MUSK

A unique, matchless and remarkably clean note with a very complex composition which was mainly derived from the gland excretions, commonly known as pheromones, of male musk deer, Musk was a well-respected perfume ingredient used by the Arabs and the Byzantines. Currently synthetically reproduced from floral sources or artificially made, with a notably lower quality, but still a great perfume fixative, “musk” is the word describing a group of animalic notes with black berries nuances. The main constituent used in the synthetic materials is muscone, a strong base note, all fruity, sweet and delightfully soft. Another chemical compound often found in synthetic musks is the musk ketone, which is a weaker, warmer base note, without the fruitiness but with a distinctive floralcy. Musk is found in numerous modern fragrances, used not only for its richness and powdery voluptuousness, but also for its ability to lag evaporation of other notes, hence broadens the fragrance’s longevity.