Musks, Posh Perfumes & Furry Animals

Summary

Sarah discusses how different musks can create impressions of softness, warmth, and a friendly, fluffy animal. She also explains how some musks can make a fragrance feel more expensive.

Main ideas

• Some widely used musks face environmental and availability concerns. Sarah says Galaxolide and Fixolide are due to be phased out under an EU deadline by 2029 because they are used in large quantities in laundry products, persist in the environment, and are not biodegradable. She notes that Fixolide has already been restricted. Although small amounts in fine fragrance are less of a concern, reduced production could make these materials costly or difficult to obtain.
• Biodegradable options can serve as practical alternatives.
  • Ethylene brassylate is Sarah’s preferred dependable, biodegradable musk. She recommends it as a good first musk for someone starting a collection.
  • Romandolide is another biodegradable option that she began using early on.
• Musks can suggest different textures and characters.
  • Ethylene brassylate and Romandolide are soft, smooth, fluffy, and relatively understated.
  • Cashmeran smells more woody than musky to Sarah. She imagines its gentle, youthful, animalic quality as the scent of a friendly wolf’s neck.
  • Aurélione initially suggests clean but unworn clothes that have been stored away. In a blend, Sarah says, it can add richness and sensual warmth, like warm skin.
  • Ambrettolide HC is more prominent and readily identifiable as a musk than quieter background materials.
  • Velvione is one of Sarah’s favorites, though she describes it as powerful and expensive.
  • Sarah is unsure that ambrette absolute smells like an animalic musk; to her, it is closer to sesame. She distinguishes it from ambrettolide.
• An expensive material is not necessarily better just because of its price. Sarah has a sample of an expensive musk that she wants to test further before deciding whether its cost is justified.
• Musk character can be subjective. Sarah notes that perfumers may disagree over whether Cashmeran counts as a musk. For her, its usefulness in a fragrance matters more than its category.
• White musks may help a fragrance smell more expensive. Based on her experience, Sarah theorizes that using a plain, standard white musk in many fragrances—she estimates around half—can create an impression of expense without relying on costly ingredients.
• Sarah rejects animal cruelty in perfumery. She says she does not use actual deer musk and objects to the cruelty involved in obtaining it. She explains that ambrette seed comes from a hibiscus plant and that the tiny seeds make producing an absolute costly.

Practical points and advice

• Give a musk time to develop. A fresh strip may initially smell mostly of ethanol or seem to have little scent. Sarah recommends leaving it for 10–20 minutes and smelling it again.
• You do not need a huge palette to begin perfumery. Beginners can learn how materials behave and blend together without buying hundreds of ingredients.
• Choose bottles carefully. In response to a question about evaporation, Sarah says her dilutions have not noticeably escaped from her bottles, even in hot weather. She suspects the bulb and cap seal are important and cautions against buying large quantities of very cheap bottles.
• Choose musks for the character you want. To evoke a fluffy, friendly animal, Sarah’s examples range from soft, smooth white musks to Cashmeran’s gentle animalic warmth and Aurélione’s richer, skin-like effect. She suggests that perfumers can adapt as certain materials become unavailable.

Speakers and sources featured

• Sarah — the presenter and sole clearly audible speaker.
• Alex — mentioned by Sarah as a friend; not heard speaking.
• An unnamed recent ISIPCA graduate — referenced by Sarah as saying that even top perfumers and tutors disagree about whether Cashmeran is a musk; not heard speaking.
• EU restrictions — cited by Sarah as the reason for the expected phase-out of Galaxolide and Fixolide; no EU representative is featured.