In 1973, Love's Cosmetics, a division of Menley & James, released a new line of fragrances that were based on musk. This would help reinforce the madness for musk based fragrances that would dominate the scene throughout the 1970s.
Menley & James, the originators of Love’s Cosmetics, began by selling pharmaceuticals in various drug stores. Since their agents were already visiting the drug stores, the decision was made to use their chemical facilities to expand their business portfolio and produce fragrances and cosmetics in the lower market range. The decision also mandated that the inexpensive fragrances should be marketed to young audiences– hence the line of Love’s fragrances appeared in drug stores in the 70’s which targeted users in the pre-teen to young adult age range, mainly to the 12-24 year olds.
The fragrances were fresh, fashionable and trendy, but low priced enough that the girls could use their few dollars from babysitting or weekly allowances to buy scents for themselves. This was a major step up in sophistication from the kiddie colognes they were used to and were in fact, most likely the first "adult" fragrance they would purchase.
Their line included Eau de Love (a blend of citrus, woodsy, mossy accents), Love's Fresh Lemon, Love's Baby Soft, Sensuous Scents and Elements of Nature (earth, wind, fire, and rain colognes) these feminine lines were followed up with a masculine range, the Sensuous Musks for Men in 1974.
When Love's Cosmetics brought out their Love's Sensuous Scents line, one-note musk fragrances were already superstars in their own right. The musk of the seventies was not the costly $200 dollar per ounce natural material - 40 to 80 pounds extracted annually required the slaughter of 40,000 male musk deer from the snowy mountains of Tibet. Animal rights organizations and advocates fiercely protested against perfumery companies for using animal derived products which forced the labs to look for synthesized alternatives. The synthetic version sold for $8-$13 per pound, and during the early 1970s, it was reported that about one million dollars of retail fragrance sales belonged to musk, which boiled down to about 200,000 bottles of musk oil sold at retail per month.
In 1973, at least 20 different companies offered musk oil lines in toiletries and perfumes. Jovan and Max Factor joined the fad and had priority on drug store shelves. The market was saturated with musk and billed it as "the love signal of the 70s", to be used as sensual accessories meant to enhance natural sex appeal and long purported to be strong attractants towards the opposite sex. With teenagers who had already reached puberty and were exploring dating for the first time to young adults in college looking for something different to help give them a "leg up" in the game, the very idea of a "secret scented weapon" was readily accepted.
It wasn't just the idea of musk and its reputation, it was the fragrances themselves. Love's Sensuous Scents line reinterpreted musk, instead of having it at the forefront, they returned it to its original role as a fixative oil base, then went back to nature and brought the fresh scents of the outdoors directly to your skin. The line had been nicknamed Earthy, Citrus, Floral and Woodsy.
From 1973:
"Back -To-Nature...the latest trend in fragrances. MUSK...the hottest scent going!"Love’s Musky Potions:
"Love's has taken the natural fragrances that surround you and mixed each with a measure of Musk, Mix one with your own body chemistry and set off a new reaction. Retailed $2.75 each."
The drug store shelves offered up such feminine delights as
- Love's Musky Jasmin, which combined the soft, natural scent of imported, tender jasmine petals and exotic floral oils against a dash of warm, sensual musk for a fragrance of great depth and staying power.
- Love's Mandarin Orange, a citrusy, semi-oriental fragrance blending the fresh, tangy note of oranges, floral oils, natural ambergris and a touch of rich natural musk and subtle animal notes.
- Love's Oriental Amber Musk was my favorite, with its unique blend of exotic spices, precious ambergris and musk.
- Love's Deep Earthy Musk married rich notes of herbs, oakmoss and warmed musk, was meant to react to your body chemistry to develop its own depth fragrance and special personality.
- Love's Warm Woodsy Musk with its deep patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, ylang ylang and soft musk notes suggested rain-washed woods and fresh mossy glades.
The men's line of Sensuous Musks included
- Love's Deep Earth & Musk which combined rare woods, exotic spices, herbs, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver and musk for a scent that's bold and earthy.
- Love's Warm Woods & Musk married the clean and fresh primeval forest and fern notes of patchouli, mint, sandalwood, oakmoss and musk.
- Love's Rare Teak & Musk was a blending of spices, amber and wood notes touched with musk for a crisp, sophisticated scent.
As a result of excellent marketing campaigns as well as expert perfume blending, many youngsters fell in love with these wonderful fragrances, but did not place much value on keeping any stored. The bottles were definitely distinctive and well branded, but were not really decorative as say, the upscale and fancy perfume bottles scattered on their mother's vanity table or dad's dresser, so there was little interest in holding on to partial or empty bottles.
The Love's Sensuous Scents line was discontinued by the end of the 1970s. The only survivor was Love's Musky Jasmin which was produced from 1984 on and distributed by Chattem Consumer Products, a division of Chattem, Inc.
Certain Love's Cosmetics scents are considered quite scarce to find today since they were merely perceived as disposable “drug store” fragrances, or "kid's stuff". Once the teens grew up and graduated into the world of "adult fragrances," the "kid's stuff" was left behind. These aromatic delights are now some of the most sought-after fragrances in the world, especially with those who grew up with these long lost fragrances.
In 1985, Chattem Inc, disclosed that it has sold its Love's Baby Soft and Love's Musky Jasmin lines of teenage fragrances to MEM Co. Inc, and in separate transactions purchased three specialty lines. Chattem used the proceeds from the sale of Love's for the acquisition of specialty toiletry and cosmetic products and proprietary drugs which would compliment company's Pamprin, Premalyn, PMS, Corn Silk, Mudd and Sun-In brands.
MEM was still the owner of Love's Musky Jasmin in 1994.
The Love's Sensuous Scents Line:
- Love’s Musky Jasmin Flower, a blend of natural jasmine and exotic florals and musk.
- Love’s Deep Earthy Musk, a blend of herbs, oakmoss and warmed musk.
- Love’s Musky Mandarin Orange, a blend of orange flowers and musk.
- Love’s Warm Woodsy Musk, a blend of patchouli, sandalwood and musk.
- Love's Oriental Amber Musk, a blend of exotic spices, precious ambergris and musk.
Love's Sensuous Musk for Men Line:
- Love's Deep Earth & Musk
- Love's Warm Woods & Musk
- Love's Rare Teak & Musk
Love's Cosmetics, subsidiary of Chatten Laboratories, Tennessee.
In association with MEM Co. Inc.
- 1971 Love's Fresh Lemon (citrus, lemony, green)
- 1974 Love's Baby Soft (floral, citrus, herbal)
- 1974 Daisy L (a blend of woods, mosses & flowers)
- 1994 Love's Clean & Natural
- 1994 Love’s Frenzy
- 1994 Love’s Fresh Lemon (relaunch)
- 1994 Love’s Soft Jasmin
- 1994 Love’s White Vanilla
- 1994 Love's Gentle Musk
- 1994 Love Story
I loved Musky Mandarin Orange - the start of my lifetime preference for softly spicy fragrances that weren't too heavy and managed to combine a touch of soft freshness with the warmth. I've looked for years to see if I could find it on the internet. This is the first time I've even seen it mentioned.
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