Russian Tea by Masque Milano

Fascinating fragrance: black tea, leather, mint, and raspberry, a super fresh and elegant blend. It’s a hidden gem in perfumery; I’ve worn it and the compliments I’ve received are many. In tastings I’ve organised, Russian Tea won among many gems. No one expects such a wonderful scent with those notes, not even I did. Longevity: 9/10 (approx. 10 hours). Projection: 10/10, beast mode (2-4 metres). Scent: 10/10

,A fragrance that captivates, blending black tea, leather, mint, and raspberry; incredibly fresh and elegant. It’s a hidden gem in perfumery; hardly anyone knows it, but for me, it’s extraordinary. I’ve worn it and the compliments are endless. I organise tastings in my city, and among countless options, Russian Tea came out on top. No one imagines such a wonderful scent just by hearing the notes; not even I did. Longevity: 9/10 (approx. 10 hours). Projection: 10/10, beast mode (2-4 metres). Scent: 10/10

This perfume dazzles with elegance and cleanliness. It begins with green tea and leather, slightly spicy from black pepper. After ten minutes, you can smell smoke and mint, with dirty leather and a touch of immortelle. In the dry down, it smells very much like Amouage Enclave, retaining that leather base I love. It’s interesting and mature: it shifts from bright at the start to something darker later. Intense for the first two hours, then it clings to the skin. Adequate longevity; on my skin, it lasts around 10-11 hours with moderate sillage. Unisex, slightly more masculine-leaning, suitable for all year round except extreme heat. Best for dressing up. Connoisseurs will appreciate it. Scent 9.5/10, Sillage 8.5/10, Projection 8/10, Longevity 8.5/10

They aren’t identical, but they bear a strong resemblance to L’Occitane’s FRAMBOISE & THE VERT MATCHA. Both have unique aromas. I need to try them side by side to see just how similar they are and their performance. I think L’Occitane is the perfect substitute if we look at price per volume: Masque Milano costs around $150 for 35ml, whereas the 100ml L’Occitane bottle is just $125.

This is a review born of anger: it’s one of my favourite perfumes and the one I always want to buy, but right now I see they are trying to rip us off by swapping the 100ml bottle for a miserable 35ml one (even though it’s 25€ cheaper), and it feels like an insult to the consumer, especially being a bestseller that is always out of stock; sorry, I hadn’t written in a while and it hurts to start again like this.

A good fragrance from Masque, but not for me. I appreciate the quality, but I can’t see myself wearing it. It comes out strong with black tea and a hint of raspberry; I notice quite a bit of pepper and a faint minty freshness. It also smells a bit of honey, very soft—I’m sure it’s the tea giving me that impression, as there’s no honey in it. Then it calms down and the leather, birch and incense appear. That’s where it stops convincing me: it’s a nice scent but not for wearing. It becomes too dry, projects little and the longevity, in my two uses, has been very short. It seems the perfumes from this brand and I just don’t get along; I already tried Tango and I never got used to it either.

I’d been wanting to try Masque Milano for its packaging and the reviews, so I ordered samples of five fragrances. Russian Tea left me speechless: it starts with black tea, sweet raspberry, and mint, then moves to a smoky touch of magnolia and incense. The dry down is soft suede-like leather with warm birch wood, all very fine and elegant. A perfect balance that takes you into Russian folklore. Impeccable work by Rasquinet. Rating: 8