Musk is one of the most alluring of fragrance ingredients and natural musk was one of the most expensive of all perfumery ingredients. It used to be sourced from a gland in the musk deer which was made almost extinct from being over hunted. The musk deer is still being killed for musk but it is regulated internationally, but they are still endangered by unscrupulous poaching. Because of this ethical concern and the high price and lack of availability of the natural musk, now almost all musks are synthetic. The plant angelica produces a musk compound which is sometimes used in perfumery as do ambrette seeds (from the plant musk mallow), but its use is very limited.
Musk has a warm and sensual scent which substantially increases the longevity of a perfume, used as a heart and base note. Some perfumes that contain musk are Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford, Kenzo Flower, Maison by Francis Kurkdjian, and Chanel Chance.