Musk is one of the most mysterious ingredients in perfumery. It gives the fragrance sensuality, spaciousness, warmth and liveliness. So what is muscle?

Musk - this is a strongly smelling substance produced by the glands of some animals (musk deer, muskrat, muscovy duck) or obtained from some plants and used in perfumery (ennobling and fixing effect). word stress Musk falls on the 1st syllable, on the first letter y.

What is musk

Women like the musky fragrance, it can suppress the will of men. Musk natural or artificial (synthetic) substance with a tart and exciting smell.

It is produced by the glands of some animals and can also be found in the roots of some plants. The substance is considered one of the most expensive components in perfumery.

Emperor Henry III himself used this substance and forced his subjects to use it as a perfume. The natural smell, reminiscent of musk, Alexander the Great attracted the attention of many women. Musk was used not only in perfumery, but also in medicine. For example, in ancient China they were filmed headache, treated for migraines and snake bites.

Musk translated from Latin as scrotum, testicle. It is extracted from the gonads of the male musk deer, beaver, desman and musky duck.

It is this substance that is the main component of love potions. During the mating season, there is a pouch on the belly of the animal, which in an active state contains a dark yellow granular liquid musk. To get it earlier, you had to kill animals. With the mass destruction of the musk deer, it led to their almost complete extermination. And after they were listed in the Red Book, musk deer farms began to open. In modern times, the animal is euthanized during the mating season and the musky sacs are scraped out of them.

In 1888, perfumers replaced natural musk with synthetic musk, which is much cheaper. It was used as an additive to the main aromatic component. But after a while it turned out that artificial musk was toxic and dangerous to human health. After that, its composition was slightly changed.

Perfume and eau de toilette with musk

The main advantage of perfumery with musk is the DURABILITY of the aroma and the magical effect on others. The artificial component was included, for example, in the composition of well-known perfumes "Chanel No. 5" and .

Chanel №5 eau de parfum >>Buy >>

"Lair du Temps" by Nina Ricci Buy >>

Line of unsurpassed aromas with musk: Montal musk

Montale Roses fragrance Musk - rose and musk, Black Musk Montale - a unisex fragrance for both men and women, it belongs to the Oriental Spicy group, launched in 2007 by perfumer Pierre Montale. Montale Intense Roses Musk - rose, jasmine, musk and amber, fragrance of 2015. The same in gold, Amber, Jasmine, Musk, Rose.

Vegetable musk is obtained from the seeds of a plant belonging to the genus Hibiscus.

It is very thick and pure and serves as an excellent substitute for animal musk, extracted from the glands of the musk deer. Compared to animal, vegetable has a weaker flavor. Before use, the substance is subjected to special treatment.

Animal musk is very expensive, so it is rarely used in perfumery. It is not replaceable in medicine. It is used to treat impotence, nervous system and skin diseases. Musk is believed to help early stages cancer.

It rejuvenates the skin and smoothes wrinkles, and when massaged, it relaxes and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Well, where without it?

So natural musk or artificial, animal or vegetable - this is a real love potion for men.

One of the most common components of perfume products is, of course, musk. It is he who gives the spirits amazing depth, sensuality and piquancy. True, today this ingredient can be found far from all perfume products, at least in pure form. This moment is due to the high cost of natural musk. At the same time, this substance still appears in the base composition and notes of any composition.

Why is muscle attractive?

In fact, you can still meet him only in selective perfumery. Musk deer musk not only smells attractive. It is also an excellent fragrance fixative, that is, it ensures the durability of a particular perfume product.

In addition, it is the strongest pheromone and aphrodisiac, both for women and men. The aroma of musk of natural animal origin is extremely complex, and it cannot be described by any associative terms.

But we are used to talking about deep woody compositions as "musky", regardless of whether the component is present in its pure form.

Real animal musk is a specific product of natural origin, produced by special glands of males of some mammals - musk deer, muskrat, musk deer, civet and muskrat. Some perfumers are now replacing such valuable products with beaver musk. Actually, this substance in a beaver is not too inferior to the substance of other forest "brothers".

In nature, musk is necessary for the male to mark his own territory, attracting females to it and warning other males of its boundaries. In beavers and other waterfowl, this substance serves to lubricate the wool in order to protect it from getting wet. Yes, it is precisely such a prosaic substance that appears in the valuable expensive perfumes of the selective segment. Mass market perfumers prefer to use synthetic musk as it is more affordable.

A bit of "fragrant" history

The extraction of the substance cannot be called humane. So if you are a conservationist or a vegetarian, you'd better skip reading this section. Previously, in order to get the secret, hunters were "ordered" to get the glands of the musk deer. And, just imagine - to get just one kilogram of the substance, they had to kill up to forty adults. This led to the fact that the animal was classified as endangered. A sharp decline in the deer population threatened their complete disappearance from the face of the Earth, and therefore, since 1979, hunting for them has been officially prohibited.

But this did not stop skilled perfumers. They began to invent a way to return a note of depth and warmth to the base of their woody compositions. This is how artificial, synthetic musk was obtained, which was made on the basis of nitroglycerin. However, its history was short-lived - soon scientists proved the toxicity of the substance, and it was eliminated from the factories.

By the way, this option "active substance" was used in the first original version of the legendary perfume "Chanel No. 5". Moreover, it is contained in it in an amount equal to 1/10 of the entire composition.

Today, perfumery uses absolutely non-toxic and harmless substitutes for natural musk. Also, as we have already noted, it may include the so-called "castoreum", hyrax or civet. What does musk smell like? This question is difficult to answer unambiguously. But be aware that when buying oriental woody compositions, you are almost guaranteed to get that same musky scent.

The use of musk deer musk in modern perfume compositions is not and cannot be - hunting for an animal has long been banned.

And by the way, this beautiful majestic deer still lives in the forests of Pakistan, Tibet, India, China, and our native Siberia. Certain species of musk deer are listed in the International Red Book. In some countries there is a strictly defined limit on the removal of this animal. True, this does not negate the fact of the existence of a black market, where, by the way, a natural substance is sold at fabulous prices - about 45,000 US dollars per kilogram.

Black musk is one of the most expensive products, and its value exceeds even that of gold! What is even more frightening is that only a few grams of the secret can be obtained from one male. And to get a kilogram of the substance, about 150 deer are now being destroyed. Theoretically, the substance can simply be extracted from the gland without depriving the animal of life. However, in practice, such actions are extremely rare.

Scientists, chemists and naturalists, however, are on the alert. And they managed to bring out even vegetable musk, which is not inferior to the animal in all its key qualities! It is just as warm and bewitching, but less harsh and exciting. White musk is considered a special variety. Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is not so named because of its color. It is called this way for its purity, freshness and weightlessness. Perfumery "gourmets" compare its aroma with the smell of delicate baby skin.

Unlike the usual animal musk, which is used in "heavy" evening compositions, white musk is intended for the manufacture of fresh "everyday" perfumes. The fragrances created on its basis are designed for everyday "socks" - to work, to university, cafe, date or meeting with friends. This substance is less "hot" and sexy, but more refined. Fragrances based on it are neutral, but at the same time charmingly elegant.

White musk in selective perfumery

What is white musk in perfumery? This product is used in many fragrances in the niche (selective) segment. Moreover, it is relevant for both women's and men's perfumes. But in the unisex format, it is almost never used. It is believed that it adds brutality and self-confidence to men, and natural charm, tenderness and sensuality to women.

A special kind of musk is white musk. Contrary to popular belief, white musk is called so not because of its color, but because of a purer and fresher aroma, comparable to the delicate smell of clean baby skin.
Most modern fragrances have not used natural musk for a long time because of its high cost, but at the same time, the “base” of almost every perfume composition contains the name of this component. Perhaps, only in selective perfumery can one still “meet” natural musk, which has the most valuable perfumery properties: it has an ennobling and fixing effect on the aroma, and also serves as a natural pheromone and a powerful aphrodisiac.
Unlike ordinary musk, which is mainly used in sensual evening fragrances, white musk is appropriate in perfume compositions intended for everyday "wearing" - to work, for a walk or a casual meeting with friends, even to the office. White musk is more refined, more neutral, it is less sexy and hot, but its sound is much more elegant and sophisticated.
Selective perfumery offers a huge selection of fragrances with a note of white musk. At the same time, it is important to know that white musk, like ordinary musk, is used in both male and female compositions, but it sounds differently in them: it adds confidence and brutality, sexual attractiveness to men, and makes women more tender and sensual. .
M. Micallef offers a whole collection of fragrances with a note of white musk: created by Martine Macalef and Geoffrey Newman, the feminine fruity-citrus-musky fragrance Ananda, and then the floral fragrance Ananda Parfum; chic perfume for chic women - Art Collection Ananda, woody-spicy aroma Automne, impeccable and perfect perfume - Black Ananda, perfume Crystal Woman No. 11, rare in beauty and saturation, spicy and warming - Hiver, carefree, light and charming - Lucky Charm, elegant and classic - Note Vanillee, passionate and deep - Watch, inspiring and dreamy - White Wings.

Montale is also a great connoisseur of white musk, offering all its fans to enjoy the soft and seductive warmth of this amazing perfume ingredient: Aoud Blossom - an oriental citrus perfume; the fragrance of flowers and fruits - Fruits of the Musk, striking in its sounding oriental-spicy Ginger Musk, sexy and luxurious - Musk to Musk, floral-fruity jewel - Pure Gold perfume, bright and sunny - Soleil De Capri, and, finally, the quintessence white musk - the bewitching White Musk perfume.

White musk gives a unique sound to many fragrances, and in all compositions it sounds differently, leaving a warm, enveloping and dizzying smell of something close and tender on the body and clothes. Judge for yourself: you will find white musk in such dissimilar fragrances as the majestic and mysterious feminine fragrance D`Orsay L "Intrigante; bold and daring, dedicated to Alexander the Great, chypre masculine fragrance Parfum d' Empire Iskander; defiantly beautiful and immodest feminine Technique Indiscrete Indiscrete fragrance; divinely harmonious and idyllic perfume from the legendary Guerlains - Guerlain Idylle; delightful, strong and masculine perfume Frederic Malle French Lover; heavenly and relaxing serene Feel Good Woman perfume from Sergio Tacchini; a fragrance for the unconquered and free women- Angel Schlesser Esprit de Gingembre for Women; refined, velvety and infinitely sensual - Roja Parfums Enslaved Parfum; charm, mystery, seductive mystery - this is Christian Dior Escale a Portofino; complex, luxurious, but dynamic perfume Amouage Dia Woman, and many others - just listing all the fragrances with this note would take several hours.

Aphrodisiacs are substances that provoke sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Ancient Greece. These substances are present in products of plant and animal origin and are part of perfumery. Musk is an aphrodisiac with many years of unconditional popularity.

Musk is a rich aphrodisiac, however, for some women it is unpleasant and sometimes disgusting. Before you buy or perfume with musk, it is better to check the girl's reaction to this substance. Products with musk should also be added to the bath, so that after bathing a train of noble smell remains.

History of appearance

Musk is valued by perfumers as a fixative, which reduces the rate of evaporation of components, which makes it possible for the fragrance to remain on the skin for a long time in its entirety. Initially, musk was called the secret that is produced by the glands of the musk deer. Musk deer is a small deer-like animal. Every adult male of this animal has such a gland. It is located in the groin area and is filled with an active and sharp secret.

Scientists are convinced that the musky pungent smell refers a person to the testosterone smell that is in the body of women and men, acting as a human pheromone. This explains the effect of the substance on sexual desire.

Nowadays, the word "musks" is often used for a whole range of aromatic substances. Usually, we are talking about animalistic notes, for example:

• Daman,
• Civet,
• Castoreum,
• Artificial compounds that are created in the laboratory.

Animal musk is considered the most valuable raw material. The musk deer still lives in the mountainous forests of Pakistan, India, China and Tibet. The animal is often found in Siberia, but the population is steadily declining.

The natural substance was actively used until the end of the 19th century, but this substance has always been considered very expensive and inaccessible to the general population. Interestingly, there are plants that have olfactory properties similar to musky ones. Plants produce macrocyclic lactones, i.e. compounds with a musky aroma and fixative function.

Some of the plants are used in perfumery as musk. Among them:

• garden angelica,
• musk flower,
• ambrette.

Musk is recognized as the most expensive natural product on the planet. In the gland of adult musk deer there is only up to 20 g of this substance. In order to extract the substance from the euthanized animal, a special spatula with a groove is inserted into the bag that closes the duct of the gland, along which the substance flows.

Musk Features

Three types of product are created from animal secretion:

• black,
• red,
• white.

Black musk is the most powerful male pheromone, its dense smell has an exciting effect on women.

Men who smell musk from another man subconsciously understand that he dominates them.

White Musk Oil has the following characteristics:

1. Quickly excites
2. Enhances eroticism,
3. It has a relaxing effect on women.
4. A subconscious erotic reaction appears. Musk compositions are used in eastern countries to harmonize relations between a man and a woman.

It is enough to add a few drops of white musk to any perfume to make the fragrance erotic and memorable. Musk should be used strictly following the amount. For 100 ml of perfume, a maximum of ten drops of infusion or essence is required. Some people cannot smell musk.

love fragrances

Musk aphrodisiac for women perfectly shows itself in various perfume compositions. One of the most popular is the composition called "Geisha".
The basis is (in drops):

• Musk infusion - 1,
• Ambergris infusion - 3,
• Ethyl alcohol - 20 ml.

Additionally, you should add (in drops):

• Jasmine - 4,
• Anis - 4,
• Ylang-ylang - 4,
• Fennel - 4,
• Rosemary - 4.

Aroma "Pharaoh" was created specifically to attract women.

The basis is the following substances (in drops):

• Musk infusion - 3,
• Ambergris infusion - 1.
• 20 ml of ethyl alcohol is also added.

As a supplement, a mixture of the following oils (in drops) is suitable:

• Rosemary - 4,
• Cinnamon - 3,
• Neroli - 3,
• Ylang-ylang - 4.

Musk is an aphrodisiac for women more effective than for men. However, in any case, it is worth remembering that fragrances with musk give new colors and sensations.

Aromas with this substance will give new sensations and colors, however, do not forget that at home nothing relaxes people like a cozy atmosphere, pleasant music, delicious food and a sincere attitude towards each other.

Musk(ar. مِسْكٌ [misk]‎) - a strong-smelling substance produced by the glands of some animals or obtained from some plants. Used in perfumery. Mentioned in Once.

In the Quran

Musk is mentioned in the surah al-Mutaffifin("Slimming"): Verily, the pious will surely (will remain) in (heavenly) grace ۝ on beds (reclining and) contemplating (heavenly blessings)! ۝ You will recognize the brilliance of prosperity in their faces. ۝ They are given sealed wine to drink. ۝ Its seal is musk [bowl]. And to this let aspirants strive. ۝ And its mixture from Tasneem is ۝ the source from which the close ones drink.. Ibn Mas'ud commented on the expression "sealed musk" as "mixed with musk". Ibn ‘Abbas said that Allah will give the wine of Paradise a pleasant aroma, and the last thing He will add to it will be musk. Abu ad-Darda said: It is a white as silver drink. If a person from this world were to put his finger in this drink and take it out, then its aroma would not leave him as long as he is alive.» .

In ordinary Arabs, the opportunity to inhale the aroma of precious and therefore inaccessible musk was rarely given. For them, musk was more a symbol of luxury and pleasure than a real source of pleasure. The smell of precious musk is associated by the faithful with heavenly pleasures, which cannot be compared with anything, because no one on earth has felt them.

Musk sack of musk deer

Story

The first documented mention of musk in Europe dates back to the end of the 4th century. But we can confidently say that he became truly famous there through the efforts of Arab doctors and merchants from the time of the Caliphate. The first described it medicinal properties in their writings, which they disinterestedly introduced to their European colleagues, the latter brought this extremely expensive remedy from distant countries, while carefully concealing the places where they themselves bought it. However, information about where the Arab merchants brought musk from, as well as the existence of close trade links that bring great profits from the port cities of the Caliphate Siraf and Oman with Seymour harbor in India and the ports of China can be found in the Book of the Wonders of India by Buzurg ibn Shahriyar . In the story of Ishaq, the son of a Jew, one of the small Omani merchants, it is reported that after thirty years of wandering, he returned in 913 from China to Oman rich, on his own ship full of overseas goods: musk, expensive fabrics, porcelain and precious stones. The value of the goods was so great that the merchant, in order to avoid calculating the cost of all goods and paying the corresponding duty, paid the ruler of Oman, Ahmad ibn Hilal, a huge sum of more than a million dirhams.

As it happened with, the road to the place where musk was mined was opened to Europeans by Marco Polo, who, returning from his distant wanderings to China and India, indicated that the best musk is mined and sold in the area located on the territory of modern Mongolia or Western China.

Description

Musk (lat. muscle) is called the content of the musky sac of the male musk deer, which has a sharp specific smell ( Moschus moschiferus L.), a small, beautiful, very shy, hornless ruminant ungulate animal adapted to living in mountain taiga landscapes. The musk deer inhabits the middle belt of mountains between the Altai and the Himalayas, the Amur and the Hindu Kush, preferring the dark coniferous taiga and forest areas with dense thickets of shrubs. The musk sac is actually the preputial gland of the male musk deer, which secretes a strong-smelling secret - musk, designed to attract the female during estrus, and the female smells the presence of the male musk deer, who is at that time at a distance of several kilometers from her.

The musk enclosed in bags is a substance, reddish in color, similar to honey. Over time, it hardens and turns into round or oblong black, with a slight greasy sheen of grains ranging in size from a pinhead to lentil grains with a peculiar sharp, long-lasting odor and bitter taste. Dried musk has little to no odor, but the odor reappears when the substance is moistened. One gland of an adult male musk deer contains 10-30 g of natural musk - one of the most expensive products of animal origin. The easiest way to obtain this product was to cut out the gland from the dead male and dry it. In dried form, this tool does not lose its properties for many years. In ancient times, musk was exported from India, and in later times and still from China. In very small quantities, musk was obtained from musk deer found in the Altai and Sayan mountains.

Chemical composition musk is very complex and still little studied. It contains fatty acid, waxes, aromatic and steroid compounds, cholesterol esters. The main carrier of the musky odor is the macrocyclic ketone muscone. Musk gland pheromones help the female musk deer to obtain information about the age and condition of the male.

Usage

In China and India, and later in the Muslim countries of the Arab East, musk was highly valued as an aphrodisiac in various cases of decline in nervous, cardiac and sexual activity. It was added to many medicines that were prescribed for anemia, neurasthenic condition, fainting, melancholy, restless sleep, hysteria and convulsions in women and children. All Muslim medical authorities considered musk to be the most powerful aphrodisiac with the ability to increase sexual desire.

As a means to enhance sexual potency in men, musk was used in European medicine throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, first as a powder, pills, ointments, lipsticks, and then as a tincture prepared from one part of musk, 25 parts of water and 25 parts of 70 % alcohol. However, over time, the musk gradually lost its medicinal value, although it has been experimentally proven that it has a general tonic effect on the central nervous system, and is also effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. In contrast, it has been praised all over the world aromatic properties, able to give perfumes a completely new note .

In high concentrations, the specific smell of musk is rather sharp and unpleasant, but the Arab alchemists of the heyday of the Caliphate, studying the properties of musk brought by merchants from China and India, found that with a large dilution, the smell becomes sensual and bewitching. Around the same time, Arab scientists made another decisive contribution to the development of modern perfumery, reviving the technique of distillation of liquid and solids, thoroughly forgotten in Europe. Thanks to these two discoveries, musk found application in perfumery, where its alcohol solution was used to create perfumes popular in the Arab East, the fame of which quickly spread throughout the world. In addition to the fact that musk itself has a warm and exciting aroma, it also turned out to be a good fixative for the smells of other aromatic substances, so the persistence, richness and attractiveness of perfumes containing this substance have increased significantly.