White Musk
the clean-laundry kind of musk: soft, soapy and very mild
In 161 of 1747 fragrances here, most often worn in summer
What it is
A marketing name rather than a material, covering the cleanest of the synthetic musks. There is no agreed formula, so two fragrances listing it can smell quite different.
What it smells like
Soft, soapy and mild, the smell of laundry pulled out of a dryer. It is the most inoffensive note in common use, which is both why it sells and why it is the usual shorthand for a fragrance that smells of nothing much.
Where it sits
Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.
What it turns up with
How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.
When it is worn
Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.
Houses that use it most
Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.
Mancera (33), Montale (13), Chanel (9), Giorgio Armani (8), Guerlain (8), Givenchy (6).
The description above is written here. The counts, pairings and seasons are measured across every fragrance on this site that lists it. We have not smelled every bottle behind those numbers.
Fragrances with white musk
The best known of them, each with its full note pyramid and its cheaper alternatives.
Xerjoff
Xerjoff Casamorati Italica
Availability may vary
