A couples weeks ago I got an invite I couldn’t pass up.

Des Cieux is an indie perfume brand created by Stella who offers both custom scent appointments and limited access capsule drops. I met Stella through an appointment I had last year creating a scent inspired by my grandmother it was amazing. Around that time, she revealed she was working on her winter 2025 capsule. I, of course, bought and loved all of them. Since then, I have been waiting patiently for her spring collection.

Her capsules release every quarter. They are a collection of four 30ml bottles priced at $95 each. This capsule also includes a sample set. Stella only creates 200 of each and once they’re gone.. they’re gone forever. If you do buy them, you receive a password to reorder when you run out. A couples weeks ago I got an invite I couldn’t pass up. Stella invited me and some others to come a preview her spring collection. They were amazing and so unique, I had to write about them so more people could learn about this brand and experience it themselves. These scents, my favorites being Swan Posture and Society Pages, are surely going to make it into my fragrance rotation. I can’t wait to get full bottles. This capsule has a through line of earthiness and each provide a unique take on the notes mentioned. Stella’s storytelling abilities through scent is on full display here.

Field Study

Notes: Hay Ambroxan Fig Patchouli Olive Lavender

Field Study is for the inner horse girls. There is this immediate deep warm earthiness that is surrounded by a sweet spicy. However, this is not overwhelming or thick even with the fig and patchouli. The fragrance opens up with this aromatic lavender that contrasts nicely with the darker spice elements. This combination creates a fragrance that feels like a beautiful suede bag covered in liquid gold.

Society Pages

Notes: Black Tea Pink Paper Rose Wild Strawberry

If Strawberry Shortcake was written by Truman Capote that would be society pages. The wild strawberry is amazing, I had the opportunity to smell the specific ingredient used when creating this. Des Cieux manages to retain the juicy, freshness natural sweetness of a strawberry in this fragrance while steering clear of it coming across as plastic, medicinal or cloying. The fantasy pink paper note provides a powdery effect that rounds the fragrance out and provides a vintage feel. Some might smell this and view it as a grandma like, but I never view that as negative. To me it is more a reinterpretation of vintage fragrances for women. There is a classic powdery feel but instead of an over pronounced florals that can be heady, this combines that soft clean feel that is so popular now. When I smelled this, I just imagined myself as a rich older woman wearing a cameo pin in a fabulous park avenue apartment overlooking central park while reading a romance novel. Who doesn’t want to be that?

Swan Posture

Notes: Apricot Carrot Amber Cashmere

The apricot provides a creaminess that evokes an orange creamsicle impression. For fans of last capsule’s Caviar Service will surely enjoy this fragrance. It starts off with this juicy apricot and bright citrus opening. The amber and musk provide this sexy dry down. Both of these are balanced by the carrot which is an earthy through line for the fragrance that also rounds everything out by giving a powdery musky feel.

Lola Obscura

Notes: Hazelnut Cocoa Wet Soil Fig Oakmoss

Lola Obscura is for the woman who runs with wolves. She is wild and fun with a cocoa opening that is fudging at first. The dry down of the chocolate leans more towards cocoa powder which has a subtle animalic facet that works perfectly with the wet soil and oakmoss creating this unique earthy quality to the fragrance. Its grounded but a litter dirty in the best way possible. The jammy nature of the fig and nuttiness of the hazelnut create a thick boldness that is sure to radiate off the wearer.

I’m not going to act like it is a new thing to be obsessed with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy since I was born 4 years too late for that. Nor will attempt to teach you how to dress like her by suggesting that you wear blue jeans and a black top as if it was the latest invention since sliced bread. (No shade ;) With a new addition to the Ryan Murphy cannon, everyone is either reminiscing or recreating everything about CBK. I am no exception.

Last year my fragrance obsession sky rocketed and I was determined to learn more and smell more. Simultaneously, my feed was covered with behind the scenes images from show. With that were videos critiquing the costumes, I must admit I even participated in this because let’s be real they played so bad with that first wig, and others showing everyone the ‘correct’ way to dress like her. This eventually transitioned to Carolyn becoming inducted into the quiet luxury hall of fame where just wearing a CO Bigelow headband, jeans, and a button down was no longer a how to guide on minimalism but moralism (but that’s a substack for another day). I love beauty and fashion and don’t think it’s importance should be minimized. In the same breathe, I also think a woman is more important than the clothes she was wearing (or the man who’s arms she’s on). I ended up reading two books on Carolyn to better understand her. They both were informative, though one much better than the other (What Remains by Carole Radziwill is devastatingly good), I was left feeling like Carolyn was someone who you just had to experience.

Fragrance is my favorite part of beauty, and in my opinion, the most powerful due to its transportive nature. So when I stumbled across a small eBay seller that claimed to have Egyptian musk oil that was apparently the same one Carolyn wore in New York City, I bought it.

About The Egyptian Musk Oil

Abdul Kareem’s Egyptian Musk oil appeared on NYC streets in the 1980s. This beloved oil was said to inspire other fragrances such as Narciso Rodriguez’ For Her and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely. Some time in the early 2000s, the oil disappeared from street vendors only to reappear online. I got my bottle from SkipTheMiddleMan on eBay which restocks every couple of months.

What Does It Smell Like?

Abdul Kareem’s Egyptian Musk oil is a mystery that best smells like laundry detergent in the best way. I can’t exactly pick up any specific notes. However, I do know from the fragrances classes that I’ve been taking, that it is an aromatic. When you first open it you are met with cooling fresh sensation akin to a breath of fresh air. That freshness is soon wrapped in what I can best describe as subtle warmth of a you feel when you lay you pull a crisp clean comforter out of the drier and lay in it. It’s not soapy but the a subtle musk that gathers around you like the glow of an aura. When you consider that this is an oil and not a traditional spray perfume, that subtly is kinda sexy in a way because you have to be close to the person to really notice it.

Steal The Scent

The first thing to keep in my when trying to find a new perfume is your own taste. So in a broader sense, the best way to achieve this is to find your preferred musk scent. Musks have been used in perfumery for thousands of years. The current musks are synthetic replications of the original secretions from the male musk deer. These secretions create a scent that is skin like but also sensual due to the animalic element. There are different types of musks and within any fragrance the inclusion of other notes will affect the overall fragrance.

I personally think the best way to fragrance shop is in person. If that isn’t possible, using samples from places like luckyscent and scentsplit rather than blind buying full bottles. If you are wanting to get into musks, I would recommend going to either a department store fragrance counter or fragrance store and ask for a musk scent that is aromatic and has a little warmth in the back. The goal is subtle and sensual.

Given the infrequency in which the oil is available online, I wanted to try and find alternatives. I started reviewing and comparing fragrances that are often sited as replacements for it and others that I have noticed similarities on tiktok. While I will try to find some others that are the closest to her Egyptian musk oil, I will also be including some that capture that essence with different variations that may better match your tastes or occasions.

If you have any suggestions please let me know. I will be regularly updating this to link to my individual reviews of each so keep an eye out.

Angel Dust by Fugazzi

Notes:

Cashmere musk | Cashmeran | Pepper |White Amber |Calabrian Bergamot

Price

$42 for 8ml | $125 for a 50 ml |$175 for an 100 ml

Launched in 2021, the eau de parfum is described by the brand as “for the quiet and confident one, that doesn’t need to scream to get attention, but simply attracts it,”. I couldn’t agree more. I was originally recommended this by my lovely friend Kay Porter. Last month, I rediscovered my sample and jumped up because I knew it reminded me of something. The main differences between this and Carolyn’s Egyptian musk is the pronounced pepper and citrus. The bergamot provides not only a brightness that opens up the fragrance but also provides a slight juiciness that isn’t sweet. The pepper provides subtle sharpness that contrasts with the cashmere base. That base is exact to to the Egyptian musk. It is warm, comforting that wraps around you like a glowing second skin.

Where To Find It

Angel Dust is still available on the Fugazzi website. I also it linked on my shopmy where I can earn a small commission. If you want to smell in person, use the Fugazzi store locator to find the closest location to you. If that isn’t available, samples are available at site like lucky scent, twisted lily, Arielle Shoshanna, and scent split.

Silver Musk by Nasomatto

Notes:

Musk

Price:

$150.98 for 30 ml

In 2008, Nasomatto released Silver Musk. A fragrance they describe, “aims to evoke superhero magnetism. It is the result of a quest for mercurial liquid love sensation,”. I first smelled Silver Musk at Scent Bar’s NYC location. This was before I started my fragrance class, so I wanted someone who was more an expert on smelling things to try and match Carolyn’s Egyptian Musk. After smelling it in the store, I knew I needed a sample to get a better sense of it but I immediately noticed the similarities. Silver Musk is like a toned down Egyptian musk. It is softer and also has a slight light green aura to it. I’ve worn it out a couple times and each time I got compliments so it definitely lives up to the magnetic quality without being loud and suffocating to everyone around you.

Where to Find It

Silver Musk is still available to purchase on the Nasomatto website. I also have it linked on my shopmy where I can receive a small commission. To smell in person try scent bar or stele. If those options are not available to, I highly suggest getting a sample from lucky scent, scent split, or twisted lily.

Remember, fragrance is subjective; the best scent for you is the one you like.