KMSKA
KMSKA EDP

2024

PERFUMER
Laura de Coninck

bergamot
apple
black pepper
geranium
carnation

rose
cinnamon
patchouli
vetiver

ambergris
cedarwood
myrrh
opoponax
cumin
sandalwood
white musk
musk

Created for the KMSKA royal museum of fine arts of Antwerp, Belgium.

‘The KMSKA perfume maps various themes from the museum and its collection olfactorily through scent accords. Each accord consists of a balance of raw materials that address a different theme.’ – Laura de Coninck

Given that I live an hour away from the KMSKA & had smelled this perfume 2 or 3 times before, it was about time I got around to actually wearing it for a review. This fragrance was created exclusively for the Antwerp Museum KMSKA & and available at their gift shop (€145/100ml); I visited today & applied it on my way out.

I’d describe it as either the cleanest cumin or the sweatiest luxury soap, depending on which way you want to approach it. For me, it’s cumin first. I actually like the scent of cumin, but it can be tricky in perfumes, due to the sweat connotations. Here, that is quickly fixed by a soapy floral overdose. You still get the sweaty body tinge, but cleaner. As if you’ve just started showering after a workout, with a nice soap, but haven’t washed off all the sweat yet. The original Cartier Declaration EDT is always the key reference for cumin for me (despite not listing cumin as a note); KMSKA is brighter and easier going than that.

Looking at all the notes, KMSKA is actually a lot brighter, soapier and cleaner than you may expect. Yes, the cumin is the most prominent to my nose, but some of the heavier or sweeter notes like the resins and patchouli aren’t. Instead, I could imagine neroli in this; I guess it’s a soapy, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver-esque, vetiver that brings in a lot of that quality. Almost sugary, watery ambroxan-vetiver.

Especially after the first minutes, as the spiciness calms down, I get a strong fancy handsoap, bathsoap & shampoo vibe from this fragrance. Luxury hotel bath or spa amenities. Green, but also rather sweet and that cumin-like sweaty tinge eventually goes away, after a couple of hours.

I personally like this more than I expected, but I would especially recommend it to people who enjoy fresh green fragrances (neroli, galbanum, lindenblossom) and fans of clean vetiver fragrances such a TF Grey Vetiver, Roja Vetiver, Guerlain Vetiver etc.