Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Anya's Garden Kewdra- Giveaway and Review- Mystery Of Musk Part 4


***The giveaway in now closed. The Winner is tmp00***

My first thought upon smelling the bold, curvy and spicy opening of Anya's Garden Kewdra was "oh no, she didn't". But of course, she did. I should have known she would go there.

If musk is the sexiest of substances, Anya McCoy went right to the heart of it and created the Kama Sutra in a bottle. I haven't read Jitterbug Perfume, the Tom Robbins novel that inspired McCoy, so I can't add any insight into that aspect. I can only speak of the things I smell, the depths and the emotions Kewdra evokes.

The opening sweeps you away and carries you to India. There's no question about it- the spices and colors are all there, and even I, who hasn't been to India yet can hear the music, the jingling of jewelry on henna-painted hands and feel the hot air and silk. Red, orange, hot pink and saffron, a blend of Garam Masala that didn't come from the spice rack in Whole Foods,exotic flowers worn in one's hair and woven into long chains hanging everywhere. And the heat... you can't escape the heat that rises from bodies and from the earth itself and mixes all those scents and sensations into a thick substance that goes right to your head.

(Did the little red Ganesh statue my sister brought me from India just wink at me?)

And that was just the beginning.

When things calm down a little you're left with a sweet musk. The vanilla, angelica and patchouli stand out to me most, but it's the honeyed feel of the skin at night  that is so haunting and tempting in Kewdra. It's incredibly daring and sexual and not just because after the first hour you must be almost at skin level to smell it (and it lasts and last for hours, all through the night if I apply it before bed). It's the extremely animalic scent of the beeswax and ambrette seed that takes residence on the body. I never want it to stop.



One very lucky reader is going to win the fabulous bottle you see in this picture. It contains half an ounce (15ml) of the magical Kewdra from Anya's Garden (the rest of us can buy it in the regular bottles and sample vials from Anya's website. It's already available for sale). To enter the giveaway please leave a comment and tell us:

1. Have you been following the Mystery Of Musk project across the blogs?
2. Which perfumes and/or perfumers have captured your interest the most?
3. What musky perfumes have you been using so far (commercial, natural, niche, mainstream, etc.)?

Photo at the top from the 1996 movie Kama Sutra, featuring the young Naveen Andrews.
Photo of Kewdra bottle by Anya McCoy

57 comments:

  1. Oh wow that sounds amazing!

    I have been following the musk series at several blogs I read regularly. I'm having a heck of a time because now I am lemming after things. I especially am intrigued by DSH. I am a musk fan, and wear mainstream and niche-ish musks - mainly Lovely, Narcisco Rodriguez for Her, L'Air de Rien, and Muscs Kublai Khan (of which I only have a sample, but a little goes a looooooong way fortunately).

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  2. I've been following the series at all my usual blogs. I'd really like to try the Tellulah musk from Wing and a Prayer.
    I love musk, and wear an Arabian perfume called Al Ward Al Musk, with black musk, saffron and kewda, often during the winter.

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  3. Oh yeah, I'm following all the blogs and forums as well as the perfumer's blogs, and I've got a whole new collection of folders in my favorites that's kind of gotten out of hand - I can tell you at any given moment which bloggers, Basenoters and members of the Yahoo group have reviewed which scents. When my curiosity is awakened it can get a little OCD around here.

    The two.. wait, make that three... OK, FOUR fragrances that have caught my eye are Musk Eau Natural, Craving, Kewdra and Tallulah B2, and I've already put in an order for some Wing and a Prayer samples because they're so reasonable. I'm trying to ignore how fabulous Graines de Paradis sounds, because the price is a little out of reach right now. Except now that I think about it, Sensual Embrace and Verdigris sound really interesting too... Oy. Somebody stop me. ;)

    I don't have any straight-up musk perfumes yet since I've still a newbie, but I'm really liking my sample of Sienna Musk from SSS, and the attar posts at Perfume Posse have definitely caught my attention.

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  4. I'm one of the Yahoo! group reviewers, and I'm just starting to receive my samples (I'm in Europe)- so I'm following the blogs with interest, and really enjoying TallulahB2- it's so pretty, really works well in the summer heat. Can't wait to try the Kewdra, oh my!
    -Marla

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  5. This sounds truly incredible and has been added to my wish list.

    I have been following the musk series on the blogs that I regularly read and really want to try the DSH Musk Eau Natural and Bellyflowers Verdigris. I have never been a musk fan but after reading about all these beauties I wonder if the natural perfumers might be the ones to inspire musk love.

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  6. Whooooa Nelly!

    yes YES, enter me por favor ;)

    1. I have been following, lemming and trying to win me a lil' somethinsomethin' since y'all started the musk series.

    2. I really want to try Verdigris from Bellyflowers Perfumes because I adore forest scents made with juicy fir absolutes, that's my idea of heaven.
    And now this latest one from Anya sounds HOT!
    I WANT that lil' bottle.

    Hhhhmmm I don't know that I have any exclusively 'just musk' scents, I'm workin on it ok?


    Didn't I say I want that lil' bottle? help me out ;)

    Lovely review Gaia you heartbreaker you, you never cease to make me yearn for what it is your huffin'

    Truly, Tamara Jackson
    [email protected]

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  7. Sounds pretty hot. That picture brings back the memory of seeing Kama Sutra in the theater and having to immediately go home and have sex.

    1. I'm new at this perfume thing, so I've only been reading this series on your blog. I sometimes check First Nerve.

    2. The Verdigris. I like either hardcore green stuff (like Comme des Garcons Calamus) or ambers at this point in my education.

    3. Mainstream clean musks, such as Lovely, or the original Prada, or Fendi Theorema (when I can get my hands on it or feel like coughing up for The Perfumed Court) or Sonoma Scent Studio Winter Woods.

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  8. I've been following the series across all the blogs and it is interesting to hear everyone's take on things. Anya's Kewdra had me at sweet musk, DSH's Musk Eau Naturale, Verdigris (green), Musk Nouveau, and Sharini's Graines de paradis as I'm impartial to either the parfumer, the center theme or a combination of. Like I said in other blogs I wish someone would offer the entire set of samples for sale! My recent musk discoveries were NR Musc intense and Colette Black Musk, which goes with just about everything and lasts all day. These reviews also caused me to revisit my decant of SIP Musc Botanique... sigh all these lemmings...

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  9. I've been following the series around the blogs and it really is an amazing event.
    Those that caught my attention the most are, of course DSH, I liked the Sharini one, Anya's sounds wonderful as well and the last one that caught my interest through its name, Drifting Sparks.
    I still don't wear any musk perfumes. :)

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  10. 1)To be honest, it's not that I've been following the musk series with special attention (musk is not as exciting to me as other fragrant things, but I am curious to know more about- though also quite unimpressed so far, by all natural perfumery. I do appreciate the exercise to evoke a phantom note in natural perfumery)... I somehow stumbled over the musk project on on some of the blogs I follow: Perfume shrine, I smell therfore I am, and Denyse's wonderful Grain de musc.
    2) your review of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Musk Eau Natural was quite appealing...
    3) The musk-centered fragrance I enjoy, from time to time, is musk ravageur. Shalimar extrait, though not musk fragrance, has a wonderful dirty musk note that I cherish. I do not know how many people smell it, but I love it.

    The bottle of this giveaway is beautiful, and am curious about the contents: I am keeping for the occasion a fedora hat at hand.

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  11. I have been following the project through the perfume blogs I usally read. I like the crossed-linked collaborations!

    DHS and Anya's Garden have been under my attention spot for a while, but now I really want to try some of their creations.

    I like strong and skanky muscs: MKK, Musc Ravageur and (sorry) Kiehl's (oil version). I tried Musk Nomade but my skin made it vanish in minutes, and the same goes for Clair de Musc.

    Quimerula.

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  12. First of all, congratulations on your inspiring description of the scent :)

    I have been following the Mystery of Musk project in my favourite blogs and it has given me the chance to know other sites.

    After reading the reviews, I think that Sharini Graines de Paradis, Anya's Garden Kewdra and DSH Musk Eau Natural are the ones I would like the most.

    The musks I've been using are Bottega Verde Muschio, Il Profvumo Musc Bleu and (I don't know if it counts) Opium Poésie de Chine. But my favourite one is FM Musc Ravageur.

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  13. Yes I've been following and enjoying the MoM project, I thing on each blog, discovering some and some I usually follows. Actually I thing it's the first time I comment here, even If I read you regularly.
    So far, I'd like to smell and have been hooked by several description of Verdigris (Bellyflowers), Musk nouveau (Providence perf.), Musk Eau Naturel (DSH), Graines de Paradis (Sharini) and Kewda which I'd love to try.
    It's strange, I am really not a musk fan, I mean synthetic ones but I'm really curious with the natural ones, I like ambrette and angelica a lot.

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  14. 1)No, I've only been reading your blog...summer and kids are home.
    2)This particular description and perfume sound amazing. So, Kewdra by Anja McCoy is the first to give me a serious lemming.
    3) I've had a hard time w/ musk perfumes, historically. I think I must be somewhat anosmic to some, not surprising. Probably I like MKK the best, b/c it doesn't smell like baby shampoo on me. (to say the least!) Thank you for this opportunity.

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  15. I'm not really sure about this one, but what the heck, sign me up. I like your description a lot, but don't quite know that I can imagine the smell you describe.

    Yes, I've been following Mystery of Musk... most of the blogs I read regularly are involved. I'm not a huge fan of natural perfumes, but y'all have slowly reeled me in. So far, the ones that sound most interesting are Musk Eau Naturel and Grains de Paradis.

    The main musky perfume I use regularly is Muscs Kublai Khan. I like that a lot. To me, it doesn't smell dirty or skanky... but then, I didn't grow up in the US, and don't have the usual American attitudes to smell. Most of the time, it's hard to notice this, but when it comes to MKK it's completely clear!

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  16. Laws a'mercy! Someone hand me my salts!

    I have been having a blast reading all the various bloggers' responses to these fragrances -- it's been a bonanza of compare & contrast perfume research. After this review, Gaia, I'd say Kewdra is on the top of my list to smell! My personal Main Musks would be Musc Nomade (discovered recently) and Musc Ravageur, which I've adored for years.

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  17. That sounds astonishingly good. I really need to get an ANya's Garden sample pack.....

    Yes, I've been following along - not all the blogs, but most. Love musk, though. I wear CBIHP Musk and L'air de rein all the time, really love Musk Ravageur though have not succumbed to a bottle yet. LOVE Nuit Noir, which smells incredibly musky to me.
    So far the DSH is the most intriguing and I would LOVE to hear a review of the chypre-musk that's been mentioned a few times as an offshoot.

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  18. Please do enter me, Kewdra sounds like it's right up my alley! I've been following the musk threads, and it is interesting how natural perfumers are creating musks without animal products. DSH's fragrances intrigue me too. I don't like the fresh, so-called "laundry" musks, but love animalics. For example, Bal a Versailles is one of my favorites that has musk in the drydown. Someday I have to try Musc Ravageur, having heard so much about it.

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  19. I have only been reading the series here - so gar.

    Honestly, all of them sound lovely. This one really strikes my fancy though, since anything that smells like India has to be just magnificent.

    I have Youth Dew, Coco, Yohji, not too many musky ones really. Shoot, I'm not convinced there is really musk in these!

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  20. I just ordered a sample of this based on your description. Thank you. This is the 2nd perfume I've ordered because of you :-D The other is Black Orchid.

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  21. Love your blog and I have been following the musk series. I am eager to try the Tellulah and DHS musk. I love musk, mostly what I would call clean musks but I want to branch out because I also love chypres like Mitsouko. My favorite musks are Clair de Musc, Narcisco Rodriguez for Her and Tom Ford's White Suede.

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  22. I have been following all the Mystery of Musk posts. The reviews of Graines de Paradis were very tempting, and this review is making me want to go to India! I have samples of Goutal's Musc Nomade and SSS Egyptian Musk, but I haven't really worn them yet.

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  23. That sounds like something I could immensely enjoy. I would really love the chance to get to smell this one.

    I have been following the Musk project across the blogs, as much as I have time for. I know I must have missed a couple, and I'm hoping that I'll have some time this weekend to go back for them!

    Of the ones I have read about so far, it's the Dawn Spence Hurwitz that has interested me the most, but this one also sounds absolutely fascinating. It's just that I've smelled some DSH fragrances before, so I *know* I like her work, where as I haven't smelled anything from Anya's Garden yet.

    In terms of my favorite musks right now, I've re-discovered a favorite that I hadn't smelled for a while, CB I Hate Perfume's Musk Reinvention! It's amazing. Really really unique. I'm also a major fan of Muscs Kublai Khan and I just wish I could afford the bottle! I have sampled L'Air de Rein, and I enjoyed it greatly, but not as much as either of the previous fragrances. I'm in love with Musc Ravageur, for its cozy deliciousness and it helps that my husband can't get enough of it either! I only have a travel size, but I hope to own the oil soon.
    I don't really think of it as a musk, but I also wear Narciso Rodriguez for her ... it's the clean side of musk, and really that shouldn't be neglected, so I'll happily mention it as well.
    Serge Lutens Clair de Musc was gorgeous when I sampled it ... but it wasn't distinctive enough for me to truly fall in love with it and consider that high price tag. I tried the Kiehl's musk in an airport and loved it, but I've yet to be able to get a proper sample and work out if it's worth perusing or not! I guess that's a good thing because even though it's not that costly compared to some of the others, I still couldn't really afford it if I fell in love with it.

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  24. Oh how fabulous! I'm aching to try this, and any Anya's Garden fragrance, really.

    My relationship with musks has been tumultuous to say the least. I started my perfume affair not enjoying them til Malle's Musc Ravageur and PG's Maori Musc: these are the gateway musks, I think. Now I love Muscs Kublai Khan!

    Please enter me in this delicious draw and I do hope to win!

    lovethescents

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  25. Oh gosh, what a beautiful bottle.

    1.) Yes, I've been following. This is like a series custom-made for me. I am so pleased.

    2.) Because of your review of Tallulah B, I grabbed a bottle. I couldn't help it! Cashmere-warm vanilla musk? Gorgeous!

    3.) I love NR for Her in the body lotion, which is a lot like the edt but maybe a bit saltier. I love Sonoma Scent Studio's Sienna Musk, which sometimes just smells cinammony to me, and other times has a true, dry and warm skank. I like Alma de Alma's musk by Madini oils and the nutty, leather goods musk of Annick Goutal's Musc Nomade. Mmmmm. I just love musk and this series is such a wonderful development! Thanks for participating.

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  26. I only started getting seriously into perfumes about a year ago, which, now that I think about it, makes sense considering my love of wine. I blame my late bloomer status on a youth spent retching at the fruity-floral Bath and Body Works sprays that filled the halls of my high school.
    Anywho, I've been following the musk series with great interest, hoping to improve my novice status when it comes to the vocabulary and knowledge of great scents. Looking at my small collection the other day, I am surprised to see that it is almost completely musk based. Dark, dirty ones (Musc Kublai Kahn), warm, spicy ones (Chergui), Leathery, woody musks (Dans tes bras) and sweet, spicy musks (Musc Ravageur, Clair du Musc). As you can see, Serge Lutens and the Frederick Malle Editions des Parfums have caught my attention.
    I have yet to try a natural perfume, but my interest is piqued, and your description of Kewdra has my nostrils flaring at the computer screen. If the giveaway bottle is not in my future (the vintage design is so luxe and gorgeous!), then I'm pretty sure it'll be my next perfume purchase regardless.

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  27. I've been following the series mostly on this blog but delved into some others a few times!

    I like a variety of perfumers. Some mainstream (Guerlain or Creed) and some lesser known ones like Il Profumo...speaking of which...

    Musc Bleu from Il Profumo is a super soft, feminine musk from Il Profumo (it's the exact opposite of Muscs Kublai Khan - it all depends on one's mood, right? And musk can do different things when we want it to!). I might wear the Musc Bleu on my wedding day b/c it feels ethereal and reminds me of my blue wedding dress.

    I am easing into more animalic musks, though and am excited (waiting for weather to cool...).

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  28. Please enter me in the draw. This musk sounds incredible and the bottle is lovely!
    I’ve been reading reviews on several blogs and I think it’s a wonderful challenge to the perfumer to show the world what can be achieve through the use of 100% naturals, so the perfumers have my admiration.
    The musks that interest me most so far have been DSH (both Au Naturale and her chypre variation) and Graines de Paradis by Sharini. Today, Anya’s perfume has also piqued my curiosity as well.
    I have just recently begun exploring fragrances whose primary feature is musk. I’ve known and loved the Kiehls’ for the longest, but have recently discovered Annick Goutal’s Musc Nomade (thanks to YOU) and SSS’s spicy Sienna Musk. Hoping to grow my collection…

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  29. 1 yes
    2 This one!
    3 Musc Nomade, Muscs Kublai Khan, and Helmut Lang

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  30. 1. Yes I have been following th mystery of Musk Project. I love and only wear natural perfumes. It is wonderful to see reviews of all of the new creations unfolding in the blogs.

    2. I am most interested in Kewdra perfume and it would be a joy to win. I love the intertwining of boronia, kewdra, vanilla, gardenia, sandelwood and patchouli. It sounds so sultry and beautiful.

    3. I have recently tried Tallulah B2 from wing and a prayer and it is a lovely perfume. It is a soft floral musk that is beautiful skin scent that lasts forever.

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  31. hotlanta lindaJuly 08, 2010 1:41 PM

    This entire series has the imagination hot and bothered - as if the temps outside aren`t enough! (Remember when cheap musk oil equalled a `good` Cosmo girl? I ran to the pages of Madamnmoiselle to stay a lady AND sensuous in the same breath! :-) ) Goutal`s Musc Nomade, as well as all their Orientalists, plus Kiehl`s & Narciso for Her, are my faves. On the simple side , I wish for all 5 of Caswell-Massey`s musks to be back on the shelf. ALL of the scents in this project sound like musk done right, with SOUL, therefore you want a bottle of each - SIGH!!! :-) Thank you for a fine blog, and for entering my name in the hat!!

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  32. I'm new to the blog, and I blame you for today's purchase -- my first Serge Lutens. I started out wanting Un Bois Vanille, then tried it (as you suggested) over MKK. Went to Bergdorf to get the MKK, which they don't have, so I ended up with Chergui. If anyone saw a crazy lady in Midtown sniffing her own arm, it was me. Oh, happy day.

    I've been a musk wearer for as long as I can remember. I never get any of that "after party with a goat" stuff. I was really intrigued by your review of the DSH musk (almost bought it, but Uncle Serge got me first). Most of my other musks are mainstream -- Black Cashmere, Prada, Kiehl's, 10 Corso Como, Hotel Costes. I've also sampled Musc Ravageur and L'Air de Rien, to great success.

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  33. I've been tuning in and out of it..summer guests arriving and such...hard to explain why perfume blogs and dreams taking up so much of my attention. I have never been pulled toward the musk perfumes, but I am curious. The few I've tried, seem to fade quickly. The Verdigris sounds good. So does this one, Kewdra. Love reading about all the ones discovered by the other readers.
    cheryl

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  34. Hi Gaia, great review. I've been following here and Grain de Musc and Bittergrace Notes. Not sure how to answer the questions of what musks I wear--I don't care for them in traditional perfumery, but I adore all the funky botanical notes that have been showing up in these reviews: ambrette, honey, indoles... This one sounds like the best yet, so please do hat me!

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  35. I have been following the Mystery Of Musk project on several blogs.

    Honestly, I haven't a lot of experience with musks, which is sad. Muscs Kublai Khan, Kewdra, Verdigris are at the top of my list to try.

    N/A really.

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  36. 1. Yes! They are lovely interludes in my work day.

    2. I am so excited to check out DSH. I'll be heading to a shop in Santa Cruz this weekend that is listed as carrying the line.

    3. I'm enjoying my sample of L'eau Rare Matale from Parfumerie Generale, but otherwise haven't found many musk scents that ring my bell.

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  37. 1. I am a member of the Natural Perfumers Yahoo Group so I've been following this project from its inception. I also appreciate your insight into the various musk perfumes on your blog.
    2.The perfumes/perfumers that interested me the most are Sharini Perfumes (they use solvent-free absolutes & manufacture some of their own aromatics via enfleurage) as well as DSH Perfumes (after reading your review of their musk perfume entry).
    3. The one musky perfume I have always adored is Femme by Rochas-before its recent reformulation. (I would LOVE to get my hands of the original formulation-that must be amazing.)

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  38. Besides your blog I've been following the Mystery of Musk postings on a couple of other blogs.

    So far out of all the musks that have been reviewed the one that really interests me is Musk Eau Naturel by DSH. As soon as I saw that Lempicka you used as the image to go along with your review, Musk Eau Naturel had my full and undivided attention. Now having read the review for Garden Kewdra, I'm pretty intrigued by that one as well.

    As far as a straight up musky scent I actually like Kiehl's Musk Oil as a basic thing to throw on when I need something a little less "perfumey". And I grew to adore Tom Ford's Urban Musk while my sample lasted. I still haven't gotten around to the mac daddy of musks, MKK. One day I'm going to have to tackle that beast.

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  39. Hi! I've definitely been following the project across the blogs, and, being relatively new to perfume, I'm pretty much interested in everything. My two musk standbys so far have been Musc Ravageur (which turns to a sexy oatmeal cookie on my skin) and that reputed beast, MKK (which seems to smell like a postcoital male---in a cuddly, pleasant kind of way).

    Please enter me into the contest!

    Cheers,
    Kater

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  40. Hi,

    Like others I've been following the project on the various blogs I read regularly. This one, and Craving, are the ones that have sparked my interest most!

    I don't usually seek out musk scents, since I often stop smelling them after a little while, but I do occasionally wear NR for Her and I love the salty-musky element of L de Lolita Lempicka. Since the latter is the work of Roucel, I'm planning to check out Musk Ravageur very soon.

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  41. I only just found your blog yesterday so I have not gotten to follow the whole series the Mystery of Musk, but I did read back into your past post quite a ways yesterday. I don't remember if this was part of the series, but I was really intrigued with Guerlain Angelique Noire and wish I could sample it, but alas there are no Guerlain boutiques in Seattle. I do love musk in fragrance but I am not sure if I have any - my perfume collection is only 3 fragrances (am a student so haven't gotten to collect much...yet :) ) & I am just learning about perfume, so I am not sure. I am SO glad I found your blog it is now one of my favorites, & I have it bookmarked!

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  42. 1) Yes
    2) This one
    3) Every one I can get my mitts on

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  43. I've been following the musk series here and also at BN. The project is really fascinating, musk is my favorite note in perfumery. The one that captured my interest the most is Anya's Garden Kewdra, that sounds earthy and dirty, just what I love. I'm currently using Musc ravageur, Muscs Koublai Khan and L'ombre fauve. I really hope that I will win a bottle of Garden Kewdra. Good luck and best regards.

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  44. I have been following the project on all the blogs but I still have reviews to get to. I love this project! I recently decided to explore the field of natural perfumery so this was perfect for me. Especially since there's giveaways ;)

    Anya's Garden Kewdra and Craving by Perfumes by nature are the first to come to mind. Craving just sound so rich and sensual and Kewdra because of the references to India and being called exotic. Sounds devine. But also DSH Musk eau natural and Musk nouveau by Providence perfume sounds interesting. You know what, pretty much all the perfumes interests me! A wing and a prayer is the only one I know from before (love her San Fransisco) so I'm curious about all of them.

    Haven't tried so many musks even though I generally like musk a lot. Sienna musk and Egyptian musk from Sonoma Scent Studio are two favorites, but they are not so musky as they may sound. I need more musks!

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  45. I follow through Google Reader a lot of perfume blogs! This entire project made me check all blogs daily! I enjoyed maximally in pictures!
    My mom couldn't wear alcohol perfumers so with her I started to use musk...
    Pure (or almost pure) musk reminds me of my mom :) She uses The body shop oils.
    I got intrigued by Craving the most.

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  46. I've been reading yours and Denyse's over at Grain de Musc... I haven't explored any further yet!

    Actually, the Vamp a NY fragrance was my first natural; I usually go for classics and niche. I've had my eye on Roxanna's Illuminated perfumes for a while now, but the participants of the musk series have been (so far) off my radar!

    I lean towards animalic musks... if it's not a tad on the dirty side I feel like it's missing something!

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  47. Hiya

    Yes, I've been following yours, grain de musc and perfumeshrine.

    Like a few others, DSH has interested me quite a lot, but Anya's one seems quite interesting too.

    Some musks I've been wearing include MKK, two very weird ones (musk oud and Musk Al Ajeeb) by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, SJP Lovely, Annick Goutal and Narciso Rodriguez.

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  48. I have been following the musk series mostly here. There are so many entries on so many blogs it is hard for me to keep up during the work week.

    I am very intrigued by musk in general, for while I do not clean fragrances I sometimes have a hard time with a lot of musk. For example, MKK is just too much for me, but I love Party in Manhattan.

    As I learn more about fragances, one of the most enjoyable aspects is learning to love a note, such as musk, that had previously been difficult. Of those discussed this week, TallulahB2 sounds interesting and the DSH sounds nice. However, Kewdra sounds amazing, I adore spices and the combination with the musk to create such a hot, sensual fragrance sounds like incredible. BTW, your picture is ridiculously hot too!!

    Thank you Anya and Gaia for such a wonderful opportunity!!!!

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  49. 1) yes, I have!
    2) this one so far! I am particularly curious about the angelica.
    3) Musc Nomade and Royal Muska are probably my favourites. My favourite natural musk so far is SIP Musc Botanique.

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  50. 1) Yes, I've been working my way through the list of blogs this week.
    2) I'm most interested in Kewdra and the DSH fragrance.
    3) I own Musc Ravageur and have Musc Nomade on my wish list.

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  51. i have been happily following the musk project--i love musk and i think it gets a really bad rap, but now that there are non-animal musks i think it may enjoy a comeback!

    DSH really intrigues me--i love her artistic vision, poems in bottles. this one (kewdra) by anya's garden sounds right up my alley as i love all things india and deep indian scents. i do not care for kiehl's musk at all, or musks that are described as "clean". i have loved helmut lang for a long time but do not really consider that a musk but rather a skin scent. i wear oils and all kinds of things--classics, not so many niche perfumes as i'd like as the prices are a little up there (you do get what you pay for, right?) alamut by lorenzo villorezi is one i have a full bottle of, and there has to be some musk in there!
    the attar and oud and choya posts on perfume posse have me drooling, and joanne bassett lives very close to me and i look forward to meeting her someday. i also like her "poetry in a bottle" approach.

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  52. 1. Have you been following the Mystery Of Musk project across the blogs?
    Yes, I've been reviewing them

    2. Which perfumes and/or perfumers have captured your interest the most?
    All of them actually

    3. What musky perfumes have you been using so far (commercial, natural, niche, mainstream, etc.)?
    I can't even remember the last musk perfume I wore.

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  53. I just love your review of Kewdra. Wow, it sounds delicious.

    I have been following the Mystery of Musk project with great interest. Besides Kewdra, the other one that has caught my attention is Sharini Parfums Naturels Grains de Paradis. In fact, I ordered it unsniffed from reviews alone. You've got to hand it to the perfumer on that one -- hand-picked enfleuraged pomades? I had to support that!

    My favorite musky scents are vintage Piguet Calypso, and for a current-day formulation I like L'Air de Rien. I really prefer the vintage animalics, though, as a class. They don't make 'em like they used to.

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  54. One of my favorites- this is a wonderful review and I love the picture too. An inspired fragrance by Anya.

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  55. I guess I follow the wrong blogs because I have only see the Mystery Of Musk project on your blog.
    Tallulah B2 by Jane Cate from A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes sounded the most complex and interesting to me.
    I usually wear only Jo Malone and my next purchase will be her Iris and White Musk perfume.

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  56. I'm not sure if the giveaway is still open, but here goes...
    I've been following the series on several blogs. Having read a few reviews, the most intriguing ones are Graines de Paradis by Nicholas Jennings and the one you're giving away, Kewdra by Anya McCoy. The florals in Graines sound very interesting especially since he makes his own enfleurage and tinctures, and the musky dryout that you described sounds interesting about Kewdra. The last "musk" perfume that I wore must have been one that was very popular in the 70's that was purple colored and made by Coty? I can't even remember the name of it. OK I'm getting old...

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  57. Thank you, everyone, for participating and leaving such interesting and enlightening notes. The very lucky winner of the giveaway is Tom (tmp00).

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