Bottle Design:
Jules Dinand, Pierre Dinand

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Musk Deer Zoologist 2020

7.6 / 10 187 Ratings

A popular perfume by Zoologist for women and men, released in 2020. The scent is spicy-woody. It is still in production. The perfume is vegan according to the manufacturer.
Pronunciation Compare Vegan

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Main accords

Spicy

Woody

Animal

Floral

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Cardamom

Calamus

Rose

Heart Notes

Labdanum absolute

Atlas cedar

Patchouli

Jasmine sambac absolute

Base Notes

Ambrette seed absolute

Australian sandalwood

Laotian oud

Orris absolute

Perfumers

Pascal Gaurin, IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances)

Ratings

Scent

7.6187 Ratings

Longevity

7.5149 Ratings

Sillage

6.9149 Ratings

Bottle

8.5142 Ratings

Value for money

6.486 Ratings

Submitted by Franfan20, last update on 10/29/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Enigma Parfum Cologne

Extase Moschus for Men / Extase Musk Man (Eau de Toilette) by Mülhens

Extase Moschus for Men Eau de Toilette

Amour de Palazzo

Amber Teutonic

Reviews

17 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/25/2023

9Scent

Sterben9225
5 Reviews

Sterben9225

4

Clean Musk

I expected a dark and heavily animalic scent (which I love) but was pleasantly surprised. Many of the newer zoologist fragrances are transitioning away from stinky and overly animalic fragrances and moving towards more pleasant and wearable creations.

The musk is clean and fresh, which the sweetness of the cardamom perfectly compliments. It is obvious the perfumer was familiar with the differences between a synthetic musk and ambrette and beautifully played into ambrette's strengths. The spice is subtle and bright. The rose and oud are slight at first but once it drys down the oud really shines. The heart notes are blended well together making it hard to pick them out individually but their effect can still be appreciated.

01/11/2025

5Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

Smirky
483 Reviews

Smirky

3

Horrible opening, and average after

The opening was pretty putrid. Some sorta generic bathroom cleaner-floral scent I couldn't stand. Could have used a clothes pin on my nose but I stuck it out. Eventually got to a woody/musky scent that was OK but nothing special. I've given the scent a middle 5 rating overall but the opening would be a 1. Longevity was pretty good but projection was only moderate. Definite pass for me.

08/28/2023

9Scent

Vsakega
3 Reviews

Vsakega

3

Sensual

I love this scent... it is masterfully blended like all Zoologists are. I can dissect the smoothness of the labdanum, a sharp, but not at all overpowering animalic musk note, and some rose. I find the scent very unisex, but personally, as a woman, it makes me feel sexy in a primal way. Simple yet elegant and unmistakably animalic. I also completely understand and relate to the comparisons of this perfume smelling like the comforting embrace of a mother doe. If I was not worried about people around me finding it offensive, I would definitely get a full bottle. I will probably get it anyways.

01/14/2025

10Scent

Thrashxrat
2 Reviews

Thrashxrat

1

Natural Beauty

Musk Deer is my first experience with Zoologist and I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I actually do. Earthy, warm, elegant, and uplifting. Feels like a love letter to the natural environment of SE Asia. As someone who's worked closely with wildlife in past, I'm very impressed with the soft presence of a clean mammal fur note. I probably shouldn't be surprised, considering the theme, but it does make me happy. I'm obsessed.

04/09/2025

10Scent 6Longevity 4Sillage

Notomys
5 Reviews

Notomys

1

Safe, but not Boring

This is one of Zoologist’s gourmand adjacent fragrancies, it opens with a sweet fizzy cola or birch-beer smell that is kept from smelling too edible or cloying by the cedar and patchouli, which give the smell an ever-so-slightly woody edge. It’s like a warm fluffy jacket on a cold day. Most of the notes blend smoothly together to create a cozy fragrance that has that “I can’t stop sniffing myself” addictiveness.

On my skin this reads herbal, sweet, and slightly woodsy (as in, a literal forest, not woody in the traditional sense). It lasts a fair amount of time for me (4-6 hours) and sticks relatively close to my skin, which matches my personal preferences for a fragrance.

I can see this having fairly wide appeal. It’s neither notably youthful nor mature. It’s unisex. It doesn’t have any notes people are likely to find challenging. It's sensual, but not tacky. It’s one of the more accessible offerings from the house and would be appropriate for a very wide range of occasions. Yet despite being a “safe” fragrance, it’s not boring. I'm not sure if it's the best bang for your buck.

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