Kiehl's Original Musk & Musk 1921 oil: fragrance review

Amidst the plethora of musk fragrances on the market, some stand out as being individual and bearing their own signature. Decades before Serge Lutens came up with the beastly cajole of Muscs Kublaï Khan, the old New York pharmacy of Kiehl's had broken down that bastion with their Musk fragrance. Its voluminous, expanding earthiness will give you a jolt, searching for that hippy relic sitting some pegs below at the cinema or the theatre (or even the amphiteatre, but let's not go there now). The essence of a seriously funky persona which might have been travelling back from an ashram in India or some Goa hot-spot du jour! Alongside personal enlightenment in the 1960s, there came the musks and the patchoulis essences which characterised a whole generation. And it seems Kiehl's was intent on the pulse despite being founded as far back as 1851.

The archived date for the introduction of Kiehl's Original Musk is given as 1963. However, the company likes to hint with their Musk 1921 oil in the Essences collection (the "essences" are oils on which are thematically based the Eaux de toilette) that the recipe goes far back, since their pharmacopoia dates to several decades before. But here's the catch: It couldn't have. And the reason is one of science & history coherence. Simply put, the musks contained in the formula did not exist before WWII! Even though naturally derived macrocyclic musks like Muscone and Exaltolide existed before that date, their price was very high (Muscone's still is) and there could never enter the formula of a "drugstore" perfume. Therefore, the now banned nitromusks were the appropriate choice for those purposes. And this gives rise to another point, which explains the prevalence of so many "musk oils" in the market (certainly so in the 1960s and 1970s), especially at the very low end of the deal, such as Bonne Belle Skin Musk and Jovan Musk oil: These musky ingredients were almost insoluble in alcohol, rendering an alcoholic version of a fragrance very difficult. This also answers my own question, in regards to why some musk fragrances circulating today have a moniker of "musk oil" on their brand name, even though they're in alcoholic form, like the wonderfully rich Jean Louis Gady Musk Oil Eau de Toilette or the drugstore cheapie beautie Gosh Musk Oil No.6. The answer is, they are probably referring to a prior oil-based formula and have substituted the -now banned- nitromusks with an alcohol-diffusing musk component or two (after all, the polycyclics Transeolide, Celestolide and Galaxolide are very, very popular in the modern fragrance industry, as attested by our article on the subject linked)

Smellwise, Kiehl's Musk 1921 (and to a lesser degree the alcoholic Eau de Toilette Original Musk) is indeed close to Muscs Kublaï Khan, albeit a bit rawer and with a muted, hoarse voice instead of the baritone refinement of the Lutens. Compared to another musk fragrance with a certain reputation, Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel for F.Malle, it lacks the sweet spice and is a more to the point musk which can be worn by either sex. At the very start, there is also a similarity of Kiehl's Musk with Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent, which fades later on. The beatific darkness is peeking beneath the floral notes and reveals in fine print what the headlines try to conceal: Here is a living, emoting, squirting human being who hasn't really washed well for a while. If you're not absolutely fanatical about sterilisation, you might get the point in the above.

Notes for Kiehl's Original Musk:
Top: Bergamot nectar, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, lily, ylang ylang, neroli
Base: Tonka bean, white patchouli, musk.

Kiehl's now circulates an alcoholic Eau de Toilette Blend No.1 version of their Musk -apart from their famous oil Musk 1921-, which is tamer (probably due to the exclusion of nitromusks), less skanky and somewhat close to White Musk for Men which The Body Shop introduced a couple of seasons ago. It retails for 39$ for 1.7oz. on the site.
The current ownership by L'Oreal probably means that the cosmetic concerns overshadow any potential adherence to old formulae even more pressingly.
Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Musk Series (ingredients & cultural history), Scented Musketeers: Musk fragrances reviews.
Photo by Robert Mapplethorpe, Thomas Williams 1987 via cegur.com.

Byredo Palermo: new fragrance

The abundantly rich history of Palermo, capital of Sicily, is captured in the new fragrance by Swedish niche brand ByRedo:

"With clacking oars the Phoenicians arrived millennia ago to found their center of ancient exchange. Under golden Roman yoke the port gained gleaming palaces and mosaics. Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Byzantines alternately wrecked and rebuilt. Moorish and Berber emirs dug irrigation and harvested new fruits – the Bergamot oranges they planted still grow. Norman kings wrested the island back from the East. Garibaldi's thousand redshirts galloped through, and Italy was born. All those centuries of interleaved layers, one bled into the other, remain palpable in the air, the water, the art, the architecture, the spirit. Our "Palermo" opens with Bigarade and Sicilian Bergamot. The heart consists of Fresh Musks and Rose Absolute and reveals a base of Skin Musks and Ambrette Flower."
Sounds just the thing for summer, doesn't it?

Available on the official site: 100ml of Eau de Parfum for 115 euros. Also at Barney's.

Amouage Library Collection: new fragrances

Amouage, the Omani line which has established itself as the purveyor of true luxury in fragrances with its precious essences and unbridled budgeting, comes out with a new trio of fragrances, called Amouage Library. The three scents encompass different families and were devised by artistic directot Christopher Chong, each given a code, an opus number reflecting their status as a completed work within a greater collection.

According to the press release:

"OPUS I. A glorious Chypre fragrance, built around a warm, floral heart of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Rose, Lily of the Valley and Tuberose . Top notes of Bigarade, Plumm and Cardamom add spice and individuality, whilst woody base notes of Guaiac, Cedar and Sandalwood, along with Tonka Bean, Vetiver and the House's signature note of Frankincense provide an epic and bold closing chapter. The narrative, olfactory
evolution of this fragrance was inspired by the start of a pilgrimage in search of knowledge.

OPUS II. A majestic Fougère inspired by the heady and evocative fragrances of old books, dark wooden shelves and antique leather armchairs . Opus II opens with a rare and magical combination of Pepper , Pink Bay, Absinth and La vender in the top
notes. These notes unfurl to reveal a hear t of Jasmine, Rose, Cinnamon and Cardamom. The base of Cedarwood, Amber, Frankincense and Patchouli conclude the fragrance with a soft , smoky, masculinity that contrast beautifully with the floral heart notes .

OPUS III was inspired by the art and science of the creative process, from the darkest moments of frustration, to the brightness of enlightenment and discovery.
This radiant Floral Orie ntal fragrance is built around daring heart notes of Violet,
Jasmine , Orange Blossom and Ylang -Ylang. These are introduced perfectly by top
notes of Carnation, Broom, Mimosa, Nutmeg and Thyme . The vibrancy of the
fragrance is anchored by earthy notes of Ambrette Seed, Papyrus , Benzoin , Frankincense and a trilogy of woods in the base".

Read full reviews of each of the scents on this article.

All three fragrances are available in 100ml for 195 BGP each.
The Library Collection will be available at Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason as well as leading department stores and boutiques globally. The collection will also be available at Amouage’s soon to open flagship store in London’s Knightsbridge - 14 Lowndes St.

YSL "new" Opium: Death of Classic, Reformulation, Brand Repositioning (& a footnote on Belle d'Opium)

Just when we were lamenting the death of Opium, the fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent which marked our youth and stayed the course as a faithful companion, Yves Saint Laurent is busy issuing new marketing tools introducing us to the "new" Opium.
"New", because reformulation was necessary due to the IFRA restrictions on spicy ingredients (eugenol and iso-eugenol) which were necessary into the creation of the carnation heart of the memorable modern classic from 1977. If you love the older, richer bouquet with its characteristic pressed linens accord and carnation spice, stock up. I have because I love it so. [click for review]

In the new site What is Your Opium we're not spared any truths. It's up there in black and white: "This week Yves Saint Laurent unveils an addictive new fragrance. Crafted by renowned perfumers who found inspiration in a modern floral oriental. A scent born from a thousand inspirations".



They go on to reveal that each day will see a new feature or video involving the inspirations behind the fragrance, especially to the noteworthy perfumer Honorine Blanc (mentored by Sophia Grojsman) who was working on the scent for four years and talks about what she notices in the video. And they invite consumers to join: "To fête this modern elixir YSL will host an exclusive event in New York City on June 17th. Each day we’ll take you behind-the-scenes to meet the people creating this extraordinary soirée. They’ll share their inspirations and below we invite you to share yours. Tell us what inspires you". There is also a launch party, which according to Twitter, Alexa Chung and Alexandra Richards will be spinning, and rumored guests include hipsters like “The Cobrasnake” Mark Hunter and model Cory Kennedy. Todays' teaser on the Opium site has a video of the preparations. Obviously blogs are the new teasing tool for big companies to create Internet buzz.



Yet, the old is now most officially proclaimed dead...Whan Honorine talks about in the vid, "When a fragrance comes on the market, it's unique, it has its own signature, it's a true fragrance...it stays forever", sounds ironic.
Never before has a death being banged about with brass playing upbeat, inspiring military tunes!

Edit to add (19th June):
Dear sirs at YSL communication, if you're issuing something "new", old, revamped, whatever, it would be best if you were absolutely clear about what that thing is unless you do want us confused. To witness, the first email communication I got read:
"Hi,
Just wanted to send over a note letting you know that yesterday afternoon YSL launched a blog to help celebrate the release of their new Opium fragrance.The link is here: http://www.whatisyouropium.com/Each day on the site there will be a new bit of content released leading up to tomorrow's launch party and then following up on the event a few days afterward. Today, you can watch the 'setting the stage' video to see how the party is coming together. Hope you enjoy."
Now, a day later, they send this (please note how there was no mention of name in the above, while there is one now):
"Hi!
If you haven't already seen coverage from last night's YSL party be sure to check out today's Belle D'Opium blog post with event photos: http://whatisyouropium.com/day_after/And not long from now The Cobra Snake photos will be live online too".

I mean, geez, Belle d'Opium! Can you be any more misleading and contradicting? Is this a new flanker, like the summer editions? Is the whole campaign utterly confusing or what?

The bottomline is the old Opium HAS been reformulated to its detriment, as attested by many fans. That doesn't change, no matter how it's marketed.

Fan di Fendi: new fragrance

Three years after Palazzo and one after the announcement of discontinuing their whole line, Fendi is issuing a new feminine fragrance as a turnaround move in the market of fragrance, Fan di Fendi. Hopefully, the brand believes it will do better commercially than the previous efforts. (On that note, it's ironic that everyone's discontinued fragrance is Fendi's very own Theorema and yet it remains discontinued). But the new fragrance presents several interesting subplots which is why I chose to highlight its launch.


The juice in Fan di Fendi has been developed by Delphine Lebeau-Krowiakj, working with Parfums Luxe International, while the new flacon bearing the familiar entwined F of Fendi was designed by Fabien Baron. Probably the F in Fan corresponds in the logo which had fashionistas everywhere amok with the handbags, earning them their own moment of history in Sex & the City. Talk about emblazoning one's brand name into consciousness. But I digress.

The most interesting part is that the artistic direction of the new feminine Fendi fragrance was monitored by Francois Demachy, head of fragrance development at LVMH and especially Dior (see the Escale cruise collection). The new group structure is going to be called LVMH Fragrance Brands and this is going to occupy the luxury media for a while, I bet! It points to very specific directions within the LVMH Group and a desire for an umbrella supervision which would be a bit troublesome for some brands within the group with more of a characteristic fingerprint (Guerlain, Dior...)

Fan di Fendi is aimed at women who are "free, sensual, joyful and electrifying" (Sounds like they would give you a nasty jolt, but fear not) . The TV commercials are going to be appearing next September, with a "hot and rock n'roll" image that is scheduled to shock.Starring Anja Rubik, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Karmen Pedaru will be art directed by Fabien Baron and photographed by Darius Khondji, while the Kills will play in the background. It remains to be seen...

Notes for Fan di Fendi:
Pear, blackcurrant, Calabrian mandarin, pink pepper from Reunion, rose from Damascus, yellow jasmine, soft leather accents and Indonesian patchouli.
(Via Parfumerie Hyves Nl, thanks to Jakub)


Available in 30ml for 52 euros and 75ml for 90 euros, from September 2010 at major department stores.