The Muse

Steamed bedsheets. That's the scent. I own a lot of those clean perfumes (Per Se, White Crush, Sun Bleached, Blanche, Et Voila..), and this one is the most realistic of those all. Smells exactly as new bright white sheets that have been washed, dried in the sun and then steamed. Not sharp or pungent, but also has not any sweetness or perfume-like notes. Other "clean" perfumes pursue the clean skin vibe, or soapy profiles, or the just out of the shower scent. This one is the laundry-like type. It is not a lotion or soap, neither is a freshie. It is just clothes out of the washing machine, a white and crisp t-shirt. The scent of going to bed after putting a recently washed cotton or linen sheets. When wearing it, more than wearing a perfume, seems that you just have put on you recently cleaned clothes. Smells just like a clean and neat person that doesn't wear any perfume. I have smelled this kind of people a few times and, while I doubt they were wearing any perfume, The Muse achieves exactly that sensation. Some people just wear recently cleaned clothes that have been warmed with the heat of their body and they smell amazing. I have always wanted my clothes to smell like that, and now I have it encapsulated in a perfume bottle. I personally love that scent, but can understand why most people won't want to smell just like clean cotton clothes when reaching for a perfume.

SO. GOOD. This is the perfect clean scent. Absolutely heavenly on the skin.At first it smells like fresh laundry or like linens dried outside in crisp morning air underneath the sun. It develops a bit over time and becomes more sensual, yet is still clean, and has a gorgeous sweetness to it. Of course I can only speak for myself, but it works amazingly with my skin chemistry. Truly a ‘your skin but better’ scent. Fair to say I’m addicted and plan to always keep a bottle of this in my collection. Bonus point: Extreme sillage and longevity. I’ve never owned a perfume this strong before! I don’t mind though because clearly I enjoy the scent, and most importantly I don’t have to overspray or reapply which means it’ll last longer too. It’s not an affordable product but if you ask me it’s worth every penny :)

This perfume smells exactly like a laundry detergent. I prefer it on clothes rather than skin, as it makes my clothes smell as if they are freshly washed. On my skin, it is quite sweet and fades to a pleasant musky scent. If you want to smell like clean laundry, this is definitely for you. The Muse is inoffensive and suitable for any season. I prefer fresher perfumes to smell clean, like Marc Jacobs’s Cotton. I probably wouldn’t get a full bottle, but I will surely use up my small tester. Update: just after 2 days of wearing it I want to get a full bottle just to be able to return to that clean and pleasant smell. I’ve been complimented on it and I love it on me :) New update after 6 months: I got myself a full bottle and I’m loving it 🖤

Dec 2024: As a musk lover I was deeply disappointed. There is NO musk here. And even after hours - still laundry detergent - nothing else. Would be nice if they added viola or licorice, something. But no. This makes one wonder if Zarko's muse was a laundry lady. Jan 2026: Revisited her after a year long perfume journey. My first perfume review and one of the three Zarko’s in that trio discovery box I got for Christmas 2024. At the time I had over sprayed. The Muse is gentle and needs to be handled carefully. If you think she’s harsh you’ve probably over sprayed. Do a spray walk or just spray the back of your neck. Nothing more. She’s so sweet and gentle. I have completely changed my mind about her. Very cute and clean scent. Adorable.

This is an interesting one. I got a small sample and I hated it at first. Smelled like harsh laundry detergent. But as I kept using the sample, it grew on me. There is something soft and fresh about it too and it didn’t take long until I loved it so much I bought a full bottle. It isn’t a sexy fragrance you wear on a hot date or night out, but it’s perfect for just casual daytime wear. Strangely enough, even though it’s quite simple and linear, it’s probably my most complimented perfume - everywhere I go people always say I smell so good and ask what fragrance I’m wearing. And honestly it’s one of my absolute favorite fragrances now, I really want to try more perfumes by this brand.

Laundry detergent in a bottle. After MKF 724, this is my favourite. It starts a bit sweet, then it becomes an amazing long lasting clean perfume. I went to a department store and asked this lady for a clean, out of the shower scent that last long. After testing a lot of perfumes, I gave up... Then, she said ''oh, wait a minute, there is The Muse''. I smelled it on my arm and oh boy, I loved it! It lasts even longer on clothes, give it or take 2/3 days! Again, if you really like clean laundry type of scents, this is for you! If not, this one will give you an headache, because it's strong. Scent: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10 Longevity: 9/10 Overal: 8.5/10 Blind buy?: No

If you are searching for the perfect fabric softener scent, look no further. I have tried almost every "laundry" fragrance and this is the best one I have found!! It is 100% realistic fabric softener/detergent. For me Blanche and Room 1015 are slightly too aldehydic and sharp (still love them but they still didn't hit the spot for what I was looking for) - clean reserve warm cotton was too astringent and peppery. This one is perfect and exactly what I was looking for. Also lasts forever. I got some on my hand 12 hours ago, took a shower, and can still smell it. It smells exactly like if you got blue fabric softener on you while doing laundry.

This brand is right up my alley, I have yet to meet a fragrance that dissappoints me. Zarko's base is always clean and I'm so here for it. If I have to chose only 1 fragrance to stick with it will be this one. The Muse is the ULTIMATE clean fragrance. Smells like fresh laundry, like you've just walked past a laundromat, and girl does this STAY. I've never had a clean fragrance stick with me for over 8 hours. It's almost sexy because it makes you smell so clean, like laying down after a shower in freshly washed fluffy bedsheets. I will recommend this fragrance to everyone until I die.

My second comment on this masterpiece. There should be a disclosure that recommends the pairing of The Muse with Molecule 234.38. The Muse can become overpowering and needs something to ground her. This is where Molecule does the trick. He frames her and calms her down, turning her into something akin to sweet liquorice and white musk. The Muse in turn also tame the Molecule with her laundry detergent aura - softening out his harsh lines that reminds us of hand sanitizer. He elevates her and she makes him blush. A beautiful valtz. Gorgeous gorgeous work. Bravo!

I've tried close to a dozen "laundry like" perfumes, trying to find the perfect daily clean clothes scent. The Muse is the best one of all the ones I've tried. This smells exactly like walking down the detergent isle at the grocery store, but I do not find the smell too sharp or artificial. Instead, when you spray it on your clothes, it smells very comforting and soft. This is better than Love-O-Matic to me as a laundry smell and lasts longer than Love-o-matic too. 10/10, would absolutely recommend for anyone searching for a clean laundry perfume.

If we visit zarkoperfume.com on the pages of any of the perfumes, we will find that he gladly reveals the notes of all of his creations - except for when it comes to The Muse. We can all agree there’s white musk that gives us a fresh laundry scent and iso e super. But I would argue there’s a second musk here, hidden. Not long ago I got a tester from Nasomatto’s Silver Musk. A musk that reminds us very much of liquorice. This note is faintly detected in The Muse. There’s a Silver Musk in The Muse and it makes it even more unforgettable.

So, this is a beautiful fragrance, in my opinion. It is fresh and clean but in a very real-life-like way. I just got it, and to me, it reminds me of a summer morning. I can picture myself sitting in a pretty garden, sipping on a glass of lemonade and just relaxing. This scent reminds me of those summer days when it's not that sunny but rather more grey and muted. On a day when the sky is grey, there's rain in the air, but the temperatures are nice and warm. I love it!

Well, I have decided that I need clean smell in my collection so got a tester yesterday. It is quite heavy laundry smell and for some people it would definitely be too chemical. But for me it is perfect. This is exactly how I wanna smell right now. I sprayed this smell on my diffuser in the closet and it smells amazing. I might be crazy but I am obsessed with it. The thing with Muse is that you have only 2 options: hate it or love it.

I love the smell of clean laundry - it’s a scent that makes me happy. Who doesn’t love the scent of being clean? This smells exactly like a basket of freshly washed laundry. Perfect for layering if you want to add a cleanliness to a floral scent. I love adding an orange blossom scent with this, such as Prada Candy Kiss. Easy grab when you don’t know what to wear. You’ll smell clean and fresh. I love this!!!!

My new favorite every day scent! I was lukewarm on this when I smelled it at the store on a paper strip but after trying it on my skin I'm so obsessed with it. A fresh powdery scent that does give me the vibe of clean landry. Probably one of my more sophisticated perfumes since I prefer sweet gourmand scents but this is perfect for every day and in my opinion every season. Classic and timeless.

Clean, pure, innocent and graceful. Crisp white sheets dried in the garden. This scent has a very strong feel of fresly washed linen. Fresh and adorable. The performance is really great. When I wear it I get the feeling of “straight out of shower” This is a scent for light spring/summer evenings. Amazing silage and longevity. This is love for me

the muse is bottled comfort and absolute sterility. it is stressful to live in a perpetually unclean, uncontrollable world, and the reason for my interest in perfume to begin with was as an escape from this dirty place - this fragrance is a stubborn iron fist of control, a decidedly clean scent. it sets off my laundry-based pica

I have to add - the dry-down on this perfume is terrific! Soft and muted, yummy, I cannot stop smelling my underarm where I applied the perfume (about an hour ago.) So subtle, yet definitively there. I love this perfume! If you want to smell clean (but in a realistic way) and feel comforted, this might be the perfume for you!

This is the highest expression of clean scent. It has vigor and persistence. Totally unisex. It is like you used one whole bottle of detergent to clean up your skin. It is reassuring and pleasant, office safe and make you feel clean, in order, comforted. Never again without one bottle in my drawer.

I love this! I've never felt a perfume like this before - it's more like a kind of a feeling, rather than perfume. Cant explain it, it have to be experienced. This is freshnes, clean purity, and I always gets in a good mode and I feel a positive and happy vibe when I wear it.