New Perfume Review: Masque Milano Russian Tea + Where There is Tea There is Paradise Draw

riccardo tedeschi and alessandro brun

Alessandro Brun and Riccardo Tedeschi of Masque Milano

Where there is tea, there is paradise’ (old Russian saying)….Masque Milano was founded in 2012 by Alessandro Brun and Riccardo Tedeschi, two handsome and dynamic young chaps who met as student and teacher at the Politecnico di Milano where they were mutually impressed by one other’s obsessions, knowledge and desire to do things a little differently. They decided to immerse themselves in the knowledge, techniques and pursuit of olfaction. Masque Fragranze – An Opera of Life in Four Acts is an ambitious undertaking to roll out a multi-layered assemblage of high quality and challenging scents.  Opera is masque, performance and charade; acts and scenes of love, loss, life and continuance interpreted by perfumers as masks that we might wear in our own daily performances, moving through words, emotions, moods and time.

alix of hesse tsarina alexandra of russia drinking tea

Alix of Hesse, the future Tsarina Alexandra of Russia  drinking tea with Queen Victoria and the British Royal family

The guys want us to experience the various scenes of a scented life, with different noses interpreting the operatic briefs, using vocal and theatrical metaphor, counterpointing it with carefully chosen and beautifully pitched musical imagery to create a scentscape of textures, weathers and backdrops. This is akin to the rolling scene changes and illusory techniques used in theatre to support voice and performer, in this case, nose and perfume. There are five fragrances to date,Masque Milano Montechristo,Terralba, Lucie ed Ombre , Tango and now Russian Tea, each one representing a different scene from the continually evolving opera. Masque noses include Delphine Thierry, Julien Rasquinet, Meo Fusciuni and Cécile Zarokian.

russian samovar and tea

Photo: Samovar and Tea TSF

The inspiration behind this singular scent was drinking tea in a bookstore café on the famous Nevsky Prospekt thoroughfare in Leningrad. Pouring the boiling water over the fumy leaves and finger-crushed mint mashed together a duo of opposites: darkness and playful verdancy; this heady infusion further enhanced by a spoonful of raspberry jam, a traditional additional to Russian black tea. This visceral shock of smoked caliginous leaf, berry and rubbed herb started the Masque Fragranze duo on an olfactory journey toward perfumer Julien Rasquinet of IFF and Russian Tea. Interestingly Julien’s wife Irina is Russian, so the marriage of olfactory ideas seemed a touch more perfect.

russian tea samovar c1890 russia

Two Russian men drinking tea  c1890  

No one has socialised tea quite like the Russians. It is the national beverage, introduced to the country in 1638. The scalding liquid lubricates social interaction and passes time; pastries, cakes and biscuits are consumed, gossip and news is exchanged. The heart of this is the samovar of course, literally a ‘self-boiler’ an item we traditionally now associate with Russia. It is used to concoct a concentrated form of tea called zavarka, which is then in turn diluted into cups by very hot water from the ever-boiling samovar. Sugar, honey and jams are often spooned into the tea as sweeteners and the liquid is sometimes doled into saucers and slurped to cool it down.

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Masque Milano Russian Tea  by Perfumer Julien Rasquinet  art -TSF

 Russian Tea by Masque Milano is an enthralling mix of raspberry, mint, smoke and tea that smells strange and unorthodox. It shouldn’t really work, but it does, an evocation of ritual and familiarity that has me quite spellbound.The mint note in Russian Tea is huge, bitter and violently released, the peppered facet to the exhale brutal. This is the moment in the tea ritual when the boiling water inundates the tea and mint leaves, exploding the conflicting odours outward. Then the raspberry, a moment of wild sugared soothing, a spoon of red-berried gloss sliding off a tarnished spoon. You can almost smell the metal. A whiff of feral leaf cuts through the smokiness of the tea as a ghostly magnolia blush plays out over the quiet central section of this complex perfume.

russian tea masque milano perfume

Masque Milano Russian Tea Art by TSF

There is a lot of wood in Russian Tea, echoing the stoking of old samovar fires or silvered birch forests. Apparently the smokiness associated with classic Russian tea blends has its roots in the long, slow journeys across the Siberian steppes. The tea was obviously transported on animals and over time, the combination of nightly watchfires and close proximity to animal hide imbued the tea leaves with powerful, redolent aromas.

anna pavlova drinking tea

Anna Pavlova in Costume drinking tea

Building a palpable sense of mystery into perfumery these days is well nigh on impossible, but  Riccardo and Alessandro have achieved something rather deviant: a collection of embellished and aesthetic perfumes that engage, astonish, arouse and seduce.

Disclosure: From my own collection

The Silver Fox, Sr Editor and Editor of The Silver Fox

Thanks to our friends at Twisted Lily we have three samples of Russian Tea for three USA winners. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about TSF review and if you have a  favorite Masque Milano Fragrance . Draw closes 12/23/2014

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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22 comments

  • Everything about this review Rocks!! This scent sounds amazing. I have tried Tango and love it.
    I live in the U.S. Thanks for the draw!

  • If these perfumes promise to “engage, astonish, arouse and seduce”, then yes please. I haven’t smelled a Masque Milano yet. USA

  • As TSF points out, it is a tea fragrance unlike any other and this is the same I have read in comments. Unlike some Masque Milano creations, this is not butch but quite wearable, thus, has wide appeal. thanks for the wonderful review. I have not smelled any even though I first became interested in the brand after reading reviews about Montecristo. I am in the US

  • I had no idea that tea was such a large part of Russian society – or that they add raspberry jam to it! So informative! I haven’t tried any Masque Milano scents yet – I hope to soon! Thanks for the draw, in the US!

  • I had enjoyed the whole review! The raspberry and smoke notes sound wonderful!! I have not tried any scents from this line.
    Thanks so much for the draw. USA

  • I’m intrigued to to sniff our Masque Milano, which I’m unfamiliar with so far. As much as I enjoyed Fox’s entire piece, I had no idea some folks sweeten their tea with jam. Now I need to try that too.

  • Honestly, I love the purple prose, adjectives. It was so much what I was in the mood for this morning. I’ve tried Montecristo and Tango. Only had one or two drops of Montecristo, but even in that tiny amount it called to me. I’m in the US.

  • Wonderfully written & informative. It convinced me that I want to smell this and be transported to that café in Leningrad! Thank you for the draw.

  • Great images of the Russian tea ritual. I have not tried or heard of this line before today. I love tea fragrances though. 🙂 US

  • I never knew that jam could be added to tea as a sweetener, but now I want to try it. I haven’t tried a Masque Milano fragrance yet. Thank you. I’m in the US.

  • Taspberries, woods, and tea? This sounds wonderfully weird! I have not tried any Masque Milano perfumes yet. I am in the US, thank you!

  • What drew me to read this review is that I am looking for tea scent,s but as I read the notes, like it states ‘shouldn’t really work’ – so I will have to see if they do, as now I am intrigued. Love the description of the scents as the whispers within the steam of the freshly infused tea I have not even heard of any Masque Milano fragrances before. I am in the US.

  • I really like tea as a note in perfume (probably because I like to drink tea). I found it interesting to read that jam is often added to zavarka as a sweetener. I like Masque Milano Tango; I haven’t tried some of the others yet, though. I think the bottles are very nice looking.I am is the US.

  • Lillian Holloway says:

    How odd, I watch a special on Faberge and the Russisn court this afternoon. An era of opulance that was bound to end. But back to tea…Russian tea as a perfume fascinates me. Raspberries to sweetrn, woods for strength. Oh yes, the romantic in me seeks that.

  • I enjoyed learning about the preparation of tea in Russia. Raspberry jam? I had no idea! I have not yet tried any of Masque Milano’s fragrances, but I am now decidedly curious about Russian Tea.

    I am in the US.

  • I like the theatricality of both this review, and Masque Milano’s concepts.

    I’ve never tried one of their scents (although they just went on my list to sniff at the Scent Bar) but the description of Russian Tea reminds me of the strong, *strong* tea my Armenian husband & his family drink after meals. He remembers his grandmother spooning jam into her tea back in Iran, where he was born, so we tried it once – it was delicious, with one caveat – make sure you use seedless jam. ; ] (I live in the U.S.)

  • The Russian world of tea sounds so evocative of scents and rituals. I want to try putting jam in my tea! I love tea scents so definitely want to try Russian tea. USA

  • My favorite part about this review was that I learned something! I did not know that tea is the national drink of Russia nor that ir was so prevalent there.

    My favorite Masque Milano is Montecristo.

    Thanks for the draw. I am in the US.

  • The part where TSF described the scent mirroring the moment in the tea ritual was my favorite! I jut did the raspberry jam thing yesterday albeit with English Breakfast and no mint. Have always wanted a samovar even though I don’t know how to brew zavarka (or even that that was the name for it).
    No favorite Masque Milano yet. Thank you, I’m in the USA

  • Paradise, indeed. I love tea, and TSF’s review made me want to try Masque Milano Russian Tea. This would be my first, so maybe my favorite. Thanks, I’m in the U.S.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    I always enjoy how informative TSF reviews are, in addition to being entertaining. The Russian background was extremely interesting. I have not yet had the pleasure of wearing a Masque Milano Fragrance.