Bruno Acampora Musc





A few years ago, I was talking to my friend Steve Gontarski, artist and Scent Bar manager, about an upcoming trip to London for a reunion of the first TV show I ever worked on, The Word.

"What's your scent concept for the party?" he asked, as if "scent concept" was automatically the first consideration in any important circumstance. "Scent concept" immediately entered my vocabulary, as did the ideal perfume for the occasion: Bruno Acampora Musc.

I love how warm and involving, yet subtle, it is -- perfect for parties where people lean in close to whisper gossip and naughtiness in your ear. I call Musc "the smell of slept-in sheets and lost weekends", because while it makes an ideal party partner, its primary directive is to enhance your mojo while "gettin' cozy", as my dad coyly used to put it.

This is down to Musc's in-built gaminess -- though nowhere near as "critter hindquarters" as Serge Lutens Muscs Koublaï Khän or Parfum d'Empire Musc Tonkin. Acampora's dark intentions are elevated from animal to human by a clutch of overheated roses and violets, wilted after a night nestled in a voluptuous, sandalwood-scented decollatage. It's more "bad girl" than "bad dog".

47 comments:

  1. Oh, Katie - I just watched your AWESOME video review of this scent. I just blacked out........

    -Byron.......

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    1. [waving a vial of Muscs Koublai Khan under Byron's nose] Come back, Byron! Come back!

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    2. Oh, Katie - You my dear are positively PARADISE!!!!!~

      Affectionately,

      - Byron.......

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    3. Great review! I like your "field trip" reviews the best.

      I love Steve's blog, too. Reading it always makes me feel so peaceful.

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    4. Yes, Steve' blog is a little patch of tranquility, isn't it?

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    5. Good Morning Bright Angel Katie – I just received my sample of this scent from Luckyscent on Friday, yesterday. WOW – You were right. This stuff is INTOXICATING!!!~ gggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr………………… As always, Thank you for your incredible recommendations. Yes, I am buying a bottle of this Super Stat!!!~ Have a BLESSED and PEACE-FILLED day, my dear!!!!!~

      -Byron…….

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  2. I need to visit the Scent Bar! All those lovely bottles just sitting there waiting to be smelled. It's my personal version of heaven.

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    1. Lindsey, Scent Bar *is* heaven for anyone with an insatiably gluttonous nose.

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  3. Oh Katie,it sounds Fabulous! I just love that "roll roll, roll in zee hay" smell and topped of with a nuzzle you my honey's arms...Heaven and now I can buy it! And Scent Bar! Yay I have bought some samples from them and they are so wonderful. Always send a few extra surprises in the package. Thank you Scent Bar! What I am really excited about is that my buddy and I are coming down from SF in April and Scent Bar is top of the list of must do, must smell, must buy! So happy Katie you brought us a review from there.
    Best always!

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    1. Lanier! You're going to have a supersonic time at smell Disneyland, going on all the rides. Tell 'em hi from me when you meet the Scent Bar gang.

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    2. Katie does the EDP have the waxy smell that the oil has? I have a sample of the oil and the waxy aspect is very distracting for me. I also noticed the notes are slightly different. Are there any differences between the edp and oil except the density part that you mention in the video?

      Your reviews make me hungry for good perfumes! x

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    3. Good question! The EDP does not have the waxy smell of the oil. I agree that the crayon-smell aspect of the oil is distracting. Another reason why the EDP is an improvement. Other than having a sheerer opening than the oil, naturally, the scent of both oil and EDP are identical.

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  4. Bruno Acampora Musc sounds delightful, but as you chose it for your scent theme for your 'The Word' reunion, I worry that for it to have been truly appropriate that you probably need to be shitfaced to appreciate it, and that if you encounter it sober that you'll find it revolting and obnoxious and it will make you want to puke.

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    1. I had to read this a few times to get that this was a commentary on 'The Word' and not on the perfume.

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    2. Of course!

      If you ever need a perfume for a "Pyjama Party" reunion let me know, I might not be able to give you a specific perfume recommendation, but I'll definitely be able to describe the genre you should be looking within.

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  5. Oh dear - that wasn't very nice was it!? Although I must admit, I was pretty out of it most of the time I watched The Word. Loved it though - especially our Katie. Huffty was pretty special too - fab programme...happy times....!!

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  6. Katie,

    Your dad's reference to "gettin' cozy" made me smile, and your description of Bruno Acampora Musc as being more "bad girl" than "bad dog" made me laugh! It also makes me want to see if my wife would like to try this scent!

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  7. This is the exact reason why I subscribed to your channel/blog. I learn about fragrances that I have never heard of. Thank you Katie for expanding my olfactory world. I will put this on my to-sniff list. :)

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    1. Happy to supply expansion scenarios, Domestic Goblin.

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  8. I love how you describe fragrance. You describe it in such a poetic, yet practical way.

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    1. Poetry and practicality: 2 complementary P's!

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  9. Not adding one iota to this conversation, but you look very pretty in this video, Katie.

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    1. Nora, I think your comment adds several hefty iotas! Thank you.

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  10. Bumming around scentbar? I don't know if that works for it? I can see prowling, I just can't see bumming and scentbar in the same sentence. I can't wait to go back to it in June.


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    1. My Scent Bar visits lead to loitering in excess. Excessive loitering = "bumming" in my book!

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  11. I happened to see this post a few days before a planned a trip to Scent Bar....and, of course, I walked out with a 50ml bottle of BA Musc - it's everything you said it was and so much more - and now I smell like a "bad girl" too ;-).

    I'm still happily using my Burberry concealer too - another recommendation from you....should I be paying you to be my personal styling guru/life coach?

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    1. Excellent, Marko - 2 for 2 in the KP mojo-booster recommendations! Your thanks is all the payment I need.

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  12. Ha! I remember the concealer comment because I almost encouraged you to go all out Eddie Izzard.

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  13. Hi Katie! Thank you so much for all you do in your blog& video forums. My fragrance world is expanded because of you. I want to ask for a fragrance suggestion. I am on the hunt for a very herbal scent. Not overpowering but noticeable. I like an earthy aspect as well with woods but less musk as it doesn't always work on me. Just to give you some insight I actually wore thyme essential oil ( I know intense) in the smallest dose for awhile and I would like something herbal in that way...sage...rosemary. I love them all really. I hope you can help. Thanks again!

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    1. Hi Nici - for herbal perfumes with a bit o' woods, check out Miller Harris Fleurs de Bois and Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee (I've reviewed the latter).

      My top pick for you is an Aveda body oil that I used as a perfume for years: Aveda Energizing Composition. It has a distinct rosemary/herbal scent - and moisturizes, too.

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    2. Oh! Can't believe I forgot about this one for you: another Miller Harris called Fleurs de Sel. It's herbs and a salty seaside bouquet.

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  14. Katie, where is that awesome blouse from? Ebru

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    1. Hi Ebru - it's a dress from a British fashion line called Goat.

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  15. Katie, I have been a fan since the days of "The Word" when I coveted your perfect red hair. I love your blog so much. Didn't think I was a musk person, but I just received a sample of the Bruno Acampora and I'm loving it. "warm and involving, yet subtle" is a perfect description. Wonder if you have any advice for me as to something that will make my husband sit up and take notice. I thought BA Musc might be it, but his response was "Neat. Smells like nice shaving cream". Lady Vengeance was "hmm. Fresh and soapy". He loves Body Shop White Musk, which is nice but boring. His favourite on me is Diesel Green. This drives him wild. However, I don't like it. Need something that I like to wear that gives him the "well, hey baby" response I'm after!

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    1. So glad you've followed me from The Word to KP Smells! How are we going to figure out how to get both your and your husband's nostrils a-twitching?

      C. O. Bigelow Musk is a really nice white musk oil, as is Egyptian Goddess by Auric Blends - both cheap'n'cheerful. But both of those are much tamer than BA Musc, therefore even more "neat" as opposed to "hey baby". Can't figure out what Diesel Green is doing for him - could it be the sandalwood?

      What about Estee Lauder Sensuous? That is a warm/involving/subtle sandalwood and lily. Or Micallef Royal Muska? That's a rich, borderline fruity, womanly musk.

      My hope is that BA Musc will grow on your husband, because that is soooooo beautiful.

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  16. I blind bought this today from lucky scent, I can't wait for it to arrive! I don't normally blind buy but I live all the way out here in Australia where the fragrance is no where to be sampled. But I'm not worried at all because I'm a huge musk fan and the way you described it in the video sounded so beauitful.

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    1. I feel confident you will love it. It smells like no other musk perfume out there. It's a reliable compliment-getter for me.

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  17. Today I received 2 sample sets of all the Bruno Acampora fragrances in extrait and eau de parfum and ofcourse I could not wait to try the Musc and it is heavenly!!!!!

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    1. Mary, I'm glad Musc is hitting the spot! It's really special.

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    2. Hello Katie, I have been wearing the musc all day and it reminded me of something else I could not determinate. But all of a sudden it hit me: it reminds me of Mure et Musc by l'artisan parfumeur. I searched for a sample I thought I had in my sample collection but I think I used it to the last drop. Do you happen to know Mure et Musc? The Bruno Acampora Musc is really heaven but not so musky on me. I smell black berries.But it is really really delicious.

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    3. Haven't made the M et M connection with BA Musc. Will bear it in mind the next time I smell L'Artisan.

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  18. Katie, will you please tell me where you got your amazing top/dress in this video? I saw in Les Senteurs in London last year and was too shy to say hi. But HI! I love the videos. x

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    1. HI Izzie - say hi next time! I'll be so happy to talk to a bloggy buddy IRL.

      My dress is by Goat, I got it from Fenwick - and Goat have a website, too.

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  19. I thank you for the rest of my life for recommending this scent! I own the spray perfume, and was going to buy the oil as well next month. However, I've noticed that they now have something call Bruno acampora musc "extrait". I'm kind of having a hard time figuring out how it's different from the perfume oil. Would you happen to know?
    Thanks!
    Lisa

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    1. Lisa, I'm so glad I could hip you to your new love! If "extrait" is what they're calling the stuff in the gold spray bottle, yes I have tried it. It's a higher concentration than the edp in the silver bottle, but still a perfume spray, not an oil. It smells really good. Some commenters here have found the edp too quiet for them and prefer the oil because it's more "there", smell-wise. The gold bottle version lies between those two in terms of boldness. But all three do smell the same - the formula isn't tweaked from version to version.

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