Les Orientaux: Musc Molinard for women and men

A powdery and slightly animalic musk from one of the most famous Grasse fragrance houses. I've not tried the repackaged version, only the one that came from the blue flacon with the "Les Senteurs" label affixed.

As a rather jaded musk fan, I actually like it. It has a fruity, somewhat grape-like start, but is quickly followed by the familiar fatty/powdery accord of a good musk - something many folks have not experienced. The general public thinks of musk as a penetrating, sweet, woody and rather generic accord found in the base of most of today's boring and generic fragrances.

This one has a difference - it's meant to be layered. Remember this. It has a touch of unwashed hair and skin and some patchouli - similar to what's found in Bal a Versailles, but not nearly as raunchy. Layered underneath other scents that are deemed compatible, it adds a lovely depth and presence that's not found in many of today's popular scents.

Again, this is for the version in the blue bottle - I know nothing of the one in the current one or know if there's been any form of reformulation.

Molinard's Musc was a blind buy for me because it was so inexpensive and I just wanted a simple musk in my fragrance wardrobe. Test this first! I don't know if it was just my chemistry but this was the worst, most synthetic smelling musk I have encountered. It was truly terrible in my opinion and I have liked some skanky fragrances! I didn't get any of the other notes at all. I would have loved for there to have been noticeable nutmeg. Maybe I got what I paid for but I threw it away. I wouldn't want to put anyone else through this.

Note: This has not been the case with other Molinards I have had. Ambre and Vanille Patchouli were actually really nice.

I am actually wearing Molinard MUSC ET FRUITS, which I could not locate in the database, so I'll leave my review here.

MUSC ET FRUITS is a friendly fruity floral like a dozen others but with a naturalness which I really like. The composition opens with a red-jammy character, but it swiftly improves, drying down to an only slightly sweet woody musk which comes close to being a skin scent. Well, if your skin happens to taste yummy! (-:

A quick google landed me at the house of Molinard, where I discovered that these natural creations are quite modestly priced. So here's a clear, tangible benefit of more attention to production and less to marketing hype. (N'est-ce pas?) I'll probably be buying some of these soon...