BPAL review: THE MASQUE

[cerusee]

THE MASQUE

Bold and fiery, glowing with barbaric luster: this is the scent of the House of Prospero, the scent of hubris, mad revelry, folly and indifferent decadence, a measured passage through its lurid corridors and seven grotesque apartments. Honey and carnation, rich incense and rose accord, myrtle, red sandalwood, amber, jonquil and clove propel you through the revel, finally seating itself in the final, patchouli, tobacco and labdanum drenched darkness of the blood-tinged western chamber.


Lasts all day and into the next. Incense was the dominant note for much of that, with recurring flashes of more things than I could actually keep track of, over the course of about ten hours. Wow! It would have helped if I'd had the notes to look at during that time (I was at work); testing a new perfume without the description in front of me results in a lot of, "um, smells like...um...it's cool," or "soap! ew! soap!" and I'm not happy until I can come try to match up what I could smell with what I'm supposed to smell.

There's a touch of something harsh in this that in other scents has given me a headache, but here, it's just faint enough to be edgy, without being unpleasant. This is a complicated, distinctive mix. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't wear if I was tired, but I'd wear on the same days that I want to put together interesting outfits and actually wear jewelry, or to cook or eat something rich. It's got a depth to it that's very sensual and satisfying to ponder.