The Body Shop
The Body Shop
207 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The lavender arrives first, bright and herbaceous but immediately softened by a whisper of powder. There's a brief spike of freshness—almost ozonic—before the musk begins its slow creep forward, wrapping the aromatics in something cottony and kind.
Geranium's rosy-green character mingles with jasmine in an unexpectedly lush middle phase, the florals kept in check by residual lavender. The powder accord intensifies here, creating an effect that's somewhere between clean skin and talc-dusted fabric, whilst gentle spice—likely from the geranium—adds a peppery warmth that prevents things from becoming too soft.
What remains is primarily musk and tonka, a sweet-powdery combination that sits close to the skin. The sandalwood and vetiver provide just enough woody structure to keep it from disappearing entirely, whilst amber adds a subtle golden warmth—it's quiet, comforting, and thoroughly inoffensive in the best possible sense.
The Body Shop's White Musk for Men is that rare thing: a powdery masculine that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. This is lavender stripped of its aggressive fougère trappings and draped instead in a soft musk that recalls freshly laundered cotton rather than barbershop bravado. The opening's aromatic brightness gives way quickly to an unexpectedly floral heart—geranium's minty-rose facets dance with jasmine in a way that would feel feminine were it not for the lavender's persistent herbal backbone keeping things grounded. The base is where this finds its identity: a plush musk accord bolstered by tonka's subtle sweetness and just enough sandalwood and vetiver to keep it from floating away entirely. The amber adds warmth without heaviness, whilst that ever-present powder accord creates an almost soapy cleanliness that defines the entire composition.
This is for the man who's comfortable enough not to broadcast his presence from three paces away. It's intimate rather than imposing, the sort of scent you notice when someone leans in close or when you press your nose to your own wrist mid-afternoon. There's something decidedly early-2000s about its restraint—it belongs to an era before oud and tobacco became mandatory in every masculine release. It's weekend mornings, clean shirts, unhurried routines. Not challenging, not revolutionary, but quietly accomplished in what it sets out to do: smell pleasant, clean, and gently masculine without resorting to tired woody-amber clichés. The spicy facets add just enough complexity to keep it from being completely one-note.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.3/5 (549)