Top Notes 
Musk
Lily
Ylang-ylang
Heart Notes 
Jasmine
Rose
Base Notes 
Amber
Iris
Patchouli
Vetiver
04/28/2021
BrianBuchanan
363 Reviews
BrianBuchanan
3
Forced to change after 40 years
Compared to other perfumes of 1981 (Antaeus, Cacharel pour l'Homme, Giorgio) this was clearly ahead of its time.
A simple mix of white flowers and laundry musk, it became a staple of the Body Shop. They even captured the name as a trade mark.
In the Perfume Oil, which was smoother than the other formulations, it was like some crystal drug on the skin, coarse and synthetic, a sort of scratchy Kouros for teenagers. It still reminds me of the times...
White Musk was a unique and powerful statement, if pretty crude. There's no denying it was a popular; it was cheap and sold by the bucket load.
And it's an influential work, you can still feel it's effect today in something like Idôle, or the rash of synthetic flowers, musks and padding that have flooded the shelves.
It's still on sale today, but, according to their website, Body Shop have changed the formula. And why? To make it vegan.
That somebody who's been content to smell like a floral Meth lab for years should then demand their pong become vegan seems kind of bizarre.
In fact, according to fragrance chemist Matvey Yudov, the vast majority of perfumes are vegan anyway.
Maybe another, and less specious reason is, BS are obliged by IFRA to remove the sensitising molecule Lyral from their formula.
Whatever the reason, there's already a complaint on the website that the new White Musk doesn't smell the same.
Me, I always found it interesting but just too strident to wear.
A simple mix of white flowers and laundry musk, it became a staple of the Body Shop. They even captured the name as a trade mark.
In the Perfume Oil, which was smoother than the other formulations, it was like some crystal drug on the skin, coarse and synthetic, a sort of scratchy Kouros for teenagers. It still reminds me of the times...
White Musk was a unique and powerful statement, if pretty crude. There's no denying it was a popular; it was cheap and sold by the bucket load.
And it's an influential work, you can still feel it's effect today in something like Idôle, or the rash of synthetic flowers, musks and padding that have flooded the shelves.
It's still on sale today, but, according to their website, Body Shop have changed the formula. And why? To make it vegan.
That somebody who's been content to smell like a floral Meth lab for years should then demand their pong become vegan seems kind of bizarre.
In fact, according to fragrance chemist Matvey Yudov, the vast majority of perfumes are vegan anyway.
Maybe another, and less specious reason is, BS are obliged by IFRA to remove the sensitising molecule Lyral from their formula.
Whatever the reason, there's already a complaint on the website that the new White Musk doesn't smell the same.
Me, I always found it interesting but just too strident to wear.
Updated on 04/29/2021
Jazzy76
Smellsso
VerityChar
Emuletipsi
