Ex Nihilo Fragrance review
Ex Nihilo MagnetiIze Review: A Rose-Musk Perfumed Mist
Ex Nihilo and Louise Turner build a soft, powdery rose over a musky, benzoin-warmed base.
In this review
Accords
Notes Pyramid
Scent Journey
First 0-30 minutes: rose petals arrive immediately, but they are soft rather than sharp. Ambrette, a musky, faintly pear-like seed note, sits alongside the rose and gives the opening a slightly powdery, cosmetic texture from the very first spray. There is no citrus lift and no aromatic brightness, so the fragrance does not have a bright top phase in the conventional sense. What you smell in the first minute is essentially what the fragrance is.
Roughly 1-2 hours: the rose deepens as the heart takes over, with rose absolute adding a richer, slightly honeyed floral weight. Sandalwood brings a creamy, milky woodiness that smooths the transition, while patchouli adds a subtle earthy, almost dusty undertone that keeps the composition from becoming purely sweet. The powder note is at its most pronounced here.
4 hours and beyond: the fragrance settles into musk and benzoin. The musk reads clean, soft and skin-like, while benzoin contributes a balsamic, vanillic warmth that rounds off the patchouli. The final stage is quiet, cosy and close to the body, with the rose reduced to a faint powdery echo rather than a distinct floral statement.
Performance Dashboard
6-8 hours on skin, based on reported wearer experience. Longer on clothing and on moisturised skin.
Moderate, sitting within roughly an arm's length of the wearer.
Moderate. It leaves a soft trail rather than a room-filling cloud.
When to Wear
Pros & Cons
- Rose-forward composition that stays soft and powdery rather than sharp or acidic
- Unisex positioning that wears comfortably across a wide range of skin types
- Musk and benzoin base gives a comfortable, skin-like finish with genuine warmth
- Layers well with woods, ouds and vanilla-forward fragrances
- 100 ml format at $140 is competitively sized for the niche bracket
- Perfumed mist concentration delivers moderate, not dramatic, performance
- The powdery musk texture is divisive and reads as heavy in warm weather
- Fragrantica's aggregate rating sits in the middle at 3.57 out of 5
- No citrus or aromatic top notes means little contrast across the wear
- Limited availability outside niche retailers and the brand's own channels
Price & Value
“Fairly priced per millilitre for niche, but the mist format means more product per application and more frequent reapplication, so the effective cost per wear is higher than the sticker price suggests.”
Reformulation History
No significant batch variations reported.
Who It's For
Ideal For
- Rose lovers who prefer soft, powdery, skin-close roses over sharp or green ones
- Wearers building a unisex evening wardrobe
- Anyone who enjoys musky florals with a clean, cosmetic texture
- Cool-weather wearers looking for a fragrance that feels intimate rather than performative
Not Recommended For
- Wearers who prioritise loud projection and beast-mode longevity
- Anyone who dislikes powdery or laundry-musk textures
- People looking for a fresh, citrus-forward summer signature
- Buyers who want a rose with fruit, spice or incense drama
Explore More
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Layering Ideas
- Layer with an oud or woody extrait to add depth and extend wear for evening use
- Pair with a vanilla-forward gourmand to soften the powder and push the benzoin sweetness forward
- Apply over an unscented body lotion to stretch the 6-8 hour wear window
- Avoid layering with sharp citrus or aquatic fragrances, which fight the resinous base and flatten the rose
