Muschio di Quercia / Oak Moss
by AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo

Vetyver, sandalwood, oakmoss
This is an exceptional scent. I find it to be in two parts. The first is an excellent moss, different from many mossy scents. The moss seems forest-y to me, with lots of forest floor and undergrowth (leaves rather than pine needles). At times it is a tiny bit minty. It is a very distinctive green, not heavy but assertive. I like this phase very much. At other times, the typical salty quality of moss gives this a bit of the seaweed at the beach scenario, also very pleasant. This is dry, with no florals or sweetness. The second part of the scent is a great vetiver: it has earthy, tangy, smoky qualities. The sandalwood is very background, I don’t get it as a distinct element.
I think this is worthy for consideration by any lover of green or mossy or vetiver-based scents.

22nd October, 2009.

Muschio di Quercia is "Profumo's" ode to oakmoss. And oh how utterly marvelous to have a fragrance with an abundance of genuine natural Oakmoss and actual true Mysore Sandalwood !
It's a perfect blend of these two notes, but with also a pretty large dose of vetiver. These three notes being the most apparent throughout. At first mostly the oakmoss and vetiver in almost equal measure. Followed by a "dry-down" of delicious, somewhat "nutty" sandalwood.
The main reason why I enjoy "Profumo's" fragrances is because they are an excellent example of all-natural botanical perfumery. The excellence of his natural ingredients are immediately apparent. So I really relish the idea of fragrances made with no synthetic substitutes, for a change. And this one is without a doubt my favourite from this line (so far !).
However, with this one being my favourite, I am just the tiniest bit disappointed to discover that it actually happens to be the only one of Abdes Salaam's fragrances to contain a non all-natural ingredient. (The only one !)
For the vetiver note used here is actually a Vetiveryl Acetate. Vetyver acetate is obtained from the manipulation and chemical transformation of the natural vetiver. (So it's still derived from vetiver oil, and therefore not exactly completely synthetic as such. Though, of course, "man-made" in a lab !)
But not that this actually makes any difference to the blend, for this fragrance still smells just as perfectly natural as all his others.
It's quite a simple and "straightforward" scent, yet I think that's part of it's charm! And one which I think should not disappoint anyone who enjoys these three notes specifically. I got exactly what I expected from it, and more !

4th October, 2009.

Oak Moss opens up smelling a little like essential oils and at first, feels old fashioned, but as it dries down everything softens up and 3 main ingredients stand out: vetiver, sandalwood and oakmoss. Once these three notes get the chance to balance each other out, the Oak Moss experience is a great one. Sexy, green and musky.

All in all, the best way I can describe Oak Moss is that it smells like a dewey and sweet forest - thus I agree with Profumo that this is the perfume for Tarzan. When I first smelled Oak Moss, it felt unique but also a little familiar. I thought it was the forest vibe, but I now realize it smells very similar to Frederic Malle's Vetiver Extraodinaire - in fact both fragrances are composed heavily of vetiver, woods and musk (ie. oakmoss in Oak Moss and synthetic musk in VE's case). While I enjoy Oak Moss a lot, I prefer Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle, as it's more dynamic and modern. At that, Oak Moss is a great replacement for VE should one decide they prefer all natural fragrances.

Sillage and strength are moderate.

8.25/10

7th July, 2009.

WITH PERFUMES LIKE THIS, WHO NEEDS FLOWERS? Yes, this "Oak Moss" is a perfume formulation, not just the singular ingredient known as oak moss; and it is one of my most comfortable scents. With a wardrobe sampling list near 1,000, such favoritism signifies exceptionality. Further, for its rareness of breed, I deem it not just exceptional, but singular in style.

Demure, green, and sweet as true, wild nature, I relate the effects of this juice to what I know: the mature grasses of the prairie, aged tree trunks -- verdant land punctuated with nut-brown timbers, the aromatics of native earth caramelized by the sun, then distilled and blended by the perfumer and captured in glass.

The moment of encounter sends me swooning. Do you know this feeling? Upon first sniff, one's happiness seems to rise and twist and rise and twist and rise like a streaming ribbon, and a smile is unavoidable. Although AbdesSalaam does not necessarily conform to the notion of top, middle and base notes, I'll observe that the top and base are my favorite time periods in wearing Oak Moss. Vetiver, sandalwood, and oak moss transition to a point of dryness and heat after about an hour of wear, as though the midday sun has burnt off the morning's dew. Later in the day, the evening's dew seems to descend and revive green, leafy odors.

I can usually identify one product from each fragrance house as my favorite, and I thought Hindu Kush had won that honor here. But then my husband gently abducted Hindu Kush from me. So now, in a review already littered with words like rare, exceptional, and singular, I must add that the House of Profumo has earned another form of exclusivity: It is the only perfume house my husband and I share fragrances from.

I do not believe you have to be a fan of chypres to appreciate this oak moss-rich liquid. If you enjoy the smells of untamed lands, you would be entertained by the uncommon personality present in Oak Moss. There is nothing sharp or harsh herein, and I can think of no argument against your ordering a sample. For newcomers, I can only say you may get spoiled by the quality of Profumo's ingredients. To you frag veterans who have grown jaded and think you've smelled it all I say: There are new delights to be had in Profumo's "Scents of the Soul."

21st March, 2009.

If you like oak moss you will love this one. It's not lacking in the moss. Vetiver and Sandalwood make it a nice trio because of their similarities. This is just as you would expect, very dry, spicy wood, slightly smokey. Longevity is moderate, and projection is very minimal. Very nice scent if you like wood, but Oak moss does not make a good perfume by itself.

19th September, 2008. (Last Edited: 8th September, 2009.)

A perfume for the country and the wilderness. Cost and regulations built on exaggerated fear of allergic reactions have curbed true oakmoss content in most commercial perfumes. Well, this one is there to compensate; it must be 3/4 oakmoss or something like that. Powerful and impressive; at the same time, classic enough to be wearable anywhere - I wear it to the office. My wife who is usually for very discreet perfumes likes this one, although very strong (one or 2 spritzes will do). Very long-lasting. It can be overlayed with other scents (for instance "Tabac" from the same house) to make them longer-lasting and fuller-bodied. I use it very often (without any allergy).

29th April, 2008.