Courtesy of Byredo
Unlike more palpable notes of robust florals or warm ambers, musky scents have a somewhat mutable quality to them. "Musk refers to notes that smell like skin, leather, and fur," says perfumer and Arquiste Parfumeur founder Carlos Huber. "Originally, they came from animals like the musk deer, the civet cat, and the caster." However, most fragrance houses have forgone the practice of using animal-derived products, so when you see musk notes on the market these days, you can be almost entirely sure that they are synthetic. "It's amazing that we can replicate notes with warmth and sensuality and do it safely and cleanly," he remarks of the artificial musks available today.
Musks can come across as clean and crisp in one iteration, earthy and woody in another, and dark and spicy in others. It's that intoxicating mystery that makes musks so alluring, the transformative scent settling into everyone's skin differently. And it's that very nature that makes narrowing down a winning circle of musky fragrances so difficult. But that won't stop us from culling a list of the top musk staples for every fragrance-lover's collection. Keep scrolling for 25 of our all-time favorite musky perfumes.
Meet the Experts
- Carlos Huber is a perfumer and founder of Arquiste Parfumeur.
- Sandra Brandenhoff is the Director of Marketing at Clean Beauty Collective.
Phlur Soft Spot
Phlur
If you're looking for a musky scent that feels warm, feminine and floral, try Phlur's Soft Spot, which the brand describes as a "sultry skin-on-skin fragrance that captures the essence of your desire with a charming caress." It features notes of freesia, musk, sandalwood, amber, and jasmine. But, if you're looking for a pure musk scent without all of the floral freshness, try Missing Person, the brand's viral, musky predecessor.
Prada Paradoxe
Prada
Prada's Paradoxe perfume was launched in 2022, and the floral-forward scent highlights the multifaceted essence of womanhood, celebrating the very contradictions to which its name alludes to. The composition achieves this balance through the addition of heady notes of musk, amber, and neroli for a more grounded finish.
Henry Rose Jake's House
Henry Rose
Created with an androgynous ethos, this unisex scent presents a slightly more masculine iteration of musk without sacrificing any freshness. The crisp, aquatic fragrance his noticeably clean, courtesy of the marine and citrus notes accompanyingthe musk.
Arquiste Peau
Arquiste
Since musk scents replicate the creamy, familiar scent of skin-to-skin contact, they are often the go-to note for creating fragrances modeled after loved ones. "[Peau] is a scent that perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux and I created to replicate the scent of the nape of the neck—the scent you smell when you hug someone and feel the back of their neck. It's salty, smooth, clean, and musky at the same time. It's the idealized scent of skin and the memory of someone you love," says Huber.
Bastide Rose Olivier
Bastide
With strong notes of musk, bergamot, juicy tangerine, and lychee, this is not your average floral fragrance. Found in the south of France, this scent is inspired by the olive tree, which is grounded in an intoxicating balance of sweetness and spice. This is ideal for anyone who likes floral scents but hates how cloyingly sweet they can be.
Brown Girl Jane Carousel
Brown Girl Jane
Thanks to a grounding combo of cloud musk and sandalwood, this perfume has a soft, creamy base that balances the sweet gourmand notes of caramel-coated apples, juicy black currants, and cotton candy. It's decadent, warm, and sensual without feeling too sweet.
Diptyque Do Son
Diptyque
With tuberose as its core, this white musky scent is strong yet not overpowering. Accompanying notes of amber wood, jasmine, and orange blossom complement this bouquet-like medley. In short, it's a spicy, summer fragrance with a current of sea breeze running through it.
D.S. & Durga Rose Atlantic
D.S. & Durga
Imagine the perfect unisex fragrance that's an alluring mix of the summer wind, fresh-cut grass, and a blooming rose garden. Sounds like heaven, no? We'd say this D.S. & Durga fragrance comes close to that mix, with top notes of bergamot, petals, and lemon oil, and heart notes of linden, rose accord, and dune grass. At the base, you'll find saltwater, white moss, and muscone.
Glossier You
Glossier
Described by the brand as "smooth, salty, and animalistic," but, we think the best way to summarize the scent of this millennial-favorite fragrance is that it smells like you. Its hint of musk makes the addictive smell linger for hours, so you don't have to worry about reapplying throughout the day.
Le Labo Rose 31
Le Labo
An eco-conscious, ambiguous scent that smells amazing on just about everyone is Rose 31. With a ladylike note of centifolia rose partnered with masculine notes of cumin, olibanum, cedar, musk, and amber, you get the best of both worlds.
Maison Margiela Replica Lazy Sunday Morning
Replica
Name something that sounds better than a lazy Sunday morning...we'll wait. Experience peak relaxation with strong, soothing notes of lily of the valley, iris, and white musk in this weekend-reminiscent fragrance.
By Rosie Jane Rosie
By Rosie Jane
This fragrance is proof that musky scents can deliver a wow factor. With notes of rose, nude musk and vanilla, the brand describes this scent as "sleeping in your birthday suit" and we can't agree more.
Initio Musk Therapy
Initio Parfums Privés
This scent is a splurge, to say the least, but it's the type of fragrance that will have people chasing you down the street to ask what you're wearing– it's truly that good. With notes of bergamot, black currant, white musk, and pink musk, it combines creamy skin scents with sweet and citrus aromas.
Byredo Mojave Ghost
Byredo
Jaded by the hustle and bustle of city life? Transport yourself to the Mojave Desert with this woody scent. The ghost flower combines Chantilly musk, amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, magnolia, and Jamaican naseberry to create a calming, soothing fragrance.
Tom Ford White Suede
Tom Ford
A "musky medley" that's meant to smell like the highest form of leather? Sounds expensive– we're sold. Sure, this fragrance is an investment, but the tradeoff is that you'll be left smelling like a million bucks. A win in our book.
Aerin Amber Musk
Aerin
A velvety scent that puts you in a trance is how we'd describe this hypnotizing juice (which happens to be one of our favorite spritzes for nighttime). It's a calming blend of amber and creamy musk, relaxing florals, and a surprising dash of coconut water.
724 Maison Francis Kurkdijan
This lively fragrance is a mix of musky floral notes that feel clean and energizing. Top notes include Bergamot and aldehydes, while the heart of the scent is a mix of fresh florals and jasmine absolute from Egypt. But, it's the white musk and sandalwood base notes that add the comforting element that keeps us coming back for more.
Vilhelm Parfumerie Dear Polly
Dear Polly
This one has a sweet story behind it—the founder of Vilhelm Parfumerie based the Dear Polly scent on his wife's daily cup of tea. How cute is that? And the fragrance is nothing to sniff at, either. A crisp blend of bergamot and apple mixes with musk, oakmoss, and ceylon black tea.
Clean Reserve Acqua Neroli
Clean Reserve
Fans of crisp, clean scents will love this musky, citrusy mix of neroli, amber, and mandarin orange. The brand focuses on creating environmentally-friendly fragrances, so this is a great option if sustainability is a top concern. With recyclable packaging and green manufacturing practices, this is a perfume purchase you can feel good about.
Ariana Grande Cloud
Ariana Grande
Celebrity perfumes can get a bad rep. Sometimes, that reputation is earned, but don't let it scare you away from Cloud by Ariana Grande. Rather than cloying and sweet, Cloud blends playful florals like lavender and jasmine with warm cashmere and musk, plus sweet vanilla, orchid, and praline. (We've also heard that it makes a great dupe for a higher-priced amber, floral, and woody fragrance.)
Parfums de Marly Palatine
Parfums de Marly
Palatine is Parfum de Marly's latest launch and the brand describes it as a "daring contemporary violet with luminous and powder notes." Those notes include mandarin, pear, bergamot, violet, sandalwood, musk, and vanilla. If you like an effervescent, creamy floral, you're going to love this.
Clean Reserve Skin
Clean Reserve
Looking for a musky scent that gives "your skin, but better"? Try Clean Reserve Skin. It smells warm and sweet with notes of bergamot, fresh musk, salted praline, and vanilla.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Musc Noir
Narisco Rodriguez
Inspired by Narciso Rodriguez's signature fragrance, heart of music, this Eau de Parfum is a deeper and more intense play on the original composition. On the top, you'll find notes of juicy plum, but deeper, you'll smell rich leather suede accords. Of the scent, Narciso Rodriguez says it "pays homage to the dual nature of all women," and that is found in the blend of light and dark notes.
Ouai Rue St. Honoré
Ouai
Ouai is best known for its stellar hair products, but they also carry a range of fragrances inspired by cities around the world. This fresh, floral scent, is a nod to the streets of Paris, and features notes of violet, gardenia, ylang-ylang, and white musk.
Yves Saint Laurent Libre
YSL
It's likely you've already smelled this trendy fragrance from Yves Saint Laurent in passing– it's that popular. The boldly floral scent is easy to wear but still feels special as it blends notes of lavender, Morrocan orange blossom, and musk accord.