Musk SQ Attar

All spiced up and sumptuous. A raunchy, naturalistic aroma that smells of animal yet enthralls with its beauty. The scent of passionate caresses. The backbone of it all: Musk.

From Kashmiri musk-infused Indian sandalwood to exotic pepper extracts that smell muskier than muskrat, splashes of post-coital sweat, grapefruit and animalics emerge that take you to a proper bestial muskiness accentuated by castoreum, cumin, and Sichuan pepper. But rather than clash, they merge into an ultra-steroidal foundation for the floral musky notes that made up Borneo Zen. After their petals have fallen, we come to the soft basmati rice, baby skin phase of a perfect musky drydown.

I know it’s a scent prudes might not approve of, but would probably appreciate most. A fragrance that’s not a sterile blast of soapy raspberry flavonoids meant to cover up the scent of you, rather one that celebrates that natural pheromonal aroma that’s all too human.

But if lusty makes you blush, a special rose otto I’ve been extra stingy with (and am now out of) injects the risqué with enough romantique to let the scent share the bed with the ballroom; featured here alongside a duo of Turkish and French roses. The floral tenor is sensual and richer than any soliflore, mastered by the musk yet exalted by it.

Sambac looms regally on top, leading into a pepper-spice rendition of the heart notes many master perfumers prefer in their ltd’s. So, rare jasmines and roses aside, have you smelled what a fusion of vintage Tibetan and Tonkin musk does to basmati, cumin and pepper? I’ve watched its primal old-world appeal in action as those I’ve dabbed go nose-to-swipe far more than you normally would. The jasminized spicy & musky carnality wants you back, like it or not.

There are as many interpretations of musk as there are perfumers. Some of my friends have opted to pair musk with cinnamon and lavender, others with pine and galbanum. I choose basmati rice for the coumarinic powderiness reminiscent of the soft scent of baby skin; our own in-house Tonkin musk absolute, for a doubling of all cylinders; and rare exotic spices.

Sultan Musk Attar began as a new direction for me and has since become a signature EO fragrance. I wanted this SQ edition to capture every bit of the zest of classical compositions I’ve been entranced by, but also to add my personal oud-themed flavor – and this time, our royal patron’s Tibetan and Tonkin musk. I spared no expense or effort in doing so, and I’m now once again faced with the dread that hits every artisanal perfumer when the Schott is capped and left to marinate: where will I find all these ingredients again?!

Featured Testimonials…

Name a better Musk focused/based perfume Oil than this.

To me, this is the most beautiful perfume oil,

In which the musk is the Star/Highlight.

Amazing work of art done by Sidi Ensar Oud

—Mohammad B / Bangladesh