Modern Muse Estēe Lauder 2013 Eau de Parfum

"Modern Muse" is a dual impression fragrance, because "one woman may fall in love with its lush, floral dewiness, while another may experience the woody, musky aspect first." (Quoting from the publicity bumf). In the beginning, my nose picked up some lovely floral notes, but after 10 minutes, the floral beauty was all gone. Very synthetic woody notes took over - and the woody-musky, artificial scent lasted for hours and hours on my skin. Very good longevity as usual. The scent itself is different from all the previous offerings, at Estee Lauder's, the time of softer, more gourmandy scents in the style of "Sensuous Nude" seems to be gone.

I am sad. REALLY sad.
No one likes me. No one wants to be with me.
I feel completely excluded, ignored, overlooked. As if I were air.
And yes: It hurts. After all, I’m still a child. A KI-KID!!!
Only eight years old. And the future is already gone.
I just don’t understand: Why doesn’t anyone like me? The other stupid Jasmine doesn’t have these problems either, that beast. Yes, probably because she has friends in Shanghai. Soooo cool! Always wears red. And me? I SEE red when I think of her. She has 159 friends! And me? Only 97 want to have anything to do with me... Wahaaahaaaa.... By the way, the only really nice one is that thingy... Wait... what was her name again? Comes from Udaipur... She’s definitely my great role model.
Now, to be specific: What does everyone have against me? They say I don’t smell good. HELLO???? I smell very good! Mostly just a little fresh, but that quickly passes, then I’m me. And only me. I, the Jasmine. The cheerful one. The one who is always in a good mood. Makes good vibes. Why doesn’t anyone notice that?
I’m supposed to be synthetic? And how is that supposed to work, huh? Maybe I didn’t just spring from the nearest natural oil shop, but I’m a bit more modern for that. And I really don’t annoy anyone, I usually don’t stay that long. When I visit someone, it’s at most four or five hours. That’s okay, right? Why do we always have to have a marathon meeting? I like to be gone sometimes too. So what? As long as I’m there, I’m definitely present, not like others who act big and then keep their mouths shut the whole time and disappear as soon as they can.
If I had to say what qualities I have, I would say:
Super figure. Super friendly freshness. Super cheerful presence. Decent but not excessive endurance. Love mandarins. Like to wear a flower or two in my hair. But I’m not such a girl, not so pink, not so sweet. And everything they say about me is not true. I DON’T have a friend named Tuberose. And I would never do anything with that Patchouli, he’s such a fool. And I don’t have too much wood in front of my hut. No! Definitely not nearly as much as certain other subjects whose names I won’t even mention here. That’s SLANDER! So mean! Get to know me first before you judge! Although... if you keep this up for too long... maybe I’ll just be gone one day! Maybe I’ll take off! Serves you right!

Muses are, in essence, the goddesses of the arts. In Greek mythology, they are practically everywhere. There are Clio, Euterpe, Melpomene, Erato, Urania, Thalia, and many more.
We don't even have to go that far back, as artists, musicians, poets, and painters have always claimed to have muses that inspire them. Dali, for instance, had his Gala. Well, some poor soul always had to be the muse.
Allegedly, there are also male muses, but I have yet to see a male muse, let alone have one kiss me. Surely he would think twice if he saw my dozens of venomous fangs glinting.
Now, a muse has also made her way to the Lauder family and has kissed Harry Frémont. But she didn't just kiss; she nearly inspired him, and what she brought along: jasmine, whole bushes and absolutes of jasmine (you know, the particularly distilled and carefully pressed through silk), and tuberoses that brush past (thankfully) not becoming too sweet. The royal lily throws opulence around and forces patchouli to bow down.
On a woody base, vanilla pods rest in a bed of musk.

Yes, and since the Lauders usually go big rather than small, we have here a fantastic fragrance with a statement and not a timid little flower that just slipped by something fragrant.

Who smells something synthetic here? So folks, who would dare to speak ill of a house like Lauder? There are far worse synthetic fragrances in the niche that the world is being gassed with.

The modern muse is fragrance, and when it comes to sillage and longevity, other creators could still learn a thing or two, or a real muse needs to come by and give a proper kiss.

Today is my dear husband's birthday and guests are expected.
So, it's time for some intense cleaning with heavy equipment.
While I was "doing my business," a sample fell into my hands, which I quickly sprayed to possibly dispose of it.

Wait - or maybe not?
No, I succumbed to temptation and sat down.
Aha - Modern Muse.
It kissed me, and I took a break.

A beautiful, interesting blend of mandarin, honeysuckle, and jasmine reached my nose.
The more robust tuberose and the bright lily join in.
A slight oriental kick is added to the muse through patchouli and Madagascar vanilla.

A pleasant filler for breaks.
Whether I will drop everything to rush to the perfume shop and get the scent quickly, I don't know yet.

It will probably depend on how long the muse's kiss lasts and what else it does for me, besides providing a nice breather.

I have had this "Modern Muse" by Estee Lauder for a while (I received it as a gift from a good friend when it was released, as she knew about my Lauder preferences), but I have paid little attention to the bottle so far because this is a "newer" fragrance. Now, however, I have become more curious and have subjected the "Muse" to a more intensive testing. This perfume, which I had not dared to approach until now, does reflect the fragrance pyramid mentioned above, but not in the way (in a positive sense) that I had envisioned in my mind's eye. Just the amount of jasmine in all its forms and the tuberose made me hesitate. But now, NOT AT ALL, because it is not cloyingly sweet, endlessly dusty and powdery, but wonderfully combined, with only a very subtle sweetness in the background and a fine powderiness that has nothing to do with the cloud of my imagination. And, one of the best features of the "Muse" is: wonderfully spicy, cozy woody notes, naturally graceful vanilla, and a strong hint of beautifully earthy patchouli. The longevity of the fragrance is high, as is the sillage, without being too heavy. For me, a true "Quality Lauder (like all Lauders). And: Prejudices formed solely by reading are absolutely useless!!! The eyes and the letters NEVER REPLACE THE NOSE!!!!!