One of the Top Ten Niche Fragrances Every Beginner Should Sample, Musc Ravageur was created by Maurice Roucel in 2000, for Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Musc Ravageur opens fresh and lively from citrusy, tart bergamot and sweet, succulent mandarin orange. The bergamot here has a gentle, spicy undertone that brings lavender to mind. This calls forward notes of cinnamon and clove; their aromatic spicy warmth becomes smooth and sensuous once it’s opened up by body heat. The spiciness is sweetened with amber and creamy vanilla, setting up a warm, opulent, seductive musk note. I say ‘seductive’ rather than flat-out ‘sexy’ because the musk is no feral animal but an elegant seducer. The base has more musk, resting on a rich and woody spine of sandalwood, guaiac wood, cedar wood and patchouli. The patchouli adds its distinctive dark sweetness to the drydown. There has a refined elegance to Musc Ravageur that comes from the balancing and managing of the musk; this is one of the things I like most about it. Notes: bergamot, mandarin, lavender, amber; vanilla, musk, sandalwood, guaiac wood, cedar wood, patchouli.
