More rain. Not very romantic.
We’re coming up to Valentine’s Day on Wednesday. The day before here is Shrove Tuesday, pancake day. Busy week.
British Vogue had an article about scents of seduction with some interesting entries, including Piguet Fracas and Kurkdjian Bacarat Rouge 540, along with more mainstream things. As I was planning to write about a sample that came from a friend I thought this a perfect time, as Masque Milano Tango definitely falls into the seductive category – at least for some of us.
I own one other MM, Madeleine, which is an over-the-top gourmand.
Tango is a different animal all together.
This was released in 2013 and Tom wrote about it in 2014 (here).
The nose is Cecile Zarokian, who I had to google. She’s done some very interesting things, including Teo Cabanel Café Cabanel which is still on my want list, but in a vague sort of way.
Notes list, per the MM website, includes bergamot, black pepper, cardamon, sambac jasmine, Damascena rose, cumin, patchouli, vanilla bean, tonka bean, melilot (sweet clover – which, per webmd might ‘thin the blood and help wounds heal’), amber accord, leather accord, bezoin and musk.
The fragrance is labelled an amber rosy floral and a fair number of reviewers have picked up on the rose as a dominant note.
Not on me. Nosirreebob.
This starts out as a rather amazing band-aid cumin. Really interesting opening.
As it opens up, yes, rose and jasmine – but there remains an undercurrent of band-aid plus a nice peppery aspect. There’s also a whisper at this point of vanilla bean sweetness which balances the cumin, I admit, but I’m not so hot on it. This is cute sweet, not adult sweet.
Drydown is a gentle amber-vanilla with a bit of pepper. Mildly gourmand after that mad cumin-band-aid note.
On the MM website, a 35ml bottle of EdP is €151. Price I could find here for that amount is £130.
Unless you abhor cumin, this is indeed a seductive perfume. Animalic without being pongy (vs last week’s Oud Ispahan’s decided pong).
I enjoyed trying this. Won’t go on to want list as I have other fragrances in the genre I prefer (I forgot to say that the Vogue article also referenced SL Rose de Nuit, the one rose perfume I truly adore).
Any V-day plans or expectations of gifts? What about pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? Any interest in trying this or positive/negative comments if you already have?
Pics: Pexels and mine
Well you reminded me of my own words about this one, soooo.
In a way it’s good that I am not rich- as it is I have enough perfume to last me to the end of my life unless I live to 145. If I had money to fully indulge I’d be having special rooms just for perfume..
Well, it’s birthday month for me so I’ve managed a decant and a bottle — but the former I’ve been thinking about for years (post on Monday) and the latter has been on my want list for a good while. But, indeed, if I had a large disposable income I just don’t want to think about what would happen…
Oh I love cumin, I feel like I tried this and thought it was great. I’m getting some winter cumin love right now from SL Fleurs d’Oranger. You’re making me want to bust out that newer Femme that’s so cumin-forward. Woohoo, pancake Tuesday! Nothing special for Wed at all.
Fleurs d’Oranger doesn’t work on me. Sadly. Femme does though? Thumbs up to pancakes. I’m thinking maybe red peppers, onions and a bit of feta…
I’ll skip the pancakes probably. We exchange little Valentine’s Day gifts, but I’ll be serving dinner in a homeless shelter that evening as part of a Hypothermia Prevention project between my county and local area churches. So that’s a different kind of love, but anyway. The MM Tango sounds like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of scent. That list of notes was long! I need to wear rose scents this week.
That sounds like a very good and necessary project. And certainly love — love is so many different things.
I have never liked Valentine’s Day – too many ‘expectations’ on fauxlidays like that – but I LOVE pancakes! And I have some full-fat buttermilk that is just begging for me to use it (UUUUUSE ME!)
SO.. maybe…
No actual perfume right now, as I’m still tenderskinneded 😉 But I am awash in Carnal Flower body butter (on the non-burned bits) and omg. It smells like a whorehouse on payday up in here!! Wooooot!
Valentine’s is one of those irritating expectations holidays. Not high on my list. Carnal Flower strikes me as the anti-Valentine’s fragrance: like thumbing one’s nose at all that hype. Buttermilk pancakes… Sigh.
I love Masque Milano Tango. It is the only MM perfume for me. I get jasmine but not much rose and neither stay long. I do get a note that I really love and stays throughout. I think it must be the melilotus/sweet clover since it’s not any of the other notes listed.
MM’s write-up for Tango is great too and it fits!
Oooh, nice to see this getting love. I do think it’s very well done — and rather sumptuous in a non-smarmy way.
Heya Cinnamon,
I like the brand Masque Milano. Hemingway & Kintsugi are on my FB want list and I really want to try White Whale.
Russian Tea is in the collection and it sometimes gets a bedtime wear. I love it but sadly my nose becomes blind to it in minutes.
Tango feels like something I’ve worn but I can’t remember it. Your review makes me want to go back and try it.
Valentines we tend to ignore but I will give Jin a card, it’s the very least I can do.
Portia x
It is an interesting brand, worthwhile seeking out. Is Russian Tea proper smoky black tea? I’m still on the hunt for that sort of scent and ‘my’ oud.
Never tried any Masque Milano’s. For some reason in my head they fall into the same bragging category as Parfums de Marley, Nishane, Initio etc.
Won’t be doing pancakes unless I make them with sourdough discard.
As I think I said this sample showed up in a box from a friend. I mean to pay more attention to the brand but just haven’t. I wonder what sourdough pancakes would be like. I’m starting my starter today. Wish me luck 🙂
Good luck! Takes a while specially when it’s cold. Worth it though, it’s made a huge different to my gut health. I’ve found Insta accounts to be far more helpful than books. Actually seeing processes, what dough should look like, shaping & stitching has made a big difference to the success of my loaves.
Will definitely be having pancakes this week. :-). I have a bottle of Tango which I haven’t worn in a long time. I think I would like it better with less cumin. Dior Ambre Nuit gets more wear for that reason. I love Rose de Nuit too.
I like both the making and eating with pancakes. Quite satisfying, though this year I will only be having one pancake. The cumin is very ‘there’. Might bust out RdN for this cold, clear day.