Musk ComplexitySpicy Musk Extrait de Parfum

Musk Complexity by New Notes is a spicy, gourmand, unisex musk perfume extract. It is the only fragrance profile in the catalogue whose base lists four musks by their chemical molecule.

Genderless perfumery, exclusively in extract

New Notes is an Italian house published by HIC BEAUTY, based in San Giuliano Milanese, on the outskirts of Milan. It describes itself as “a new generation of perfume extracts that transcends the conventions of perfumery and breaks down the boundaries of role and gender,” and it lives up to the claim: its entire catalogue consists of perfume extracts, without a single eau de parfum. The house does not credit any perfumer on its bottles.

An opening of spicy ginger, red fruits and rum

The opening is bright and boozy. Lemon, bergamot and petitgrain create a crisp citrus accord, warmed by spicy ginger, softened by red fruits and given a liqueur-like quality by a rum accord.

A heart of cacao flower, jasmine and labdanum

Cacao flower—the blossom, not the bean—brings a green, slightly bitter note, far removed from the expected chocolate. Jasmine brightens it, labdanum grounds it in resin, and cardamom adds its camphorous freshness.

A base of four musks, Demerara sugar and guaiac wood

This is where the fragrance profile becomes unique. The base lists muscenone, exaltone, fixolide and civettone: four synthetic musks named by their chemical molecule, each with its own facet—powdery, animalic, clean, creamy. Surrounding them are Demerara sugar, cinnamon zest, patchouli, guaiac wood and sandalwood.

The house’s signature touch

No other fragrance in the catalogue does this: naming the molecules themselves rather than simply referring to “musk” in the singular. It is perfectly consistent with a house that embraces the combination of natural ingredients and modern chemistry, and it also serves as a lesson: musk is not a single scent but a family, and layering four molecules creates a depth that one alone can never achieve. Musk Complexity is the only fragrance in the Hologram collection, which the house says captures a three-dimensional vision on a flat image.

For whom and for what occasions?

For anyone who loves musks and wants to understand what the term encompasses. It is a fragrance that can be worn all year round, day or night, with excellent longevity and a pronounced skin effect. New Notes Musk Complexity is for those seeking a multi-layered musk rather than a single clean musk.

Phthalate-free, paraben-free, non-toxic. Always cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. 100% recyclable packaging. “Fragrances should not be assigned to a gender: ours is made for everyone.”