If you’re looking for the best men’s fragrances and colognes, chances are you’ve seen the note ‘musk’ pop up quite frequently. But the funny thing is that not many people actually know what musk is – to be honest with you, I didn’t either until fairly recently!
A quick science lesson for you – musk originally came from the glandular sac from a male musk deer… yes, really. The sac contained a liquid that was used by the deer to attract mates but when harvested, it could be dried into a musk pod which contained a powder that when mixed with alcohol, had a very nice smell – I dread to think who came up with that idea.
Nowadays, musk fragrances aren’t made from deer parts, but instead are a mix of synthetic and plant materials which still have the same type of smell. Due to how musk was used by deer, musk scents have a reputation for being aphrodisiac-like in nature, so it’s often used in the best evening fragrances.
Musk is commonly used as a base note in most fragrances, and you’ll typically find it balancing or boosting amber and woody scents. Now, that’s not to say all musk fragrances are woody – I’ve done a full guide on woody fragrances for men which you can reference – but instead, you can expect notes like sandalwood, myrrh, vetiver and neroli.
But without further ado, here are nine best musk fragrances for men from the likes of Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Diptyque, BVLGARI and more.
Best Musk Fragrances for men
While the original BVLGARI Pour Homme eau de toilette launched back in 1996, the eau de parfum version of BVLGARI Pour Homme debuted in 2024. Switching from toilette to parfum made the musk notes much stronger, and more luxurious. With BVLGARI Pour Homme, you can expect layers of ambrette or musk mallow, white musk, black tea and guaiac wood, so it’s got a hint of spice and woods.
Part of the woody spicy fragrance family, Tom Ford Ombré Leather smells like it’s been in a forest. It has notes of patchouli, vetiver, moss, amber and cardamom to give it that musky scent. To balance out the richness, Tom Ford Ombré Leather also has layers of jasmine to give it some freshness.
Le Labo Another 13 is a unisex scent and it features probably the strongest musk note at the heart of the fragrance. Ambrette or ambroxan is a synthetic animal musk note and it makes up the majority of the perfume. It’s balanced by moss, jasmine, pear, apple and citrus to brighten it up a bit.
Inspired by the desert and Shamal winds, Giorgio Armani Privé Musc Shamal is described by the brand as a ‘meeting of musks’. It’s sensual, warm and luxurious, with notes of amber, cedarwood, vanilla and rose. The bottle is also beautifully dramatic, too.
Hermès Hermessence Cardamusc Essence is a celebration of cardamom. It’s quite a spicy fragrance but it’s flanked by musk notes that give it extra warmth. I’ve looked far and wide, and Hermès has kept its notes pretty quiet so it’s a mysterious scent that you’ll just have to experience yourself!
Another unisex scent, Diptyque L’Eau Papier is a musky, powdery fragrance with light notes of florals. Diptyque L’Eau Papier has strong notes of white musk, blonde wood, and rice steam – it might sound strange, but it really works and it comes in a beautiful illustrated bottle, inspired by ink on paper.
One of the coolest looking bottles in this guide, Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Metallic Musk is musky, warm and spicy. It has layers of suede, leather, lavandin and bergamot, and has hints of spice with notes of black pepper and cinnamon.
D.S. & DURGA’s Sweet Do Nothing is a complex fragrance that smells like it should be in the desert. Its base notes feature water musk which has a lighter, more aquatic scent. This is offset with Texas cedar and fig, orange flower, incense, neroli and desert pepper, so it’s bold, warm and spicy.
A lighter use of musk, Jo Malone Rose & White Musk Absolu is still extremely rich. The white musk sits at the base and gives the fragrance a powdery, clean note, which is balanced with sweet rose, oud and amber.
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