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Civet, tenacious notes
Many perfumers today use the civet. First of all, the civet has ultra-fixing properties. It is also used for its tenacity and the memory it evokes in memory. This is why it is often used as a base note. The notes of the civet are strong, heavy, fecal, very animal. We often say that it smells like wild animals… The civet fortunately loses its aggressive character in dilution. The civet can then bring to the compositions, a warm and sensual aspect. Like the very charismatic Coco Chanel perfume by Chanel, an oriental fragrance for women. Here, we find civet in the base note, accompanied by vanilla, sandalwood and amber. With fruity and floral notes,Chanel has created a universe of amber and spices in an idealized Western world… A very affectionate tribute to Gabrielle Chanel, who has successfully crossed the years.
La civette peut-elle s’associer à d’autres fragrances olfactives ?
Due to its excellent fixing power, the civet can be associated with all the other olfactory families. Aside from oriental fragrances, we can identify the civet associated with floral notes, as in Dior's Diorissimo, created in 1956. The civet in the base note is associated with heart notes such as jasmine, lily, lily. amaryllis and lily of the valley, Christian Dior's lucky charm. The result is perfect, floral to perfection with a woody background. Civet can often be found in floral fragrances such as Jardins de Bagatelle by Guerlain, Fleur de Fleurs by Nina Ricci or First by Van Cleef & Arpels. We can also discover the civet in woody perfumes for men, such as Lanvin Homme by Lanvin. Or, in a fragrance with citrus notes,as in Monsieur de Givenchy by Givenchy… A discreetly sensual fragrance for men.
The civet is, at the base, an odor taken from the animal of the same name. The scandal caused by the possible conditions of capture of the animal scared the perfumers, who neglected it a little. Today, the civet is reproduced mainly in synthetic materials. It gives off extremely strong animal fragrances. Used wisely, the civet gives compositions, sensual, even carnal notes. It is therefore found mainly in oriental perfumes, but it can be harmoniously combined with floral, woody, chypre or citrus notes.
