Mystery of Musk - Temple of Musk - Strange Invisible Perfumes

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Temple of Musk by Strange Invisible Perfumes

" When formulating this perfume I was inspired by the essential notion of a

heavenly creature. " ~andra Balahoutis, Perfumer

Hubble Telescope

This fragrance baffled me. It stretched me. It challenged me. For the longest

time, I didn't understand why. I loved it and hated it at the same time. It

made me feel things and think about things. It reminded me of all the things I

am truly passionate about.

I finally realized the reason: This perfume is Art. It is art in the sense that

it is not an imitation of anything that has gone before. It is a unique and

fresh perspective.

After much contemplation and several scent strip and skin tests, I came to the

realization that this scent is not predictable. But really, it is not

predictable things in life that move us. Predictable things are what we expect.

They are the " norm. "

Every once in a while you come across something that challenges the status quo

and makes you reconsider what you had come to expect as " the right way to be. " I

have to say, this fragrance was such an experience.

It has been said before that art is a reflection of life. I have come to the

realization that the most profound art are the pieces that cause the most

disruption to our sense of balance. They are the pieces that cause you to

rethink and to reconsider. This perfume is one of these pieces. It causes us to

rethink what we know. It moves us in unexpected ways.

In the artists own words, an interview with andra Balahoutis on September

5th, 2005 on " Now Smell This " blog:

" The (perfume) house was named for a line from Shakespeare's Antony and

Cleopatra: From the barge, a strange invisible perfume hits the sense of the

adjacent wharfs. "

" I wanted to make irrationally precious perfumes. When I was first collecting

essences, the only ones I fell in love with were natural. When I smelled them I

felt the immeasurable possibilities of interpreting them into compositions. They

were rough, hypnotic, concentrated, and alive. I was so excited by the challenge

of smoothing them into one another and taming them politely and respectfully. I

just didn't feel that potential in working with synthetics, nor did I feel the

eagerness and electricity that a flavorist feels when they are completely

inspired by the preciousness and rarity of their palette. Artisan wine makers

and chefs, for example, are rarely beside themselves with anticipation to

incorporate artificial flavors. "

Temple of Musk

Perfumers Notes:

" Selected hydro-distilled temple mandarin and organic black currant to brighten

an otherwise unapologetic musk composition. Organic vanilla softens and

reinforces the theme of something primal yet completely enticing, an idea so

quintessential to the art of perfumery. Last but not least, the myrtle in this

fragrance is estate grown and hydro-distilled in Ojai, California at my family

grove. It is unlike any other myrtle I have ever encountered, possessing a

strawberry-resin-like quality that makes me swoon. I hope that you enjoy Temple

of Musk. "

Four hours ago, I placed a small amount of Temple of Musk on the inside of my

left wrist. It started off bright and resinous... like no other fragrance I

ever encountered. It was so totally different than anything I ever smelled that

I just didn't know what to make of it. Immediately, I thought of citrus peels...

you know, as you dig your fingers into the surface and pith... the fine mist of

volatile oils that spray into the air with a sharpness that makes your nose

tingle. Totally unexpected, yet totally intriguing. It was like the feeling

you get when seeing lovers kissing in public. You are all at once

uncomfortable, and intrigued. You want to watch, but you know your not supposed

to?

The initial fresh and sparkle of resin and fruit slowly evolves to a deep, rich

seductive muskiness. It is such a rich and unusual muskiness... nothing like

you've ever smelled or come to expect... such a pheromonal muskiness. Which,

after all, is the point of musk: It is a sex pheromone.

It is easy to like the predictable, but its the new and different that wakes us

up and causes us to reconsider what we know to be.