Musc, the perfume by Réminiscence — when the wild beast smells clean! While Patchouli by Réminiscence has traveled the world since 1970, the two scents Musc and Ambre, released the same year, are just as remarkable, quite the contrary!
Released in 1970, Musc Réminiscence is an essence rich in emotion, like all the house’s fragrances. Also created in 1970 by Nino Amaddeo and Zoé Coste, the house Réminiscence stands as a symbol of travels and scents brought back from distant lands. Réminiscence likes to create solinotes and highlight a single ingredient, as with musk here, or patchouli in Patchouli Réminiscence. A quintessentially sensual ingredient, musk is highly prized in niche perfumery.
Musc Réminiscence, musk takes center stage in its perfume
It was the perfumer Francis Camail who was chosen to imagine this solinote built around musk. Francis Camail began his career within the company IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances). Over the course of his career, he would go on to work for the companies Symrise and Robertet. Here, Francis Camail highlighted white musk. It should be noted that the name white musk is a generic term evoking the scent of Tonkin musk. The latter came from the musk deer, from its secretion glands. Unfortunately, harvesting Tonkin musk resulted in the animal’s death. This scent has therefore been reproduced identically through synthetic means. White musks offer 30 different scents, but it should be noted that the overall smell is very sensual, even addictive, a powerful scent that clings to skin. White musk also binds ingredients together, lending warm tonalities. Today, musk is highly prized in perfumery, in both feminine and masculine compositions alike.
Musc Réminiscence, fire under ice
Musc Réminiscence takes flight on soft, floral notes, namely those of Comoros ylang-ylang and white flowers. Native to Southeast Asia, ylang-ylang is an evergreen tree. In the Philippines, it is said that the story of the ylang-ylang flower is a legend about true love. That of a couple to whom the gods gave a daughter, Ylang, demanding that no one ever touch her. Nevertheless, she fell hopelessly in love with a young man who, in order to touch her, offered her a bouquet of flowers. Their fingers touched and fate turned Ylang into a beautiful shrub with generously fragrant flowers. Since that day, the lover has never stopped calling out the name of his beloved, Ylang, Ylang... In perfumery, ylang-ylang essence is obtained through steam distillation of fresh flowers. It releases tonalities that are floral, spicy and sweet all at once. Then, the heart of Musc Réminiscence takes on almond and powdery notes, offering cottony facets. Finally, the base is as enveloping as it is sensual, combining patchouli, amber, white musks and coumarin. The bottle displays a clean, elegant rectangular shape. Slightly curved, the bottle offers a sensual touch and a dazzling light, echoing its composition.