How can “an ingredient in perfume” and “It smelled horrible” be talking about the same thing?
Maybe it was the world’s first “musk”.
They use the ambergis after it has been refined and liquified
From Wiki:
Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. However, as it ages, it acquires a sweet, earthy scent commonly likened to the fragrance of rubbing alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency.[2] The principal historical use of ambergris was as a fixative in perfumery, though it has now been largely displaced by synthetics.
Ambergris has been used in making perfume for centuries. Surprisingly enough, some perfumes are made of several foul smelling substances that smell pleasant when mixed together.
By virtue of its chemical structure, ambergris has unique properties that, when blended with various scents will optimize the evaporation rate and intensity, making it highly desireable additive.
Perfume makers pay good money for skunk essence. The stink is removed but the stink carrier remains and is used to project the perfume smell over distances.