Masque Milano Sleight of Fern (Stephanie Bakouche) and Masque Milano White Whale (Christian Alori) 2022 + The End of the Opera draw

 

Riccardo Tedeschi and Alessandro Brun Of Masque Milano

 Riccardo Tedeschi and Alessandro Brun Of Masque Milano

2022 marks the12th anniversary of Masque Milano, the world-renowned brand from Milan founded by Creative Directors Alessandro Brun and Riccardo Tedeschi. Before I have the pleasure of announcing the two new fragrances, Masque Milano Sleight of Fern and Masque Milano White Whale, let’s open with two quotes from their 2015 Creative Directors in Perfumery Article:

“When we started developing Masque Milano, it came so naturally for us to develop a concept around a form of art rooted in Italian culture and tradition: the Opera. A fragrance line, then, really is a collection – rather than a bunch of fragrances under the same brand – when the different olfactory memories are linked by a common thread. Like acts and scenes in an Opera.”-Riccardo

“One of the most important parts of our role, as creative directors, is the interaction with the perfumers, so we think it is important to explain how we work with noses”-Alessandro

After 10 years the Opera collection has now been completed: 16 Fragrances, divided in 4 groups of 4 fragrances each. Every group represents an “ACT” in the opera of MASQUE:

ACT I – EXPERIENCES

ACT II – INTERIOR MONOLOGUES

ACT III – SENTIMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS

ACT IV – DREAMS

Both of the new fragrances Masque Milano Sleight of Fern  and Masque Milano White Whale are ACT IV “Dreams”

Masque Milano Sleight of Hand by Stephanie Bakouche

 Masque Milano Sleight of Fern IV.III by Stephanie Bakouche © Masque Milano Collage by Michelyn

Masque Milano Sleight of Fern IV.III: For the third act of the last act,  Alessandro and Riccardo were inspired by one of the most storied genres in classic perfumery the fougère. Fougère is French for fern and this family of fragrances has produced some of the  most popular masculine classifications of fragrance, the progenitor of all Fougères arguably being “Fougére Royale”, launched by the French perfume house Houbigant in the 1880s’. Alessandro was initiated to Fougères by his grandfather, “his bathroom always provided with a couple of generous-size splash bottles of his beloved aromatic-lavender fragrances, and the trail of his scent unmistakably indicating me the rooms he visited, even when I woke up later and he was already out”.  Stephanie Bakouche whose iconic MDCI Invasion Barbare was the logical choice to create Masque Milano Sleight of Fern

“I met Alessandro and Riccardo for the first time in Milan at Esxence in 2017. I immediately felt their immense artistic sensibility and cultural richness.  After one year, they asked me to create the last Act, the one of dreams… the one that makes any fantasy come true! Masque Milano Sleight of Fern was meant to be Fougère style fragrance: a tribute to one of the most famous and elegant olfactive families. –Stephanie Bakouche

Masque Milano Sleight of Fern Sleight has been created in respect to the historic construction of Fougère fragrances, in line with the most deep, unique and recognizable notes of the classic formulations, which are the ones that also enhance a Chypre signature.

Notes: Bergamot Italy (Calabria), Lavender France, Fig sap accord, Lentisk EO Morocco, Red Thyme Spain, Tuberose Abs India, Geranium EO Egypt, Narcissus Abs France (Auvergne), Sandalwood, Birchwood EO, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Tonka Beans Abs

 

Masque Milano White Whale by Christian Alori of IFF

Masque Milano White Whale by Christian Alori of IFF

Masque Milano White Whale ACT IV – Scene IV

“Call me Ishmael. Some years ago […] I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.” H. Melville

“Concluding this Opera Collection has been for us a dream and a goal that we chased during the past 10 years. For this reason, our last fragrance was inspired by the most obsessive quest in literature: captain Ahab’s chase of the mythical white spermwhale, Moby Dick.” – Alessandro and Riccardo

 photo by Alessandro©

“All the elements in Herman Melville’s novel were so useful to try and imagine ourselves in a whaling ship in the vast ocean. Yet I wished to know more, I was eager to collect more elements before embarking on the journey of the fragrance creation. So I convinced my wife to have a – quite quintessentially American – vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. We went whale-watching in Cape Cod, and visited the Whaling Museum in Nantucket. We climbed all our ways up to many a lighthouse, that used to guide sailing ships and keep them safe from the hazardous shoals and rocks around the islands, and that are still operating today”. 

“The very day Riccardo and Alessandro contacted me, explaining that they wanted to conclude their opera collection with a fragrance inspired by the chase of the mythical white whale, and that they selected me to be the interpreter of this scene, I immediately felt I was the right perfumer for this composition!  We agreed on a centerpiece of Amber Gris and, soon after, the elements unfolded naturally in sequence within my mind. The rough wood of the Pequod Ship, the vast dark ocean, heavy salty ropes, a soft candlelight to contrast such hardship, the pages of an old book…-Christian Alori

Notes: Candles, Ropes, and the Vast Ocean (Head Notes); Olibanum LMR (Eastern Africa), Salty rope accords, Black Pepper Madagascar LMR; “There she Blows” (Heart notes): Ambergris accord, Osmanthus China LMR, Violet Flower, Orris Concrete Italy LMR, The Pequod Ship (Base notes);Cedarwood Virginia, Patchouli Indonesia MD LMR, Vetiver Haiti MD LMR, Cistus Labdanum

I asked Alessandro Brun to share with our readers his thoughts on the finale fragrances of the opera collection:

” When I embarked in this journey, I did not visualize the finish line We planned many details of the journey – 16 fragrances, a different perfumer for every fragrance, the different inspirations, the main “themes” of the 4 acts… – but we left a door open to serendipity. Meeting some noses has taken us by the storm, getting to know some raw materials up-close-and-personal (from visiting the field, to the processing plants, the quality laboratories, the warehouses, …) changed the way we smell some perfumes forever. 

But the last fragrance… you know… it is different. That’s why the last fragrance is inspired by captain Ahab’s life-long chase of the white whale. In case we did not manage to complete the collection, at least we tried, and we can claim that “the last one was a beast too hard to defeat. Now I look back at the road I traveled with Riccardo, and with all the noses. CaFleureBon never missed one milestone (thank you, Michelyn, for believing in us since the beginning!). And today I can say it: we made it. Our “Opera Collection” is more than a bunch of 16 different fragrances. It is a journey in modern artistic perfumery.

The team of noses that worked on this collection is simply phenomenal. And as they are all still very young, I am convinced they will make a significant contribution to the development of artistic perfumery over the next twentennial. What an honor to have worked with all of you, guys. We made it.”

–Michelyn Camen, Editor-in Chief (via press release and phone conversations as well as my own synopsis

Let me take this opportunity to applaud our Editor Ermano Picco, who has been the Masque Milano Evaluator

Masque Milano Opera Fragrances in Chronological order (please note all “operas are linked to our reviews and perfumers from our Young Perfumer Series)

2013

I.I Terralba by Delphine Thierry

I.II Montecristo by Delphine Thierry

II.I Luci ed Ombre by Meo Fusciuni

2014

III.IV Tango by Cécile Zarokian

I.III Russian Tea by Julien Rasquinet

2015

III.II Romanza (Victorian Narcissus) by Cristiano Canali

2016

III.I L’Attesa by Luca Maffei

2017

III.IV Times Square by Bruno Jovanovic

II.II Mandala by Christian Carbonnel

2018

II.III (homage to) Hemingway by Fanny Bal

2019

II.IV Kintsugi by Vanina Muracciole

III.III Love Kills by Caroline Dumur

2020

IV.II Ray-Flection by Alex Lee

2021

IV.I Lost Alice by Mackenzie Reilly

2022

IV.III Masque Milano Sleight of Fern by Stephanie Bakouche

IV.IV Masque Milano White Whale by Christian Alori

Thanks to the generosity of Masque Milano, we have a carded sample  of both Masque Milano Sleight of Fern  and Masque Milano White Whale for one registered reader worldwide. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Masque Milano Sleight of Fern and Masque Milano White Whale, whether you have a favorite Masque Milano fragrance, and where you live. Draw ends 4/18/2022.

Masque Milano Sleight of Fern and Masque Milano White Whale are available to purchase online and will be available to stockists worldwide in  May of 2022.

There will be an Instalive Saturday Aprtil16, 2022 5PM CET and 11:00 AM EST @masquemilano

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @masquemilano @brunalessando @riccardo.tedeschi @magnifiscent @atartofperfumeryiff

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our website and on our Facebook page, so “like” CaFleureBon and use our site feed … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


27 comments

  • moshe says:

    The notes of both new fragrances sound great, i would love to try both. Thanks. From Mexico.

  • Jeremi says:

    The amazing details and interesting information strike me, I live in Poland, EU. I don’t have a favorite Masque Milano fragrance.

  • liberation says:

    Slight of Fern sounds like a mysterious and light fragrance that bring an image of a forest and warm weather, while White Whale brings an image of travel and adventure even when things are not so easy. Favorites (so far): Lost Alice and Russian Tea, but so many others that need to be tested. Greetings from Austria.

  • Cdub5 says:

    I feel as if I have the same depressed feeling after finishing a great tv series or a great book. It’s all over, but what an amazing journey! Of course anything from this house is a true work of art. I imagine the fougere will be phenomenal. Throwing the fig sap accord in there will definitely make it distinctive. Then the white whale. The quintessential magnum opus for Masque Milano. The salt and pepper theme along with the ambergris accord and orris concrete will set this apart. Russian Tea created by Julien Rasquinet has to be my favorite so far. Such a wonderful and unique creation.
    Bravo, Masque Milano, Bravo!!
    Thank you for providing us all with the giveaway!
    -Oklahoma, US

  • rachelng says:

    Michelyn (and Ermano)!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Wow!!! What a fantastic Grand Finale!! ❤️ Are there materials superior to ambergris & oak moss for highlighting in one’s crescendo? I think not! ❤️❤️❤️ I’ve loved everything I’ve experienced by Masque Milano and know they are just the right artistic & quality house yo tackle a work of great literature! ❤️ Thank you for this amazing opportunity!! USA

  • DuftHochZwei says:

    As a boy I was so deeply impressed (and a bit frightened) by Melville’s Moby Dick story, I still remember the book cover of my copy! Decades later these notes quite fit in my perfume taste, so I need to try this. I’d love to win this to Germany, thank you for the draw!

  • Amaziz89 says:

    I am intrigued by the White Whale the most because of the notes. My favourite from this house is Tango. Thanks a million from the United Kingdom

  • Ozzyaziz says:

    I am intrigued by both Sleight of Fern and White Whale but if I had to choose probably go for Sleight of Fern. I have not tried anything by this house I am afraid but I am intrigued by this house. Thanks a lot from the UK

  • Niinocka says:

    Every time I come back to Cafleurbon after my life has become less hectic, I am all over again impressed by the quality of the articles. There are conceived in a journalistic and informative manner on the one hand, but the editor and contributor’s tones resonate with emotions just as in literary works.
    I really enjoyed the whole article again –from getting to know about the concept behind the Masque Milano fragrances collection to reading about the importance of collaboration between creative director and perfumer. However, the parts about two new and final fragrances are highlights of the article.
    Sleight of Fern as the homage to Fougère style fragrance has all my attention since I have always been drawn to classical masculine smelling perfumes. The list of notes is impressive, and as typically for Masque Milano sorted carefully from all around the world.
    After reading an introduction of White Whale, I can not imagine how the Masque Milano’s last fragrance smells. It seems so intriguing, so mysterious, unique, and different.It consists of so many notes that I love, but have no idea how they interact, conflict, and symbiote. It’s great to read that Cafleurbon’s editor Ermano Picco was involved in the process of creating a masterpiece.
    Thank you, Michelyn, for a great announcement and a great draw. I would be more than happy to win the samples.
    Greetings from Slovenia

  • Karl Topham says:

    What an achievement by MM! Amazing to see fhe journey completed. Excellent coverage from Cafleurebon. Both sound intriguing. Especially White Whale.

    Karl UK

  • k says:

    Wow- what an accomplishment! Congratulations to all involved! Sleight of Fern sounds like just the kind of scent trail I would like to leave, just like the Grandfather. And I really appreciated naming the final fragrance after an obsessive quest- and may your own quest find a happier ending. White Whale seems even more intriguing because of its fragrance story!

    I have only smelled III.IV Tango from this house, but it is a treasured favourite. Writing from the EU.

  • liquidasset77 says:

    The inspirational storylines can’t help but captivate one’s thoughts and for that, one’s memories. I can recall the exact instance I first visited Martha’s Vineyard and now that someone has captured that in an olfactive expression my intrigue and excitement are immense.

  • Jake Dauod says:

    What strikes me most about these final perfumes are slightly different. First, a huge congratulations to the brand. It is very bittersweet to see the final fragrances of the collection already finished. For Sleight of Fern, I am quite drawn to the Red Thyme note. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a perfume with that note in, so I would love to try that one. As for white whale, its a combination of it being the final fragrance and it being an amber. I can only imagine what it smells like for now, but I have such high hopes. I adore amber fragrances so so much. I think I really do need to sample this one because everything about it sounds so appealing. As for the brand up until this point, my favorite has been Lost Alice. It’s just such a good tea fragrance that encapsules everything I love. Kind regards from Indiana, USA.

  • joetelegram says:

    Happy Easter!

    What a stunning idea to model 16 fragrances around the Italian culture and tradition of the opera! Fragrance, like all forms of art, can tell a story and allude to narrative.

    I really like the name, “Sleight of Fern”, a direct reflection of the French word, “Fougère”. This seems to really pay homage to the spirit of the original “Fougère” thought. I also really like the idea of this offering being the final act, which speaks volumes in relation to how Brun and Texeschhi feel about the artistry of this “bookend”, as it were.

    The allusion to Melville’s “Moby Dick” and the elusive “White Whale” also speaks to a beautiful conclusion for the entire series. There is an appeal to mystery and the unknown here, as well. There is also a sense of sadness here; all good things must come to an end. BUT in this case, the fragrances will live on, and perhaps continue to transmute across terrestrial time.

    The notes in “White Whale” are fascinating. Rope, candle, ocean. Interesting!

    I’ve never experienced this house before, and will keep this in mind as I pursue add’l decants.

    Thank you Masque Milano, and Michelyn w/ cafleurebon.com for the opportunity. Also, a sincere thank you to Alessandro Brun and Riccardo Texeschhi for these final and conclusive fragrances.

    With best regards, Joseph O’Brien–Roseburg, Oregon (USA)

    Username: joetelegram
    Instagram: @joetelegram

  • Anca Tse says:

    .. a fragrance inspired by the chase of a mythical creature? I would love to embark on such an olfactory journey. Definitely
    “Masque Milano White Whale”

    I live in Lisbon, Portugal

  • Claumarchini says:

    It is so exciting to see the 2 new releases from Masque Milano, that are ending the fantastic Opera collection. I have the whole sample set of it (as well as Milano Fragranze’s one), and own a full bottle of Lost Alice, and I still find it very difficult to say which one is my favourite from the house…they are really all fantastic, so different and yet so well done (and let’s not speak about Le donne di Masque!). If I had to name one I would go for L’Attesa (for Opera), Petra (for Le donne di Masque) and Basilica (for Milan Fragranze). Can’t wait so sniff these latest ones!! Greetings from Milan

  • c rose says:

    The White Whale sounds lovely, ambergris and orris! I need to get a sample of this! If it suits, I may get it for myself as well as for a niece of mine. (She is getting her doctorate in “white whales,” so to speak.) I have L’Atessa, it’s in my top 10 most loved fragrances, — I also have Russian Tea (utterly unique) and Romaza. What a great fragrance house! I’m in Texas USA.

  • AleksCipri says:

    Masque Milano is one of my favorite brands. I love everything about the brand! I was so excited to see not one but two new releases. I cannot wait to try them. I am just so sad that their collection s now complete. I want more 🙂
    I’m not sure which one of the two sounds better. I love fougeres and Sleight of Fern seems like fougere with a very cool twist – Fig, Lentisk, Thyme, Tuberose, Narcisses….amazing (I love tuberose and fig). On the other hand White Whale is equally interesting and different. I expected ambergris, but not Candles, Ropes, and Salty rope accord. I love many Masque Milano fragrances. I own Mandala and Ray-Flection and hey are by far in my top 5 in my collection. I have a couple more I plan to buy for sure, for example Luci ed Ombre and Tango. This was really interesting read. I really enjoyed learning about the inspiration for these two fragrances. I’m from Illinois, US.

  • drjedi says:

    I am impressed by the White Whale the most because of the notes. Masque Milano has been featured a number of times at Cafleurebon, and Ermano and Michelyn have done a remarkable job in reviewing their perfumes. Unfortunately I haven’t tried anything by them, yet, so no favorite perfumes, yet. Thanks a lot for the review and draw. From USA.

  • southirina says:

    Its for the first time I actually get to visualise how a perfume is made. visiting the field, to the processing plants, the quality laboratories, the warehouses, getting to know some raw materials up-close-and-personal. Both Riccardo Tedeschi and Alessandro Brun seem to be truly involved and passionate about Opera Collection. And all the acts are perfectly blended and also have a singular identity.
    Hugs from Romania

  • Andrei Artimon says:

    As a boy I was so deeply impressed (and a bit frightened) by Melville’s Moby Dick story, I still remember the book cover of my copy! Decades later these notes quite fit in my perfume taste, so I need to try this. I’d love to win this to New York,Usa, thank you for the draw!

  • elocin says:

    I love that white whale is inspired by Moby Dick with its nautical notes. Slight of fern sounds like wonderful fougere. I haven’t tried a Masque Milan fragrance yet. Based in the UK.

  • wandering_nose says:

    I love how both fragrances completing the opera collection are rooted in both personal experiences/ memories of the founders of the brand, and in artistic (literary in the case of White Whale) motifs. The sophistication of the brand and the perfumers they invite to create their offerings leave one with no doubt as to the quality of the ingredients used or the artistry of the concepts behind each and every fragrance. I fell in love with the White Whale from the moment I learned about its links with the Moby Dick story and read the (astonishing!!!) notes. I do not have a favorite Masque Milano fragrance as of yet but White Whale might become it! I am based in Dublin, Ireland, EU

  • mmerline says:

    This Masque Milano Opera project is astounding, though I haven’t had a chance to try any Masque Milano fragrances. I often find aquatics challenging to wear, but White Wale sounds like quite the artistic achievement, and the whole concept is very clever. I’m particularly curious about the opening, which sounds briny, waxy, and abrasive. Sleight of Fern sounds like it’s a little less adventurous, but I’m curious how fig sap and red thyme work in a classical fougère mode. Thank you for the detailed take on both.

    I’m in the midwest, USA.

  • xoe says:

    The whole series is fascinating. Sleight of Fern appeals to my newfound love of green scents. White Whale is an interesting concept, and I hope it really does smell like the hunt for the big fish. I am in the US

  • Brian says:

    The fougere fragrance family is one of my favorite families, so I would love to try this new fougere fragrance. The other fragrance seems interesting and I would like to try that one also. I’ve tried eight fragrance releases from Milano Fragranze, but I haven’t tried anything yet from Masque Milano. I live in the U.S.A.

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Wonderful review Michelyn! What strikes me about Masque Milano Sleight of Fern was that it was inspired by and calls bac to so many famous and iconic Fougeres of which “Fougére Royale” and MDCI Invasion Barbare are two, the progenitor of all Fougeres and the most famous Fougere created by the same perfumer respectively. What strikes me about Masque Milano White Whale was that the perfumer, in an effort to learn and know more about whaling and the world of Moby Dick, actually went on a whale-watching trip in Cape Cod and visited the Whaling Museum in Nantucket. I really enjoy that he went to such lengths to really immerse himself in the creation of such a fascinating scent.

    I don’t yet have a favorite Masque Milano fragrance because I haven’t yet tried any but from the notes I imagine it would be Russian Tea. I live in the US.