Musc Ravageur, by Maurice Roucel for Frederic Malle - a misnomer?

I'm slipping quietly back into the scented writing world with a review of a fan favorite, "new classic," Musc Ravageur. Because go big or go home, right?

The perfumer, Maurice Roucel
I love this shot. 

I rarely quote PR material in my reviews. It's flowery enough, usually, and oddly enough has nothing to do with the crucial question: "But Jen, how does it smell?"

However, this entire review pivots around my own question: Is this scent correctly named?

So rather than use my brain to come up with a new review concept, which seems like a hassle, I'll stick to my guns and quote the Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle copy for ya:

Launched in 2000, this composition was a turning point in the history of amber orientals. A sensual perfume, powerful yet perfectly controlled, dramatic and mysterious. Composed by Maurice Roucel as an “act of seduction and generosity”, Musc Ravageur is an uncompromising Oriental, which runs against current fads. Its explosive departure of bergamot, tangerine and cinnamon is set against a backdrop of vanilla, musk and amber. A sexy, turbulent perfume, in a word: ravageur.

Another quote, which is particularly lazy writing: 

ravageur

, euse  

    adj    devastating  

I don't speak French, but by my assessment -and astute leaps of intellect- this perfume is supposed to be a "devastating musk." 

The skeptic in me wants to know, is it really? Devastating is a pretty tall order. You'd better knock me to my damn knees weeping if you're using that word, know what I'm saying?

Let's talk about those notes. Bergamot? Check. Tangerine? Crisp and juicy. Cinnamon? Just a dash. Not really an explosive departure, but again I'm not falling for that PR crap. Also present but curiously missing from the description is lavender. Trust me, it's there. 

Carrying on: vanilla, musk, and amber? Check, check, check, but don't expect VANILLA, all up in yer face. Nope. Think whispers and hints. No mention of the clove, but it's there, too, as is tonka. There are woods in the base as well, including some sandalwood. Soft woods. Hazy. Soft and hazy amber woods.

The musk (ahem, "musc") is also soft. Not in volume, but in its nature. It's not pulling, tugging, and growling. 

Rather, it purrs. 

If this perfume is about sex, it's the aftermath of comfortable but delicious sex with a familiar lover, lying together afterwards reading or, limbs entangled, hitting Netflix. 

If you want steamy carnal knowledge, I suggest you look elsewhere.

In other words, "Musc Ravageur" is a misnomer, but probably sells better than "Musc Lazy Cuddles*."

Think: Amber Oud. 

Therefore: I loved it at first sniff.  

Result: Full Bottle Worthy. 

Family: Oriental. Firmly unisex. Projection is minimal, this is a skinscent; length of wear is long for me. I get top notes and base at the same time, with the basenotes developing, getting foggier and softer over time. Cost is in the expensive range, but worth every scent. As with all musk-heavy perfumes, your mileage may vary: we all perceive them differently. Many people find this "screechy" or "too animalic." They're wrong. 

What's your favorite cuddly scent? Do you have a particularly CARNAL scent you adore?

*I also refer to it as "fluffy kitten bellies" because it's just that cozy-furry-cuddly.