Musk Lave (Areej le Dore, 2020)

Tiny Review

Musk Lave (ML) opens with soft citruses. In my subsequent wearings (4 so far), I found them to be quite oily in texture – yet very pleasant. I can detect them for 2-3 hours on skin (depending on the temperature and humidity). They provide a soft, medicinal/herbal quality (in lieu with lavender's own) into this composition.

Musk Lave (2020) Sample

I then immediately get a large dose of orris butter, myrrh, sandalwood, probably benzoin and labdanum combination that has lots of similarities with ‘25 Junos Suhma (2016/17) and Regolith (2017) by Mellifluence Attars – especially with the first one.

The herbal lavender, on my skin, appears only as a supporting act where it sweetens things up a bit and contributes later in it’s musk accord, which somewhat makes because lavender absolute have that sweet musky thing which can be exploited with oud and other heavy extracts. During my 1st wearing, I also get a Baikal Gris type ‘tonkafied sandalwood’ vibe with random appearance in the first hour. Whilst those heavier ingredients are creating a thick resinous signature, ML is quite spicy too. I get sweet cinnamon, gentle clove (very little scratchy), a touch of card​​amom and a dry saffron smell. The dry saffron smell (more of an impression) that I get here is quite similar to a highly concentrated Persian Sargol saffron tincture (20% or more). Note here that I am only referring to the dry & spicy facets - not the associated tobacco-type leathery smell. For the next hour or so the spices are quite pronounced - and those base materials too.

1 hour in: It is still spicy and resinous on my skin. Now the spiciness has subsided and the overall resinous signature is more prominent. The latter now have a new partner – a black tea-like aroma (albeit just a touch). I am familiar with a very similar tea-like smell from Ocha To Ka (2017) - another attar from Abdullah.

2 hours in: I am almost certain it has a smoky myrrh absolute (or an accord), which, in combination with spices, orris, labdanum, benzoin, sandalwood and tonka gives me this spicy, resinous, molasses-like smell (but with only gentle sweetness), and smokey aroma - reminiscent of Oud Luwak’s gourmand facet. The scent profile remains similar for the next 2-3 hours.

Around the 5th hour, the smoky facet goes to the background, but the spicy (albeit of lesser intensity) and resinous facets are still prominent. Throughout, the musk (accord) is never too animalic – i.e., I do not get the urinous, animalic skin/ fury type smell. Roughly speaking, it comes across as sweet - one I get from sandal macerated musk grains 1 hour after - with a touch of powdery hum in the background.

6th hour: Now the alluring soft leather like smell of orris (butter/resinoid) is quite clear on my skin. The sweet and leather part from orris (and labdanum, benzoin, osmanthus, etc.) in Musk Lave is very subtle. However, if I didn’t have those materials, I would have lumped them together as something sweet and leathery. Additionally, I now get a distinct metallic smell (albeit of very low intensity) that I always associate with orris butter’s cold metallic smell after being warmed up on skin for a while. I get a similar cold metallic orris accord from Iris Silver Mist (Serge Lutens). I also get that cold feeling from the orris in INGEN by NOT Perfumes - but with a warmer hug.

Upon multiple wearings, the Baikal Gris connection (‘tonkafied’ sandal) is quite clear. In BG, I detect oakmoss at the very last stage of dry down (a bit earlier if the weather is cooler). Conversely, I can clearly detect the distinct green foresty smell of oakmoss as soon as I apply ML with a very smooth and sweet deer musk.

Musk here, no doubt, is partly sweetened by the never-shouty lavender absolute. The deer musk is very clear on me, but it is never overtly animalic. This musky smell is very similar to a smell that I get 2-3 hours after I wear a deer musk maceration neat.

The similarities with Junos Suhma (no. 25, Mellifluence) in the orris, labdanum, benzoin, sandalwood, tonka & vanilla (read vanillin) 'departments' are still there. However, those materials' progressions on skin are different. In the end, Junos Suhma is less sweeter, but more resinous, smokey (from oud and resins) and drier. In Musk Lave, it is the opposite, with an added touch of muskiness.

ML lasts about 6-7 hours in our warm & humid weather (28°-30°C). On my skin, ML is not bombastic after 2 hours, which I prefer - a cocoon of comforting perfume. So far, I like Musk Lave. If you missed Baikal Gris, and love sandalwood, lavender's subtle and soft medicinal and deer musk's sweeter facets, this is worth trying.