The Musky facet

In perfumery, the main accord is the scent created from various components (generally between 5 to 10). This accord will be the soul of a perfume and can be dressed in different facets. If there are numerous facets, the fragrance composition will be more complex.
In addition, according to the regulations of the CFP (Comité Français du Parfum) fragrances are classified into 6 distinct olfactory families (hesperide family, floral family, amber or oriental family, chypre family, woody family and fern family).

The musky facet, also called musky notes or white musk, can be associated with every olfactive family.

History of musks 

Musk has been used in Europe since the IVth century and in China for over 1300 years.
This animal raw material was also used in medicine for its stimulating, aphrodisiac and antispasmodic virtues. Louis XIV perfumed himself with musk, and Elizabeth of England used it to spice up her sauces.

Originally, musk was an animal material secreted by the Tibetan deer, called Tonkin musk. Today, musk of animal origin is no longer used in perfumery as it is forbidden to protect the animals.

The animal musks have a very pronounced animal note.

Since the discovery of the first artificial musks at the end of the 19th century, these synthetic products have not stopped evolving. They are now adapting to the market, to the new legislation and to the environmental constraints controlled by IFRA*.

Today, perfumers use an infinite variety of white musks. They are originally found in the animal musks but are reproduced synthetically. These materials are now indispensable in perfumed compositions and highly appreciated for their sensual fixing power.

*IFRA: The International Fragrance Association is an organization created in 1973 by the perfume industry to establish codes of good practice for scented products.

What is the musky facet?

The musky facet, composed of the white musks or musky notes, brings together soft, cottony, very tenacious and comfortable notes. They offer a sensation of cashmere, and some materials smell like baby's skin, clean, others are woody, powdery, fruity (see below).

White musks are addictive, comforting, enveloping and have the particularity of having a great tenacity. However, it is difficult to give them projection and diffusion. 

In addition, some people can be anosmic, which means they are insensitive to these notes of white musks and can’t smell them. However, these new musks have opened the way to a new style of composition in perfumery.

Synthetic musks in perfumery

There are 4 categories of synthetic musks :

1. Nitrated musks
2. Polycyclic musks
3. Macrocyclic musks 
4. Linear or Alicyclic

Certain musks appear in the top notes, they are very volatile notes and are felt just after the vaporization of the perfume. Others appear in the heart notes, they develop after several hours and bring the characteristic scent of the perfume. Others appear as base notes, they have a slow evaporation and make it possible to fix the perfume in time. Some musks are present in the top, heart and base notes.

• Nitrated musks 

Nitrated musks are the oldest synthetic musks. They were developed in 1888 by A. Baur.
We distinguish:

1. The Ambrette musk, the industry banned it in 1981 because of its phototoxic and neurotoxic character.
2. The Xylene musk was created in 1893, Ketone musk was developed in 1894. These two musks have been identified in small amounts in human breast milk.
3. The Moskene musk was created in 1932 and the Tibetan musk, both banned in Europe today by IFRA.

Olfactively, these musks are the most powdery.

• Polycyclic musks 

Created between 1955 and 1970, these synthetic musks are now banned in some major perfume groups.

1. The Tonalide or Fixolide (IFF 1967), which is quite woody and earthy.
2. The Galaxolide (1954) is round, soapy and fruity. It was first widely used in functional products, then in fine perfumery.

The polycyclic musks are generous, round and act as base notes. These musks are not very biodegradable and they have been identified in small quantities in human breast milk. However, they are not in the process of being banned. Some limit them for environmental protection reasons.

• Macrocyclic musks

These musks are the newest and most prized, they are used in large perfume groups. Some musks in the list below are particularly expensive.

1. Muscone (Firmenich): a slightly animal note
2. Muscenone (Firmenich): a powdery note
3. The Exaltolide (Firmenich): discovered in ambrette seed, it has a floral and angelic note
4. Habanolide (Firmenich): a woody and powdery note 
5. The Ambrettolide (Givaudan): from the juice of angelica with amber and fruity scent
6. Globalide (Symrise): a clean, vaporous fragrance
7. Musk T (Takasago) or ethylene brassylate: can be used to give a galaxolide effect (Musk T is easy to use, it is round and soft)
8. The Dihydro ambrettolide: fruity, reminiscent of the ambrette
9. La Cosmone: a powdery musk (captive Givaudan) that gives a nitrated musk effect to the compositions.
10. Nirvanolide (Givaudan)
11. The Astrotone (Firmenich)
    
    

• Linear or Alicyclic musks

Finally, we find in 4th category, a new generation of musks called linear or alicyclic:

1. The Helvetolide (Firmenich), it is clean, white, milky, fruity
2. Le Romandolide (Firmenich) is linen with cotton effect
3. Sylkolide (Givaudan) is fruity and sweet
4. The Applelide (IFF)
5. Serenolide (Givaudan)

These musks are very soft and often powdery.

The last two categories, Macrocyclic and Alicyclic musks, are not subject to any accusations or media attacks.

All the perfumes on the market contain white musks, especially in the perfumes for babies or children, but in this list, there is really an "overdose" of the white musks. 

The musky perfumes 

Here are some examples of white musk perfumes: 

• L'Instant Magic Guerlain
• For Men Bulgari
• Mûre et Musc L'Artisan Parfumeur
• Flower Kenzo: Muscenone overdose
• La Cologne Mugler
• White Musk The Body Shop
• Original Jovan Musk Kiehl's: a rather animalistic fragrance
• Musk Koubaï Khan Serge Lutens: note of skin, fur
• Musc Tonkin Perfume of Empire
• Musc Ravageur Frédéric Malle: the most animalistic

Musk in Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Sylvaine Delacourte has a Musk Collection composed of 5 fragrance:
Florentina, Smeraldo, Lilylang, Helicriss and Dovana.
Each contains a cocktail of 10 different musks, as well as Oranzo from Sylvaine Delacourte's Orange Blossom Collection. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.

Vegetable Musk 

There are also natural vegetal musky notes, created by the ambrette seed, that come from a variety of hibiscus. This vegetal musky note has fruity accents of pear.