Tango – heady and sexy and memorable

Photo: perfumeniche

We sat in a bar in Campo Santa Margherita on a hot summer evening in Venice, having a post-dinner drink and people-watching. It was our last night in Venice, and we were a little sorry to be leaving. As darkness fell, we saw two men carry a loudspeaker across the square and set it in front of a closed shop. Soon, ‘Por Una Cabeza,’ inviting and passionate, blared across the square, summoning people to the space. This was a milonga for the Venice Tango Club. Dancers arrived and greeted each other, and when the music started, they paired off, and the dance began. The close embrace of the dancers, the complex, rhythmic footwork and the improvisation made it exciting and provocative. It was a memorable night in one of our favourite cities, and it’s brought back to me each time I wear Tango from the Italian niche line Masque Milano Fragranze.  

The brand's concept is that each fragrance represents a different act and scene in the 'Opera of Life,' as conceived by founders Allesandro Brun and Riccardo Tedeschi. Tango is Act III, Scene IV of the opera. Their website tells the story:

“A mid-summer night, the bower in full bloom, large wooden table, a liquor – and music

 “Whispers all around you, the party is merry. The soft music in the background gets gradually louder. A crescendo. A glass, another glass. Ron y miel. Inebriating, amber nectar. Inebriating as the smell of the blooming jasmine, carried along by the warm summer gusts. A crescendo. You meet her gaze – she whispers a couple of words. You spot it – it is Lunfardo. Your forehead drenched with sweat. Salt melts in the sugar of the liquor. The shuffling Gotan rhythm makes you brave, the night and the tango are on your side. A crescendo. Deafening summons. The air gets even hotter. You are aware it will hurt you. Yet you can’t resist. You stand up and head towards the dance floor… her face lights up with a smile that brightens the night… That is all you long for, now.”

Tango opens with bitter bergamot, spicy black pepper, and warm, spicy cardamom, creating a bold, passionate accord that translates on the skin as hot and sexy. Then, the boozy, honeyed amber notes come forward, playing the role of Ron y miel, the amber-coloured rum and honey liqueur served with salt and lime. It’s slightly sweaty and slightly bitter as it sweetens and softens the top without diminishing the sexiness. Floral notes slowly unfurl. Jasmine, rich and sweet, is narcotic and beckoning. It’s joined by Damascena rose that’s luscious, sensual and opulent. Cumin brings a warm, spicy, earthy, sweat-tinged dimension to Tango that links to a note of earthy, woody patchouli. The passionate story continues at the base, where vanilla bean shows its complex, sinful side through its honey, spicy, animalic, rum, and woody aspects. It summons a note of tonka bean that adds hints of tobacco, almond and wood. Melilot, or sweet clover, brings the sweet smell of hay and freshly mowed grass that amplifies the tobacco. A sensual amber accord blooms slowly and seductively and stays until the end of the dance. A note of warm, smoky animalic leather joins it. Together, they have a rhythm that pulsates against a woody background of smoky, resinous benzoin, sweet sandalwood, aromatic cedarwood, smoky, honey-sweet guaiac wood and powdery, skin-like musk.

Tango is an olfactory experience of a tango that begins with restrained ardour and builds to an exciting, passionate crescendo. It’s a heady, dense, captivating fragrance with a dry down that’s sweet, gently animalic, and seductive.

What a perfect end to a visit to Venice.

Check out Tango in our Shop.