Skin Musk by Bonne Bell (1975)

 

 

 "Wear a little something, and a lot of SKIN. SKIN, the Bonne Bell Fragrance for outdoor girls." - 1975 ad for Skin Musk by Bonne Bell*

"If warmth had a smell, it would be SKIN." - 1979 ad for Skin Musk by Bonne Bell

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The idea that Skin (or Skin Musk) was marketed to teen girls in the 70s just goes to prove that perfume styles are culturally determined, changing with the mores, lifestyles and politics (gender and otherwise) of the times. What are teen girls wearing now? Princess by Vera Wang? The latest shlock from Kim Kardashian?

First off, Skin Musk smells like a masculine scent — a modern, niche masculine scent! It starts off with some kind of bright note, probably bergamot, but its development is what makes it interesting. It is weird, however, that a scent for teen girls would be so animalic, and the ad so provocative. What exactly is an "outdoor girl" doing outdoors besides giving come-hither looks while wearing bikini tops?

Because it's called Skin, you have to get really close to it to smell it. There's an almost indistinguishable floral note (rose?) embedded in a complex mix of wet cardboard, that flinty, sulfurous scent after a match is lit, sandalwood (according to Perfume Shrine) and of course, musk. As it dries down, a wonderful nutty, non-sweet vanilla warms the skin (my favorite part) and stays as a sheer veil of spicy warmth.

I had it on last night and, after a couple hours, asked some friends to smell my wrists. The words they used to describe it were "fresh" and "transparent." Not bad for a little dime-store beauty!

Skin has the rich, multilayered sensuality of CB I Hate Perfume's Musk Reinvention, which is one, modulated low growl in a bottle. And although it has some overly synthetic-smelling moments, Skin reminds me a bit of L'Artisan's Dzing in its "what the hell am I smelling exactly?" effect.

Musk, along with other animalic notes, was a popular key note in perfumes in the '70s. Soliflores Soli-animales, if you will. In my writeup on Alyssa Ashley's Ambergris (part of a trio that included Musk and Civet**), I included this quote  from the Alyssa Ashley website regarding the return to animalic scents:

 "At the end of the '60s. . .music changed, habits changed, fashion changed. The young generation, starting from the USA and England, embraced oriental philosophies looking for a simpler more natural lifestyle. This new style of living also reflected itself in perfume. Young people no longer wanted the sophisticated fragrances worn by their parents, but embraced the simple ones whose roots lay in oriental culture. The hippies and the flower children bought the fashionable essential oils and in 1969 Alyssa Ashley launched their first product, Musk Oil."

Synthetic musk is a mysterious note.*** It can smell clean and fresh (so-called white musks that are in laundry detergent and many perfumes), or it can smell warm and skin-like. Nitromusks (now banned) in vintage perfumes such as Chanel No. 5, Primitif, and Fame by Corday have to be experienced to be believed. They add a caramel-y warmth that crackles and feels like a punch in the gut at the same time. Disquieting, disturbing, unsettling — erotic, in other words. Two of my favorite contemporary musks are Serge Lutens' Muscs Kublai Khan and Frederic Malle's Maurice Roucel-authored Musc Ravageur. (Rrrreow. Love the name, too.)

In Chandler Burr's wonderful book The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York, he reveals the machinations behind two perfume launches, telling parallel stories about the creation of Hermès's Jardins Sur Le Nil by Jean-Claude Ellena and Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. We find out that one of her favorite perfumes, in addition to an Egyptian musk oil she would buy on the street in New York City and Comme des Garçon's $150-a-bottle Incense Avignon was...Bonne Bell Skin Musk. (Burr describes her bottle as having a green cap, which means it's the later iteration; I have the 70s version, an oil, with the gold cap. I've heard they smell quite similar.) I don't know what Lovely smells like, but I think SJP has marvelous taste.

If I didn't already think the 70s were the best decade ever, Bonne Bell's Skin has sent me over the top.

 

* Any chick who's ever been into makeup has probably tried Bonne Bell's awesome Lip Smackers lip balms at some point. With flavors like Peppermint, Bubble Gum, and (my favorite) Dr. Pepper, those scents helped to define my teen years. (And if you're over 30, the amazing Ten-o-Six lotion has a similarly time-transporting scent.) Bonne Bell was started in 1927 by Jesse Bell, a man in Cleveland who whipped up lotions and potions in his basement and sold them door to door. It became a multi-million dollar company and still exists today. (Bonne was Jesse's daughter.) Skin musk, from what I've heard, has been discontinued but you can still find it online.

**Rarer than the civet animal itself, Alyssa Ashley's Civet perfume is almost impossible to find. In my three years of perfume obsession, I've seen it on eBay (the perfume hunter's version of the wild), only once, just recently. The going rate? Starting bid, $650...we'll see if anyone bites.

*** Chandler Burr on real musk, not the isolated musk molecule that is synthetic musk: "But Tonquin musk is animalic in its most elevated form. It is a perfumery raw material that was extracted from a gland under the lower stomach and before the hind legs of the male of the species Moschus moschiferus L, the Tibetan musk deer. Not muscone, the molecule found at 2 percent inside this stinking cream; Tonquin musk is the real, natural, glandular product. It is one of the most astounding smells you will ever experience. It is, to put it most precisely, the rich, thick scent of the anus of a clean man combined with the smells of his warm skin, his armpits sometime around midday, the head of his ripely scented uncircumcised penis (a trace of ammonia), and the sweetish, nutty, acrid visceral smell of his breath. There's simply no other way to describe it."

 

Comments

[brigitte]

I had forgotten about those Bonne Bell lip glosses! I must have had over 20 of them in all different flavors: the super chubby sticks as well as the small skinny ones. I was fortunate enough to never have acne, but I remember all of my girlfriends using Ten-O-Six. As far as SJP, when Lovely came out I read somewhere that she had always been fascinated with perfume and she developed her own scent by combining Skin Musk with two other fragrances, one of them quite expensive. NYC was fantanstic for getting all sorts of essential oils at dirt cheap prices (as well as the fabulous "juices" at SFA and Bergdorf Goodman!!).

[Perfumaniac]

Hi brigitte, Lip Smackers were (are) amazing. Especially Dr. Pepper. And yes, Skin, along with an Egyptian musk oil and Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon were the inspiration for Lovely, although she wanted it to be waaay edgier and darker than it turned out to be. The branding would have just seemed off...SJP and dark perfume don't seem to be an intuitive connection!

[Dawn]

PLEASE HELP ME!!!! Now that I have your attention, for close to 30 years I have tried and tried to remember a perfume from my teens! It was a bit more expensive say than your Jovan Musk or Windsong etc. It was a very thick floral and i remember it had a beige box COVERED with flowers and Ivy! I always thought it was Eden something - not Eden (even though I did get excited looking at that picture) - I always thought it was by Coty/Jovan, but now I am thinking that it might have been by Revlon or even Bonne Bell! It is definitely one of the companies that sold TONNES of perfumes around the times of late 70's early 80's! This particular one I bought in 80/81 - they sold it on the higher shelves of the KMart beauty department LOL - So I knew I had to save up for the upper shelf scents!!!! LOL PLEASE help - also it isn't the Fleur one by Revlon - this one looked like it was in a forest or garden etc. THANKYOU!

[Perfumaniac]

Oooh, I love a challenge, Dawn. Is it Coty Sweet Earth? It came in lots of versions, here's the box and bottle in Hyacinth: http://www.auntjudysattic.com/product_detail_DP22.htm

[Cindy]

Maybe Le Jardin?

[Joan]

This one sounds really amazing. I read Chandler Burr's book too, and was impressed with SJPs involvement in the perfume making process. I don't think Paris Hilton, for example, has anything to do with her perfumes.

And I still wear Lip Smackers.

[Staci Burruel]

1970's ads are so artistic. True, music has changed, and so have ads. And just like M&Ms, it is interesting to see what kind of new idea producers would come up next.

[Lori]

Hello! I found your blog while I was googling vintage fragrances. I was a teen in the 70's, and have been feeling a little nostalgic lately, and so have been starting to collect some of the fragrances I used to wear in that era. Since I was a teen, most of the ones I had tended to be more of the lesser expensive ones. I liked Chantilly, Charlie, Sweet Honesty, Love's Fresh Lemon and Baby Soft. Then later in college I wore Chamade and Cristalle.

So,now that I have an interest in collecting these older fragrances, I'm wondering (and I hope I'm asking this right) do the scents hold up? Or do they take an (not sure of the word) "old smell"? Maybe it's just my age, but some of the scents I thought were pretty elegant back then, seem heavier to me today. I'm just beginning to collect and study them, so I have a lot to learn!!

[Carla Z.]

Lori, I have been feeling nostalgic lately, too. I still use these original scents that I bought in the 1970's and they have held up through the years:
Skin Musk-Bonne Bell, Good Nature Body Splash-Bonne Bell, Love's Fresh Lemon Cologne, Glossy Splash, and Glossy Powder, Love's Baby Soft Perfume Roll-On, Muguet des Bois Spray Mist and Dusting Powder-Coty, Coty Sweet Earth Grass Fragrances cream perfumes(scents changed slightly), Yardley Red Roses Cologne, and Yardley Pot o' Gloss Skin Inscents(changed slightly).

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Carla Z. I'm curious: Are you using reformulations of those scents you're nostalgic for, or are they originals you still have around? (It sounds like a few of them are reformulations.) I'm so curious about the Sweet Earth scents, but their prices are astronomical on eBay. What's your favorite of your nostalgia scents?

[Carla Z.]

Perfumaniac, All of my scents are originals that I bought at drug stores from 1970-1979. Bonne Bell Skin Musk Concentrate has a gold ball cap and came in a green/gold square box.** Love's Fresh Lemon are in cylinder bottles with silver dome caps: this is my favorite scent! Muguet des Bois Spray Mist bottle is in a cardboard cylinder container. Sweet Earth Grass Fragrances-Clover*Gingergrass*Hay are three cream perfumes in a .25 oz. compact in a cardboard box (I used to have the Sweet Earth Woods Fragrances-Amberwood*
Sandalwood*Patchouli compact). I have Yardley Pot o' Gloss Inscents in cream scents (as well as Pot o' Gloss Tinted Lip and Cheek Glosses). They are in round, white plastic containers. The cream scents changed slightly through the years. I have Yardley Red Roses but used up Yardley Lavender and Eau de Colognes.
**The reformulated Bonne Bell scent-Skin Musk Perfume Oil by Parfums de Coeur with "Original Longest Lasting Formula" sticker on the box is similar to my original.

[Carla Z.]

Perfumaniac, additional notes: The Muguet des Bois Spray Mist-Coty that I bought in the 1970's may have been a reformulation since its introducion in 1936. I used several bottles with a gold cap until the final purchase having an aqua blue plastic cap.
Each Yardley Pot o' Gloss container came in a square cardboard box. I have three of the Skin Inscents: Grasse, Jasmine, and Sandalwood.
These are the Yardley colognes that I used in the 70's: April Violets (lavender tinted cologne-my favorite scent!), Red Roses (pink tint), English Lavender (light amber tint), and Eau de Cologne (aqua-lavender tint, aqua cap, and vertical stripes of both colors on the bottle). We called Eau de Cologne, "candy buttons" because it smelled like the old-fashioned sugar confection dots on a paper strip sold at candy stores.

[stacey]

Love skin musk have been whereing for30 yrs.everywhere i go people ask what are you whereing. They say they want to just like me. Guys will tell me they want their girlfriends to smell like me. My husband won't let me wear any other perfume. He says it's 1 of the reasons he fell in love with me.

[Perfumaniac]

Wow, stacey. Sounds like Skin Musk has been good to you! Thanks for stopping by. That's an amazing story.

[Lori]

Wow Carla! I envy your collection of original fragrances! I too loved Love's Fresh Lemon, and Baby Soft. I got a bottle of Love's Baby Soft at Wal Mart the other day. I know it's not the same, but it's a fun fragrance to spritz on after a shower when hanging around the house. When I was in college I wore a lot of Chantilly and Walmart had that one as well, and that one is pretty much as I remember it. The only fragrance that I loved in the 70's, but can't quite handle now is Charlie. Not sure why, maybe I wore it too much there got awhile. My mom wore Charlie some, Cachet, and Chanel no 5 sometimes. Probably Cachet more than anything, so I should try to find some if that.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Lori. Thanks for stopping by! Lemon scents were really in vogue in the 70s; someone needs to bring them back! And as for Cachet, the vintage stuff is readily available on eBay. :-)

[Darlene]

I loved this perfume by Bonne Bell called Spicy Musk in the 1980's.
It came in a box similar to Skin Musk but Red instead of Green. When I tried to contact the
Company they told me it had been discontinued.
I loved the scent of this perfume and have yet to
find a similar scent. Anyone heard of this perfume
or found something similar?

[Amanda radocaj]

hi my granmother actually always wears skin musk she still has the bottle with the gold top i've loved it for so long and have had a hard time trying to find it in australia they use to stock in in the local chemist but now it's like a unicorn. my granmother could wear it and wash her jumpers or blouses and they would still smell of skin musk if anyone could help me she is now 87 and i would love to be able to buy a bottle plsssssssssss anyone i have always said it was my granmas smell sounds stupid but she won't live forever but that smell will always be hers

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Amanda. Im very touched by your need for Skin Musk so that you have something to remember your grandmother by. It's a lovely scent, and quite modern and sexy for an older woman! I've seen the gold-capped vintage versions on eBay, but they're expensive. I found a mini at a flea market for almost nothing. Have you tried the reformulation, which is cheaper? It might be a good start. I don't have good luck with reformulations, but you never know. Or try to swap perfumes on Basenotes.net or Makeup Alley or Fragrantica.com? Good luck!

[Bobbie Smith]

Have worn Bonnie Bell Skin Musk Oil for more than 30 years. It is known as My scent by all family and friends. Now I cannot find it locally. Can You help me find this product in western North Carolina? Zip Code is 28645, Lenoir, North Carolina.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Bobbie,

You might be able to find it on eBay. If you want the vintage, type that in first. Otherwise, I think the reformulation is on Amazon. Good luck!

[Annette]

The best musk oil in my opinion (at least on me) was Lucien Lelong Musk Oil. I found it when I was in high school and even then was a savvy shopper and bought several of the little bottles. I am in my 50's now and the lid broke on my last bottle ( I gave one to my daughter) and the oil turned white and will not come out of the bottle. I wonder if this is still made and if so, where can I get it?

[Stephanie]

I have been using Skin Musk by Bonnie Bell for last 30 years but they no longer make Skin Musk Lotion. Every time I wore it, I got compliments. It had a very clean and refreshing scent. Does anyone know of a lotion that has the same scent?

[Cheryl]

Wow! I typed in the name of a little bottle I have had for years! I use 2 drops each day.It is the best musk that I have ever smelled! Can't believe I can order it!

[Robert]

I'm taking a punt on the strength of your recommendation here. Just bought a vintage bottle, gold cap and all. How do you think it compares - on the animalic scale - to the vintage Jovan for Women, or Coty's Wild Musk? Thanks.

[Donna Currin]

Why is it sooooooooo hard to find this oil....Its all I use and I have to go without too long before back in stock...Then they only have 2...UUUggghhhhh!!!!! Can I order direct from the company?

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Donna. I feel your pain. There are a few bottles of vintage on eBay right now. (Small, half-full, but its better than nothing.) As far as I can see, the vintage ones are with gold caps. Not sure how the modern reformulations hold up, but I know those are cheap and plentiful on Amazon, for example. Good luck!

[Robert]

Well now I'm in a position to judge, I prefer vintage Jovan Musk Oil Cologne to vintage Bonne Belle, good though it is.

[Perfumaniac]

Nice, Robert!

[Robert]

For what it's worth, I like the vintage (1980's) Avon Musk for Men, too.

[Perfumaniac]

Keep going! Cotys Wild Musk (vintage) is nice as well! As is Alyssa Ashleys (vintage, of course).

[Robert]

Another vintage musk, Red Garter (Pierre Vivion) I prefer to Bonne Bel. Less personally gratifying was a purchase of Nordic Musk (Scandia)- a little too dirty for my tastes.

Wild Musk sounds good, thanks.

[cheryl z]

Just found this blog and love it. I too wore the Bonne Bell Skin in the 70's in high school and got raves from guys and girls. It was not however "musk skin", but I believe called "Cool Skin". Is that available anywhere? No luck so far.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Cheryl Z, the perfume I have is just called Skin, and it is a musk. Never heard of Cool Skin. I just checked eBay and couldnt find it. Good luck!

[Lea Ann]

Skin musk was sold to Prince Machebelle and can be found in Wal-Mart and drugstores. It's my signature scent. I've been wearing it since I was ten or eleven. I'm 41 now!

[Gloria]

In 1976 I was given a frosted glass star-shaped cologe pendant. I cant recall the brand, but the scent was heavenly. Unfortunately, the decanter got chipped and I lost the contents on a handmade sweater. The sweater held the scent even after drycleaning. Does anyone know what the scent was or if those pendants can be found?

[Ann Ross]

Awesome site/blog, I have worn Skin Musk for 40 years! Dang when did I get so old! lol I am in the market for the Vintage Bonne Bell version, and will be in hot pursuit for this until obtained. Almost everything else turns into "Cat piss" smell on me regardless of the price! Go figure! Meow Meow! Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane! Ann

[Susan Beasley]

I'm obviously going to have to read Chandler Burr's book.

[Monica Vermeulen]

Does anyone know the name of the Musk Oil from the 1970s that came in a short, square bottle with a black top? It was the best Musk and I have never seen that bottle since then. Monica

[shala]

I too loved Bonne Bells Cool Skin..i used to buy 5 bottles at a time
hen it was on the shelf...it smelled so clean

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Shala, Clean and yet warm! I love that combination...

[Hiannah]

Hello, Monica: it sounds like Cabot Musk Oil, which is still available on Amazon or through the mfr. Good luck!

[Dee]

I personally have worn Skin Oil for years. Along with the body spray. I get the most compliments when I do. Strangers walk up and ask what I'm wearing. My husband loves it. I only wish I could find the body wash & the powder. Have been able to since Drug Imporium closed. Been looking for years

[Denise whitehead]

I had a musk oil named Egyptian goddess in the 1990s. It came from one of those island stores in the mall. It was about a 1 ounce brown bottle with a yellow label with a vine looking pattern on it. If I can remember correctly, they said it was from a company in California . I would so love to find it

[Debbie Olson]

Bonnie Bell should do a remake of their original Skin Perfume Oil in the little round glass bottle and gold cap. I simply loved it. Had so many compliments everyday .
I loved it when people would ask what are you wearing and I would say skin and they would look at me like I was crazy.
What they have out today smells close to the original but it's not the original.
Come on Bonnie Bell try it one more time I think you would be amazed at the people that would come out of the woodwork to buy it.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Deb

[Elizabeth]

Hi, i being wearning skin by bonnie bell for almost 30 years every where i go they ask what is that it smell so good, recently it dosn,t smell that strong like when you open the bottle you can smell it, it smell kind of weak or watet down, dose anybody else notice the difference. Going to try and order it on line and give it one more chance, i hope it haven't chance love it so much especially when u sweat.

Post by Elizabeth Mellon.

[Festus Ojedor]

O started using Skin Musk till recently but cant find it anymore.please how can I get it.

[Debbie Olson]

Why don't they bring back Skin Oil Perfume by Bonnie Bell it was well liked smelled good on everyone and different on everyone. I would buy it again.

[Ramonhjurado]

Chandler Burr is truly so gross, makes me cringe. But I was thinking about this today, I don't think there is a perfume that captures the smell of a man's clean skin after it has transpired, and in the privates. But now I want to smell that musk, do you know where one can buy it? I was going to buy the tinctures from profumo but got scared lol.

[Perfumaniac]

Id suggest CB I Hate Perfume Musk Reinvention, Bruno accompara (sp?) musk, or my very own Eris Parfums, Ma Bete.

Sent from my iPhone

[Colleen Belliveau]

I have been wearing "Skin" since high school. Graduated in 1976. I still get compliments every time I wear it. Basically almost every day. I remembered I also liked one you made called Friday? Thanks for my forever scent. My daughter and now my granddaughter associates that smell of "Skin" to me. Xo