Masque Milano Russian Tea

Day faded; on the table, glowing, the samovar of evening boiled… (A. Pushkin)

Out there, the snow-covered Nevsky Prospekt, and a sumptuous Art Nouveau building. Inside, a large bookstore. And, on the first floor, an elegant cafè. As water is poured in the cup, the infusion unleashes its most characteristic notes. Black tea, heavy and intense. A floral note, sharp and biting. And that unmistakably dry and smoky aftertaste given by the caravanserai campfires, meant to keep the precious tea cargo dry in the never-ending journey through Siberia.

The fresh mint leaves give a pleasant fresh touch to the hot water. A teaspoon of raspberry preserve sweetens, without altering it, the bitter aftertaste of leather and birch. We sip it slowly, gazing out of the wide window, towards the beautiful cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan and beyond. The Russian Tea Ritual today carries us to an unexpected journey in remote lands, full of mystery and fascination.

Head Notes: Mint, Black Pepper, Raspberry,
Heart Notes: Black Tea, Magnolia, Everlasting Flower.
Base Notes: Leather accord, Incense, Birchwood, Cistus-Labdanum.

Masque Fragranze – the Opera of life in four acts
In every single scene of an opera, some of the actors alongside the leading character, as well as the element of the setting are changing. In the same way, in our lives we can change the “mask” (our look, lifestyle, friendships, the tone of our voice or the register of our discourse) yet we could never part from our innermost humanity.

With Masque Fragranze, Alessandro and Riccardo do not intend to create a myth, a best-seller, a one-size-fits-all perfume for everyone. Rather, they aim at creating a collection of perfumes with a soul. Each one unique. Perfumes to wear like a second skin. Which will become the perfume behind the mask.

As there is no such thing as an actor able to interpret every possible role – nor a musician able to play in a credible way every single musical style – there could be no nose able to represent every single scene of the opera. The fragrances of Masque are to be created with a soul, and the nose appointed is to give life to each scene. Hence, every scene will have “its” nose.

Personal encounter with the nose.
At Masque, the journey for the creation of a new fragrance always starts from a personal meeting with a nose. Simple yet important deeds: visiting the artist’s lab, listening to the tale of his or her personal life and professional experiences, analysing the approach to perfume concoction and smelling the best creations. And then describing their visionary project, offering a collaboration, appointing him or her to the creation of a new fragrance – that of the most appropriate scene.