“Manly, yes, but I like it, too.” Anyone remember those old Irish Spring commercials? Perfume aficionados know that “male” and “female” designations serve best simply as markers — like “rose” or “fresh,” for example — on what to expect, not whether the perfume only suits a particular gender. On the traditional male-female fragrance spectrum, Masque Milano Montecristo weighs heavily male in the leather, wood and tobacco manner, right next door to Hermès Bel Ami. Despite my earlier reference to Irish Spring, believe me, Montecristo doesn’t smell anything like soap. But I like it, too.
Montecristo launched in 2013 and was developed by perfumer Delphine Thierry. Its notes include cabreura, ambrette seeds, rum, tobacco leaves, celery seeds, cistus, benzoin, golden stone, styrax gum, gaiac wood, cedar wood and patchouli.
Montecristo opens herbal, musky and almost vinegar-like before relaxing into leather spiked with tobacco, salt, cinnamon and cumin. Then the funk lifts a bit, and the smooth, elegant leather is sandwiched between sharp cedar and sweet resin. After an hour, Montecristo’s patchouli gives the leather an intimate, morning-after-skin feel. It lasts all day on my skin without ever feeling loud.
Sometimes I’m tempted to think of Montecristo as a classic leather along the lines of Estée Lauder Aramis and Bel Ami. It can have the cozy, grandpa-evoking feel of old armchairs, smoked pipes, cocker spaniels, and an oatmeal cookie next to a glass of bourbon on the side table. It's comforting.
Sometimes I’m sure Montecristo could be an old Serge Lutens, or maybe a cross between Cuir Mauresque and Muscs Kublaï Khan. It embraces Lutens’s love of spice and body odor, as well as his practice of playing with a traditional type of fragrance until it settles into that sweet spot between the familiar and the hyperbolic. It smells niche.
Then there are the times Montecristo feels unusually edgy, especially in its first few moments when the blend of tang, herbs and funk reminds me of what death might smell like.1 Let me quickly add that this whiff slides quickly into the safer territory of tobacco, wood, leather and spicy resin, but it might turn some people off — and intrigue others.
For leather, I tend to go for the softer glove leather or a leather chypre, but sometimes a big, thick, warm leather is just the ticket. If you’re a fan of the “manly” take on leather fragrances and aren’t afraid of a hint of funk, Montecristo just might be worth sampling, no matter what gender you identify with.
Masque Milano Montecristo Eau de Parfum is $130 for 35 ml or $215 for 100 ml. For information on where to buy Montecristo, see Masque Milano under Perfume Houses.
1. Not that I know how human death really does smell. In Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, author and mortician Caitlin Doughty describes it like this: “…the first note of a putrefying human body is of licorice with a strong citrus undertone. Not a fresh, summer citrus, mind you — more like a can of orange-scented industrial bathroom spray shot directly up your nose. Add to that a day-old glass of white wine that has begun to attract flies. Top it off with a bucket of fish left in the sun.” (Montecristo doesn’t smell anything like that, by the way.)
Death?! Ack!
Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic….
My first impression of Montecristo was that a very sexy pirate would smell like this. I tried it from a spray sample and enjoyed it. I couldn’t wear it, though I would like to smell it on someone else.
Like Masque’s L’Attesa and Romanza and Luci ed Ombre, Montecristo smells very finely finished. These scents have many facets to keep things interesting. At the same time they have a feeling of completeness and wholeness that makes them smell great.
My favorite “but I like it too” scent is L’eau de Caporal. To me it really smells like Irish Spring soap. Love to wear it after an evening shower.
Thank you for the review!
“A very sexy pirate would wear it”–that’s perfect!
Definitely worth a try (I seem to make that my mantra) but Masque Milano feels just a little too pervasive. Like a jackhammer in a room full of violins.
The whole line or just Montechristo? I love L’Attesa and Tango and really like a couple of the others, especially Russian Tea. But the new ones were a little too too for me.
Thus far I’ve tried Times Square, Mandala and Russian Tea. None of them worked for me with Times Square being the worst confection of overpowering violet and cloying bubblegum sweetness. I’ll keep trying the line though. ????
If you like iris, L’Attesa is definitely worth trying.
Times Square is the worst! One hundred percent agree. I kind of like Mandala, but can see it being way too much.
I haven’t tried either of those–and it sounds like I won’t need to rush to do it.
Mandala and Russian Tea were big NO NO for me (Mandala gave me an instant headache).
But I love Romanza, L’Attesa and Montecristo as well.
Times square sounded very unpleasant to me so I never even wanted to try it.
I’m following your lead on Times Square!
Late reply, but I wanted to urge you to try the ones the others have mentioned – Tango, L’Attesa, and Romanza. It’s so unfortunate that you tried all the difficult ones first. To me, the three I mentioned are a lot easier to love or just appreciate. I have yet to try Luci ed Ombre and Terralba.
That was my question, too!
I haven’t tried every one of the line’s offerings, but I adore L’Attesa (definitely an iris lover) and Romanza. I want to spend more time with Luci ed Ombre, too.
I like Luce et Ombre- must revisit! Thanks for reviewing this one as I generally love the line even if they all don’t work.
After reading the comment above, I dug out my sample, and I really like it! It’s such an odd scent–so ghostly and mossy.
+1 for Luci ed Ombre, it’s my favorite from Masque.
Lovely review, Angela!
I have a sample and I love it. Its one of the better Masques imo. I also love Romanza (i have a fb of it), and I would not mind if a bottle of l’Attesa fell in my lap. Haha.
I am more on a green-floral kick lately, but after reading this review I think I am going to look for my Montecristo sample for those cold spring evenings.
But actually, I want my husband to buy and wear it….hmmm, i am going to give him the sample…..maybe he falls for it… ????????
I adore Romanza, too! It’s another strange but lovely one. And, yes, see if you can hook your husband on Montecristo…..
I tried Montecristo a few times, especially because I bought a decant from a split, but I found it wore me instead of the other way around. However, I gave it to my SO, and I really love smelling it on him.
That’s perfect!