Natural musk is one of the oldest perfume agents in the world. Harvested from a gland of the male musk deer, it was prized for its complex and contradictory aroma, a storied aphrodisiac that cozied between the animalistic and the earthy. In present-day fragrance-making, natural musk’s high cost and ethical ambiguity have pushed perfumers to settle almost exclusively on synthetic alternatives (sometimes called “white musks”) and plant-based substitutes such as garden angelica and musk mallow.
It’s also worth mentioning that descriptors like “musk” or “musky” today don’t necessarily denote specific ingredients, but the broad impressions of a particular fragrance. One take is a thick, almost putrid scent with a warm, sensual base. Balance it with soft and accessible top notes — citrus, bergamot, even something floral — and you have an easy winner on your hands, one that’s likely to become the backbone of your future grooming routine.
Floris Jermyn Street
A woody-green fragrance inspired by a road in London lined with traditional menswear shops, Jermyn Street was crafted by Edward Bodenham, a veteran of this 18th-century English fragrance house. Classic top notes of bergamot and mandarin soften into a woodsy base of amber and musk, with a current of vetiver throughout.
Notes: Vetiver, amber, musk, soap, bergamot, mandarin
Year: 2015
