Musc Ravageur Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 2000 Eau de Parfum

“Musc Ravageur” is undoubtedly one of the most controversially discussed fragrances in the realm of olfactory super noses. The fact is: the yellow mixture polarizes, and in quite a ambivalent way. Hate and love have grown very close here.

Personally, I perceive Musc Ravageur as an extremely sensual, imposing, and gourmand scent. However, opinions regarding this perception are clearly divided. While I evoked associations with toilet air fresheners in some people during my nocturnal stroll, others claimed they could eat me up and could not get enough. Antipathy or sympathy - Musk Ravageur dominated them both. I had never experienced anything like this before.

But let's take a step back: Maurice Roucel - a master of extroverted fragrances: “Rochas - Man”, “Bond No9 - New Haarlem”, “Gucci - Envy”. With “Musc Ravageur”, the circle is complete. Four fragrance compositions that are absolutely convincing.

Musc Ravageur has an enormously powerful opening, contains no floral notes, and fills every room with its intense aura. Its massive cinnamon note is particularly striking. An entire armada of cinnamon sticks overwhelms the scent buds and firmly establishes itself. The clove merely serves as accompaniment and does not take a leading position. After a short time, the musk also becomes omnipresent, rarely allowing nuances of vanilla and tonka bean to shine through, and spreads more and more. An incredibly powerful fragrance accord.

Since I personally find the scent very pleasant and balanced, I can only report on my subjective feeling. Musc Ravageur is a gourmand niche fragrance. It stands out and arouses interest. Strangely, even those who found the scent unpleasant kept “sniffing” it again and again. What has been said about this brew, whether “pocket bestiary” or “panty dropper”, the fact is, the scent has that certain something to polarize, provoke, and captivate. A fragrance that has rightfully earned all its controversies.

CONCLUSION: Those who like intense, long-lasting fragrances should test Musk Ravageur. Anyone who does not mind finding animalistic notes in a gourmand scent should also give it a try. Those who want to stand out and have a penchant for strong, rebellious fragrances should spray this controversial French scent on and be surprised. Into the unknown!