White musk is often described as a “second skin,” a soft sweep of scent that gets noticed but rarely identified. Vastly different from animalic musk, white musk is a synthetic note that smells clean, comforting, and warm. Here are seven solid options if you’re looking for a white musk-dominant scent that is both crowd-pleasing and distinct.
Ella K’s Musc K smells like the warm glow emitted by skin after a day spent on a sunny beach. Pink pepper, orris, sand lily and more accompany the note of musk, creating an elusive scent bubble that smells incredible yet is quite hard to describe. Inspired by the Maranhão landscape, it’s a tad salty, with a subtle freshness. It smells to me like the old formulation of Glossier You (without as much pepper), but elevated to the extent you would expect from a luxury niche perfume house. I am so delighted to have found a scent like this, something that can be worn year-round, day or night.
ALTAIA (A Long Time Ago in Argentina) has a scent called Don’t Cry For Me, and it smells like a memory – which is fitting, due to the brand’s storied origins. The founders have a shared history; after meeting and falling love, they discovered that their great-great-grandfathers crossed paths in a way that shaped modern-day Argentina. Don’t Cry For Me is a creamy, slightly vegetal, bright breeze of a fragrance with a heart of ambrette musk. Jasmine tea, freesia, and cashmere wood combine for an enchanting sillage that transcends seasons. 
Founded on the principles of synesthesia, Pinrose creates sensory-rich fragrances backed by the psychology of smell. Pillowtalk Poet is a warm musk with a hint of clove, an intimate scent that sits close to skin and is ideal for rainy afternoons spent in bed. Powder, geranium, ambergris, amber and sandalwood unite for a sensual composition that is totally unisex and utterly addictive. This is one of those scents that others will mistake for your natural pheromones, jealous of your ability to smell so alluring seemingly without even trying.
Musc Pallas by Jovoy Paris is a gentle whisper of a perfume that smells like white lace. Ambrette provides a slightly fruity, raisin-like undertone that adds intrigue to the scent profile, while ocean spray and velvety peach in the middle keep it delightfully fresh. This would make a gorgeous signature scent, as, despite its soft sillage, it makes itself known throughout the day with whispers of white musk and dried fruits. The perfumer for this one, Vanina Muracciole, wanted to highlight the note of white musk while maintaining a soft roundness.
Reinveinted Parfums is meant to be an ode to that magical place in the psyche where are true selves live; the brand’s fragrances are meant to breathe life into these selves. Sacred Bond is a clean, bright, slightly fizzy celebration of raspberry, bergamot, jasmine, caramel, vanilla, and, of course, white musk. The musk in this one is calming and clean-smelling, a sheer base with which other notes may intertwine. Almost candied in its sweetness, Sacred Bond is harmonious, magnetic, and joyful.
If some of the above musks exuded warmth, Musc Outreblanc by Guerlain is cold, white marble. Opening with vibrant neroli, its heart of white musk is revolved by orange blossom, rose, iris Pallida butter. This smells like the most luxurious batch of clean laundry, or the most expensive white collared shirt. Perfumer Delphine Jelk selected three types of white musk for her creation, resulting in a masterpiece that sits between innocence and seduction.
Similar in description yet totally different when actually smelled, Un Musc by Obvious Parfums perfectly captures the scent of just-washed skin, with an ever-so-slight hint of sweetness – think minimalism in a bottle, that simple white T-shirt that is priceless to you because it fits so perfectly, or the white cotton sheets you invested in that were amazingly worth the price. A cocooning bubble of comforting vetiver and a cocktail of musks, this one is a no-brainer for all genders, and reminds me of soft, fluffy cotton fibers still attached to the plant.
