Perfumer Maurice Roucel has earned himself something of celebrity status and a cult following in perfume circles. From his haute niche perfume releases like that of Serge Lutens’ Iris Silver Mist, to luxury releases including Hermès 24 Faubourg and Amouage Reflection Woman, and designer releases such as Rochas Man and Gucci Envy, Roucel has done it all, proven his mastery of this olfactory art. Then, when Editeur de Parfums extraordinaire Frédéric Malle handed Roucel carte blanche in 2000 to craft a fragrance for Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Musc Ravageur was born.
Translated from French, ravageur means something akin to ravishing. The story goes that prior to its release, a female staffer at EdPFM left work wearing Musc Ravageur only to be groped by an elderly gentleman on the Paris metro who found himself intoxicated beyond sense by the “savage sex appeal” of this yet released creation. I don’t know about all that, and certainly don’t think such an anecdote would today make the press release of EdPFM, or any brand for that matter, in this age of maddening political correctness, but here lies the raunchy origin of the name. And quite fittingly so.
Roucel began development of Musc Ravageur, albeit in another guise, in 1998. This dirty musk oriental concept found no takers though – that was until it was presented to Frédéric Malle. Monsieur Malle jumped at the chance, and with his editorial approach to perfume curation, worked with Roucel to finesse the composition that would become Musc Ravageur. The result, a modern classic, one Roucel himself considers his magnum opus, and EdPFM’s bestseller – though I would hazard Portrait of Lady might since have claimed this honour for itself.
EdPFM offers us this notes list:
bergamot, mandarin, lavender, amber, vanilla, musk, sandalwood
I would suggest a notes list closer to:
bergamot, mandarin, lavender, cinnamon, clove, cumin, tonka, vanilla, musk, castoreum, civet, amber
Musc Ravageur opens like a hot flush with a flurry of scintillating bergamot and mandarin interspersed with the medicinal facets of lavender and tonka, then, like a hot flush, this opening recedes as quickly as it was propelled from the bottle. Enter Musc Ravageur’s hot and heavy balsamic accord; a velvety haze of cinnamon and cloves sullied to an extent by animalic musk, but even more so by castoreum and civet (their synthetic substitutes, obviously). On some occasions this balsamic accord can present like a Coca-Cola concentrate on skin, on others it can come across as hot-from-the-oven gingerbread, always though, in the shadows hides the funk, the skank of the animalic notes. With further evolution on skin, this balsamic heart disrobes to reveal an oriental-cum-gourmand base of warm vanillic cocoa evocative of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter with nuances of amber and something loosely woody, now more comforting than it is ravaging – a cashmere blanket of a scent in its dying hours.
Bold, dense and complex as it is voracious, Musc Ravageur is a blast to wear; a balsamic melange of perfumery classicism and irreverence that manages to be suggestive and introspective all at once. Key to Musc Ravageur’s success in my opinion is Roucel’s masterful courting of said classicism and irreverence; its scintillating citrus overture and indulgent balsamic heart so obviously an homage to Guerlain’s seminal Shalimar which first married the brightness of citrus and lavender with a risqué does of vanilla, but then, Roucel throws at it all this refinement the filth of musk, castoreum and civet. This seamless blending of old and new, hot and cold, sex appeal and comfort makes for composition that heightens the senses, prepares its wearer to ravage, or be ravished. Beguiling.
Year of Release: 2000
Creative Direction: Frédéric Malle
Perfumer: Maurice Roucel
Alternatives: Guerlain Shalimar, Trudon Olim, Serge Lutens Musc Koublai Khan
Available: MECCA Cosmetica and www.fredericmalle.com from $235, 50ml