Parfumerie Generale Musc Maori

I've been pondering my options for that dreaded day that my bottle of Lea Extreme runs out. It is a limited edition, but still available at Luckyscents, so I can hoard bottles if I really have to. However, I'm not sure if it's such a good idea, considering that the bottles are (too) big at 100 ml and might turn before I actually get to use them.

I was hoping to find something similar. A very non-Angel gourmand scent that is chocolatey and musky without hitting you over the head with a sweet stick, and that doesn't smell like it belongs in a discounted gift set from Macy's.

Musc Maori by Parfumerie Generale is just that. It boasts several notes: Cumaru wood, green notes of coffee tree blossom, white musk, cocoa bean, amber and tonka bean. On my skin it was exclusively vanilla, cocoa and that lovely white musk that characterizes Lea Extreme's drydown and is probably responsible to the craving Lea fans tend to get.

Unlike Aomassai, another rich gourmand offering from PG, there are no weird notes in this one and it's unlikely that anyone would find it objectionable. If anything, it might be criticized for lack of innovation. It stays the same without much development throughout its short-to-medium skin life and doesn't surprise you at any point.

Musc Maori smells more delicate than LE, it doesn't have the almondy-coconuty note in the opening and carries an air of sophistication that Lea Extreme sadly lacks. Still, it has the same satisfying, comforting effect, a similar warmth and its sexiness is just a bit more grownup. I might have just found the solution for life after Lea.

Photo: Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball on the "I Love Lucy" set between the scenes of the Chocolate Factory episode