Coty Vanilla Musk Cologne Spray- Use With Caution

Coty Vanilla Musk Cologne Spray 1oz

Do you like perfumes with musk notes? As long as I can remember, I have always loved exotic musk fragrances. I enjoy the lingering effects on my skin and the appeal they are supposed to have with the opposite gender.

However, musk is very controversial. I recall giving my Grandmother a sniff of one of my musk scents after which she said phew and turned her face away as fast as she could. She absolutely hated musk notes of any type. Many people do.

Over the years, I have tried scents where the musk is blended with other notes such as amber, sandalwood or patchouli. Fabulous.  Foolishly, this vanilla hating lady let curiosity get the best of her and she decided to try a vanilla-based musk. If it's from Coty, it couldn't be that bad, could it?

The Vanilla Musk Bottle

My 1 oz. cologne spray bottle has a copper-colored cap. The bottle is mostly an oval shape, but the back portion has a deep concave indentation. I think this is what makes it act so unstable as it tips over very easily. On a positive note, it is very narrow side-to-side for easy tucking into a purse or cosmetic bag.

Basically, A Simple Oriental Fragrance

According to online descriptions, this scent is classified as an Oriental with four distinctive notes: Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood & Cedar. That's it. I was surprised about the Cedar note.

Coty Vanilla Musk In Real Time-Here We Go

• Sniffing The Nozzle- On first sniff, I get the unpleasant aroma of sweet burnt rubber baby doll. It's so bad, I don't even want to spray it on myself, but I will.
• The First Spray-Lots of alcohol, then something that smells like wet tree bark begins to emerge. Maybe that is the Cedar note.
• After 15 Minutes-Something syrupy and sickly sweet is taking place. The burnt rubber smell is really developing now. Somebody dabbed vanilla behind Barbie's ears, then tossed her into the fireplace.
• After 30 Minutes-I am dying here! Gagging on the scent of vanilla-dipped moth balls. The artificial chemical smell is pure torture. I should report this to Hazmat, pronto.
• Complete Dry Down-No musk, no sandalwood here. No soft comforting "skin" scent has emerged. The artificial sweet burnt rubber smells lingers on and on. I must wash this off. Now.

Skunk Award

 Somehow, I survived this stinky experience. What is most upsetting is that it smells so bad, I can't mix it with other fragrances. It is too hideous to recycle as a make-shift air freshener. It has to go. In a marked hazardous waste container by police escort.

For an oriental scent, it has neither mystery, allure, sex appeal or quality. It's not pretty or girly. I can't believe how many women give this perfume a thumbs up on review sites and places like Amazon.

 If you are looking for musk, this is not the one. As much as I go for unusual perfumes, Coty Vanilla Musk is too weird, even for me. It gets the Skunk Award for being one of the stinkiest fragrances I ever tried.

Bob Mackie Perfume For Women

Bob Mackie For Women Eau de Toilette 3.4oz spray

In the 1990's, a few well-known fashion designers decided to add fragrances to their collection. I  distinctly remember the Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenburg scents of that era. Bob Mackie was a name that was very well-known in fashion circles, especially after he rose to fame as Cher's dress designer.

Although we are bombarded with celebrity and designer perfumes up to our ears today, back then it was a little more restrained and special.

I stumbled upon a few reviews of Bob Mackie For Women describing it as an "old-school" powerhouse perfume worth trying.  After suffering disappointment and anger with modern watery ripoffs, I had to buy some and try it.

The Bottle Design

Leave it to a designer like Bob Mackie to come up with a bottle shape like this one. From the side, it looks a bit like a pregnant penguin; flat chested, but with a puffed out lower abdomen. The glass has substantial weight. The etched glass creates a 3D or art-deco effect that is very modern looking.

The cap is made with odd angles that never "match" the straight lines of the bottle neck. If you like things that line up neatly, you will be playing perfume rubics cube every time you use it. However, the bottle looks sophisticated just sitting there. The puffed front and flat back makes it prone to fall over easily.

Bob Mackie Perfume Notes

This fragrance is classified as a Floral Oriental with fruity components.

Top Notes-  Peach, raspberry, pineapple
Middle Notes-Honeysuckle, rose, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose, narcissus
Base Notes- Patchouli, musk, vetiver, sandalwood, amber

My Real Time Scent Experience

• The Cap Sniff-When I take off the cap and put the nozzle to my nose, I smell a rich, sweet scent like vanilla infused flowers. I don't know why I get vanilla as it isn't listed in the notes.
• First Spray-Yes, I can give it the okay for those citrus notes of peach and pineapple. I don't smell any raspberry, however. Something dances underneath the citrus; perhaps the tuberose.
• After 15 Minutes-Pure tuberose at this point, maybe a bit of ylang-ylang lurking beneath the surface. I adore honeysuckle, but no matter how hard I sniff, I don't detect it.
• After 30 Minutes-Here is where this perfume gets interesting on my skin. From a distance, I get wafts of rose and orange blossom. Sniffing my wrist up close I smell something sour and dank hiding under the florals. Perhaps the vetiver?
• Complete Drydown-It has been over an hour now. Those luscious base notes of amber, patchouli, musk, sandalwood and vetiver have all melded together into a very soft, powdery scent where no one note stands out above the other. Powdered fruits is a good description.

What I Like About This Fragrance

In my opinion, Bob Mackie smells rich and elegant. It is a sophisticated fragrance full of unusual nuances. It is a lovely reminder of the 1990's and what was popular back then. Bob Mackie is still a full-bodied fragrance that hasn't been watered down or tampered with.

Compared to those modern celebrity scents that are overpriced and underwhelming, Bob Mackie For Women won't break the budget. The fragrance is rich enough to give you your money's worth.

What I Don't Like About It

For a scent classified as an oriental, it just doesn't have that air of mystery that I crave in oriental perfumes. There is no spice, no sass, no reason to don sunglasses and act like Greta Garbo on a secret mission. It may be in the oriental family, but it is very far removed; like a 5th cousin.

My Recommendations 

Anyone who loves rich, fruity florals with a heavy rose accent might like Bob Mackie perfume.  I could definitely see this scent blooming into a real beauty on someone with the right chemistry. The drydown is very soft, so don't let the "powerhouse" description scare you.

Aviance Night Musk Review- A 1980's Fragrance Flashback

Aviance Night Musk Cologne Spray 2.6 oz.

When I think about the many reasons why I love perfume, one is the tantalizing image they portray. Like others, I  can find myself caught up by the fantasy that perfume marketers try to tempt us with. I can't think of a better example than Aviance.  Although the original came out in the 1970's, the night musk version hit the shelves in the early 1980's.

When I was growing up, there was always some delicious smelling scent from Prince Matchabelli around. Windsong and Cachet are two that come to mind.

Aviance Night Musk Bottle Design

Like a pigeon standing at attention, the bottle is top heavy, yet has that distinctive crown logo that marks the Prince Matchabelli line. Because of its flat profile, wide top and small base, it falls over  quite frequently.


The Fragrance Notes

From online sources, the night musk version is described as a fragrant blend of Rose, jasmine, lavender, cloves, cinnamon, citrus and apple. * Nobody mentioned musk!*


Aviance Night Musk In Real Time

• Sniffing The Cap Impression-An unusual kind of apple-spice with a slight floral in the background. Weird is what comes to mind.
• On First Spray-The first spray comes out strongly of alcohol, then I am hit with some type of spiced lavender and a tad of cinnamon scented roses.
• After 15 Minutes-Okay, here comes some of those roses, a bit of jasmine and perhaps some other floral notes.
• After 30 Minutes-The only way to describe it is what a barrel of rotten apples smells like after being thrown into a fire.
• Complete Dry-down- Wouldn't you know that the perfumes you find the stinkiest last the longest? On my skin, this scent dries down to a putrid blend of pomander balls and plastic bags.

What I Like About It

If I could name one thing positive about this scent it's the memories of old-school scents and those unforgettable commercials that made us rush out to buy them. Okay, I can give it a second like; it's perfect for noses seeking to sniff unique combos of notes.


What I Don't Like

I find it slightly tacky that Prince Matchabelli puts different perfumes into the same bottle type. You will find that Windsong comes in the same exact bottle style.Sadly, there is much to dislike about this one.

In my opinion, Aviance Night Musk is all over the place. It isn't a spice, nor a floral, nor a fruit scent.  I sniffed high and low for the musk, but never found it. It's just plain strange and doesn't work for me. By now you may be wondering if I dislike it so much, why is my bottle is almost empty? Every once in awhile, I will "visit" it hoping for a more pleasant bloom that never happens. This is what happens when a perfume addict refuses to face ( or smell) reality.


My Recommendations

You stink!

If you are a die-hard collector of vintage perfumes, you might enjoy having this in your collection. However, in my honest opinion, it isn't worth what people are selling it for these days; especially on eBay.

It's a strange name, Aviance Night Musk. There is nothing musky about it. Perhaps it is best for night so people don't recognize you as you waft by smelling of rotten campfire apples.