By Val the Cookie Queen of APJ
A Dislike of Cinnamon
But there is an exception to every rule.
After my chai post it was interesting to see both in the comments and in private messages that I was not alone in my extreme dislike of cinnamon.
When I bake I prefer to use allspice or nutmeg or cardamom, cinnamon makes everything taste like Christmas or an apple pie. Dior, one of the Poisons I think, and Diptyque’s L’Eau both have cinnamon in as far as I remember. I don’t have them here to sniff, but remember hating them. Correct me someone if I am wrong. My mother didn’t like cinnamon, and always made the most delicious baked rice pudding with nutmeg.
Perhaps my aversion to cinnamon is hereditary. There again I was brought up my first eight years in the States. That might have done the damage. Americans love cinnamon and they chuck it into and onto every possible thing. Real or artificial flavoured.Toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum. If you don’t watch out they’ll dump a ton of the stuff onto of your overfoamed coffee.
Do you know Cinnabons? Cinnamon rolls with half a gallon of cinnamon goop injected into each one. A chilled cardiac arrest. And then you get the sweet potatoes baked in maple syrup, topped with cinnamon.
Perhaps it offers comfort, in which case I dread to imagine how much of the stuff they’re gonna be using these days. Let us move on to perfume.
Musc Ravageur – The Exception
I love the Frederic Malle line. The old ones, the news ones, the reformulated ones. It is a stunning collections of perfumes.
Musc Ravageur was the first one that I bought. A thick and spicy vanilla. Created in 2000 by the great Maurice Roucel, also responsible for Iris Silver Mist and Dans Tes Bras.
Not a floral note to be seen. It is an oriental, and not a musk as we know it. A glittering citrus opening, captured quickly by a rush of cinnamon, clove and vanilla. I have learned through trial and error that you need to spray a decent whack of Musc Ravageur, to AVOID the cinnamon. A light spray seems to encourage the cinnamon to hang around way too long.
It dries down to an amber, sandalwood, patchouli base, wrapped in vanilla. It is kind of stained and slightly grubby. Not for your average American. They have Cinnamon Burst Cheerios.
My bottle is a good few years old. I understand the newer version is easier to wear. No, I do not know what that means.
Licentious Bussis
CQ
A Bottled Rose 
Great post, Val. I didn’t see MR as a musk either but found it more of an amber than a vanilla. You know the latter better than me though 🙂 I should try it again to see how it’s different from how I remember. I always admired it.
America’s love affair with cinnamon is fascinating, if not a tad frightening, haha.
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It is kind of frightening, yeah. So much other cinnamon stuff, I did not even get started! It is not a musk, nope. I can only handle it now and again, and it has taken eight years or so to get down to my last maybe half a cm. But am really glad I have it. xxxxx
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It is very cinnamony. I prefer to wear it over a vanilla patchouli lotion to counteract that a bit. Probably that’s why I prefer Dries Van Noten for my FM gourmand fix.
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Hi Tara ! Oh my gosh . Dries Van Noten, how I loooooove that stuff. It is really cinnamony sometimes, but not always. The strange life of perfume huh? Oh gosh, who can be bothered to wear stuff over lotion? Not me. There again I have no lotions …… Bussis xxxxx
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Ok. I’m an American. I love Cinnamon. I put it on and into everything: my Nespresso coffee with foam? Cinnamon. My cereal (all of them)? Cinnamon. Anything apple? Cinnamon. And frankly, Cinnabon buns can hold the creamy white goop (disgusting!!!!)–just add more of the Cinnamon goop with nuts, please. Other spices get lots of love–but Cinnamon: Full Bottle Glory! And yes, I’m eating double the usual amount as a comfort spice in these uhhh….most troubling times, and should I seek political asylum, I will be ferreting a bottle of Cinnamon with me. Try Cinnamon toast–heaven. Cinnamon also goes into my perfumes though I prefer Cardamom and other notes more predominantly for my scents. I just had to speak up for some of us Cinnamon-loving Americans who are liberal, among other things, with our Cinnamon. I quite enjoy MR though I don’t have a FB of that.
As an aside–it’s also a very healthy spice, great for diabetes and people with “sugar” issues.
Signed “Not-getting-enough-love-Cinnamon-girl! 🙂
And check out the song: “Cinnamon Girl” by Neil Young–one of the great, greats!
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Siva.Woman! This is quite the best comment EVER! I love Neil Young. 🙂
I have taken your comment and put it into the notes on my phone. To read regularly. You go girl. And I must add I had forgotten about cinnamon toast, and really loved it as a kid. Big hugs. Mwah. xxxxx
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Shiva*. Sorry!!
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Seconding the cinammon toast – I forgot that delight!
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I quite love Cinnamon, the real thing, from Ceylon. Not with everything and everywhere, but here and there, and where it belongs, and a bit more. Without sugar though.
I had high hopes on MR, but then I couldn‘t detect the musc… Anyway, it‘s done wonderfully, just as almost everything from the great Monsieur Malle.
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Hi LJG. Sounds good, we need a cinnamon date. 😃 No musk to detect. That is the problem, if there is one. Yep – beautifully made as you say. Mwah. 💋
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I on the contrary love love love LOVE cinnamon. My recent revelation is a peanut butter with a tiny bit of cinnamon. So yummy.
I know you like FM fragrances, I’m not a big fan but I lived Musc Ravageur. 🙂
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Hi Mr Chemist! I must admit peanut butter with cinnamon around quite appealing. I love peanut butter. I think MR would suit you extremely well. It is best on a man tbh. Hugs. xxxx
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Hahaha, love this post, and that is so true about the Americans and their strange preoccupation with cinnamon. I am well acquainted with the iced goo fest that is Cinnabons, that ne plus ultra of sticky buns.
I like Musc Rav, and its remarkable cheapo dupe to which Odiferess alerted me, Meharees by L’Erbolario.
Am guessing you will not be a fan of Puredistance Black? 😉
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