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Discovering your signature scent feels like finding a needle in a haystack. Perfume, like many other cosmetics, is individualistic like your favorite coffee drink. It contains unique notes that make you fall head over heels for it, such as fresh laundry, powdered roses, or a cabin in the woods.
However, perfume can be a pain to shop for online, where descriptions fail to break down chemical ingredients, accurately detail scent, and come without a scent test. The process can be even more trying with musky perfumes, which have become some of the most popular.
Musks can be faintly funky to intense, so shopping for a musk perfume behind your screen can be tricky. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with a roundup of the best white musk perfume for women.
First, what is ‘musk’?
Musk can be divided into different compounds, but white musk has a synthetic sweetness that is more subtle than a traditional earthy musk. Plus, it’s made without animal byproducts but nevertheless delivers powerful coverage.
Overall, musk is a heavier note applied as a base, which makes it ideal for women who wish to layer or mix their scents throughout the day. The best musk perfumes come a dime a dozen, although white musk is a hot commodity amongst perfume lovers.
What does white musk smell like?
White musk smells clean, fresh, and crisp, like a fresh load of laundry or basic soap. Musk that is not categorized as ‘white’ will be heavier and murkier, akin to a mossy cottage. Musks are common in men’s cologne since they inhibit masuline, forest-like qualities.
Choosing the Best Musk Perfume for You
Before diving into your search for the best white musk perfume, it’s important to remember the following:
- Always trust your own sense of smell. If you find yourself gravitating towards a scent, then it’s probably the one for you.
- Single out the dominant notes and complementing hints like citrus or wood to help you understand what you’re smelling.
- Choosing the best white musk perfume can seem daunting, so start off with something lighter and work your way towards a heavier scented musk.
- If you’re unsure about how the perfume will wear overtime, always ask for a sample or purchase a travel size to familiarize yourself with it.
In addition to those things, also consider…
Price
The price of perfume will vary depending on the amount of fluid in the bottle. Normally brands will offer multiple sizes, so a single scent can cost anywhere between $50 and $295.
Some of the best white musk perfumes for women also come in sets with roll on applicators or travel size bottles, effectively increasing the cost per use. A lot of brands are also offering alternative methods for payment, such as instalment payments through Afterpay.
Ingredients
One look at the ingredients list of a white musk perfume can make the formula seem complex, but most perfumes contain the same core ingredients, including but not limited to:
- Alcohol
- Water
- Essential oils for aroma
- Coloring
- Benzyl benzoate (allows the perfume to seep into the skin without inflaming or irritating it)
- Preservatives
Versatility
Most white musk perfumes can be worn throughout the day or night, but it also depends on the blend you get. For example, a headier, more pronounced perfume is ideal for an evening out or for a special occasion.
However, the best white musk perfume for women will typically last for a few hours, so a spritz or two more may be needed in the afternoon. Letting your perfume faze out will make it soft and subtle, which is great if you want a more relaxed aroma.
Concentration
Probably the most technical term when it comes to perfumes, concentration refers to the strength of oils in a fragrance. In other words, concentration determines how loud or soft the perfume will be.
Eau de parfum contains a higher concentration and is therefore stronger and long-lasting, while eau de toilette is lighter and easily buildable. In other words, the higher the concentration, the longer the perfume will stick around.
- Lancôme Idôle, $164
- Yves Saint Laurent Trench Eau de Parfum, $250
- Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum, $155
- Jo Malone Rose & White Musk Absolu, $295
- The Body Shop White Musk Eau de Parfum, $37
- Maison Margiela REPLICA Lazy Sunday Morning, $132.95
- Chanel CHANCE Eau de Parfum Spray, $138
- Nemat International White Musk Fragrance Oil, $22.99
- 19-69 ‘L’ Air Barbes’ Fragrance, $194.73
- Valentino Donna Yellow Dream Eau de Parfum, $98.51
10 of the Best White Musk Perfumes for Women
#1 – Lancôme Idôle
Winner of the 2020 Fragrance Foundation award, this white musk perfume from Lancôme is a youthful and powerful fragrance with a dominant floral scent. A perfume made by women for women, the fragrance consists of popular notes like citrus, rose, jasmine, pear, cedarwood, and vanilla.
In essence, this white musk perfume is sweet and sharp all at once to provide balance. The bottle is also described as the world’s thinnest perfume bottle for sustainability purposes and on the go use.
Lancôme Idôle retails at $164 for 100mL.
#2 – Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Le Vestiaire Des Parfums
A white musk perfume ideal for both men and women, this unisex fragrance contains fine notes of iris and cedarwood to create a well-rounded fragrance that tithers between floral and woody.
What makes this perfume an excellent unisex option is its superior citrus scent. The overall effect is effortlessly sophisticated.
Yves Saint Laurent’s Trench Eau de Parfum retails at $250 for 125mL.
#3 – Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum
This white musk perfume for women is an iconic emblem of the YSL Beauty brand. Mon Paris Eau de Parfum is singularly on the sweet side, containing floral and berry notes.
Oddly enough, YSL has managed to extract and blend in datura flower, which is actually poisonous on its own. So if you like injecting a little danger in your daily routine, just remember that this delicate bottle has a little wild inside.
Yves Saint Laurent’s Mon Paris Eau de Parfum retails at $155 for 150mL.
#4 – Jo Malone Rose & White Musk Absolu
The best white musk perfume for women who are looking to turn heads and make a statement, this rich, heady fragrance from Jo Malone is ideal for steamy evenings and long nights. It’s a bodacious scent that’s meant to arouse with notes of rose.
The Rose & White Musk Absolu leans more towards a cologne as opposed to an eau de toilette. Blended with oud and amber, it’s spicy, woody, and a tad sweet, giving off a hunky impression.
Jo Malone Rose & White Musk Absolu retails at $295 for 100mL.
#5 – The Body Shop White Musk Eau de Parfum
This white musk perfume for women delivers the message, “It’s not the scent, it’s you”. Meaning, The Body Shop’s White Musk Eau de Parfum is so natural, it’s like a second skin.
Containing rose, amber, wood, and jasmine, this fragrance is powdery and a little goes a long way. Unlike other brands, The Body Shop has formulated this perfume to be cruelty-free. It also contains 88% of naturally derived ingredients.
The Body Shop’s White Musk Eau de Parfum retails at $37 for 1.69 fl oz.
#6 – Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA’ Lazy Sunday Morning
Perfume made easy is Maison Margiela’s main objective with its line of fragrances, and Lazy Sunday Morning is a white musk perfume that’s pure and uncomplicated, just like… a Sunday morning.
With a concentrated floral base and clean undertones, this perfume contains lily of the valley and iris, which are light and feminine ingredients that create a rich, robust scent when blended together.
Maison Margiela REPLICA Lazy Sunday Morning retails at $132.95 for 100mL.
#7 – Chanel Chance Eau de Parfum Spray
CHANCE is one of the best white musk perfumes for women and one of four within a fragrance line from Chanel. The heritage design house is known for creating sensual, feminine fragrances with flair, and this eau de parfum is no exception.
Sultry jasmine and iris are balanced out by sweet vanilla, and everything is topped off with pink pepper for a stab of freshness. Although this perfume is slightly spicy and intriguing, it remains dominantly floral.
Chanel CHANCE Eau de Parfum Spray retails at $138 for 100mL.
#8 – Nemat International White Musk Fragrance Oil
Formulated with the invigorating, sensual notes of India’s exotic landscape, Nemat International’s White Musk Fragrance Oil contains natural essential oils and comes in a roll-on format. If you’re looking for something natural but still pronounced, this alcohol-free concoction is a good buy.
Apply this white musk roll-on to your wrists, neck, and the back of your ears where there is heat and blood circulation, allowing the scent to linger and emanate naturally as the day wears on.
Nemat International White Musk Fragrance Oil retails at $22.99 for 10mL.
#9 – 19-69 ‘L’Air Barbes’ Fragrance
A white musk perfume with Parisian ambience, 19-69 L’Air Barbes is filled with juicy citrus notes and fresh florals. These notes are coupled with ylang ylang extract and tuberose to create a scent explosion that is both powerful and sweet.
Surprisingly, the perfume contains an undercurrent of notes similar to leather, wood, and even concrete. Impressively, they counter the sweet, floral hints, which really brings out the musk.
19-69 ‘L’ Air Barbes’ Fragrance retails at $194.73 for 100mL.
#10 – Valentino Donna Yellow Dream Eau de Parfum
Strikingly fresh with a blast of Italian lemon, Valentino’s Donna Yellow Dream Eau de Parfum is citrusy and rejuvenating. With damascan rose petals, a staple in women’s perfume, this perfume is enlivening and extravagant.
Modeled after the street culture of Rome, it channels haute couture in a way that’s still youthful and fun. This perfume is suitable for the daytime when you’re having brunch with friends, or at night when you’re out for an Aperol spritz (with a slice of lemon!).
Valentino Donna Yellow Dream Eau de Parfum retails at $98.51 for 50mL.
Final Thoughts
The best white musk perfumes for women contain floral and citrus notes. Woodier white musk perfumes are slightly more risqué, making them perfect for the individual who is expressive and bold.
Overall, the best white musk perfume is the one that fits your budget. For first-time buyers and seasoned perfume wearers alike, Yves Saint Laurent’s Mon Paris Eau de Parfum ensures you get the most bang for your buck without compromising on quality. The bottle comes in five different sizes, starting with just 10mL at $30.
Plus, YSL provides an auto-refill option with gift bundles, free shipping, and even discounts if you’re able to catch a sale. So all in all, in terms of quantity and quality, the Mon Paris Eau de Parfum wins the title of the best white musk perfume for women in our books.