White Musk But No White Lust (The Body Shop: White Musk, Eau de Toilette)

Member Name: Rose Pink

Product:	The Body Shop: White Musk, Eau de Toilette
Date:	16/10/07 (217 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, pretty scent

Disadvantages: Devoid of the perfume experience

First Impression

Sadly when buying a perfume what the thing actually smells like is only half of what we search for. Women tend to use fragrance to make themselves feel beautiful, sophisticated and alluring. As a little girl a bottle of perfume looked ridiculously glamorous sitting on a dressing table and was always a must-have during dressing up games. It is unsurprising then that I spent so much of my youth mercilessly squishing rose petals and mixing the pulp with water before placing the bowl in the airing cupboard as this was obviously how it miraculously turned into real perfume. The air surrounding perfume is that of glamour and this is what we buy into. A mediocre perfume can be made attractive to us by high profile advertising campaigns which captivate us and make us believe we can spray the essence of the beautiful, alluring woman on screen onto ourselves. However the Body Shop does not play these mind games on us, and I for one think that this is a good thing. There are no television adverts and little publicity for the range and I was surprised to find it to be honest. However I feel that my love affair with the scent is a lot truer than with many other perfumes as I am genuinely buying the scent, not the image.

Along the same line that the scent can speak for itself, the packaging is fairly bland. A transparent and average shaped bottle combined with a silver lid does not really inspire the imagination and, after the progressively more eccentric bottle of other brands, it does seem dull. Also it sounds silly but the perfume’s position in store also degrades it a little. It is difficult to explain but it just feels like a bit of a letdown. To me it feels like going to Tesco’s to buy an evening dress. I’ve seen many of their dresses and some are lovely and call me a snob if you will but browsing for it alongside rows of cabbages is a bit of a turn-off. In the same way being deprived of a perfume counter really derives form the experience. Critics may call it archaic but I love department stores where they have their many perfume counters and displays of bottles, you can really get lost in the shopping experience. The Body Shop can’t provide this and although many would say this shouldn’t matter providing the scent is good, I must admit I missed the feeling as I picked up a bottle and it was treated as any other purchase.

Scent

Now arguably the most important aspect of the perfume, how it actually smells. I have often found myself drowning in oceans of alcohol when I inhale many perfumes, which drown any true scent; however this is not the case with white musk. The main ingredient is alcohol denant but many other scents are contained inside it that override it. White Musk boasts ‘Top notes of velvety musk, floral lily and sensual ylang ylang with hints of fresh galbanum and basil.’ On first readings this really is a wow-reaction as that is a lot of scents. Furthermore there are middle notes of ‘velvety musk, oriental jasmine, floral lily and rose’ in addition to ‘Base notes: velvety musk, oriental jasmine, floral lily and iris, rose, sweet vanilla, fresh amber, patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver with hints of fruity peach.’ I was worried when I read about the scent that it would be too fussy and overpowering, indeed the mix seems so eccentric as to be unsuccessful. However my mind was changed as I first inhaled. The variety of sources of the perfume compliment each other pretty much perfectly. The musky essence dominates yet is enhanced by other sources of perfume creating a blend which seems enigmatic through its complexity and in this way can give you a sophisticated air. Perhaps the biggest stroke of genius with this perfume come sin the base notes where woody scents are necessary to hold perfume to the skin and give the perfume a relatively long six hour staying power. However musk can be quite a heavy scent and these woody notes could have made the perfume unbearable overwhelming, yet it is prevented by fresh, sweet notes such as the peach and vanilla. In this way the perfume will suit many types of women, from the purely mysterious and sexual to the sweet and naïve, depending on how you choose to wear it.

Application

The perfume is fairly subtle and can therefore be used both at night and during the day. The Body Shop instructs that it should be sprayed directly onto the neck or the pulse points however this is not a strict code. It is often said that you should apply perfume to any part of your body that you wish to be kissed and it can be used to highlight your most attractive body parts. The back of the neck is generally fairly warm and so emits the scent well and spritzing along the collarbone or the mid back can draw attention, depending on which area is being shown off. The traditional wrist area is valuable as movement of the arms can let the scent drift onwards yet it should be used subtly for maximum effect. The movement technique is actually better suited to the hair where playful tossing and stroking can prove to be doubly tempting if a ripple of scent is also liberated. In my opinion the pulse points should actually be avoided. These points produce secretions of your own individual scent and it is this scent (undetectable to our consciousness) which is what can make people fall for us. Instead of faking it, flaunt it, whilst complimenting it with perfume to satisfy our conscious minds. As said before the perfume lasts approximately six hours. However as the Body Shop endorses, layering white musk products will ensure the scent lasts longer in a subtle but meaningful way. If you do decide to invest in all products sprits the perfume onto bare skin and leave to soak in (do not rub and confuse the base notes) then gently massage the body lotion in on top, to lock in the scent for even longer. However reapplication throughout the day is necessary and if you are looking for something a little less fleeting try the parfum which has a far longer staying power of approximately twelve hours.

Value for Money

The Eau De Toilette costs £14.00 for a 60 ml bottle. A bottle lasts at least a few months depending on how regularly it is used. As perfumes go this has to be one of the cheapest and best value for money scent wise.

Overall Judgement

This perfume is technically quite brilliant. It has an aroma which is traditional yet quirky and truly beautiful and will cost only a fraction of the normal price of a perfume. However sadly I do not think that I will be buying this perfume again. I really do get a thrill out of buying a new perfume. It is one of those things that is an experience and at the end of the day however ridiculous it may seem we are not buying a bottle of prettily scented oils but instead an image, an illusion, an ideal. To achieve this I for one need the high profile advertising campaigns, the beautiful models and the shopping experience. So for anyone who has these dizzy love affairs with their purchase steer clear of Body Shop and truly spoil yourself. After all a perfume seems to be mostly based on psychology, the main reason you can become attractive whilst wearing it is because you undergo a psychological change where you feel stunning and alluring and this inner-confidence makes you attractive. This is the feeling we should invest in and as far as I am concerned the Body Shop’s pretty scents will never really cut-it.

Summary: A half-perfume