Musk is a major or minor ingredient in over half the most popular perfumes. Whether as a base to support other scents or acting as the prominent odor, musk has unique properties that are hard for most people to resist. It accentuates and boosts the endurance of perfume’s other properties whether they are floral, plant-based or wood. This makes it a very valuable asset to perfumers. Muscone, the oily liquid that is the active component of musk, actually has a very unpleasant smell of ammonia and fatty tissues but once it is diluted the scent becomes very pleasant.

But where is musk found and how is it harvested? Originally, it came from the musk deer, a creature distantly related to deer but weighing only 20-40 pound with no antlers and large tusks. In order to get the musk glands, the animal had to be killed and this resulted in their population dwindling so drastically that they are now protected by laws in the countries they live. Other sources of musk include the American beaver and other animals, the musk flower, wood and seeds. It can also be made synthetically; most of the musk used in this generation of perfume is synthetic as companies become increasingly interested in preserving wildlife.

DESIRE BLUE BY ALFRED DUNHILL (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 3.4 OZ)

Price : $20.79

But why has musk always been in such demand, even as far back as ancient Egypt? Simply put, musk is a sexual attractant and aphrodisiac! Secreted only by male vertebrates, it is a natural pheromone specifically meant to attract a mate. Because of this, musk is the most expensive ingredient used in perfumes and other products, costing up to $45,000 per kilogram!

Alfred Dunhill manufactures Desire Blue for men, using synthetic musk to support and bolster the elements of bergamot, orange flower water, amber and tonka bean. While orange flower water may seem an odd ingredient for a man’s cologne, it gives it a sparkle that adds a bit of mystery to the impression of strength. Azzaro makes a more serious creation in Onyx, combining apple, lemon, coriander and other spices, cedar wood and bergamot with musk for a defined statement of being in charge, decisive and adventurous.

ONYX BY AZZARO (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 3.4 OZ)

Price : $20.14

When the process of synthesizing musk was discovered, it began to be used more liberally in perfume and other products in which scent was an important marketing concept. Today it is used in household products, bath soaps and shampoo as well as fine perfumes.

Tim Walt

A very important ingredient in perfume comes from the seeds of aromatic plants and trees. Many of them are from spices but some, like the tonka bean, come from trees and bushes.

The tonka bean is very versatile, used in food and other applications as well as perfume. Once processed, it exudes the scent as well as the flavor of vanilla and is popular due to its cost. While vanilla is quite expensive, the tonka bean is much less so while still imparting the delicious scent of vanilla as well as touches of almond, cinnamon and cloves. The seed is process through extraction to obtain the rich, warm aroma with an underlying caramel-sweet tone. Carlos Santana recently marketed a perfume of the same name that contains tonka bean with apple, cinnamon and lavender. Its rich, airy aroma isn’t as fruity as you would think, the tonka bean taming the fruit and floral scents into an earthier yet light scent that caresses the air rather than overwhelm it. 

CARLOS SANTANA BY CARLOS SANTANA (EAU DE COLOGNE SPRAY 1.7 OZ)
Price : $19.13

Coriander, another seed that plays an important role in perfumery, comes from the cilantro plant. Although you may be familiar with cilantro through its use in salsa, coriander seeds will surprise you with their faintly orange-like scent especially if you’re familiar with the smell of the plant’s leaves. After the oil is extracted through steam distillation, they have a faint scent of oranges. 

When you think of cocoa, hot drinks and chocolate bars usually come to mind but did you know that they are also used with great success in perfumes? The cocoa bean is actually a seed from the cacao tree, rich in antioxidants and imbued with a scent of rich, dark earth and a very faint cocoa aroma. The dominant cocoa scent you know from drinking cocoa and chocolate is naturally developed after processing quite different than that used for perfumes. 

 

AMOR AMOR BY CACHAREL (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 1 OZ)
Price : $20.60

Vanilla, a natural compliment for cocoa’s aroma, is found in very high grade perfumes due to its purity and cost. The plant is actually an orchid which has to be pollinated and produce seed pods before it can be processed for perfume. Because of the precise requirements of orchids, it’s not as easy to grow and harvest as other seeds but the heavenly aroma from its seeds makes it well worth the extra cost and trouble. Cacharel manufactures a perfume called Amor Amor that uses vanilla combined with fragrant woods, fruits and florals. Vanilla, a wonderful aroma itself, tends to bring out the best in the scents that are combined with it. 

Seeds are a very important component of perfumery, used for hundreds of years while being laboriously processed by hand. With modern methods, perfumers are discovering many new delicious scents from seeds.

Tim Walt