Monday, November 18, 2013

Vintage Musk Oils

Vintage Musk Oils can be one of the most sought after fragrances on the market today. Many people who originally wore the fragrances in the 1970s remain loyal to the sensual fragrance and eagerly search for it. This demand makes prices shoot up ridiculously. 


This may be based on the fact that people believe they are getting genuine musk oil, and not realizing that it is actually a synthetic product meant to imitate the natural essence. At the time, the cosmetic industry was exempt from listing ingredients on its labels. The Webster Dictionary from the 1970s listed musk oil, as the oil from the male Tonkin musk deer...and synthetic oil, too.

Or, on the other hand, customers may already know its synthetic and prefer to wear it instead of natural products which are a major threat to the Tibetan musk deer population.  


The Wall Street Journal, 1972:
"Real musk oil is a greasy secretion produced in a glandular sac beneath the skin of the stomach of the male musk deer, which smells as hideous as it sounds - until it is dried and cured into a powder. But real musk oil is more expensive than gold....The $5 musk oil is artificial, made from petroleum.  Even though it is often promoted as "natural" and "genuine," it isn't... "

There is no such thing as real musk oil, only synthetic musk oil. Musk oil is not the same as genuine musk, which is only available in pods which contain grains that have to be ground up and powdered. Musk grains are only soluble in alcohol. This results in a tincture of natural musk which for centuries has been used mainly as a fixative in perfumes. 

 At the time, the price of genuine Tibetan deer musk was $1,600 to $4,000 a pound, according to its quality. When processed into powder form, it sold for about $400 per pound. A 22 ounce container represented the lives of 16 to 30 tiny, two-foot tall deer. So much of the precious genuine musk was procured that the animal was in danger of becoming extinct. Chinese hunters killed the deer and removed the whole scent gland. The Himalayan deer only produce about one ounce of musk a year, and since the cost of musk was so high, the perfume factories decided to use a synthetic substance instead. The synthetic musk oil fragrances sold from $4.50 for one half ounce to about $7.50 for one ounce. By offering a synthetic essence, perfume companies are able to meet the high demand for affordable musk fragrances ethically produced.

In the laboratory, the synthetic essence is called "muskone" or 3-methyl-cyclopentadecanone, a dark purple substance that according to chemists, must be aged several months. Even then it may still be too overpowering for many people, so it must be diluted with other essences to make it more tolerable.

Musk Oil was one of the biggest fragrance fads from the 1970s. The hippie crowd was using to mask the scent of marijuana much like they did with patchouli, sandalwood and grass oils, and the nature lovers enjoyed its back to basics simplicity much like they did with lemon scents. 

"In this kind of complicated world everyone's looking for simpler things," said a spokesman for International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc. (IFF). He went on to say that "with perfume, young people aren't being subtle anymore about sex. They're laying it on the line with musk, for example, and its earthy animal smell."

The people clamored for it, as it was advertised as a natural aphrodisiac that anyone could wear. Women were advised to put a few drops behind the ears (I do not advise this due to the stinky apocrine glands), as well as the pulse points: the wrists, temples, inside of elbows, behind the knees so that the scent would become part of the wearer's own natural body chemistry. For those who could not tolerate the powerful scent applied to their skin directly from the bottle, they were advised to try to mix a bit of the oil with their bath water. The scent would be subtle and the oils would help moisturize the skin.

Cosmetic counters proudly displayed signage that proclaimed "We have Musk Oil!" Mass merchandizing efforts were made to get the word out to the public. Buttons, banners, posters, magazine and newspaper ads helped spread the word.

"It's the hottest thing I've seen in two years," said a spokesman for the May Company. "When we tested it at one tore, people stood in line to buy it. And it was all word of mouth - no big promotion."

A specialty shop reported that "It walks right out of the store. We sold more than 700 bottles the first month we had it."

Donald Pliner of the Right Bank Clothing Co said "Our musk oil business has been overwhelming. We introduced it five weeks ago. It's so successful we're reordering heavily."

The Wall Street Journal reported in 1972 that about $1 million worth of synthetic musk oil was bought each month and that sales were expected to continue to rise. On its front page article, the Journal said that "Musk Oil is a perfume. It is touted as exotic and erotic, the answer to Ursula Ugly's dream, the perfume that will turn Mary Worth into a sex symbol." The Wall Street Journal also cited that Caswell-Massey and RH Cosmetic Corp were the modern pioneers of the musk oil craze.


The Morning Herald, 1972:

  A man at Marshall Field & Co in Chicago says the big store is selling hundreds of half-ounce, $5 bottles each week. "We've run out so many times we don't know how many we could have sold," he says. Across America, about $1,000,000 of musk oil is being snapped up each month, and sales are rising rapidly. 

 ...Houbigant Inc of New York will have an oil soon, and the giants Faberge Inc and Revlon Inc, say the are keeping an eye, or a nose, on the market. 

The real kingpins of the musk-oil industry, though, are Caswell-Massey and RH Cosmetics Corp of New York City. Caswell-Massey apparently originated synthetic musk oil, but RH Cosmetics created the craze. Last April, an executive from RH Cosmetics discovered musk oil - probably Caswell-Massey's - at a Brooklyn boutique. Deciding that the fragrance had potential, RH teamed up with a perfume, formulated an oil, and began promotion. To expand the market, the RH people encouraged other companies to sell musk oil and even sold oil in bulk for relabeling. 
Caswell-Massey which listed musk oil for years among various other odd oils (including something called cucumber emulsion), has harsh words for the RH product. "We were the originators," says Caswell-Massey's Taylor. He says the RH oil is "absolutely worthless" and likens its smell to shoe polish because it lacks the firm's special "aging process." 'That's a lot of nonsense," replies a man at RH, who contends there's plenty of musk-oil business for everyone without squabbling... 
Sellers of real musk oil aren't benefitting from the boom, and they're not taking it gracefully. "The product they're palming off as musk oil isn't musk oil at all," says a musk-oil dealer. "At least we're not killing off any deers [sic]" says a man at RH."


By 1973, Rhodia, Inc. the American affiliate of Rhone-Poulenc, France's largest chemical company, directly or indirectly furnished most of the nation's supply of musk oil, said Steven J. Gould, manager of Rhodia. "I don't know why it's so popular, but teenagers seem to like it and it's supposed to be a male stimulant," Gold said.

 

Khiel's:


The Khiel Pharmacy president claimed that his company was the first modern brand to introduce the musk oil. He also was the only company to bottle it in French cut crystal. He relayed the origin of his popular product: "In 1958 when we moved our store, which had been in the same location since 1851, we had to clean out the basement. In it we found, among other things, a barrel of fragrance oil that smelled like musk oil. It had been there for at least 60 years," said Morse.

He went on saying, "We don't know what it was sold originally. Before the FDA got into the act, incredible claims could be made. There was Love Oil to make you irresistible, Money-Getting Oil to make you rich - and other miracle claiming names were used in those days."

Morse continues, "In 1967, we made a display and put out for sale all the things we found in the basement. People were enchanted with the musk oil and returned for more. Then Bergdorf-Goodman wanted to sell it - so we gave the man exclusive in New York."

"The minute we put musk oil on sale we had reorders and that was without benefit of advertising," says Aaron Morse, president of Khiel Pharmacy, Inc 

Khiel's sold their famous musk oil at its own shop as well as at Bullock's department store and the Right Bank Clothing Company. 




Caswell-Massey:


"Quite by accident, we came across the formula in a 19th century book and put a few bottles on the counter in our apothecary division," said Ralph Taylor, vice president of Caswell-Massey. "Young people, who are looking for the natural in all areas, tried it and liked it and the news spread like wildfire."

"Musk oil has been the biggest boom our company has had since it was founded in 1752," says Milton Taylor, president of Caswell-Massey Co. of New York, a major maker of musk oil.  "Conservatively speaking, our business has jumped 10,000%. We have people who do nothing all day but fill musk-oil bottles," says Ralph Taylor.

The Caswell-Massey scent was advertised as "true undiluted musk oil whose fragrance lasts with its earthy provocative scent bottled by hand in old fashioned dropper bottles."

"Remember that a number of animals secrete odors resembling musk, and the males do so under circumstances that strongly suggest the odor is to lure the females," said Ralph Taylor.

"Also available from the same 19th century book is civet oil and ambergris oil which we expect will follow shortly. We're even working on another old formula, a fragrance called Holy Smoke! which is best described as a sizzler," added Ralph Taylor.

Caswell-Massey originally offered the musk fragrance as an alcoholic tincture for $3.75 and in an oil base for $6.50 an ounce.

Caswell-Massey sold its musk oil at I. Magnin stores.








RH Cosmetics:


 R.H. Cosmetics Corporation of 8039th Street , Brooklyn , NY 11232.

Around 1972, RH Cosmetics Corp of New York jumped on the musk bandwagon and launched the RH Musk Oil. 

The story goes that an executive from RH Cosmetics discovered musk oil at a small Brooklyn boutique (either Khiel's or Caswell-Massey's). Deciding that the fragrance had potential, RH teamed up with a perfume chemist who formulated several satisfactory versions of the oil, did test marketing, chose the best and began swift promotion. Surprisingly, to me, we learned that to expand the market, the RH people encouraged other companies to sell musk oil and even sold oil in bulk for relabeling. 

Their number one oil they christened Mystic Musk, which could be worn alone or in conjunction with other of RH's latest innovations such as Strawberry Musk Oil or Lemon Musk Oil. RH said that "Strawberry Musk Oil mixes musk oil with the juicy aroma of fresh picked strawberries." Since they have an oil base, the linger long on the skin. 

In 1973, they released the Civet Oil, "a warm, sensuous, daring, oh so feminine fragrance, synthetic derived from the civet cat" and Ambergris Oil, "the alluring synthetic whale fragrance from the sea" to the market. RH envisaged that their animalistic Musk, Civet and Ambergris Oils were to become staples in the fragrance field. Half ounce bottles retailed for $5 and quarter ounce bottles for $3.
  • 1972 - RH Mystic Musk Oil, "hauntingly mysterious, synthetic derived from the deer, in regular, lemon or strawberry."
  • 1972 - RH Strawberry Musk Oil
  • 1972 - RH Lemon Musk Oil
  • 1972 - RH Naked Musk Oil
  • 1973 - RH Civet Oil
  • 1973 - RH Ambergris Oil
  • 1974 - RH Green Apple Oil
  • RH Sonata Oil
In 1972, a representative for RH Cosmetics said that a well-known Washington, DC department store sold 1,500 units of their musk oil in a three week period with no advertising, it flew off the shelves simply by word of mouth. The company expected to make close to $4 million in 1972 alone. 

These clear glass bottles are generally 1/4 oz and measure 2 3/8" tall. They have white plastic screwcaps. Other sizes are 1/2 oz. In 1974, they launched the RH Cosmetics Mystic Musk Oil Natural Spray in a one ounce spray bottle. 


Out of all the oils that RH Cosmetics introduced, their Musk was the best known. "Musk oil is the most peculiar phenomenon in the fragrance industry's history," says Richard Soloman, president of RH Cosmetics. 

The back of the label for the Lemon Musk reads "Drive everyone around you wild with this delightful, unusual fragrance which you cannot detect on yourself. Let your friends share it with you. Use it daily on wrists and behind ears."

RH Cosmetics sold much of its fragrance at both May Company and I. Magnin department stores. RH's Oils seem to have been discontinued around 1991? 

A 1974 ad reads:
“1975...the year you discover the allure of RH Mystic Musk Oil. A fresh, clean fragrance that’s totally in harmony with nature. But, use sparingly. A drop or two can strangely create a haunting and mysterious bond between a man and a woman. Although you’ll barely detect it on yourself, there are those who may become captive to this strangely haunting and mysterious fragrance…it’s just that potent! We think there’s never been a better time to try it now, while it’s at such a low price! But order early, this special is offered only for a limited time only. RH Mystic Musk Oil, the 1 oz size, a $9.00 value, special offer, now only $5. By RH Cosmetics Corp, NY 11203”

Another 1974 ad reads:
“RH Musk Oil…the scent that blends with her body chemistry to become as individual as she is. After all, she really can’t be defined by any aura but her very own. ¼ oz $3. ½ oz $5. 1 oz $9. Mystic Musk oil natural spray 1 oz $5."










 

 Amica:



In 1969, RH Cosmetics was doing business as Amica and it registered the Amica name at that time. Amica was a line used by RH Cosmetics as late as 1990. Musk wearers may recognize the name Amica as one of the makers of the very lovely Naked Musk Oil as well. I believe this is the same RH Cosmetics Musk Oil just branded under a different name. We do know that RH Cosmetics sold their musk oil in bulk to other companies. To me it sounds like the Amica brand was just one of their other divisions which helped expand their musk oil to the market. In 1979, RH Cosmetics was sued by Amica Mutual Insurance Corporation for using the name Amica. 

Amica Naked Musk Oil prided itself in using only synthetic musk products. I found the name Amica Naked Musk being advertised as early as 1972 in a newspaper ad for Macy's. Amica sold their Naked Musk in 1/6 oz brown glass bottles topped with a cork stopper. Amica also sold their Naked Civet and Naked Ambergris Oils as late as 1980.

Amica Cosmetics was located at Amica Cosmetics 80-39th St. , Brooklyn NY 11232 in 1980 and in 1984 at 736 Parkside Ave. Brooklyn , NY 11226 and also had a P.O. Box 81 Brooklyn , NY 11203.







 

Jovan:


Most of us know about Jovan's famous Musk Oil, which still stands up to the passage of time. Jovan claimed that their Musk Oil compared with the original formulas from Khiel's and Caswell Massey. They estimated that their sales would reach $2,000,000 by the end of 1972. 

Bernard Mitchell, president of Jovan Inc, said his company was about fifth down the line to get onto musk oil as a fragrance in itself and that it was "sheer luck" that Jovan was the first with widespread national distribution. "It was one of those crazy things," he said.  He explained that his executive vice president, Barry Shipp was in New York and ran into a friend who owned a small cosmetic company. The guy was selling musk oil in small medicine bottles as fast as he could supply it. "He told Barry,' Here's something you ought to look into,'" Mitchell said. "Needless to say, we regard him as a pretty good friend."

I have no doubt it that was RH Cosmetics who supplied Jovan with the musk oil. Mitchell went on to say that "When Barry told me about it, it was like a gut reaction. We didn't wait to check it out with market analysts. We went to work on it. You can't sell it like it comes out of the barrels. You have to sweeten it up a little."

Within a month, Jovan's product was on the market in a sleek bottle for $5 an ounce. Contrast that with the entire year it took to get its Mink & Pearls line into distribution. Mitchell said that "I was a little scared at first that some of the stores might back off because of the sexual implication. I'm a little stuffy myself about playing up sex...Instead they accepted it almost instinctively. We're producing 4,000 bottles a day now, and we've got to step up production. Basically, I know why it is. The sex part of perfume is very profound and deep. People wear perfume for two reasons - to make them feel better and fresher and because of the sexual implication. I don't know whether this kind of thing could have caught on three years ago, but I think it's going to start a whole new era of 'animal oil' fragrances." He called his musk oil "an olfactory phenomenon."

Mitchell was thinking of following up with civet and ambergris oils as an encore. Jovan released their Civet and Ambergris Oils in 1973. According to the manufacturer, that the molecular configuration of these long recognized aromatics has been synthesized to initiate an entirely new world of scent. The Civet Oil perfume was described as "tenacious enough to send the most potent of sensual signals. primitive and provocative yet with the cat-like subtlety that reveals its sources - the civet cat native to Abyssinia." The Ambergris Oil echoes the call of the sea.

"In ancient days, Cleopatra and Helen of Troy knew the hypnotic powers of musk oil, brought to them by traders in precious grains of musk from the tiny musk deer, lured from their haunts in the high Himalayas by the music of hunters playing primitive flutes. Today, of course, it's not necessary to capture the musk deer to make musk oil, and Jovan's new perfume is carefully compounded to enhance the enchanting, provocative and sensuous characteristics that bring out those basic animal instincts."

"We're not saying it's an aphrodisiac," said Barry Shipp, executive vice president of Jovan, "It's the people who are buying musk oil that are saying that. But there's no denying that Musk Oil is the most erogenous of all substances when you use it straight," he said.

Jovan originally sold most of its musk oil at May Company department stores. But soon, orders poured in from around the country from other chain stores such as JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, Walgreen's, Bergdorf Goodman, Robinsons, and Joske's.

The Jovan Musk Oil was a full strength scent, specially refined and formulated by Jovan's master perfumers and creators of the Mink & Pearls perfume and bath products. Jovan made use of the aroma chemical Galaxolide by International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) for its musk fragrances, it’s long lasting, powerful, soft and sensual.

Jovan's Musk Oil contains:
  • Top notes: bergamot
  • Middle notes: labdanum
  • Base notes: musk, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver









Dana Perfumes:

Dana Perfumes Corp. of New York, expected to gross $500,000 to $1,000,000 on Dana Musk Oil which they launched in 1972 and sold for $3.50 per half ounce. 

A 1972 newspaper ad reads: "The smell of musk oil turns people on. It's the smell of musk that comes from the male musk deer of Tibet, who produces it to attract the lady musk deer. Now it's attracting guys and gals from teens to seventies. The animal scent of musk gives people reactions by suggesting pleasure and warmth. Dana Perfumes' has created a musk oil and describes it as a warm, sensuous back-to-nature fragrance. The animal quality of musk stimulates the senses. The scent of musk has a powerful attraction to the human nose. Musk Oil by Dana is concentrated and is unmatched for lingering. One single drop on the wrist and then rubbed by the other wrist may last from duck to dawn. It's for men-women-young-old."






Houbigant:


The firm released their version of Musk Oil in September 1972. 


Bonne Bell:


Bonne Bell introduced their Skin Musk Perfume in 1972.




Max Factor:


In 1972, Alan Kurzman, vice president and marketing director for Max Factor said, "We are well aware of the interest in musk oil and are now exploring the best way to handle it as a fragrance." 

In the 1970s, Max Factor released their "Aromatic Body Potions" line which was comprised of several different perfumed body oils, which could be mixed to create personal scent blends. I have listed all of those that I could find, if I missed one, please let me know.
  • Meadow Musk Perfume Oil
  • Wild Strawberry Musk Oil
  • Wild Musk Oil
  • Wild Musk Violet Oil


Faberge:


Not one to be outdone by competitors, Faberge introduced their Musk Oil in 1972.

ApotheCare:


In 1972, ApotheCare marketed a product they described as "double-action Musk Essence." It was available in the following:
  • Verdigreen Musk Essence, a green, earthy scent.
  • Jessamine Musk Essence, a fantasy floral.
  • Bittersweet Musk Essence, a classic modern.

Alyssa Ashley:


In 1972, Alyssa Ashley, Inc. introduced their Musk Oil. They were busy day and night bottling the fragrance so that they could start shipping it out by late August.

 is most noted for her Musk perfumes and musk perfumed products. "Alyssa Ashley introduces. A total concept in musk. Musk, evocative of you, for only with the warmth of your body does musk release its explosive, suggestive fragrance. Musk, the fragrance with a soft primitive temptation, Sure to stir up new beginnings. Be sure you get the genuine Alyssa Ashley Musk in the black and silver packages."

By 1978, the line included:
  • Musk Oil in 1/4 oz and 0.48 oz sizes,
  • Musk Spray in 1.5 oz
  • Pure Musk Spray in 1 oz
  • Musk Cologne in 2 oz
  • Musk Dusting Powder
  • Musk Hand & Body Moisturizer in 4 oz and 8 oz
  • Musk Bubbly Milk Bath
  • Musk Body Shampoo in 16 oz


 Helena Rubinstein:


By 1972, Helena Rubinstein was already selling a Musk Oil in stick form and a Lemon Musk Oil scent in spray form.



Loveland:


Musk Oil launched in 1972.



Valmor:





Sunshine Oils:




Lucien Lelong:



Musk Oil introduced in 1972.





Vivi:



Musk Oil









Fun Scents:


Here is a very obscure brand, in 1972, Fun Scents by From released their own musk line, Musk Body Oil Perfume, a woody musk scent available in a one ounce bottle or a rollerball.




Bourjois:


Musk Oil in 1972.




Satana:


In 1972, Satana was launching their Musk Oil.



Lactopine:


1973 Musk Oil

Village Bath Products:



Came out with a trio of scented bath oils in cans: Whale Oil (ambergris), Musk Oil and Mink Oil.


Young At Heart:





Latour Products:



In 1973, Latour Products created the Marton Freres Body Oils, non-alcoholic perfumes which, it claimed, had a longer lasting and truer scent than regular perfume, because, they are composed of 100% oils. They are available in four essences: Sea Moss, an outdoor scent that is primarily composed of Irish moss; American Beauty Rose which has a honey flavor; Sandalwood, closely ties with Oriental fragrances; and the fragrance which the company found most popular was Marton Freres Musk Oil. All are packaged in recycled paper board at $3 each.


No comments:

Post a Comment

All comments will be subject to approval by a moderator. Comments may fail to be approved if the moderator deems that they:
--contain unsolicited advertisements ("spam")
--are unrelated to the subject matter of the post or of subsequent approved comments
--contain personal attacks or abusive/gratuitously offensive language

Welcome!

This is not your average perfume blog. In each post, I present perfumes or companies as encyclopedic entries with as much facts and photos as I can add for easy reading and researching without all the extraneous fluff or puffery.

Please understand that this website is not affiliated with any of the perfume companies written about here, it is only a source of reference. I consider it a repository of vital information for collectors and those who have enjoyed the classic fragrances of days gone by. Updates to posts are conducted whenever I find new information to add or to correct any errors.

One of the goals of this website is to show the present owners of the various perfumes and cologne brands that are featured here how much we miss the discontinued classics and hopefully, if they see that there is enough interest and demand, they will bring back these fragrances!

Please leave a comment below (for example: of why you liked the fragrance, describe the scent, time period or age you wore it, who gave it to you or what occasion, any specific memories, what it reminded you of, maybe a relative wore it, or you remembered seeing the bottle on their vanity table, did you like the bottle design), who knows, perhaps someone from the company brand might see it.

Also, if you have any information not seen here, please comment and share with all of us.

Featured Post

Faking Perfume Bottles to Increase Their Value

The issue of adding "after market" accents to rather plain perfume bottles to increase their value is not new to the world o...