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Civet Gold Absolute
Eleonora Scalseggi has this to say “Let us be clear, civet, especially if undiluted, does not smell of fresh flowers, and this Civet Gold Absolute is no different. Approaching it straight from the bottle it is strong, faecal, feral and unmistakeably skanky. So why would you have anything like that go anywhere near a perfume, and even call it gold, you might ask.
Well, civet is one of those aromatic materials that needs lots of dilutions before you can unveil its beauty and its purpose. Actually, when you think that you are done diluting you might find that no, it needs a little more (it is quite common to work with 1% and 0.1% dilutions) to enable some much needed control and avoid overdosing it, more so when you consider that civet is one of those perfume ingredients that tends to grow in a perfume, so restraint is of utmost importance.
Once diluted, the worst faecal and horribly skanky notes are out of the way and you are left with a material that many describe even as “magic”. What is sure is that diluted civet added to a perfume composition is capable of a deeply transformative effect, much more so if its presence is kept below the threshold of conscious detection. You smell the beautiful transformative effects of civet, not the civet itself.
Of course, then some civet materials can impart more beauty than others. This particular Civet Gold Absolute is hands down the best Civet Absolute we have ever sampled, it was more expensive than our regular Indian offering, but we couldn’t pass on a material which is light years in front of any other absolute sampled, and not even comparable to any synthetic reproductions attempt, which unfortunately don’t come even close.
All the above about civet aromatics applies but with increased grace, floral notes upon dilutions and more so with ageing, and the added bonus of no gone off parmesan cheese notes, not even if you are brave enough to inhale it in the pure undiluted version.
At 1% the material displays floral notes and a musky warmth with a vaguely wild animalic edge; at 0.1% the dilution becomes even softer and smoother with delicate musky notes reminiscent of white ambergris along with the clean and cosy white musk notes of ambrettolide natural isolate.
This Civet Gold Absolute hails from Ethiopia, where civet farming is more civet-friendly than its Asian counterparts and where some more progress is being made to adapt farming to the Western standards of animal welfare. We wonder if this could at least in part explain the superior aroma profile of the product, or if it is just a matter of different civet species supplying the paste or again if it might just be the different manufacturing techniques as it happens with any other natural aromatic material.
Like all civet materials, this Civet Gold Absolute has tremendous staying power and can be used in trace amounts as an exalting fixative in any composition that we want to make more sensual. A good civet can increase the wearability of a perfume and improve its performance when applied to the human skin, imparting unparalleled warmth and depth to a very vast array of fragrance compositions like few other aromatic ingredients can. Maybe this is why some call it “magic”.”
Scientific name: Viverra civetta
Origin: Ethiopia
Wholesale weights (all prices excluding vat): 100G = 1500 Euros.
Unfortunately, this material cannot be shipped to Australia or America
8 reviews for Civet Gold Absolute
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Francesco (verified owner) –
Without questions above any other civet currently on sale that I’ve smelt, creamier and deeper, especially cleaner, can be used at much higher concentration and even pure. Reminds a bit of an already quite aged civet, I can’t wait to smell this one in a few years.
Jolie T (verified owner) –
I diluted this to 1% and it was still too strong, diluted to .1%, still! Added a random number of drops( this is a small sample of the main I’m playing with) Still ! civet!
I have another civet abs- from another source- and I added it too an accord: it grew and grew! So I know now dilution is key. I might not have figured out my perfect dilution for this one yet, but I am pretty sure my 1 ml is going to last me forever.
Full strength it is mellow a sweet, it has an anamalic edge-but that edge only truly develops in dilution.
Definitely a sweet horse that pivots on indole.I never find it offensive or off putting.
It is very nice on skin, at first diffusive but mellowing down to a pretty skin scent.
Charalambos Charalambous (verified owner) –
The best civet i ever smelled and I’m so glad to have the opportunity to explore its amazing powers from hermitage aromatics..floral and animalic at the same time in full concentration..creamy but so so noble in its strength that its like the oil itself demands to be treated with respect and patience to share its qualities..im expanded from excitement!!
Carlos silva (verified owner) –
What a great civet, one of the best i ever smell…im smelling it now its have notes of honey, leather, butter, parmesian cheese …it stinks but in a good way.
Civet is a fascinatung smell…its not disgusting but you must use it with great finesse and subtlety within a mix.
Civet absolute is indeed… addicting to me.
MARIE M (verified owner) –
this is a high quality stew! I really like the civet it’s a multifaceted smell I could not do without it now. Little advice the first olfactory break is very aggressive and this is normal because it is an animal smell so you have to be patient and dare to tame it. This butter in some kinds in an attar or a perfume gives the effect of an invisible tattoo an animal imprint.
Joseph E (verified owner) –
Gross…great….gross…great…I love this stuff! As everyone says, the undiluted form is very poopy-smelling, like concentrated cat butt. But at the proper dilution it is pure magic! It seems to transform and enrich just about every formula it’s added to (though there are a few places where civet musk does NOT belong…)
This is my first time experiencing civet and I was really impressed. Fairly easy to work with, just warm it in your hands before trying to pour.
Peter (verified owner) –
This is hands down the best Civet material I have ever experienced!
It literally does wonders when used correctly and you absolutely cannot replace it with any synthetic material I know. This is the ultimate Civet of all Civets on the planet!
Kai Leon Art Parfumeur (verified owner) –
Magic promised – magic delivered! It took me three weeks to familiarize myself adequately with the feel of this superb Civet – as it enjoys taking time to expose its full potential and beastly beauty. Being a ‘sacred monster’ of base notes, this Civet needs to be used a few good times, blended in a composed finished fragrance, even better in a few various compositions (I’ve tried it in three so far), in order to explore and experience angles and modulations Adam’s Civet GA provides in different combinations and concentrations, from the first top opening sniff to the last shade of the long-lasting drydown it gives off sensually on the less exposed skin spots after hours and hours…
Maybe due to the mellowing at this stage of its maturity, maybe because of my odd perception (as we learn these days, we all have individual genetic predispositons to be more or less sensitive to certain smells in wild variations), even straight from the bottle in full strength it did not smell fecalic or skanky-dirty. It sure smells pungent and nauseating, but more like rottening fruits or rancid creamy cake.
At 1% dilution I found it easy to experience and to work, enjoying its full projection and character.
Luring and titillating, Civet adds a feel of high resolution picture in any perfume – indeed even in minimal amounts.
But! it can be a star of the burlesque show, or a magic heart in sultry aphrodisiac night perfume – if balanced carefully in a proper complex refined combination, where it would be tamed and framed yet without being lost in a supporting role somewhere in the mingle of drydowns. You are encouraged to test your (and your clients’) perception to the brave edge and enjoy its exhillirating pheromonic charms while having goosebumps…