Jovan Musk Perfume Review-Comparing The 1970's Version To Today's

As a teen in the 1970's, one of my fragrance staples was the ever-popular bottle of Jovan Musk. I had both the cologne spray and the oil versions. I remember how rich and fabulous that scent was back then.  When I grew a little older, my tastes changed and I began searching for the "one" perfume that I could call my signature.

Decades passed. It wasn't until I became fed up with the lackluster celebrity perfume brands on the market today that I seriously began missing the scents that I grew up with. I decided to try Jovan Musk again to see if it would take me back to my high school days. That's how powerful scents can be. They take us back to cherished times and bring back memories of places and people.

When I was 15, Jovan Musk was all the rage. It was considered a sexy fragrance for women "on the prowl". I remember how the scent would permeate my bedroom with only one spray. It was so deep and mellow and definitely sexy!  After buying a bottle a few weeks ago, I can tell distinctly tell that the original formula has been tampered with. I used to be able to smell it from far away and it would linger for hours and follow me in a lovely cloud around my bedroom. I didn't  have to carry it in my purse because I knew it would last. Today's formula is somehow lighter and less rich. Since the Jovan company sold out to Coty, that may have something to do with it.

One of the most beautiful things about growing up in the 1970's was having access to some fabulous perfumes at the drugstore that had the longevity and quality of today's high-end fragrances. We never knew how lucky we were. Quality was a given for those inexpensive perfume brands that so many 70's teens grew to love from Jovan, Revlon, Coty, Bonne Bell and Dana.

Sadly, manufacturers sell out and the new companies try to reformulate scents with disastrous results. Does this mean Jovan Musk has been destroyed? No, it still smells like the original Jovan Musk, but if you remember the depth of the 70's formula, you will notice the difference. However, to this day, old formula or new, women ( and their husbands) still rave about Jovan Musk as the best fragrance they have ever worn.

Unfortunately, when scent makers start changing things up, instead of using more, you hang on to every old watered down drop.

What can I say about the packaging? It is very plain. No bells or whistles here. I don't have any complaints about the bottle shape or style. It is what I call utilitarian; it suits its purpose. It looks okay among the other bottles in my perfume collection. It's perfectly see-through so you can tell when you are running out.

Please don't think that I am bashing Jovan Musk, because it has a lot of great qualities. Here is what I love about it:

• It's affordable! Compared to a lot of other musky perfumes, the price can't be beat.
• Jovan Musk is one of the most highly-complimented scents on the planet. You can read how many women say this over and over again in reviews.
• Thousands of women have been using this fragrance for 30 years or longer. That says a lot.
• Even though it is more of a skin scent these days, I can see it blossoming on my skin in warmer weather. The old formula was too rich for the sweltering dog days of August.
• The oil version is still as fabulous as ever.
• Jovan now has a perfume oil spray which I am dying to try.

Dear Jovan, please consider bringing back or bringing in coordinating products for us ladies who like to layer their perfumes:

• Why did you get rid of the bath powder?  Not shaker talc, but the lovely container with a soft puff to use after showering is missing from the collection.
• We need Jovan Musk lotion to give it something to cling to.
• How about a nice shower gel and soap too?

In conclusion, last night I spritzed my legs to see if the scent would permeate upwards with the heat of my body. Unfortunately, my legs must have been cold. Today, I sprayed my wrists and forearms. Guess what, I smell a warm, clean scent 30 minutes later! Musk is an unusual category of  perfume notes. Your own chemistry and body heat have a lot to do with the projection.

There is something about Jovan Musk that is hard to give up. It is like a staple beauty product that you always want to have on hand even if you own dozens of other more expensive perfumes. It reminds us that we don't always have to create a mushroom cloud of scent behind us to appeal to the noses around us. Even if you can't smell it, people will notice how good you smell when you wear Jovan Musk perfume.

I am excited to try the Jovan Musk Oil Perfume Spray formula. It has the same potency as the oil, but in a convenient spray, I am going to be hooked.

If manufacturers insist on watering us down, we have no choice but to search for vintage or give up. We may be lucky and come across a richer, more potent oil version.

Fragrance is such a persona preference, isn't it? What smells deep and mysterious to one lady smells like burnt rubber after an auto accident to another. Those of us who love perfumes with presence become incredibly disappointed with those thin, skimpy body-spray-type wafts of scent that only a Mouse would dab behind her ears.

_{Mus musculus by George Shuklin, Portion Cropped, CC BY-SA 1.0}