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Masque Milano Tango & Luci ed Ombre ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Kevin on 28 April 2015 14 Comments

Masque Milano Tango

I love rough-and-ready amber fragrances. I'm not a fan of dainty or too-sweet (polite) amber perfumes (except in soaps or candles, and even then...). Masque Milano's Tango1 is my type of amber; it presents a spicy amber that's singed around the edges. The perfume begins with the aromas of pepper, charred cardamom and "tempered" cumin (as I sniff, the color that comes to mind is rich sepia). While remaining dark in character, Tango's heart has glimmers of floral notes ("simmered/reduced" rose and jasmine...warm and rich, not fresh or clean). As Tango develops, I smell leather, tough musk, and only mild sweetness (tonka, vanilla, benzoin and clover accent the richer, burnt/caramelized notes; they never take over the composition).

Tango plays an interesting trick: its diffusion is creamy and smooth, but the closer you get to the fragrance on skin the wilder/drier in character it becomes; you may feel you're wearing a smoking, almost-burning combination of amber perfume notes, but those around you will think: 'what a delicious "classic" amber fragrance.' Here's the scenario that's played out for me several times: "Kevin, you smell wonderful!" Then, after I let my admirer sniff my skin up close: "Uh...wow...that's not what I'm smelling...is it?" Two perfumes for the price of one!

If you like Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan or Tom Ford Private Blend Amber Absolute, give Tango a try; it's one of the few amber perfumes I'll wear in summer weather.

Masque Milano Luci ed Ombre

Luci ed Ombre2 goes on fresh, almost like the scent of a cool, spring rain shower; this clear/wet, citrus-ginger zing dissipates quickly as creamy white flowers (a tuberose-jasmine mix) take over. Next up is a diffusion of all that came before: a sweet white floral-ginger-(coconut?) infusion that would mix well with ice-cold vodka. Shall we name this cocktail The Veronica Lake? (Luci ed Ombre has a retro vibe.) Unlike the unisex, dusky Tango, Luci ed Ombre is feminine (and blond) in character; its "incense" note shows up hours into the dry-down and is silken and light, not at all smoky or ashy.

Masque Milano Tango and Luci ed Ombre Eaux de Parfum have excellent lasting power and sillage; they are available in 100 ml: Tango ($240), Luci ed Ombre ($215). For buying information, see Masque Milano under Perfume Houses.

1. Tango: perfumer Cécile Zarokian; fragrance notes of black pepper, cardamom, bergamot, sambac jasmine absolute, cumin, patchouli, Damask rose, vanilla bean, tonka bean, benzoin, musk, leather, amber accord, melilot absolute (sweet clover).

2. Luci ed Ombre: perfumer Meo Fusciuni; fragrance notes of incense, ginger, tuberose, jasmine, moss, patchouli, cedar.

Note: images via Wikimedia Commons: amber, tuberose [altered].

Possibly of interest

Masque Milano Sleight of Fern & White Whale ~ new fragrances
Masque Milano Lost Alice ~ new fragrance
Masque Milano Madeleine & Ray-Flection ~ new fragrances

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: amber, cecile zarokian, masque milano, meo fusciuni

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14 Comments

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  1. flannery says:
    28 April 2015 at 4:21 pm

    Thanks for the review, Kevin, I LOVE their Tango and Russian Tea, now I’m going to have to try Luci ed Ombre.

    Your review of Tango is right on, exactly how I experience it.

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    • Kevin says:
      28 April 2015 at 5:32 pm

      Flannery, you’re welcome…Tango is my favorite from the line.

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  2. meredifay says:
    28 April 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Interesting…..

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  3. Annikky says:
    28 April 2015 at 6:42 pm

    I am very curious to try these, especially Tango. I only have a sample of Russian Tea at the moment, but I like it a lot.

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    • Kevin says:
      29 April 2015 at 12:24 am

      Annikky…I’m getting LOTS of raspberry in Russian Tea…are you?

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      • Annikky says:
        29 April 2015 at 4:19 am

        I do get the raspberry, but it’s more like raspberry jam, if this makes any sense?

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  4. monkeytoe says:
    28 April 2015 at 7:42 pm

    Thank you for the review–Tango, Russian Tea, and Montecristo all sound sniff-worthy.

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    • Kevin says:
      29 April 2015 at 12:25 am

      Monkeytoe…yep…worth sniffing.

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  5. nozknoz says:
    28 April 2015 at 8:16 pm

    OK, you and Angela have convinced me I need to sample this brand! I’m always grateful when NST highlights a brand that is worth trying. I can’t keep up with the new brands anymore, let alone the new perfumes, so I have to prioritize.

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    • donnie says:
      28 April 2015 at 11:09 pm

      When Kevin likes something, one does feel a sense of excitement.

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      • Kevin says:
        29 April 2015 at 12:28 am

        Donnie…ha! That puts the pressure on!

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    • Kevin says:
      29 April 2015 at 12:26 am

      Noz…we can’t keep up either…took me two years to try these!

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  6. Rictor07 says:
    30 April 2015 at 10:05 am

    If i already have Ambre Sultan, are they different enough to need this too?

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    • Kevin says:
      1 May 2015 at 1:07 am

      Rictor…don’t think you’d need both.

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