Day and night. Beachy sun and evening fog. Sunshine pop and a cello concerto. This is how I think of Imaginary Authors Sundrunk next to Masque Milano Luci ed Ombre. (Kevin reviewed Luci ed Ombre here, but I’ve recently discovered it, and I can’t resist bringing it to your attention again.) Both brands deliver stories with their fragrances, and, no surprise, they’re stark complements…
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)…
Masque Milano is a new Italian niche brand with three fragrances that debuted last year — Terralba, Montecristo and Luci Ed Ombre — and a fourth scent, Tango, due to launch in March…