
The Estée Lauder Modern Muse perfume, launched in 2013, is the brand's first major perfume launch since Beyond Paradise in 2003. The perfume is inspired by the complexity of a modern woman and aims to capture her style, confidence, and creative spirit. With notes of sparkling jasmine and sleek woods, it symbolizes femininity and strength. While some customers appreciate its unique scent and elegant packaging, others find it uninspiring and too similar to other perfumes in the Lauder lineup.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Modern Muse |
| Launch Year | 2013 |
| Perfumer | Harry Fremont |
| Fragrance Type | Eau de Parfum Spray |
| Fragrance Notes | Sparkling Jasmine Accord, Sleek Woods Accord, mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, Sambac jasmine, Chinese Sambac jasmine absolute, patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, soft musk |
| Bottle Sizes | 30 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml, 3.4 oz |
| Price | $58 for 30 ml, $78 for 50 ml, $98 for 100 ml |
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What You'll Learn

Modern Muse's inspiration and symbolism
Modern Muse, a fragrance for women, was launched in 2013 and is the first major perfume launch by Estée Lauder in a decade. The perfume is an attempt by the brand to reclaim its position at the top of the perfume industry.
Modern Muse symbolizes what it means to be an independent and self-confident woman in today's world, someone who is sure of herself and her style. It is a fragrance that inspires confidence. The perfumer, Harry Fremont, created a two-accord composition to express the duality of the modern woman's personality. The first accord, jasmine, symbolizes femininity and blends exotic notes of mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, Sambac jasmine, and Chinese Sambac jasmine absolute. The second accord, sleek woods, represents strength and combines two types of patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, and soft musk.
The inspiration behind Modern Muse is the complexity of a modern woman, with dynamic contrasts in her life and personality. Her creative energy and magnetic femininity are captured by the multi-faceted, sparkling floralcy of the fragrance. The perfume's name, Modern Muse, is also reflected in its choice of model, Arizona Muse, whose name fits the concept perfectly.
The bottle design of Modern Muse Le Rouge, a later addition to the series, is inspired by the iconic bow on Estée Lauder's first fragrance, Youth Dew. The bold visual representation of modern femininity creates an intense visual statement. The red colour of the bottle embodies the muse's style, attitude, and powerful effect, reflecting a woman who is confident, sexy, and bold. The fruity floral oriental scent of Modern Muse Le Rouge captures the drama and glamour of this muse's personality.
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Fragrance notes
The Estée Lauder Modern Muse fragrance, launched in 2013, is a floral and woody perfume. It is described as a "confidence that inspires", symbolising what it means to be an independent and self-confident woman. The perfume is an attempt to capture the complexity of a modern woman, with the same dynamic contrasts as her life and personality.
The fragrance is made up of two accords: sparkling jasmine and sleek woods. The jasmine accord blends exotic notes of mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, Sambac jasmine, and Chinese Sambac jasmine absolute. The sleek woods accord combines two types of patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, and soft musk. The jasmine accord symbolises femininity, while the sleek woods accord represents strength.
Some customers describe the scent as elegant, fresh, and musky, with one noting that it reminds them of their aunt's Estée Lauder powder makeup. Another customer mentions that they like the honeysuckle note. However, some customers are disappointed by the fragrance, finding it uninspiring and too similar to other perfumes in the Estée Lauder lineup, such as Beyond Paradise and Pleasures.
The Modern Muse perfume is available in an eau de parfum spray, with customers commenting on its long-lasting fragrance and beautiful packaging. It comes in a large bottle, which some customers appreciate, and is suitable for both office and social functions. Overall, the Estée Lauder Modern Muse fragrance is a celebration of the modern woman, with a scent that is both complex and intriguing.
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Bottle size and design
The Modern Muse perfume by Estée Lauder comes in three sizes: 100ml, 50ml, and 30ml. The bottle is described as "huge" by some customers, while others have likened its design to Minnie Mouse. The perfume is available as an eau de parfum spray, which is effortless to apply.
The Modern Muse bottle is designed to reflect the fragrance's inspiration: the complexity of a modern woman and her dynamic contrasts. The bottle's sleek and stylish design captures the essence of a woman who is confident, independent, soft, strong, feminine, and dynamic. The duality of the composition, with its sparkling jasmine accord and sleek woods accord, is also reflected in the bottle's design. The jasmine accord blends exotic notes of mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, and Sambac jasmine, while the sleek woods accord combines two types of patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, and soft musk.
The bottle's design, with its elegant and modern aesthetic, embodies the fragrance's innovative and fascinating nature. It captures the creative energy and magnetic femininity of the woman who wears it. The bottle is designed to be a true reflection of the multifaceted and inspiring woman who inspires the fragrance.
The Modern Muse perfume bottle has also been described as "elegant" and "beautiful" by some customers. The design is simple yet striking, with a sleek and modern look. The bottle is easy to hold and fits comfortably in the hand. Some customers have also mentioned that the bottle has a luxurious feel to it, adding to the overall appeal of the fragrance.
In addition to the standard bottle, Estée Lauder also offers custom engraving on select Modern Muse bottles, allowing customers to personalize their fragrance experience even further. This option adds a unique touch to the bottle's design, making it even more special and memorable.
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Customer reviews
Modern Muse, launched in 2013, is the only perfume in Estée Lauder's Muse series. It is a floral woody musk fragrance for women. The top note is mandarin orange, the middle notes are jasmine sambac, Chinese jasmine, lily, honeysuckle, flower petals and tuberose, and the base notes are musk, woody notes, patchouli, patchouli leaf, amber and Madagascar vanilla.
One customer, who is a self-proclaimed longtime fan of Estée Lauder perfumes, finds Modern Muse uninspiring. She argues that it doesn't stand out in Lauder's own lineup, and that it doesn't feel "modern". She also expresses disappointment in the marketing, which she finds suspicious. However, she does give the perfume three out of five stars. Another customer, who is also a fan of Estée Lauder perfumes, agrees that Modern Muse seems to be targeting a younger audience, but finds the scent itself very disappointing.
Other customers have complained that the perfume starts to smell like hairspray after a while, and that the bottle rusts and leaks. However, these customers still enjoyed the scent upon first purchasing it, and found that it worked well as a travel-size perfume.
Some customers have expressed that they like the scent, but wish that the florals were more prominent. One customer notes that the only distinctive note for them is pepper, which is not listed in the perfume's description.
Many customers appreciate the quality of the perfume, describing it as high-quality French perfumery. Some customers also like the bottle, describing it as large and beautiful. The perfume has also been described as long-lasting, fairly priced, and great value.
A few customers have also noted that the scent is appropriate for both the office and social functions, and can be worn every day or on special occasions.
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Similar perfumes
The Estée Lauder Modern Muse perfume series for women was launched in 2013. The original Modern Muse fragrance is a two-accord composition of sparkling jasmine, representing femininity, and sleek woods, representing strength. The jasmine accord blends exotic notes of mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, and two types of jasmine. The sleek woods accord combines two types of patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, and soft musk.
- Alien We Are All Alien Collector Edition by Thierry Mugler: This perfume has a 60% match with the original Modern Muse, according to Perfume Master's virtual perfume finder.
- Coach Signature Eau de Parfum: This fragrance is said to smell almost indistinguishable from Modern Muse Le Rouge.
- 777 by Reyanne: This perfume, tried by a user at a small fragrance outlet in New Hampshire, is also said to smell similar to Modern Muse Le Rouge.
It is worth noting that skin chemistry and individual brain perceptions can affect how a perfume smells on different people. Therefore, it is recommended to try a new perfume on your skin before making a purchase decision.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one perfume in the Estee Lauder Modern Muse series.
Modern Muse has notes of mandarin, tuberose, fresh lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals, jasmine sambac, patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, amber wood, and soft musk.
Modern Muse comes in three sizes: 100ml, 50ml, and 30ml.











































