Hey Happy Huffers,
Portia coming at you from AustralianPerfumeJunkies and thrilled to be here. Last week we did a giveaway of Parfum d’Empire’s latest Limited edition offering Musc Tonkin. I thought it might be nice for you to read a gang of views from the makers, sellers and some of my favourite bloggers and then my experience of it too.
Musc Tonkin by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato for Parfum d’Empire 2012
Photo Stolen Parfum d’Empire
From Parfum d’Empire
The Chinese have prized it since antiquity for its aphrodisiac virtues. The smell was considered so heavenly by Islam it was blended into the mortar of some mosques so they would exhale it in the sun. It wasa so penetrating that ships loaded with tea would refuse to carry it for fear it would impregnate their cargo.
Tonkin Musc, produced by a breed of Himalayan deer, was one of the most precious ingredients of the perfumers palette.
From Lucky Scent where they have a SOLD OUT sign hanging
All we can say is that this gloriously feline scent seems like an emanation of love-drunken skin: fatty, saline, dusky, with hints of leather and amber under a cloud of powder… And that we will not be held responsible for its deliciously wicked side effects. Although on second thought, we’d kind of welcome a thank-you note.
Patty here on Perfume Posse
Nice job, Corticchiato, you manged to do it. Parfum d’Empire Musc Tonkin opens like a cat in heat, leaving nothing but a gasp for just how rank this thing is. That would have been enough because I love diving into skanky, rank, feral perfume, but it doesn’t stop there, it evolves into something as feral, but more knowing, more sophisticated, showing more of itself it you just work your way past all the things that are either distracting or off-putting.
The Non-Blonde
Parfum d’Empire often gives us statement fragrances and Musc Tonkin is no different. If you find Muscs Kublai Khan to be over the top there’s little chance that this fragrance will sit well with you. Lovers of massive musks, though, will most likely adore it and lament the limited distribution.
CaFleurBon
M. Corticchiato has recreated the smell of true musk by using a mix of many things. The reality of Musc Tonkin is so seamless I have to work very hard to get hints of what is here and even then it is more impressions of things than any belief I have that I know the secret formula behind Musc Tonkin. The heck with Coke this is a formula I would love to know. There are some highly indolic white flowers here, there is some strong resin and perhaps some myrrh, there is a bit of ozonic saltiness, there is an inky blackness, and there are other things I just am not sure of…
What do I think? I think it opens with caramel cat, dark and dangerous. I smell salty brine and warmth. It makes me feel like cinnamon in my coffee makes me feel. Warm, cuddly and as if my blood is on fire. It is an outrageous opening that certainly got my attention and I can’t wait for the rest of the ride. As an hour passes Musc Tonkin becomes a whisper of itself, a warm skin scent that is both interesting and alluring, according to TSO Jin. After two hours I am completely anosmic to it and feel sad and let down. Ah well, can’t win them all. I will now go back to my MKK and spritz with abandon.
What is your favourite musk? Did you try Musc Tonkin? How did it go on you?
Liked this? Then come over to AustralianPerfumeJunkies and say a quick HOWDY!! We love visitors.
Till next week.
Love, Love, Love
Portia x
I can’t smell some musks– like Narciso Rodriguez– AT ALL. Nada. However, MKK was a different story. I opened the sample, applied and smelled my wrist and was like, “Whoa! Hope no one is around to smell that and think it’s me.” It smelled like what I’d imagine a dirty old ho smells like at the end of a long evening. lol. Even after an hour, it was too much. Musc Ravageur is my favorite of the category thus far. I’d like to try the Musc Tonkin, but only at home alone, just in case.
I still have to get to know my muscs…
They are really fun and interesting solsanace,
Portia xx
This one really hit me sideways. I was at the end of a long and delicious afternoon at Scentbar and happened to pick up the bottle of MT and spritz it on a strip..WHOA HOLY S—- WHAT IS THAT? (but in a *good* ways). Steven Gontarski looked up and gave a little smile “It’s amazing. I think we have one bottle left”. I had him search through the cabinets that second for the bottle and walked away with it happily. On my skin, this one changes continuously. It’s sometimes briny and lemony, then turns very indolic and powerful, then very soft and almost sweet, on and on. The development is “spiral” , when what I’ve come to expect is linear. There is so much powerful beauty packed into what can be a very sheer and almost delicate composition. I’m amazed by it and LOVE it indeed (you were right, Steven). I never wear it at work, but save it for times when I can just purr contentedly smelling myself all day long and really enjoy it. My sense is that demand for this will cause a repeat performance. Remember L’Artisan’s Fd’O in 2005 uber-limited distribution? until 2007…
I am really happy to hear that it worked so splendidly on you, as it has for so many reviewers. I wish it lived like that on me.
Portia xx
oh, and talk about being anosmic to musk – for the first 2-3 years, i could not smell narciso rodriguez for her AT ALL! it smelled like water to me, and i could not figure out what the fuss was about. finally i was able to enjoy it, and now love it! and men love it on me. great stuff.
I really love NR for Her. LOVE IT!!
Portia x
haven’t tried this yet, but hope to. the dirty, caramel cat sounds wonderful. on my skin, MKK is a kitten. truly tame. good, yes, but not the shocker i had hoped for. so, i am still looking for a musc that roars and keeps on roaring. i love many muscs – MKK obviously, clair de musc, keiko mecheri’s musk, and scents with that barnyard musk – like libertine.
Why do we all want a shocker? I love the way MKK smells after about 20 minutes but I can’t leave the house for that 20 minutes because I smell outrageous.
Portia xx
MKK was a let down for me. I did not get much out of it. I have not tried this one yet. I am not generally unable to smell musks- Musc Ravageur works just fine for me. When I want truly feral, though, I look for a perfume with civet.
HAH! I love that you’re after feral. I am smiling broadly
Portia xx
Portia. Honey. Sit down for this one. I was hoping to get all the ‘rhino butt’ that everyone was bambiphilcatin’ about…….eagerly anticipating, I spritzed it on and got…….Lily of the Freaking VALLEY! Can you believe it? I think I must have some molecule in my nose that turns things sideways… xoxoA
Naah, it’s your skin Musette. You could turn Draino into a floral bouquet extravaganza.
Portia xx
I’m glad someone else said this first. I could smell almost nothing here either. It was just sort of… citrusy, perhaps? I hate it when that happens (as it has with one or two other musk perfumes).
Musc Tonkin was a love from the moment I sniffed it. Like Mussette, I also smell the lily of the valley note in it. Long lasting on me. Other musk love is MKK.
I usually don’t go for a lot of musk perfumes even though I love MKK. Musk perfumes usually smell metallic on me or smell like cat pee. I don’t get tons of the cat pee or that metallic vibe of MKK or Bal a Versailles. Both are sensual but MKK is even more so and don’t quite have the guts to wear it out of the house. Bal a Verailles in EDP form gets me loads of compliments. I’ll have to try this one though.
Heya eldarwen22,
I love MKK and Bal a Versailles, I have the EdT and Parfum. Recently wearing BaV I got a VERY short ride with it also. It may be the heat.
If only Musc Tonkin had stuck around at opening heights I would be FB in a moment.
It is the life.
Portia x