The Body Shop – White Musk for Men – One of my favourite musks – 7.5/10.
I don’t discriminate on my blog. I’ll review anything, from the budget-saving cheapies to the overpriced niche claptrap. Good and bad. Perhaps, I’m more critical of the overpriced stuff, and I think rightly so, as we should be getting “bang for our buck” when we outlay hundreds of dollars on a bottle of perfume. That being said, I can unequivocally advise The Body Shop White Musk for Men offers brilliant value for the price. Indeed, I’d go so far as to recommend this musk over any niche musk on the market. It’s that good.
From what I can gather, through my discussions, dealings, and deliberations, The Body Shop White Musk for Men has somewhat of a cult following. This minimalistic, straightforward blend seems to have struck a chord with men and women alike. And I say women because, despite the moniker on the bottle, White Musk for Men is a unisex scent.
Interestingly, this musk scent never makes me think of laundry detergent, other household cleaning products, or shampoo. That’s quite a feat for such a moderately priced scent. One reason may be that the fragrance has no overt citrus notes like lemon. Some other more expensive brands should take note, as their musk scents often make me think of functional perfumery. The crisp mountain air of the outdoors is something that comes to mind when I spray this fragrance. Don’t get me wrong, though. There is a soapy, clean effect at play here. In truth, avoiding such an association when dealing with musk notes is difficult.
The opening aromatic blast of lavender is invigorating and instantly calming. Although, I wouldn’t say it plays too heavily on lavender’s medicinal or herbal aspects. Instead, the lavender in White Musk for Men has an almost caramelised or sugary sweet characteristic. There’s possibly even a licorice or anise facet to the lavender in White Musk, giving that sweetness. Not too sweet, however, and certainly nothing like the saccharine sweetness I recently experienced when sampling Initio’s musk.
White Musk for Men is a fragrance that moves quickly through its phases. After about 15 minutes or so, the dry-down notes take effect. The middle heart notes of geranium and jasmine are barely detectable on my skin. If anything, I pick up more aromatic geranium than the jasmine on my skin.
The base of White Musk for Men is surprisingly substantial if a bit synthetic. The musk and sandalwood notes aren’t overly natural. But, they work. The sandalwood is creamy, and the musk is comforting, cosy, and cocooning. I think there’s quite a bit of Iso E Super injecting its musky influence into the base notes. Again not overdone and certainly never headache-inducing.
The base is further propped up with the subtle use of vetiver and, perhaps most noteworthy, the fantastic use of tonka. The vetiver is fresh and green in tone and lacks any of the damp, pungent earthiness that the note can sometimes bring forth. The vanillic almondy tonka gives White Musk for Men a warmness, adding to the mellow theme of this EDT. The tonka isn’t the dominant base note, but undoubtedly it plays a significant part in rounding out the dry down of White Musk in a pleasing easy-to-wear manner.
Overall, The Body Shop White Musk for Men is a no-frills uncomplicated composition. It doesn’t come in a box. Instead, coming straight off the shelf as is. Unfortunately, the cap’s a little dodgy and doesn’t sit correctly on the sprayer. Still, the sprayer itself works pretty well. The bottle looks nice (I think), and the glass is thick. Undoubtedly, you get your money’s worth as some of the perceived shortcomings with the presentation are thoroughly offset by the juice inside. For sure, it’s better than 95 percent of new designer fragrances and a pretty high percentage of new niche releases too.
Have you tried this Body Shop scent? What’s your favourite musk?
Quick Notes:
Launch Year: 2007.
Top Notes: Lavender.
Mid Notes: Geranium, jasmine.
Base Notes: Vetiver, tonka, sandalwood, musk.
Longevity: 4-6 hours. My bottle is quite old, I’ve heard performance on newer batches is lacking.
Projection: 2 hours, low.
Season: All year long.
Price: 100ml for for $42AUD.
Alternatives: Mugler Over the Musk, Les Indemodables Musc des Sables, Prada Luna Rossa Black, Prada L’Homme.
All pictures are my own.
