Masque Milano Fragrances (part 1)
Here are three picks from Masque Milano’s “Act III” collection:
Love Kills
Roses can be a romantic cliché, but there’s nothing delicate or saccharine about this floral fragrance by perfumer Caroline Dumur. Taking the rose as its central motif, Love Kills traces an emotional arc from joy and intimacy to betrayal and loss. It starts off lush and bright, with a vibrant Turkish rose enhanced by geranium and a lychee-like note. Its heart evokes a fruity red wine, but by the time it evolves fully, Love Kills has turned into something drier and duskier, like a flower fading into musky, crumpled petals and a bittersweet memory of desire.
L’Attesa
In L’Attesa, on the other hand, we get all the anticipation and none of the heartbreak. This composition by Luca Maffei suggests the anticipation of a romantic rendezvous on a summer evening, complete with freshly uncorked champagne, jazz playing in the background, and a warm breeze coming through the window. L’Attesa is a must-try for iris lovers: elegant, yet a little earthy, it’s a cool and root-y iris soliflore with a dusty, leather-tinged drydown. Truly an amorous encounter that’s worth the wait, L’Attesa is a top-seller for good reason.
Tango
Lastly, for no-holds-barred sensuality, there’s Tango. An homage to passion as expressed in a daring dance for two, this fragrance was created by Cécile Zarokian. At first sniff, Tango seems like a classically composed pyramid of bergamot, jasmine, and amber. On the skin, however, it unfurls layers of smoldering spice (including some provocative cumin) and animalic musk, plus an accord that appropriately suggests dark rum sweetened with honey. Intoxicating and intense, and more than a little dangerous, Tango lingers like the thought of a lover’s touch.
