Want to smell ethereal? The combination of white musk and virtually any floral note is your recipe. This match is made in heaven, with the verdance of fresh blooms reeled in by the clean warmth of musk, creating a cloud of gorgeousness that is almost like a second skin. These are three of my favorites.
Glass Blooms by Régime des Fleurs is a peony dream; the first time I wore it, I stepped outside for an evening walk and wondered what flowers could possibly be in bloom, their scent drifting to my nose on the unseasonably warm breeze. There were no such flowers – it was this perfume, somehow projecting all the more in the open air. This is the smell of peony and rose petals warmed all day in the sun at the edge of a lush forest with a waterfall – floral, woody, and a touch aquatic. The name is certainly fitting; it evokes the daintiness of a blossom fashioned out of glass.
L’Artisan Parfumeur has a scent called Histoire d’Orangers that I wish I could drink. It is the aroma of an orange tree, fragrant with its white flowers and ripe fruit, layered with neroli and a big dose of white musk. The musk keeps this from becoming too citric or floral, and the result is pure, fluffy bliss. Orange blossom can become quite sticky-sweet, but this goes in a different direction – it’s almost a bit lactonic to my nose. Although this is no orange creamsicle, it’s also not a zesty or sharp fragrance. Histoire d’Orangers is a hint of orange blossom in the warm Moroccan air, and the promise of dew at the arrival of dawn.
Finally, the beauty brand Merit recently released an extrait de parfum called Retrospect, a delicate harmony of jasmine, rose, orris and musk. Derivative of scents like Glossier You and Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume, this, to me, is a more feminine and airy version of its predecessors, and stands boldly on its own. The standout note – aside from the musk and florals – is pear, a fresh, juicy bite of ripened fruit. Layered with the musk and florals, it’s magical. Fresh, sweet and a bit lipsticky, it’s a unique take on the your-skin-but-better scent.
