Russian Tea

TERRIFIC tea - a privilege to sit down with this and take even the tiniest sample of its loveliness. I've been after something with great tea note(s) but no citrus for a while anyway, and Russian Tea is often mentioned in the same breath as lots of other stuff I like. Reading here that the nose is the same guy who formulated Bois d'Ascese (which is damn near to my 'smell of imaginary heaven') sealed the deal and made it even more imperative to try this. And oh MY it is good, especially at first, when the notoriously elusive and short-lived real-tea note clouds up around your nose in glorious, smoky/steamy/fruity wafts, strong and unmistakeable, and seeming - to my nose anyway - all organic and detailed and beautiful. So deeply smoky at the bottom end I even thought there was cade in it, but maybe that's just the birch. Mint and immortelle are both notes which can ruin a whole frag for me, but in this they're both on their very best behaviour and share the tea-table without losing their manners. Soft and natural leather underlying it all. Nothing at all out of place, then, with even the raspberry seeming sophisticated and real, not like some bullying synthetic Frankenfruit concocted in a test tube. Just bewitchingly good, and also has blooming marvellous projection at first and really robust longevity - hanging on up to 9h on my skin. So - a seductive proposition, for sure! Yet there are a few bad omens in the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. For one: very overpriced, even for niche, even BEFORE Masque Milano pulled a dirty trick and decided to charge the same for a 35ml bottle as they'd previously done for a 100ml. Second: I really admire the knowledge and insight of the Kafkaesque blog's writer (though I strongly disagree with it about loads of scents) and their takedown of Russian Tea is a genuine savaging, finding all sorts of very grave technical faults in it. While I don't know enough about perfume tech to share those reservations, they make me doubt what I was really smelling. And most seriously: the longer I wore this, the more I couldn't stop thinking about its very close kinship to Tuscan Leather (Tom Ford, pleh!) OR - even more concerning - Rasasi La Yuqawam, which has far more smouldering ashtray in it and none of the beauties of tea in the Masque Milano - but which costs only about a quarter as much while giving nearly as much pleasure. So I'm still on the fence. Love it. Want it. Can't afford it. Doubt if it's worth it. Then smell it again and want it again. Oh Ambivalence! thy name is Russian Tea...

The Eastern (tea) Promises. The story should be that you arrive from the cold outside into this smoky place where you enjoy an eastern tea ceremony, let's find out if this tells the story. The opening is a very cold, balsamic and spicy mint plus pepper, if you are carefull enough you can catch something sweet, wery sublte, but I can't detect any proper rasberry (which is indicated in the notes). The mint here is very sharp, almost medicinal, but it's definitely "cold". After some time the heart notes start to blend with the opening, the initial freshness of the mint meets a (probably) synthetic immortelle that on the "upper side" joins the opening on its fresh-erbacious, cotton lavander like (almost licorice, reminding me a mint-licorice thing) and on the other side starts to build the leather accord that will bring us in the dry down phase. The black tea is minty, very eastern, and it reminds me of the infused drink more than the leaf. You don't smell tea leaf, but prepared, infused, black tea with some mint inside. It could be a longfenxia tea (very appreciated in Russia) because the magnolia adds some florals, light rose, violet and remembers the fresh opening with his lemon hints. At this point a light incense starts to grow with the birchwood coal giving to the thing it's smoky feeling that opens the leather-wood drydown annunced by the immortelle. This phase is basically skin scents and very, very relaxing, not heavy on leather (thing that I find a little bit boring and fatiguing in other fragrances). So to summarize, this is a damn good blend, that respects the concept and develops a lot during the wearing, and for me it's the best Rasquinet formula (between those I tryed), much better than his recent releases where he decided to go mad in super strong amberwoody drydowns to have more longevity. Totally unisex, little more wintery but wearable in every season. Sillage is not great, it's a "close quarter" fragrance, the longevity is ok, 6 hours on my skin (I know, I know, this is considered weak nowdays, but this madness will end someday). Price is not low, but neither so high, it's ok priced I suppose.

Im testing this for half a week because i hope this can be the scent ill wear when i meet my sweetheart for the first time! Initial spray: On a blotting paper its a fresh, from the tea bag raspberry peppermint tea with definitely a hint of random tea leaves. What you'd imagine you'd get in commercial tea to make up the base of the brew. On skin, shortly a confusion of maybe tea? an old museum? Grandma's home? And soon, from a distance and anyone in your vicinity its a fresh and fruity mint. This surprised me, because the top note echoes JPG's Le Beau Paradise's delicious greens that leave an impression on you. The kind of sweetness to the mint that wants you to come closer. In the crook of my elbow, the heat gives you that cup of mint tea, but you're in a room that is burning incense, the raspberry dies very quickly after this, but slowly, what I smell is............ Rooibos Tea? Subtle but I can tell. It's stood for a while, nearly room temperature with enough heat to not call it cold. But from afar, all you smell is mint tea brewing in a bit kettle, steaming up the room. Passing time, it bottoms out to dry black tea. The hearty note, but still you're probably in a store that sells crystals and pendulums. Essential oils and little esoteric statues. My city has a shop like this, sometimes I come browse just to soak up the atmosphere of thick incense in the air. SMELLS LIKE A WITCH. But a baddie, a fine shyt goth girl witch. This could definitely not be for everyone. Aesthetically or with aura, you need to match this vibe. Plus points if you are eastern european, perhaps suitable for you if you have that sadness in your eyes that you only see in eastern european gay porn. Additionally, a honorable and respected shoutout to the reviewer who described this perfume to be "Dry humping a leather boot" - As a dry humper who had picked out this perfume before discovering this review, I feel seen and wholeheartedly agree with you. Please, do not contact me about my warranty.

Act I, Perfume III from Masque Milano is the enigmatic Russian Tea, mostly a mix of black tea, mint, raspberry, black pepper, florals, leather, incense, and birch. It opens with an abundance of mint, black pepper, and tea, the mint and pepper giving way to the tea, birch, florals, and incense, mostly, in the dry down. And while raspberry is listed as a top note, I feel like I get more of it in the dry down, myself. The blast of mint and pepper in the opening is powerful, a spicy sting of a wake-up that requires a couple of hours to fade to the point of the tea being more singularly front-and-center with the raspberry, mixed florals, incense, leather, and birch. It’s not wholly smooth, a sort of wood-varnish-mixed-with-leather-and-incense base under the tea. It’s an elegantly- and carefully-crafted fragrance and I’ve already discovered more nuances in this first full wearing on skin than in my initial smelling of it during the Masque Milano introductory event at Perfumology, where Alessandro Brun wisely pointed out (of this fragrance, in particular) that it needs to be tested on skin, not paper. It’s much more interesting on skin. Its performance is very good, too, much like Montecristo, having a boastful and provocative opening and finding balance in a tamer but long-lasting dry down. Its pricing is in the middle of the line at $145 for a now-standard 35 bottle size, and while the presentation is lovely, the fragrances don’t come cheap, though I think the job done here in Russian Tea (and Terralba and Montecristo) is great, and I’d recommend that others try it if they haven’t. Overall, it wins high points for uniqueness and provocativeness, as, while I’m not a huge fan of tea fragrances, let alone spicier tea fragrances, specifically, this is so well done that it warrants attention. 8 out of 10

Ok, Masque, you almost got me here. Put on my little stick sample this morning and was instantly impressed with this beautiful blend of fresh tea and leather. It's like sipping tea in a study full of leather-bound books. To me, this is very much an experiential scent . . . One that you wear to take you on a little journey. It's not one I would spray on just for a pleasant scent I'm free to ignore. I find myself with the back of my hand against my nose, making this review somewhat of a challenge to type. . . It does dry down quickly to a place where the edges between fresh tea and warm leather are much less easily distinguished. But that does not affect the performance. I'm still getting lovely wafts and I'm loving it. Another plus is that what I sniff straight off my skin is very similar to the wafts I get. This is not always the case and I appreciate that little detail. The scent is not feminine per se, but it is soft and borders on powdery (from the dusty leather) with a slight touch of sweetness there somewhere. But it's not sweet either. It's thoroughly unisex, though those who think of feminine scents as sweet and floral would consider it masculine, and those considering men's scents to be barbershop fougres would maybe find it feminine . . . Hence why I said it's thoroughly unisex. My sole complaint is the price. I simply can't pay that much for a scent that is ambiance and reflective and one that I would get for the novelty. If it was under $100, I might consider a bottle. I just can't justify contributing to the inflated perfume market when there are equally high quality scents being sold at 1/3 per ml, this price. That's my own conviction. If the price doesn't bother you, get a sample. It really is lovely.

"Indigo Smoke" by Arquiste is like drinking strong samovar brewed lapsang tea in a smoky, ramshackle Himalayan teahouse with My Friend! with the booming voice, bone crushing hugs, and a questionable work history. "Russian Tea" is that same lapsang zavarka made on a wood fired samovar, only it's surrounded by fresh cut wildflowers, cooking spices, light incense, and dried mint from the garden hanging from the rafters of a cozy cabin deep in the woods. The company it's shared with is a Slavic Auntie who served in the Resistance. Which one? All of them. My Friend! is her nephew. She bakes the world's best rasberry filled kolache served on a cracked fine china platter that never seems to empty. No, you did not see giant chicken feet tucked under the corner of the house. What a silly question to ask! I am as in love with this character of a perfume as I am with Indigo Smoke. It starts out as big and boisterous as Indigo Smoke with the smoky Lapsang/Oolong caravan blend but eventually settles into an earthy, slightly musky, quietly floral hum with a coolness of mint on the edges. It smells like how it feels to nap in a winter afternoon sunbeam with your favorite critter snuggled up with you. The woods look different when you wake up but if you stay on the path you'll be fine. Russian Tea is not what the English would call "proper". Brewed as a concentrate (as it ought to be), the smell will fill every corner of a home. Julian Rasquinet nailed it, right down to the bare hint of raspberry jam. It's so well done I had a hard time figuring out where my tea ended and the perfume began.

The Elegant Soul of the Steppe While many reviews focus on the "in-your-face" industrial opening of Russian Tea, I find that patience reveals its true, breathtaking identity. To me, this isn't just a leather scent; it is the most beautiful Tea, Mint, and Immortelle Chypre I have ever encountered. And trust me, I didn’t come to this conclusion the very first time I wore it, oh no! The top notes certainly make a bold entrance, but as the fragrance settles, the "beast" recedes to reveal an incredibly sophisticated structure. The mint acts as a cooling breeze over a landscape of soft, atmospheric smoke—never abrasive, but rather like the ghost of a campfire in the distance. The real magic, however, is the Immortelle. It provides a golden, herbal texture that balances the leather, turning it into something supple and refined rather than heavy. It feels like a high-art interpretation of a traditional ritual: the bitterness of the tea, the sweetness of the raspberry, and a dry-down that is remarkably polished and "airy" for such a potent composition. If you’ve been intimidated by the opening, give it an hour on skin. You’ll find a delicate, complex masterpiece that is far more elegant than the "rugged" reviews to the contrary suggests. A true 10/10 for those who appreciate structural beauty in perfumery. Russian Tea by Masque Milano, it’s the loveliest tea party I’ve ever been to!

Russia is a cold country, so I just guessed that Russian Tea is a kind of heavy-mouthed tea for anyone who likes the fragrance of tea. The first time I tried it on paper, Russian Tea smelled like a cup of spicy and cool spiced black tea, which was exciting. Russian Tea gives my skin an oily finish, Golden and bright. A warm aroma similar to caramel, not surprisingly, Immortelle and turmeric. Peppermint makes the smoky Russian Tea no longer hot, but adds a bit of coolness. The tea leaves that are roasted and smoked make a bitter cup of aged strong tea with sweet memories. Russian Tea quickly gets into the subject. It is a wearable piece that changes naturally. Russian Tea is depressing and dark, but it also has a fresh, bright and active side. It's pungent and narcotic, with leather, incense, patchouli, and a little burnt birch in my nostrils, and the pungent character of pepper that adds to the "credibility" of Russian Tea as a tea fragrance. Russian Tea is less mysterious. All the designs are to make Russian Tea closer to the real thing, but also take into account the artistic aspect to simulate a tea taste similar to spiced black tea. It's so complex, so mesmerizing, so deeply leathery. In terms of gender spectrum, Russian Tea is more masculine, but women with this temperament should not give up wearing it.

The impression I got from reviews under this fragrance is that half the people don't like it for some reason or other, and the other half is in love with this nostalgia in a bottle. However unbiased I would like to be, I am fully in the second category. It is hard to describe how exactly it smells. The overripe, mushed raspberry is definitely there; but so is the faraway smoke, and the peppery note, and someone's carelessly left on the wickerwork chair sun-faded leather jacket; the night flowers and the herbs. The birches are also there, but only the wood, not the leaves. There is nothing explicitly fresh about it, and yet I can almost feel a breeze of cool air coming from it. It reminds me of being in a countryside at my grandma's little house, looking at the dark-blue sky at nightfall, with a faint smell of hand-picked herbal tea brewing on the counter, and my hands still smelling like berries. It's the end of the long day, my head is heavy in a good, sleepy way. It is hard to imagine a person wearing this, their age or gender; it should be a place, a memory, the night itself should wear this perfume. Definitely a perfume you wear for yourself, like an untold, comforting memory.

Opens with a clean realistic mint, like the leaf crushed between your fingers, and that includes a hint towards its vegetal herbaceous aspect as well. This is softened by a subtle fruit note I find indistinguishable but is obviously the raspberry. Around 15-30 minutes in and the black tea note appears. And yes, it is indeed like loose black tea leaves plunged and steeped in hot water. Within the hour thereafter, a leather note subtly glides in to join the tea, and it is at this point I find the fragrance at its 'apex' of delightfullness. So well blended and balanced, so full yet airy. Impressive work from the creator. And yes, it's leather in the modern Tom Ford Ombre style, not the Knize Ten 'leather' (that, let's be honest with ourselves, has and never will smell like actual leather) Several hours in and the mint has faded away fully, and the core tea and leather is becoming more softly Incense-like and woody. Openly diffuse at the start, quickly diminishing to an assertive yet airy closely worn bubble for most of its life, Russian Tea is a masterful blend of complimentary yet distinct ideas that just oozes class and refinement. Modern classic. Batch code 0419 (April 2019?)

I know people on this site tend to give these overly narrative and florid descriptions of floating down rivers in gondolas, or dancing in the monsoon blah blah. but honestly this is the first perfume thats ever made me feel a story in it. its a simple story- cream tea on a rainy afternoon- but a comforting one. It may be called Russian Tea, and while there is a certain eastern spice to it especially with its almost Lapsang tea note, to me its more of tea and scones. The tea note itself is intensely smoky and incense like, much like a good Lapsang Souchong or in this case perhaps Russian Caravan. It has a slight creaminess to it, though decidedly not vanilla, as vanilla notes on my skin often drown out everything else. Here the creaminess just gentles out the otherwise perhaps overpowering smoke and sharp sweet raspberry. The sense memory it evokes, of being curled up with a steaming mug and a good book, hiding out from the dreary english weather, has made this my instant Autumn/Winter go to scent.

I’m enjoying this very much. I don’t find the opening to be as challenging as I’d imagined. I’d heard a lot about it being very smoky - and while I definitely get birch, it’s nowhere near the intensity as say, city on fire by imaginary authors - or burning barbershop by ds and Durga. This definitely has an effervescent mint note that seems to take the main stage for quite some time. It’s mint with a small hint of sweetness - but just a hint. I find this to be extraordinarily calming and meditative. It’s not the type of scent you’d typically encounter In day to day activity - and it’s certainly not the type of scent you’d find many others wearing. Overall, I am 100% satisfied with this. I was expecting a slow-grow, challenging scent - but I personally find it to be the complete opposite. Because of the heavy mint, I see no issues wearing this during any season. If you’ve been wondering about this one - like I had - but find yourself with reservations, I’d encourage you to try it. It’s wonderful.

Russian tea is a masculine fragrance, aromatic, spicy and leathery. The opening is pure black tea with a cold mint note; the mint note does not last much on my skin. Then the leather note appears, but this leather is more suede than leather to me. There is also a subtle touch of incense. I think there is also a bit of a very, very subtle animalic note buried deep in the fragrance, which reminded me of Hyrax, but it's not listed (I would not have detected it if I didn't have Hyrax as one of my favorites from Zoologist). Russian Tea is clearly still a tea scent, with its freshness balanced by the darker, smoky-leathery-spicy notes. To me, Russian Tea can be worn year round, day or night, it has good longevity and moderate sillage. It is expensive, but it's worth it if you like tea scents. The pairing with the leather note is very well done. And since you only have to use a little each time due to it's good longevity, a 35 ml bottle will last you a very long time.

Russian Tea is a masterpiece of photorealism. A strong cup of black tea with berry jam and the smell of banya (sauna in Russia) so refined and accurate, it almost made me speechless for a moment. Nostalgic, memories inducing scent for so many people, I am sure. Which is why I am even more impressed it wasn't created by an Eastern European. Julien Rasquinet caught something precious so precisely that I don't understand how this work might not be admired. This is not a perfume, this is a very specific place, specific time and specific things condensed in a bottle. The sound of a teaspoon banging against the edges of a cup, relatives and guests laughing, the sole light in the kitchen window of a country house. Time spent together in the evening, right before going to sleep, after going to banya. It's a very specific ritual and I don't know how monsieur Rasquient managed to steal this precious memory from me and make it into a perfume. This is art.

The name says it for 100% accurate. I can confirm it as a native lol With a first spray, it creates the coziest atmosphere of cold weather, wool sweaters, heavy knits, and REAL black tea with some sweet cookies, small candies, and light candles around. You may feel also some herbs and trees like boiled birch leaves. AMAZING AMAZING and AMAZING. Every time you smell it, it transports you to a Russian sauna in a winter evening. You just used a birch broom and jumped in the snow to cool down. Then you went inside the dark wooden house with light candles inside and drank a hot rich black herbal tea with oatmeal cookies, and candies and had those deep relax conversations with loved people around.. It evokes childhood memories of winter cozy evenings in East Europe. So if you are from East Europe, just sh*t up and buy a full bottle, trust me it's a safe purchase for you.

finished my whole 2ml sample in less than a day, absolutely intoxicating! people say it's suited primarily for cold weather but i could easily see this being beautiful and radiant during all of spring and perhaps a nice cool summer evening. there is certainly a mentholated quality that for me runs through the about 6-7 hour duration it stayed on my skin. the leather fades after about an hour or so and it turns into much more of an unsweetened tea (not black specifically) with a surprisingly prominent raspberry leaf note and some maybe general warmth from the labdanum just to give like an overall depth. if i had the money id get a 100ml bottle, i can see how this would be too "vix vaporub" for some or medicinal, get a sample first, but it's so so addicting and really perked my mood. very bright considering all the darker notes.

It has long wanted to test work Masque Milano, I really caught the attention of both the presentation and the good reviews, so I decided I asked a sample of 5 of his most representative fragrances. Sometimes unexpectedly you find an excellent fragrance that leaves you speechless. As this happened with Russian Tea. This is a scent where the main note in black tea and accompanied the start of a sweet raspberry note with a hint of mint, popping a smoky flavor changes suggestive note the contribution of magnolia incense. Drying is a bed leather soft suede shooting in a dark and warm note birch surrounding the outcome and makes for a very fine and elegant fragrance. The set has a balance and you marvel brought directly to Russian folklore and customs. Rasquinet flawless work. Rating: 8

I am of the opinion that Julien Rasquinet is at his best when he shows restraint, and as of his more recent releases, I can't exactly say that he's kept this approach. Yet, creations like Naomi Goodsir's Iris Cendre and this one, Russian Tea, shine in their lucid beauty. It has quickly become a favorite tea fragrance as it does capture the essence of Russian Caravan tea: a blend of smoky lapsang souchong, toasty oolong, and often keemun or assam teas. Rasquinet imbues the grassy, malty qualities of this blend with aplomb, also using a clever raspberry accord to extend this sensation into its heart. It's base is a limpid leather and shadowy labdanum. I would file this under meditative fragrances—an autumnal reprieve, quite suitable for the very weary mind that I have today.

Russian Tea is like a warm hug from a babushka on a snowy Moscow morning. Smoky black tea with a whiff of barnyard (da, it’s a little деревня—rustic!) makes you feel like you’re sipping from a samovar while wrapped in furs. Cozy, comforting, and just lazy enough to say, “I’ll stay in bed, спасибо.” A frosty Russian dream. Smoky black tea dominates, paired with peppery spice and the sweetness of raspberry jam—imagine toast by a roaring fire. Leather and incense add depth, like pulling on a well-worn coat in a snow-dusted dacha. It’s a little wild, and endlessly cozy. It’s the perfect scent for cold mornings when you want nostalgia, warmth, and maybe a little тоска—that sweet, wistful longing for simpler times. Winter’s calling, comrade!

Thanks to Russian Tea and Pierre Guillaume Isparta 26, I've come to realize that I just love an unexpected raspberry note in an aromatic composition. This has a clear and enveloping note of black tea to it with a fresh spicy layer from the mint and raspberry. It also evokes subtle darkness and rain at the same time from some of the gentle woods and pepper, both applied with a light hand, as well as the transparency of the fragrance overall. Over time, the tea and overcast quality take precedence over the fresh layer, but the latter always remains when you smell closely hours in. Russian Tea is unbelievably cozy and comforting, and deliciously brisk at the same time. It's definitely on the to-buy list for me.