Musc Alize (2005)
by Comptoir Sud Pacifique

Selective anosmia is what they call it – the inability to smell certain aromas. Well with Musc Alize my anosmia is almost “universal.” I don’t really get much of anything out of any of the notes but my main problem is with the white musk. For the opening I get some very light white florals — but the florals are not clear enough that I can identify even the jasmine that is supposed to be there. When I can’t identify jasmine, there is a problem, because it’s one of my favorite notes. There is nothing really catching in this opening or in the middle floral notes that follow all too quickly. I wouldn’t think it possible, but the middle florals are even fainter than the opening “jasmine.” In the base, the fragrance settles down to … amber. The pyramid says there is supposed to be white musk, amber, and vanilla in the base, but all I smell is amber (a nice amber it is, though!). It’s the white musk that my nose really has most of the problem with – I can’t even suspect that it is there. As subtle as Musc Alize is, I do feel that the fragrance quite unisex. Its mild florals, white musk, and amber send forth minimal sillage. It’s a nicely put together scent — nice balance and very good, if too speedy, progression of notes — but it’s performance on my skin is way too subtle for my appreciation.

9th December, 2006. (Last Edited: 14th March, 2008.)

Like other CSP scents, Musc Alize has a sort of tropical airiness (white musk in this case) balanced by some unusual fruit notes. It's pleasant, but I'm not wild about it because it's very weak. Also, unlike some other CSP creations, there is no spice or wood note, and as a result it's very feminine.

7th November, 2006.

This scent is fun. Excellent and one of the longer lasting CSPs. Fresh crisp musk with a hairspray vibe. Fun and casual. It's one that is great for lazy weekend days with a lot of heat and humidity. Great for breaking up the monotony of Summer Citrus scents that we all have.

21st April, 2006.

The best white musk scent I've yet come across with absolutely no hints of vanilla. Soft and powdery and incredibly fresh and relaxing. Easily unisex, don;t worry about the opening minutes, the scent quickly loses any reference to Aquanet as it settles on the skin.

16th January, 2006.

For me, this has quickly moved up to the top of the list as far as fresh scents go. You would assume that musk is a note in this due to its name, but I detect no musk at all. Perhaps it has 'transparent' musk, which I have a hard time distinguishing. It's a green scent with slight sweetness. While most fresh scents all seem the same, I find this one fantastic and unique. It's also a break away from the usual vanilla-based fragrances that CSP is known for. I'd recommend it to those looking for a nice spring/summer scent without having to resort to all the other popular citrus/aquatics out there.

26th December, 2005.