Les Nombres d'Or - Musc Maison Mona di Orio 2010

In search of the perfect musk fragrance Part VI
Imagine lying in the not-too-hot sun, slathered in a pleasantly scented sunscreen, while a gentle breeze wafts a hint of it into your nose. Then you go inside to fetch a freshly baked cake from the oven. Or you stay lying in the sun and treat yourself to a piece of fresh, still warm butter cake: What you then smell is somewhat like Les Nombres d’or Musc.

Sun-warmed skin, coated with luxurious sunscreen: That is the main association I have with this fragrance. I acquired a small decant of it and tested it several times, but I just didn’t know what to make of it. This might be because I am on the hunt for the perfect musk scent, and like so many other musk fragrances before this one, I smell ZERO POINT ZERO musk here. Well, that doesn’t mean the fragrance has to be bad. Today, I wore it properly for the first time and completely set aside the musk theme, and now I can form a clearer picture of it.

I still find it hard to describe this fragrance, let alone break it down into its components. At the beginning, there is an unidentifiable note that annoys me a bit, but fortunately, it dissipates towards the heart note; I suspect it is the angelica. The association with sunscreen remains, although this fragrance is a bit sweeter than a sunscreen would normally be. But not too sweet to be bothersome. And despite the sunscreen feeling, this is absolutely not a summer fragrance for me; it is far too cozy for that. Musc is soft, flattering, and snuggly. As mentioned at the beginning, it also has slightly gourmand (cake) nuances for me, but even these are never annoying or too extreme. I perceive the musc clearly, as does the immediate environment.

Sunscreen and cake: I hope this combination doesn’t scare anyone off, because Musc is really beautiful! It’s just not easily graspable; I constantly have a different facet of this fragrance in my nose, which makes it very interesting. Whether it would be a candidate for purchase for me, I cannot say yet, but fortunately, my decant is not empty yet. Anyone looking for a gentle, soft, non-floral cuddle scent - even those who can’t stand musk! - should definitely test Musc!

Conclusion: This one is also not the perfect musk fragrance due to the lack of musk. But I am glad to have discovered a great scent this way - musk or not.