Misk Al'Jism (Body Musk) Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

Parfumo is for perfume, not for cosmetics. With Arabic products, you have to think differently. In addition to perfume oils and sprays, Arabic manufacturers also offer perfume creams. AbuSafiyya kindly sent me a small amount of Body Musk. He describes it in his post as oil - for me, the light paste has more of the consistency of a skin cream.

And not only the consistency, but especially the scent! I smell a light musk here, one that you have encountered so often in various creams but never really paid attention to. It's slightly soapy and powdery-soft with a hint of flowers - just creamy! I wouldn't call Body Musk a "detergent"; it smells far too refined for that.

It's a topsy-turvy world! Cosmetic manufacturers want to entice us to buy their products with seemingly rational arguments. I'm supposed to buy the new cream because my skin is too dry, too oily, or too wrinkled. In such cases, not only do I tune out, but I can count on one hand the occasions when I actually bought a cream. I purchased Penaten cream because it's very helpful for minor wounds (lasts forever!). Otherwise, I've bought Tiger Balm once or twice, and on a cycling tour, I bought a camphor-containing ointment - and solely because it smelled so good - for no other reason!

What can be said about an industry that addresses primarily the fears, guilt, and lack of self-esteem of its customers in its advertising messages? I'm not an advertising professional, but isn't it obvious that the - hopefully - largest part of potential customers isn't even being addressed?

The Arabic perfume manufacturers seem to do it quite differently. Here, joy takes precedence over frustration! A perfume cream is seemingly bought exclusively because one likes the scent. Any additional cosmetic effects are accepted as a bonus. Which Western cosmetic company places the pleasant scent of its creams and ointments - and thus joy and culture - at the forefront? No, worn down, anxious, and embittered by physical shortcomings, the customer is supposed to take a bitter medicine - how can one even enjoy the scent of a cosmetic product in such a mindset?

Of course, a perfume can have any possible consistency; that's not so crucial. Body Musk is nothing exotic-new, yet it smells much finer than the meager scent additions of so many other creams. And you get exactly what the name promises. For me, that's a bit lacking, especially since I'm not a big fan of musk cream. But my Oud experiments from yesterday still linger due to their monstrous longevity, and the combination is not to be underestimated. A tiny spritz of a good Arabic Oud perfume would give this simple musk significantly more substance. Since both are simple things, layering this time doesn't threaten to create a scent chaos. I could imagine Body Musk as a kind of softener in an Oud collection. However, on its own, Body Musk is too simple for me.