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musky · in 51 fragrances

civet

In tiny doses, warm and skin-like. In larger doses, frankly animal: think the back of a wet dog crossed with old honey. Civet was historically harvested from the civet cat's scent glands; today it's almost entirely synthetic (civetone). Used in trace amounts to add a living, almost dirty warmth to florals and chypres. The secret weapon in many vintage Guerlains. A long-lasting base note that becomes more skin-like as it dries down.

Also known as: civet absolute, civetone, synthetic civet

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