Kiehls • Original Musk Oil • Fragrances

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jekm2 on 1/11/2013 5:40:00 PM more reviews by jekm2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is a staple for me and its my daily fragrance. I think the price is very reasonable and the EDT is about 1/2 the cost of many other fragrances. I get so many compliments on this, both men and women. I layer it with the EDT and it lasts about 4 hours which is a bit depressing but I can reapply if necessary. I wish that it wasn't in a glass bottle because I have dropped it before and of course it shattered so I am very careful with it but because its an oil it can get slippery and if I put it like smack in the middle of my clevage you can see it which looks weird. Its a very sexy fragrance. Some people don't really care for musk though so I admit its not for everyone which is good, I like wearing a fragrance that is unusual. Another thing I will say is that it doesn't ever give me a headache. One of my other favorite scents is Coco Mademoiselle and if all the stars aren't aligned I usually end up with a headache when I wear it.

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zephir on 11/19/2012 2:11:00 PM more reviews by zephir

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I originally tried some of this on while shopping and walked away, thinking..."Meh!" As I continued shopping, the smell grew on me, and I couldn't stop sniffing and sniffing and sniffing....and sniffing...my wrists because I just loved it so much! I had to go back and buy myself a bottle of the musk oil. Since then, I've had to restock on another bottle and also have gotten the roll on. I do find that the roll on I have smells a little sharp and not as nice as the bottle.

I've had coworkers and friends lean in and smell me and say I smell really good! It's just a nice, day to day smell that never gives you a headache or is too in your face. I probably have at least 10 perfumes that I haven't even finished, let alone buy more of. That speaks for itself! Love this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Halloqueen on 11/9/2012 6:07:00 AM more reviews by Halloqueen

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

I've been buying Kiehl's original musk since the 80's...boy does that age me. I've worn it off and on, but when I'm in the mood for musk, almost nothing else will do. Sadly, it looks as if Kiehl's is cutting back on the musk line according to their website...why??? It's what made them. It could be their own fault though...back about 10 + years ago, the bigger spray bottle, if I'm not mistaken, was a EDP that lasted forever and was awesome...I always think of it as a warm golden brown creamy skin scent, I repurchasd the big bottle about 5 years ago, and immediately noticed a change,,,it's now an EDT and much lighter...I was so disappointed. I bought the small rollerball musk which was ok, but I think it's been through at least two reformulations,. It seemed much stronger back in the day, so maybe it was modernized? Anyway.....today's Keihtls is good, but a shadow of what it used to be, I might try the bottle of oil and see if I have any luck.

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tealady on 10/6/2012 6:56:00 PM more reviews by tealady

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I love this scent!! I wear it all the time. The oil is so MUCH better than the spray. It is truly musky so not for everyone but if you like musk, this is the gold standard! Classics are classic for a reason and this is a classic.

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*TOP REVIEWER* JaneWayne on 6/2/2012 8:25:00 PM more reviews by JaneWayne

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I bought this a few years ago and ended up swapping it away, it just wasn't earthy/soapy enough for me....too dirty. I am not sure if I got a bad batch or my tastes have changed, but I am so glad I got another bottle. I know Jovan is really popular here, but I could just never get into it, it is too sharp. This is what I as hoping Jovan would be. It is slightly soapy and earthy, stays close to the skin but it makes an appearance every once and awhile, especially if it is hot outside. I purchased this with the lotion and am loving both, the lotion is very potent, but not so much as to overpower when worn together. I think this oil smells very close to Kuumba made's Oriental Musk, only softer. Also, it smells lovely with Kuumba's Tunisian Patchouli!

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QuilleyReturns on 11/26/2011 5:32:00 AM more reviews by QuilleyReturns

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown, Wavy   Eyes: Other    

Well, I'm going to really date myself here, but I've been wearing this oil since I was a teen, lol. Did you know that Kiehl's was a brick-and-mortar before it went mainstream? Yep. I would go down to The Village in NYC to pick this up back in the late 1970's early '80's. It actually came out the year I was born! This particular musk is one of those that I always have laying around, sort of like a forgotten teddy bear or a doll that you "think" you've outgrown, only to find yourself digging around for when you want a classic "skin" scent. It's comforting, mysterious, long-lasting and wears well on my (dry, sensitive) skin for hours. A true classic. I'm not fragrance savvy enough to detail the combination of oils, but Kiehl's says there are 122 separate oils that make up this blend. Not sure how/if the formula has changed over the years, however it smells the same to me as it did when I was a kid and I stll love it.

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innapark on 8/28/2011 10:49:00 PM more reviews by innapark

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I came to musks from my childhood memories of babysitters in the 70's likely wearing Jovan or Coty musks. I loved the scent, the memory, the era. So eventually I hit the Walgreens' counter and experimented with the same but was always sorely disappointed. The scents were thin and evanescent. Then in the last few years I discovered MUA and all the obscure scents I would never EVER have come upon in my typical midwestern life. I started right in with samples of MKK and Musc Ravageur, convinced that I had the cojones to take on the pornographic reality without flinching. I was over 35 years old and quite experienced after all. After a few delicate vial sniffs of MKK, I risked full application and what ensued was the worst headache I'd had in ages. I wiped with rubbing alcohol, Dawn dishwashing detergent. I couldn't escape it and hung my head in shame. Musc Ravageur: much of the same, dialed down about 30%. I was tenacious and went back multiple times, only to retreat, fully disappointed in what I perceived to be my lack of sophistication and fearlessness. I left the musks behind only to spritz occasionally at the Walgreens counter for a quick thrill.
THEN: Kiehl's Original Musk. I was fortunate to make a wonderful swap with a MUA'er who had both the oil and a sample edt for me. This is my musk. It walks the line between the Jovan/Coty's and MKK/Musc Ravageurs with dignity and dirt and nostalgia. I only wish the scent in the oil could be sprayed - or the edt had more longevity. The two are certainly different scents, with the edt more lighthearded, bright and clean with musky, hippie undertones. And the Musk oil being like something you'd buy at a head shop complete with sanskrit label and 'made in India' on the bottom. I imagine that a Kiehl's Original Musk in eau de parfum could the the one I've been looking for all my life.

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itsrachmang on 8/2/2011 11:18:00 AM more reviews by itsrachmang

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Never knew I'd be a "musk" type a person. I always associated musk for the more mature woman. But when I visited the recently opened Kiehl's store at the mall...I was perusing and found these oils. The sales person initally gave me grapefruit to smell saying that that's everyone's FAVE...but it just didn't do it for me (I'm not a fruity/sweet type of gal) Then I picked up Musk. OH EM GEE. I melted. And so I bought the oil! Not the rollerball one because that one seems to fade a lot quicker. And when I went home with it on...my husband and my cousin both exclaimed "oh my god! WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?!!?" They both jumped me and started heavily sniffing me! hahah. And I swear to you - everytime I have it on...they both do this "oh my god I'm weak at the knees" kind of motion. And they immediately know the smell. It's actually quite funny.
I'm totally a scent person, so I understand completely that perfumes will smell different on everyone because of body chemistry. But if you've never tried this yet, do yourself a favor and just take a whif! It's heaven. It's cloud 9. It's just simply amazing. It's definitely love at first sniff.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mchampion on 12/23/2010 2:46:00 PM more reviews by mchampion

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This is the first musk that I have felt compelled to own. It smells great by itself or works under other fragrances as a base. I love to mix Kiehls Musk and Kiehls Gardenia together. It gives off a cool, floral, unique vibe. This musk does have a little "skank" going on but it smells cool, almost minty or camphor-us on me. Lasts forever and makes my clothes smell amazing. I have the oil version and it's perfect. This is the website description:This modern version of our classic signature scent is based on the unique blend that is Kiehl's Musk. Our special Musk "recipe" begins with an initial creamy, fresh citrus burst of Bergamot Nectar and Orange Blossom, followed by a soft floral bouquet of Rose, Lily, Ylang-Ylang and Neroli. Finally, Original Musk Eau de Toilette dries down to a warm, sensual Oriental finish of Tonka Nut, White Patchouli and, of course, Musk, the soul of this distinctively modern scent. I don't know if I can pick up on all of these notes but I do know this is the best musk I have ever tried. SEXY all the way.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Arenal on 11/27/2010 10:30:00 AM more reviews by Arenal

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

As the reviews indicate, musk oils are a very personal thing. I love Kiehl's Musk Oil and use it every day. I use it as a base scent, very sparingly applied to pulse points. It gives a warm, skin scent and amplifies other fragrances. If it works with your skin chemistry, you'll love it.

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sullw on 6/19/2010 9:35:00 PM more reviews by sullw

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I am not usually a musk kind of person, I like really fresh scents normally. I tried this in Kiehls store one afternoon and immediately disliked the strong smell. I left without buying the product.
Later that night, after I had been home for a while, I suddenly realized that I smelled great! I tried to think of what I had put on during the day since I had visited many stores, I didn't realize it was the original musk oil, which had since dried down and became an amazing scent.

This is a strong smelling oil, a little goes a long way. I still sort of dislike it when I first put it on but after it dries down it is the best fragrance ever. I get so many compliments and nothing usually peaks my bf's interest, he is mostly a soap and water fan but every time I wear this he compliments me and gets very affectionate. I even experimented with this as I don't get to see him that often, I would wear the Kiehls, get compliments and affection and then the next time wear something else and everytime I would get a better result with the Kiehls. The other bonus is that it lasts forever, both on your body and in the little roller bottle, mine is over a year old and I still have almost half the bottle. For $26.00 it is completely worth it.

I just recently bought the cucumber oil and I was so looking forward to it but, unfortunately, I don't like it. I will be sticking with the original.

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*TOP REVIEWER* rasputin2 on 3/11/2010 2:28:00 AM more reviews by rasputin2

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Silver   Eyes: Green    

My KIEHL'S MUSK ESSENCE came in today. Very simple amber-glass roll-on tube in a recycled cardbord box... smaller than a lipstick.
I think KIEHL'S MUSK (and I'm referring to their essential oil, not their men's cologne) enjoys a special place among musk scent lovers.
It is far muskier, more animalic, than any musk that, let's say, some of us used in the 1970's, like the JOVAN men's and women's line.
No, the KIEHL'S MUSK ESSENCE must surely be a faithful synthetic of the the bonafide article: muskdeer musk. (Now illegal to cultivate and sell, but used for aeons).
It has that innocent, oily, slightly powdery smell, like a baby's head, a cat's tummy, or like human hair that's ready for a shampooing. But it is also replete with the kind of uncompromising smell--- some would euphemistically call it "barnyard"--- which hunters recognize. Hunters who have ever chased and hunted deer will recognize the pungent, urine-like pheromone that KIEHL'S captures. KIEHL'S is not a human smell, like the masculine underarm whang of MUSCS KOUBLAI KHAN, or the olor feminis in Rochas FEMME, McQueen KINGDOM or AGENT PROVOCATEUR... No, it's definitely a wild animal smell.
In fact, I own a bottle here of a product called TINK'S DOE-IN-OESTRUS LURE. It's a liquid that deer hunters are supposed to rub onto their clothes and boots before venturing into the wild.... It is an extremely intense, animal urine-like smell designed to camouflage the human smell, and to lure curious male bucks into one's hunting region.
TINK'S is some very loud, stinky stuff indeed, without a doubt, yet KIEHL'S---in a much, much gentler way---- has that unmistakeably pungent, urinaceous quality to it. Maybe even a civet-ty hint, too.
The indolic quality of KIEHL'S also bears a relationship to the slightly urinaceous note that authentic jasmine oil possesses.... the kind you smell in fragrances like JOY, Patou CALîNE and CHANEL No. 5.
If it sounds like KIEHL'S is not for every perfume-lover, you're right. It's really for the die-hard animalic scent lover (like myself) who is enraptured by frankly musky scents, like MUSC RAVAGEUR and MUSCS KOUBLAÏ-KHAN, FEMME, MY SIN, KOUROS, Miller L'AIR DE RIEN..... where the animal smell is celebrated, not dissembled.
KIEHL'S MUSK ESSENCE has close-to-the-skin sillage, and makes a very good blending under-layer for scents which already possess a pronounced musk note. I love to layer KIEHL'S with SHALIMAR, BAL A VERSAILLES, Rochas FEMME, KOUROS and Etat Libre D'Orange CHAROGNE.
This MUSK ESSENCE was initially released in 1921 and continues today smelling as, one supposes, it did then. One is surprised that KIEHL'S has lasted this long, as the musk they sell is not conventionally "pretty" or "perfumey" smelling. It's wild and animalic.
It's also fairly inexpensive: my generous tube of the oil was only $24.00 at the online KIEHL'S store.
Now, the EDT they sell is a full-blown, complex fragrance, with many notes blended. But if you just want to worship that pure musky smell, their MUSK ESSENCE OIL is the way to go.

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ladyliberty78 on 10/31/2009 2:38:00 AM more reviews by ladyliberty78

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This is a great scent that both my husband and I can wear. On him it's spicy and on me more musky/spicy. The body wash is also great. The lotion smells a little too soapy for me.

Great long lasting scent!

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*TOP REVIEWER* OmToast on 9/23/2009 9:10:00 AM more reviews by OmToast

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this because, per reviews, I thought it could function as the poor (wo)man's MKK. And it does . . . for about 1/3 of a nanosecond. Seriously. A sniff from the bottle or immediately after dabbing on skin produces a very similarly animalic musk. And then it shifts. On me, it spends several minutes smelling like a nice and warm -- but synthetic -- musk, before morphing into a very, very soapy clean almost-musk. Although I prefer a more prurient version of this particular scent genre, Kiehl's OM is super, super nice once it reaches its squeaky clean stage, and presents a viable option for days when one just wants to have a nice smell. It's very comfortable, cozy and unobtrusive, and yet there's definitely some remnant of sexy skin scent. A little goes a long way, so for $26-ish USD the 1oz bottle will last for ages, making this a fantastic value. Just a nice effortless scent. I'll definitely repurchase.

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alwaysanna on 5/30/2009 4:37:00 PM more reviews by alwaysanna

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

For all the hype about this musk, I found it disappointing!
Seduce me with the bottle and fragrance. Expensive...the bottle was basic considering the price. Been wearing a seductive little musk from Theme Fragrance on Etsy called Mantra- cute packaging, perfect price and the musk is deliciously nice.

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*TOP REVIEWER* djsaphira on 5/29/2009 2:47:00 PM more reviews by djsaphira

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I was previously using the Musk eau de toilette, but I have found the oil to be vastly superior in complexity and wearability. Whereas the EDT is kind of "up your nose with a rubber hose", the oil is smooth, very well blended. All the notes are harmonious together and make a very believable musk accord. Lacking the acrid-ness of the EDT, it makes for a very wearable, personal space kind of fragrance. This is no a scent that needs a lot of sillage, imo. Rather, its beauty comes from the honey-ed musk all the notes produce together, and the closeness one needs to appreciate it.
On a side note: I wanted to comment on the new roller-ball vial it's currently being packaged in. I like the functionality, but feel that the vial is a bit on the thin side. I'd be afraid to drop this on a hard surface because I personally feel it would definitely shatter.

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*TOP REVIEWER* karelin7 on 5/17/2009 4:40:00 AM more reviews by karelin7

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Never would have tried this but for the reviews, here and elsewhere, that say it's a smellalike for Muscs Koublai Khan. Well, not really. They're similar, but in the way that, say, Guerlain Vetiver and Vetiver Extraordinaire are similar. Same key ingredient given quite a different treatment. If I had to choose I would go with the richer, deeper MKK, but I love this frag too--and I'm a recent convert to musks, which I avoided because of bad associations with Jovan from the '70s--it seemed uncouthly cheap and tawdry as hell. Kiehl's Original Musk has a strong but beautifully rendered patchouli note, surrounded by some low key florals, floating on a bed of musk that's quite clean but still warm and sensual. The patchouli makes this a reminder of things Flower Power--imagine a clean young lady at the end of a long day. She's wearing patchouli oil. She's sweaty. She has a naturally great smell. The smell of her skin is the smell of Kiehl's OM. Nevertheless, I wear it and I'm a guy, and believe it is suitable for men and women. Then again, I'm a fragrance head so don't go by me.

Update: 21 May 2009 . A friend who has good taste in fragrances was over and I was getting her opinion on some of my faves. She liked Muscs Koublai Khan, did not find it at all racy, thought it too sweet for a man. Then, when she smelled the Kiehl's she immediately said it was like MKK but "brighter." What a nose.

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*TOP REVIEWER* arikabh on 3/7/2009 3:49:00 AM more reviews by arikabh

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love this scent. I always layer it with a vanilla oil or my some flowery perfume oil and it really smells warm. My husband loves this and I think it smells awesome on him. this is my favorite musk oil. Also you wont give anyone around you migraine from your perfume.

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melilla on 2/13/2009 11:03:00 PM more reviews by melilla

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Kiehl's Musk didn't really smell like musk to me. It reminds me of patchouli, orange blossoms, and aftershave. It's like there's a hole where the musk should be. I just don't care for the smell. I feel like I smell dirty when I have it on. This oil does last forever on me though and it is so affordable. I really like the brown glass bottles too! Pity I don't like the smell.

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devildoll77 on 12/23/2008 12:07:00 PM more reviews by devildoll77

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

i was really excited after i read the reviews of this product that i'd been curious about for some time. after purchasing the overly expensive body wash in Original Musk as well as the body lotion, i expected the oil to smell amazing. first of all i never received a tracking number for my order. when i wrote customer service as well as called them they said my order would be in 'any day now' (i'd been waiting over a week!) the oil finally arrived and when i opened it the first time i was very disappointed! where was this 'amazing' scent everyone was talking about?!! it's very light, doesn't last long when you put it on and you can prob' find a better perfume oil for lesser price somewhere else. the bodywash though smells fabulous. maybe the EDT version is better??

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