There are perfumers I just enjoy seeing what they will do next. Alberto Morillas is one of those who straddles every aspect of perfume making. He has been creating perfume since 1983 and he has seen trends come and go all while adapting and innovating with the times. M. Morillas has been so prolific he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Fragrance Foundation. His body of work is so broad it is difficult to say he is known for a single thing. One thing he is known for is the first use of the so-called white musks in 2001. Over the last thirteen years he has continually shown that he has an ability to make these very ubiquitous materials seem less common. A Lab on Fire Oxymusc shows there is still something new to discover from the white musks.
A Lab on Fire is becoming one of the most consistent niche brands on the market. For the last three years they have taken some of the most elite perfumers working and given them a platform to explore freely. What that has produced is a line of perfumes from recognizable perfumers who have taken their distinguishable aesthetic and pushed it. This has made the entire collection something which has always been nothing less than interesting. For Oxymusc M. Morillas is not only revisiting the white musks he pioneered but also the aquatic genre he helped create. In Oxymusc he has turned both genres into a fragrance that is as soft and ethereal as a cloud floating over an expanse of ocean.
Alberto Morillas
M. Morillas knows how to construct an aquatic accord. In Oxymusc he is going for an aquatic accord similar to a watercolor. The contrast and texture is all about subtlety. When taken together it has a maximal impact. This aquatic accord is held up by three tentpoles of muguet, lavender, and thyme. Underneath the tent made by those notes is a couple of white musks. This creates a sea spray accord as when the wind carries the spray to you from afar. It is never strong but it persists at a very consistently pleasant level. The typical freshly ironed white musk vibe is present in the base. M. Morillas turns it into a set of well-loved sheets which are soft to the senses. Often these kind of mixtures of the larger macrocyclic musks can have a bit of bite to them. In Oxymusc M. Morillas has removed any hint of a rough edge. It goes perfectly with the sea spray accord and at the same intensity.
Oxymusc has 10-12 hour longevity but it is going to be a deceptive longevity on most. You will think it is gone after a few hours but find yourself smelling it again. When I say this is light, it is light but it is a fabulously fragile fragrance. Obviously the sillage is moderate on something as light as this.
We so often laud the perfumes that have the loudest voices. Oxymusc speaks to me in wisps of water vapor and whispers of the sea. Leaning in to experience it completely is well worth the effort.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Twisted Lily.
–Mark Behnke
Hi
I’m having such a difficult time finding Oxymusc, can you tell me where I may find it?
thank you
Antonella
Antonella,
Oxymusc was discontinued by A Lab on Fire which is accounting for your difficulty in finding it. I’m not sure why it happened but you will have to hunt around on the online auction sites and forums to see if a bottle comes up for sale there.
Mark