison. 5 out of 5 ***** stars

Maybe I've just been blessed with awesome skin chemistry but this smells so damn good on me! It's not just my nose or my taste, I've had many different people smell it with the same reaction every time "oh my , that smells so good!" Its simply stunning. This has turned me into a true animalic lover. Inexplicably gorgeous and addictive. It opens with a bit of what smells like narcissus with a slightly metallic musk. It just keeps getting better and developing in it's complexity. I really have trouble putting into words what I'm smelling since it is so unique. Intriguing,complex and sexy as hell! I bought myself the full bottle shortly after sampling this rare beauty. On days when it's dreary and raining this fragrance is just gorgeous, perfect for winter. For anyone who thinks this smells like an animal butt or urine I seriously feel sorry for them, they are truly missing out. This is my newfound love!

review for the 2014 eau de parfum: Opens very stinky animalic, a very dark musk, and some aldehydes and marine notes. It is both warm and cold at the same time, the warmer powdery musk notes stay close to the skin and the aldehydes and marine notes linger over that. The drydown is powdery and sweet, still with plenty of dark musk and aldehydes, and something that suggests dusty resins. Sillage is soft to moderate, longevity moderate. To me, this smells like human skin that's been warmed up by the sun, that has a few drops of fresh perspiration on it which makes it smell a bit briny. I find this scent strangely comforting and addictive. It smells like an intimate embrace-- it can both be sensual or a big hug from someone you love. Glorious and amazing. Bought a full bottle without hesitation.

Less ambery than I had expected and more sensual and complex too. First spray had me surprised. In a great way. The opening melon notes reminded me of my Chanel Cristalle Edp. Lush, juicy, darkly leaved and mistily cool...I am well into the mid and pushed up behind that lushness is a spicy muskiness. Like a little cinnamon has been dusted over it. Gorgeously golden and radiant. I can feel the sensual beauty of the scent and feel the animalic touches only mildly. It’s a stunner. Just received my bottle direct from PDE complete with a gorgeous note (thank you Alexis) and generous samples of Le Cri and Aziyade ❤️. This won’t be my only bottle from the house - in love.

Bearing in mind all reviews are subjective and personal to the individual, I find this creation to be rather beautiful. Just the right balance of musk and indolic floral's particularly Jasmine to create a really amazing perfume that in my opinion can be worn through most seasons although you can wear whatever you want when you want. It doesn't overly project and settles down to a fantastic, elegant and rather seductive musky scent fairly quickly. Give it a try as perfumes can often be different on each person depending on skin chemistry etc. It really is very special!

I felt Musc Tonkin was something imminently worth owning. So I set about my desires to attain that which had become beyond a mere fancy; but an obsession. I sat nights, counting the drops of wax by each flicker, absolutely enthralled as I beheld my beauty. Her scent a sublime consolation taking me away in waves as the stars gazed our passions as we engaged. How can words describe this? What we have is surely more than uttered sounds. More like swords meeting in the hands of warriors, or the renewal of hope; a warm embrace in Siberia before we elope.

I loved this the minute I tested it because I love animalic musks. This is a warm floral animalic musk that leans "powdery clean" and is suitable for the office. It won't attack a co-worker like a caged tiger like Lutens MKK would, and it won't purr and lick a co-workers neck like an Areej would. It's softer and warmer; it's sexy but understated rather than in your face. It's the kind of scent you want when you wear expensive lingerie under a power suit to make yourself feel sexy at a Corporate meeting.

To me it smells like the initial aldehydic part of No.5, but a a bit more metallic and animalic. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much, but I find that civet is an animalic ingredient that smells at its best when paired with musks and white florals. It really brings back imagined memories from a time you have not lived in. And for me it's completly wearable, I am just anxious about how it would smell to others, I wish I did not care but, eh, guess perfumes are also a social thing

This makes me see deep shades of blue, gold and purple, with amazing contrast of light like in a Flemish masters' painting. The black is deep and the light is golden and warm. This is opulence done without a fussy baroque feel. Everything about it speaks of strength and dignity. Mr. Corticchiato conveys this pre-modern, middle ages, sense of adventure and grandeur so well, and he must have known that was his strong point when he named the line Parfum d'Empire.

Musc Tonkin is a beautiful musk fragrance. It's salty, powdery, silty, silky, animalic, floral, musky, dirty and clean at the same time. Like freshly showed skin that starts to sweat again right away after a shower because it is so damn hot and the smell of the salty skin mixes w/ some high-quality musky/floral soap. I love this kind of perfume and find it very alluring. Full bottle worthy.

Opens with a heavy animalic note and beautifully white florals. It is pungent and harsh at first. Then it decays into a salty creaminess, reminiscent of amber-tinged sweat. After the first thirty minutes, there is something a bit summery and solar about it. Like being naked at the beach in the south of Europe on a suffocating summer morning. Impossible and perfect.

I'm not usually one for musky fragrances but reading the comments about floral notes made me want to try it. Yes, it is musky but I completely agree that there are also floral notes. This musk is a nice deep, warm and comforting one. The smell of a fluffy wool and angora jumper you have been wearing all day. Good sillage and longevity.

Gorgeous, perfectly colored, reminding you of a thick syrupy musk with sweet floral notes. Seriously sensual and will definitely set the mood if it agrees with your skin, which thankfully it does with mine. I sends me swooning. How I long to lie with someone who smells as good as this! Instant love must buy FB! Luckyscents here I come!

This is more floral than musky, a friendly kitten compared to Muscs Koublai Khan and Salome. It's also more feminine than the previously mentioned perfumes. I detect civet, peach, and florals: violet and rose. This perfume can be a great introduction to animalics for those afraid of trying them.

I think musk is perceived differently by everyone. To me, this musk is half leather, half waxy old-fashioned soap. I also smell powdery white flowers. Oh, and it has an oddly salty note that you might notice now and again. It's definitely quite special and unique - it's worth a try, for sure.

Great high quality old style animalic musc...a friend who particularly likes animalics, introduced this to me as the best animalic perfume....I just bought it, have no experience with it but I tend to agree that it is exceptional!

As a vintage perfumes lover, this is extremely beautiful to me. It reminds me of my childhood, of my mom's makeup bag, old cosmetics.. I love layering it with Chanel no 5 also. Stays a lot on skin but doesn't project too far.

this is the closest thing ive ever been able to find to what my grandmother wore and it's incredible. makes me long for what fragrances used to be.

Deep, profound, carnal animalic love! One of the most dirty erotic perfumes, intimate and raunchy as few can be! Waiting for a new edition in 2014!

A furry floral — very vintage, warm, and enveloping. Like a non-aldehydic yet animalic take on Chanel No.5. Beautiful.

Smells just like old spice, Shulton formula.

One of the animalic essences for excellence

When I saw this perfume as a part time perfumer who has extensive experience with both natural and synthetic musks and a deep appreciation for natural Tonkin deer musk which I still personally use and wear to this day in spite of its insane price and near unobtainability at any price. When I first got my hands on the Parfum d' Empire recreation I was dying to know how close they were able to get to the real thing because quite frankly none of the synthetic musks are anywhere close to natural deer musk; yes the muscone might be identical but so is the simple sugar in honey, maple syrup and high fructose corn syrup but you would not think of substituting those for one another, so as a perfumer I feel the same composing a perfume with Tonkin musk and having to settle for using Muscenone instead. Well, at first sniff I thought "close but no cigar," to the makers of Musc Tonkin but then after the initial rough spiciness burned off I was rather impressed. I found it to be so accurate that blindfolded I would have been fooled into thinking I was smelling Tonkin musk and not Siberian, Chinese, Nepalese, Indian, or Himalayan. Then I really put it to the test: on clean skin, I sprayed a generous amount of the perfume on the lower part of my right arm and about the same amount of natural Tonkin deer musk on the upper part and did a side by side comparison. As predicted, at first the perfume recreation had a spicy roughness that natural Tonkin musk does not have in any way. After the drydown I found them to be quite similar, however the smell of the natural Tonkin musk was a sharper oilier smell while the smell of the perfume was very much the same but more rounded and resinous. So I will say this: it's a great animal friendly recreation of Tonkin musk that would fool me if I were not comparing is side by side with the real thing. Next to the real thing anyone could tell them apart but not necessarily say the natural smells better, as the natural smells much simpler, where the perfume is clearly multifaceted. For those of you who are like I am, the real thing is the real thing as I find more perfection in the flaws and imperfections of something natural then in the regularity and precision of something crafted by man and technology. If any of you would like a small sample of natural Tonkin musk tincture feel free to contact me, I would be happy to send you one so you can do your own comparison.

I was expecting some kind of stink bomb from the reviews below... absolutely not the case this is among the freshest smelling animalic fragrances I have come across and strangely much easier to wear than some of the other offerings from this house. What you get here is an intricate complex musk accord consisting of an array of different facets, some sweet, some powdery. some floral, some waxy, even some smoky incense like undertones. I've only smelled real dear musk once at an international fair/trade exhibition from a Mongolian or Manchurian vendor, but refrained from buying it due to the ethical considerations. In my opinion Musk Tonkin very much captures the essence of deer musk and expands it further, removing the intense urinous elements you get from the real thing. The closest picture I can paint is the combination of sweet honey comb, indolic jasmine, expensive unscented French soap and an inclining of burning incense in the very back all culminating on a hypnotic musk accord. There is a certain beaming freshness that cuts through, a note I have never smelled before, it reminds me actually of the smell of freshly polished silver. Nonetheless, I am still amazed everytime I spray it on. Once again Marc-Antoine Corticchiato delivers magic in a bottle. Edit 10/2022: Having spent some time with Serge Lutens fragrances lately, a house Parfum d'Empire seems to run parallel to, many fragrances sharing common points (like Aziyade and Feminite du Bois), Musc Tonkin does seem to share a bit of the funky opening of Muscs Koublai Khan. However Musc Tonkin is nowhere as intensely animalic and greatly expands on the floral and waxy facets, overall being much more brilliant and surprisingly wearable.

I remember reading about this fragrance back in the day before experiencing real deer musk and searching for a perfume that was considered a good approximation by the community. Now, many years later, I don't see Musc Tonkin as a perfume that is supposed to be a rendition of that, but rather a floral-chypre perfume with a resinous touch, infused with a BIG animalic cocktail that does indeed instill the whole "Natural Deer Musk" feel to the composition. The accord does capture the scent of natural musk, at least to some extent, and certain facets of it. What you smell first, is the floral-chypre component and the resins, then the musk. I find it not as overtly musky as say, Musk Kublai Khan or even Musc Ravageur (to keep it in the synthetic/commercial territory), but it is just as dirty as the first, if not more. The blending is superb, hence, breaking it apart is difficult. There is a big floral component saturated in indoles and an earthy, mossy component warmed by resins. All this structure is infused with a generous cocktail of various synthetic musks, indoles, hyraceum, and ambergris, making the florals feel alive, almost drawing breath, fleshy, and sweating. There is a prominent saltiness and halitosis quality to the composition. That's how hard the base hits. It feels like sitting inside a forest glade full of flowers and animals. The perfume has a powerful vintage flair, and I can see average sniffers calling it an "old woman/man perfume". An odd to vintage floral chypres that were not ashamed of using the same heavy musks in their base to make them interesting and bigger than life. IG:@memory.of.scents

Easily the most abstract of any scent from Parfum d'Empire, Musc Tonkin is a reconstruction of a long-prohibited musk note taken from a species of Himalayan deer. The resulting scent is multifaceted - at times powdery, clean, animalic, leathery, mineralic, floral, aldehydic; all wrapped up in a warm, white musk. This is quite a departure from other Parfum d'Empire scents - classical ambers and chypres for the most part - but is a truly worthy inclusion. It is a scent of two halves - its clean opening is in stark contrast to the dirty drydown. I have a sample of the extrait. MT is cleanly musky from initial spray, almost detergent-like, with bright aldehydes evident up top. Reminiscent of bedlinen drying on the line, it is bright and clean at this point. It becomes floral as it develops, with soft muguet and powdery rose evident initially. It becomes dirty as it progresses, with indolic jasmine rounding out the florals. The musk itself becomes more animalic, but with a synthetic, mineralic edge. It is curiously salty here. It dries down to a musky skin scent, salty and animalic until final fade. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It isn't quite faecal, but is animalic and indolic - pretty skanky but certainly not unwearable. It is a unisex, cold weather scent. MT is not something I'd wear, but it is a compelling artistic composition. In fact, I'm surprised by how much I like it. 4/5.

Musc Tonkin is quite an experience! But that’s the very least I expect from any perfume of this house. I took the time to try it once again properly, two sprays on each wrists and nothing else. To me it’s more than a perfume. I see it as a tribute to vintage perfumes of the 70’s and 80’s. It’s very hard to describe it, but it’s like opening a box full of vintage mini’s and samples and you get this overwhelming blast of all of them mixed together. Very retro in my opinion. I would say it leans more feminine but I personally don’t get any distinct and clear floral note that would indicate so. As many other reviewers put it, it’s animalic, and I also think it might evolve differently depending on who wears it. Once again, it’s a work of art, very special. One thing that I have to talk about is longevity: absolutely incredible. After putting it in the morning, it wasn’t tired yet in the evening. So I thought why not layer it with something ? I added Shalimar EDP on top of it and the mix was absolutely delicious. A very outstanding composition.

The initial effect is grand and really interesting. Corticchiato set out to remake the full bodied effect of authentic deer musk; I have not experienced the real thing so I have to take his word for it. My amateur impression is that it smells insanely accurate here. The soft, saline, animalic almost sebum like effect is very photorealistic and it's quite awe inducing. A solid display of natural musks, cumin and a narcissus (the latter shared with Tabac Tabou to my nose). This shift quickly into a a bit of a simplified chypre structure, with buttery white flowers poking out in the the drydown. Very interesting and different from most musks. Musc Tonkin does evolve, and the drydown might not be an accurate full musk experience; keeping up the illusion set up in the first two minutes would be an impossible feat. I'm not mad though, since there's simply a good, wearable perfume underneath.

The idea of reinventing the inimitable note of Tonkin Musk, with the key word being ‘reinventing’ not replicating. I do not have enough experience with real deer musk to discern it’s similarities, with the only one I own being Meleg’s Honey Deer Musk, which does share subtle similarities to this. Musc Tonkin is a lovely restrained musk. It balances rather beautifully the steady comforting hum of modern synthetic musks, in their clean soapy stature, with a gentle growl - which is almost a purr in actuality. It feels furry and comforting, yet it has bite: an almost spiky spiciness makes it come alive. It brings to life the golden, oatmeal-coloured glow of worn book pages and the antique wooden shelves supporting them, the warm sun highlighting just a thin layer of dust upon them. I find it very calming and meditative, and yet I do not yearn to smell like it.

Musc Tonkin meant to evoke the aura of deer musk is a clean, elegant and wearable musk perfume. The main component in it is galaxolide, a synthetic musk that has been used in perfumery since the sixties which invokes a clean and floral musky vibe. To this, the perfumer adds small portions of hyraceum (African stone or the musky excretion of the hyrax cat) and cumin. The end product is a perfume which has a slight animalic musky kick but is still tamer than Muscs Koublai Khan which has generous doses of civet, beeswax and castoreum for a more animalic vibe. Musc Tonkin is elegant, feminine leaning with moderate to strong projection and very good lasting power. Recommended only for lovers of vintage chypres or exotic and somewhat animalic musky perfumes, but still a tamer entry in that category. Enjoy!

I had this for a while but was not sure if I like it enough to wear it. However, whilst changing to go to bed, I reached out to spray it on my wrists and voila, the animalic note jumped straight on to me — not like the one in Dusita's Oud Infini but toned down, almost powdery. Apart from the musk, I could not detect any other notes. I then layered it with Dusita's Montri and it became even more interesting. I think the floral notes of Montri made it even more elegant, let us say seductive. Or at least it feels like right now. I may try it again during day time and see if it like it as much. Definately not an easy wear and certainly not something I'd wear to work.

A plunge into the heart of perfume's mystery; a masterful demonstration of how something with such an unpromising origin can be transformed into a thing of beauty by a skilled alchemist. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato lists only a single note, which, close to the nose, hints at a dead, animal odour, but, on the skin, warms into life: smooth as silk, fine as powder and utterly immersive. I feel as if I am cushioned from the cold outside within a great white duvet, filled with swan down. I only hold back from unreserved admiration because I fear being stifled by this fragrance, so seductive does it appear!

Today I got a small split of Musc Tonkin (NOT Musk Tonkin!) and curiosity killed the desire to wait till April when it was scheduled to be worn (season-wise). Wearing it myself now confirmed my thoughts: it smells after a 'Mensch' (human being). I'd thought it would be animalic, just like the famous Musc Koublai Khan but no, it is a freshly showered clean smelling of flowery showergel human being, with more and more skin scent as it develops. Tested it a few days later on DH. On him it smelled terrific. It must be the combination of his own skin scent and warmer skin temperature.

A fragrance that keeps you warm? Maybe fuzzy ! I enjoyed it for a couple of hours although it he dry down wasn’t as good as the opening and mid Floral musky scent that gets attentions I got an unsolicited or let’s say non direct compliment were I was sitting in a room and a friend came in and seemed to like what he was smelling The puffiness of the scent cloud of the first one or two hours is the best thing about it It is definitely in the good side of the house but not good enough to get

If applied scarcely, it's gorgeous. Every time I sniff my wrist I get something different, especially during first 30min. It could be sea salt, ambergris, violets, jasmine, some woodsy notes... All bathing in cold steel musk. Nice, sharp and clean. If applied more deliberately, it gets almost nauseating, skunky and too animalic to be worn around other people, at least not for work.

I think I've reached a certain maturity in my fragrance journey. A year after I smelled it for the first time, I smelled Musc Tonkin again and I didn't shout "it smells like poo" like a child. This time a completely different richness and depth greeted me. I'm ready to take my place among the fragrance elite. (Still getting a bit of poo but I guess it's the right kind).

first impressions: powdery, floral, feline. Reminds me of when you're sleeping somewhere new and the sheets smell different. There's also facets of old leather purse and lipstick. edit: I like the notes listed on Fumerie Parfumerie's site, "citrus, aldehydes, jasmine, musk, tonka bean, leather, ambergris, civet"

I got not much; not what I expected. Musc Tonkin seems awfully light compared to the reviews. I just ordered a decant since you can't readily buy it. Lucky Scents is out. Maybe just having a decant just doesn't offer the experience; however, a decant Ambre Russe certainly did which I certainly will buy.