Friday, June 23, 2017

The Body Shop Red Musk: fragrance review

When I first discovered The Body Shop I was a teenager. This also happened to be a time when the company was run by its founder, Anita Roddick, and not by the conglomerate that is L'Oreal. It gave a wholesomeness to the concept which I sorely miss.

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I also miss (sorely!) some of those fabulous, early perfume oils with imaginative and totally incongruent names: Japanese Musk, Azmaria, Ananya and Woody Sandalwood (the latter was a huge hit on my crush!). These are no more... Thankfully, in an array of mainstream and much more forgettable scents that get discontinued at seemingly lighting speed, there are still a couple The Body Shop fragrances that manage to capture my interest. The latest has been Red Musk.

I discovered Red Musk on the recommendation of a friend from a fragrance board and I thank her for it. I bought the perfume oil on the spot and didn't regret it. The advertising copy insists this is a spicy and unconventional fragrance for fiery situations, but what I get is the cozy core of the original White Musk powdery scent drydown, ornamented with the lushest tobacco and dried fruits overlay. In a way it's like a lighter, subtler Burberry London for Men, a very fetching scent in its own right. Red Musk is like a fluffy terry robe that a handsome man who smokes pipe tobacco with apricot flavor has worn for a few days; it has that soft, enveloping lived-in feeling that is both a consolation and a longing, and I happen to be a total sucker for this kind of scents. Maybe you are, too?

7 comments:

  1. Red Musk is a winner, for sure. I also really like the Body Shop's Black Musk.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Kathie, yes, they did well with the Musk line. Almost all variations have something to recommend them. The Red Musk Oud is also rather nice; bit more masculine still.

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  2. Anonymous08:39

    unforgettable woody sandalwood no more :(

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    Replies
    1. I lament the passing as well...You're not alone if that's any consolation. :)

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  3. Oh, yes I am! :) Red Musk is still my favorite scent from The Body Shop.

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  4. I remember one Body Shop oil called Samarkand. Many years ago discontinued. Then came Woody Sandalwood. Then it was discontinued, but came back again. Only to be discontinued once more. I must give Red Musk a go. Thanks for your thoughts

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  5. Anonymous18:04

    I miss all the wonderful oil fragrances from the 90's I wish they would bring them all back They would do Soo well right now ! I use to buy 3 to 4 different oils every month at the Mall everytime I wore them I got Soo many compliments especially from men lol... Never could replace those wonderful oil smells that were so on point and long lasting! It was Soo much fun shopping there please bring it all back again!

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