Jovan Musk Cologne Spray-How Much Water Can They Add And Still Sell It?

I started wearing Jovan Musk in 1975. Back then, all I needed was a few

strategic sprays and the gorgeous silage would fill my bedroom with amazing scent. Not only could I smell it all day, but the compliments from others lasted throughout the evening.

Jovan's original formula for the musk cologne spray was richer in color than what they offer us today. Less alcohol meant the notes could really meld and come alive. Anyone who wore this scent in the 1970's will definitely know the difference. Today's rendition is technically a rip-off and I'll tell you why.

Vintage 1970's Color

Modern Color

 They have watered this scent down so much, that by the time you put the cap back on, it's over. That is not the Jovan Musk experience of yesteryear. This was one seriously sexy perfume back in the day. It was your man-magnet fragrance because the longer you wore it, the better it smelled.  I cannot begin to explain how upsetting it is to see these wonderful classics diluted into low-quality copies of their former selves.

I can understand that some of the musk fragrances that were rich and musky back then came from real animals and were outlawed. However, that is no excuse to water down the remaining notes.

If they keep at it, pretty soon Jovan Musk Cologne Spray will look like water. And smell just as weak. Normally, I would give you my real-time scent experience, but if you can imagine lightly scented alcohol water with floral/ musk tones that last less than a minute, that's my experience.

So what am I going to do? I might try what is considered the more concentrated version, Jovan Musk Oil Perfume Spray. It has a richer, darker look, although in this day and age, it could have color-enhancing dye in it. My second choice is, of course, eBay for the vintage formulas. I know that I can't control the fragrance industry and some of their unscrupulous business decisions, but it sure feels wonderful to vent!

 

Avon Night Magic Evening Musk

Avon Night Magic Evening Musk. With the words Night Magic in the description, you might as well consider it a top curio fragrance of epic proportions. I can't tell you how many positive reviews I read about this scent before deciding to get myself a bottle.

I vaguely remember trying this fragrance way back in the 1980's, but couldn't recall whether I liked it or not. Night Magic Evening Musk has been around forever. It's one of Avon's cult classics.

The Avon Night Magic Evening Musk Bottle 

 You don't see many dark blue glass bottles of perfume out there, so I give Avon some credit for the shade. Of course, the dark blue is meant to mimic the night sky and match the theme of the fragrance. The bottle itself is a flattened oval with a black plastic cap. The shape makes it prone to tip over. 

Testing Out The Magical Notes  In Real Time

 Night Magic Evening Musk contains Aldehydes, Neroli and Lily of the valley in its top notes. The middle notes contain  Jasmine, Rose and Ylang-ylang. Base notes include Amber, Incense, Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver and Musk.

• On First Sniff-From just sniffing the cap, I get a slight amber scent laced with an unusual chemical backnote.
• On First Spray-Eee gads, this is horrific. My nose is bombarded with the scent of Raid bug spray. The odd chemical notes live on and on. If these are the aldehydes, they smell more like formaldehydes. Lily of the valley? No. Neroli? No. Chernobyl? Yes!
• The First 15 Minutes-Alas, the stinkfest continues. My skin is hanging on to that awful chemical note. If I press my nose down firmly against my wrist, I can barely detect what could be baby powder. Unfortunately, the baby has been dipped in embalming fluid.
• After 30 Minutes-Jasmine, Rose, and Ylang-ylang? No. Just the same Raid with baby powder smell, only softer.
• Fully Blossomed Dry Down-Sour embalming fluid sprinkled with baby powder. That's it.

Where's The Magic? Did I Miss Something?

 How disappointing not to experience a bit of magic from this Avon classic. So many women adore this scent and proclaim the wonders of how good it smells on them. It has been described as a floral on some, musky-sandalwood on others, and a soft, powdery skin scent on others.

Here is the magic part about Night Magic Evening Musk; you need to have a certain type of skin chemistry or this fragrance is not going to smell good on you. It's just going to smell.
It now makes sense that  the very bottom of my bottle only has a large gold sticker with the word FLAMMABLE on it.

To Recommend Or Not To Recommend, That Is The Question

You smell

I had to give this a lot of thought because we are all so different when it comes to the perfumes we like. If you are looking for a soft powder scent or want to have an Avon classic for your collection, try it out. If you are looking for a sexy, noticeable musk fragrance for an alluring night out, forget it.

In my personal opinion, Avon Night Magic Evening Musk is one of the most poorly named fragrances ever created. Having a magical night wearing a musk scent surely has to be more exciting than smelling like sour baby powder.

It isn't pretty, nor sexy. It doesn't create much magic for the evening. It's just plain odd. There is nothing that distinguishes it as a fragrance to be worn at night; unless, of course, your date is taking you to dinner at Chernobyl.

Guess Seductive I'm Yours-Fruit, Floral, Patchouli Or Musk?

Guess Seductive I'm Yours Eau De Toilette 1.7 oz

Can anyone out there who has a perfume weakness understand why the word seductive on a scent bottle draws us in like ants to a picnic? This one certainly did.

For me, fragrance has a job to do. It has to provide either comfort, mystique, glamour, nostalgia , or make me feel more alluring when I wear it.

I can't remember the exact time or place I picked up my bottle, but it was probably after reading that it was an affordable oriental-patchouli scent worth trying. Normally, I consider Guess a brand name for the younger crowd, but I had to smell the patchouli for myself.

The Bottle Design Is Ultra Cute

 The design of the bottle is both elegant and cute at the same time. The weight is substantial and well balanced. It sits beautifully with no fear of tip over. It's a little hard to see the whimsical pink fishnet detail on the back of the bottle. The scent liquid itself is pink. The attached charm is very girly and fun. I love the bottle on this fragrance.

Guess Seductive I'm Yours Perfume Notes

According to the online scent fairies, Guess Seductive I'm Yours is classified as an Oriental fragrance with the following notes:

• Top Notes -Passion fruit, peony
• Middle Notes-Lily, Orchid, Magnolia, Tiare flower
• Base Notes-Patchouli, musk, vetiver, vanilla, woods

My Real Time Fragrance Experience

• Sniffing The Nozzle-When I take off the cap and take a sniff, the first thing that hits me is a woodsy musk; not unlike a men's cologne. It reminds me of vintage Aqua Velva, no kidding.
• On First Spray-Kapow, licorice! My poor confused nose smells nothing but licorice. After a few seconds, the passion fruit and floral notes begin to blossom forth. Gorgeous.
• After 15 Minutes-It gets very interesting here. The passion fruit is still there, but underneath I get fresh, green floral notes. I can't pinpoint any one floral note as they blend completely with the passion fruit. At this stage, it's a fruity-floral.
• After 30 Minutes-Although I can still smell the passion fruit, it is fading a little and the musk notes are beginning to appear. I get a sour note of something mixed in with the musk.
• An Hour Later-As I smell my wrist an hour later, I swear I smell tuberose although I know it isn't one of the notes in this fragrance. It is more woodsy now, but that passion fruit is tenacious and turns my scent to marshmallow. What happened patchouli? Where did you go?

What I Love About This Scent

Guess Seductive I'm Yours is just unique enough to make it very different from everything else I have in my collection. It's one of those scents that I reach for when I just want to experience a "yummy" fragrance hit. I also love that it doesn't quite fit the title of a true oriental to my nose. Surprisingly, it tends to cling tenaciously to my skin, although the aura isn't far reaching.

Things I Don't Like

My biggest disappointment is with the description of seductive. I don't feel that this is quite the alluring Mata Hari scent I had hoped for. It is more of a flirty, youthful kind of perfume with just a hint of mystery. The patchouli note here is nonexistent, sadly. Drat!

My Personal Recommendation

Guess Seductive I'm Yours is the perfect experimental perfume. Depending on your personal skin chemistry, you will find that it can blossom on you as a fruit, a musk, a gourmand, or a woodsy floral. If you have a curious nose, give this one a try. If it is an oriental, it's a light one that trails through musky, fruity woods of subtle spices and sweetness. It really does smell nice; in a yummy-foody kind of way.

So, what is Guess Seductive I'm Yours? To me, it is a fruity gourmand with a very passionate passion fruit note that hangs on for dear life.