Here's a sampler to help you in your exploration of animalic notes in fragrances. According to Fragrantica the odor profile for Animal Notes is different ingredients, synthetic and natural, that can produce an animalic dirty and deep sensual effect. Animal notes of natural origin are not allowed in the perfume industry today and have been replaced by synthetics. The main ones are civet, musk, castoreum, ambergris and hyraceum. I've added beeswax and animal fur. Animal notes have been used in perfumes since the beginning of perfuming-making. They impart a sensuality, depth and tenacity to a perfume that is unrivaled.
You will receive a 1/2ml sample (1ml sample vial filled half full) of each of the fragrances in this sampler.
- Alpha Musk Lamb’s Wool Perfume Oil – I could find no listing of notes but it is a fuzzy vanilla scent that smells like a baby lamb.
- Arcana Wildcraft Hekate Perfume Oil - Hekate is a woody, leathery, animalic scent with dark spices. Hekate is a powerful Greek goddess who is a witch, necromancer, protecter of homes, seeker of darkness and haunter of crossroads. To disrespect Hekate is to put yourself at peril. With notes of cracked black pepper, ancient animal hides, dark woods, temple incense, Autumnal nutmeg, velvety amber, ceremonial silk robes and a drop of blood red musk.
- Atelier des Ors Lune Feline - Like a magnetic star, it captures everyone’s attention and oozes seduction and temptation. It is a symphony of dark and luxurious notes inspired by the moon. With top notes of cinnamon, cardamom and pink pepper; middle notes of cedarwood, ambergris, styrax and woods; and base notes of vanilla, Peru balsam and musk.
- BPAL Faunalia 2016 Perfume Oil - Held on December 5th, this is the festival of the Horned God of the Forest, god of cattle, fertility, wild, untamed nature and prophecy through dreams. Faunalia is the scent of a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest and features a burst of wild musk, opobalsamum, black bryony, mandragora and hemlock.
- Bogue MAAI Extrait de Parfum - Maai is a stunning accomplishment in modern perfumery as it marries the very best of old-school chypre glamour and bold animalics with a refined elegance and smoothness. It opens with a burst of incredibly mossy greenness, fused with roses, jasmine, and green tuberose, all sprinkled with a transparent veil of golden, glittering aldehydes. The plush bouquet is mesmerizing in its depth, and harkens back to a time before IFRA/EU regulations, but it's truly heart-stopping when combined with the animalic elements. Musky, leathered, and skanky, they cast a mighty roar that transforms the delicate swirl of feminine florals into something more unisex with a masculine touch. As Maai unfolds, balsamic resins awaken in the base to add subtle streaks of smokiness and honeyed sweetness. At the same time, the amber slowly turns the whole fragrance deeper, richer, and softer, coating the musky leather in its warmth and taming its skanky cry. In its drydown, Maai transforms into golden velvet with a smooth, plush mix of amber, musk, and oakmoss. It is not a fragrance for the faint of heart but for those who have mourned the loss of vintage glamour with an animalic edge. Maai is the epitome of sophistication in the grandest tradition of haute perfumery. With notes of tuberose, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, civet, castoreum, hyraceum, dried fruits, sandalwood and oakmoss.
- Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Le Serval Voile de Parfum - Ripe with unusual African aromatics, Le Serval is a warm, rich, and mildly spiced aldehydic-animalic floral fragrance. Based on a trip to the zoo, the perfumer caught a whiff of a distinctively warm, honeyed ‘animal’ mixed with a spicy, grassy hay and a surprisingly sweet, almost fruit-like note. She followed my nose and found the Serval cat. Le Serval features top notes of African Savanna Air (accord), Aldehydes, African Bluegress, Bergamot, Karo Karunde and Tunisian Neroli; middle notes of Grandiflorum Jasmine, Hay Absolute, Honey Bush co2, Carthamus Flower, Egyptian Rose Geranium, Moroccan Rose Absolute, Cassis Bud, African Ginger Root co2, African Green Heart Wood, Bushman's Candle Tincture, Frankincense co2 Absolute, French Beeswax and Musk Rose; and base notes of Africa Stone Tincture, Ambergris, Atlas Cedarwood, Oakwood co2, Brown Oakmoss, Civet, Honey Musk, Muhuhu, Oppopanax and Oud Crassna.
- Eliza Cosmetics Dorian Gray Perfume Oil – A combination of sensual, mysterious notes, Dorian Gray is inspired by the corrupted youth of Oscar Wilde's classic novel. With top notes of bergamot and tobacco; middle notes of jasmine, incense and whiskey (oakwood and whiskey lactone); and base notes of oud, a heavy civet note, musk and Mysore sandalwood.
- ERIS Parfums Belle de Jour EDP – Belle de Jour is a floral fragrance that launched in 2016. Created by Antoine Lie, it features top notes of coriander, orange blossom and pink pepper; middle notes of Egyptian jasmine, allspice and labdanum; and base notes of seaweed, musk and Atlas cedar.
- Fort & Manle Maduro EDP – Maduro is an extravagant, maximalist take on the woody style through fruit and herbs. A fragrance turned into velvet, as this tobacco dominant scent is lifted and then smoked with a honeyed accord of amber, beeswax, cinnamon leaf and vanilla. A woody gourmand that features top notes of pineapple, red apple, basil and cinnamon; middle notes of Damascus rose, bourbon vanilla, beeswax and honey; and base notes of tobacco, amber, patchouli, vetiver, benjui and Atlas cedar. This is a discontinued fragrance.
- Francesca Bianchi Sex and The Sea Neroli Extrait de Parfum – Sex and The Sea Neroli presents – as the original version – a heart of coconut, the saltiness of the sea, the sweet sweat of a warm skin but this time with a hint of narcotic freshness, which makes the perfume more complex and its evolution more intriguing. Created at a concentration of 25%, it features notes of bergamot, petit grain, honey, neroli, mimosa, coconut, immortelle, rose, iris, sandalwood, vetiver, labdanum, benzoin, ambergris, civet and vanilla.
- Independents Warsaw Castoreum EDP - Independents is a Polish niche perfume brand. Castoreum features notes of ambrette, grenadine, incense, red chili, patchouli, cedarwood, castoreum and Ambroxan.
- Independents Warsaw Tiger EDP – Independents is a Polish niche perfume brand. Tiger features notes of labdanum, nutmeg, cumin, incense, agarwood, sandalwood, cedar, musk, vanilla, civet, castoreum and Ambroxan.
- L'Aventura Perfumes Lions in the Library EDP - Created by Jessica Mara in 2019, Lions in the Library is designed to evoke the heady atmosphere of lust and books. The perfumer wanted to create a fragrance to capture the sexiness of libraries and the intoxicating effect of someone touching your body with their mind. It’s a scent study of being caught in the act, built around a heart of labdanum absolute and resinoid which play a large part in creating its notes of warm skin, vellichor and honey. It is a sensual and seductive blend of labdanum, bitter orange, old books, cistus, cashmeran and civet.
- Pictura Fragrans Animal Epice Extrait de Parfum - Animal Epice is an aromatic spicy fragrance that launched in 2023. It was created by DL Jenkins. In the heart of a shadowed forest, the scent unveils a nocturnal symphony. Sensual notes of black pepper, ginger, and tarragon dance with mysterious forest creatures. Warm oriental tea, spices and saffron add an exotic sillage, while dark woods, amber and animal musk weave into an immersive embrace. Animal Épicé captures a wild spirit, and delves into depths where darkness and allure converge. Animal Epice features top notes of pepper, anise and tarragon; middle notes of black tea, saffron and forest animal accord; and base notes of dark woods, musk and tobacco.
- Pierre Guillaume A Une Madone EDP – A Une Madone is an oriental vanilla fragrance that launched in 2021. Created by Pierre Guillaume this is an animalic fragrance with notes of civet and castoreum. It features a top note of cardamom; middle notes of vanilla and sandalwood; and base notes of castoreum, guaiacwood, civet, styrax, myrrh and Gurjan balsam.
- Redwood Alchemy Farwander Parfum - Farwander is an animalic scent that migrates through moist fields of sweet grasses and runs lithely alongside the most nimble of woodland creatures. It features notes of musk, sweet grass, mosses and wood.
- Redwood Alchemy Loup Garou Parfum - Loup Garou is an extreme, animalic scent with notes of cypress, bloodthirst, amber and desiccation. This Acadian werewolf themed fragrance is powerful and uncompromising. It is not for the faint of heart. With notes of predatory musk, animalic territorial marking, amber, cypress, blood and redwood.
- Redwood Alchemy Stag Parfum – Stag is introduced by soft green apples that present woody, animalic notes of deer musk held at the forefront by green notes, oakmoss and Atlas cedar. With top notes of apple, lavender and green ivy; middle notes of rose mallow, saffron crocus, juniper berry and cypress; and base notes of carrot, deer musk, oakmoss, hay, fir balsam, acorn and Atlas cedar.
- Roja Dove Diaghilev Parfum - Diaghilev is an incredibly gorgeous chypre fragrance created by Roja Dove to pay tribute to the legend Serge Diaghilev, the founder of the Russian Ballet. It was originally released to commemorate the Diaghilev and Ballets Russes exhibition at the V&A Museum in London (only 1000 bottles were created at that time). With the introduction of his new Imperial Collection, Roja Dove then re-released Diaghilev. With a definite nod to beautiful vintage fragrances, Diaghilev features top notes of bergamot, orange, lime, lemon, cumin and tarragon; middle notes of jasmine, rose, black currant, heliotrope, peach, tuberose, violet and ylang-ylang; and base notes of vetiver, patchouli, vanilla, cedar, cloves, gaiac wood, nutmeg, oak moss, sandalwood, ambrette (musk mallow), benzoin, civet, labdanum, leather, musk, peru balsam and styrax.