Modern Muse EDP by Estee Lauder

Alright, getting back into fragrance reviews, after a couple weeks off. Today, I want to give my take on one of the women’s perfume samples that I picked up with my last round of purchases: Modern Muse EDP by Estee Lauder. This is a very popular scent from this brand and has spawned a ton of flanker perfumes, from its original success.

Does Modern Muse, live up to the hype? As usual, I am going to tell you what’s in it, what it smells like, how it performs, and if it is even worth giving a shot. Please continue below for my full take.

What does Modern Muse EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin orange, honeysuckle, jasmine, lily, musk, patchouli, tuberose, amber, wood

Click here to try: ESTEE LAUDER Modern Muse Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Modern Muse presents my nose with a fairly light mandarin orange note and the distinct smell of jasmine. This is a very floral perfume, so, the jasmine is going to be flanked by other flowers such as tuberose throughout the wear.

Estee Lauder has created a very nice and quite a crowd pleasing perfume with this one. It is actually pretty simple, beautiful, and none too overpowering.

I like the opening and the addition of the citrus note, to sort of draw you into the main floral arrangement. Going in, one needs to know that the jasmine note is going to be the dominant attraction, pretty much from start to finish.

Yes, other notes come in and have their moments, but jasmine is the true alpha dog here.

Mainly, what I get is a slight musk lurking underneath the floral notes. Of which, the flower aroma that accompanies the standout jasmine, changes throughout. At times, it is honeysuckle. Then, lily. Finally, there are very nice moments with tuberose.

The musk is there and wrapped in a warm amber, but it isn’t very heavy, just blended to the right amount with a bouquet of flowers. I think that I enjoy the jasmine paired with the honeysuckle the most, out of all of them.

As it dries down more, I get hints of vanilla, and a solid spice provided by patchouli. Again, neither of these notes take over the composition completely. However, they are noticeable and give the fragrance a depth of character.

Modern Muse is light, clean, and has a rather sunny disposition. I will say, that the patchouli and musk spice is much stronger to my nose, than is the vanilla. It’s more floral/earthy than anything like yet another vanilla heavy perfume.

It ends as a jasmine/lily blend with plenty of musky undertones, but less patchouli than had been in the middle rounds. Very nice white floral with a balance between light sweetness and earthy spice. A really nicely blended perfume, not too complex, but does everything well.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage here is completely moderate. This is a good choice for everyday wear, such as the office or casual occasions, because you’re not going to choke people out with it.

Also, the longevity isn’t a total beast, but a solid 6-7 hours is definitely attainable with only a few sprays. That’s kind of a downside to this perfume. Not that it’s a terrible performance, but definitely not where I’d want it to be. Perhaps others have better luck with Muse, than I do.

Seasonally, the floral nature of this fragrance obviously fits well in the springtime. Though, it really could work year round. That is one of the strengths of Modern Muse, is that it is versatile, and not relegated to one season or occasion.

I would call it more of a casual, office, and other event type of scent but not a ‘night club beast’. It’s attractive but not really seductive or sexy, in my mind. It is the kind of perfume that you can call upon pretty much whenever, and not have it feel out of place, or overtly offensive to those around you. A real trooper.

Overall Impressions of Modern Muse

Overall, is Estee Lauder’s Modern Muse worth a buy? I’d say, yes. Presuming that you enjoy white floral notes and musk, in your fragrances. Those looking for something with fruity or sugary sweetness or really woodsy, should go with something else.

However, if you need a day to day floral, that is highly versatile and pretty; then, Modern Muse will do a great job at fitting the bill. I enjoy the rotation of notes which surrounds the sun that is the jasmine note, particularly the opening with the orange, and later with honeysuckle.

The performance is a bit above average, but nothing crazy. It’s a safe blind buy and one that has shown to be extremely popular over the years since its release. Modern Muse is still one of the better releases from Estee Lauder in the past decade and worth at least trying.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.