Tango

When I first got my nose on this, I didn't quite understand it. My nose wasn't ready and I wasn't a fan of Cécile Zarokian's work as a perfumer yet. Fast forward a couple of years and man, what a gem Tango is. It's the dirtier, more animalic version of MFK's Grand Soir. That last sentenced resumes Tango quite well, I think. But let's dig in deeper. Tango may be challenging to some because the opening is quite punchy. It's a blast of cumin and jasmine to your senses. Some struggle with cumin (some describe it as sweaty) or jasmine (very indolic, especially since here Cécile used jasmine sambac, which is more indolic and some would say "sexual") will have a rough time. If you can get through that, you're in for a treat. I would say this one isn't for beginners. Tango will as its name implies, change and gives you whiffs of its notes in quick succession, like a fast paced dance. It will be one minute floral, the next smoky, then ambery and shift around. Like its namesake, it is also very sexy, seductive and begs for attention. Not one for work, admittedly. This is for a night out, a date (and possibly a following torrid night!). It lasts long, very long. 8-10 hours later I'll still be catching whiffs of it as I move around. It projects quite a bit initially as well, you'll easily fill a room if you're not careful, so do be careful in enclosed spaces (unless of course that's your intention). I would say this leans a bit more male because later on it gets more smoky but a woman could pull it off if she has a strong presence and charisma. Definitely a stand out in Cécile's portfolio, in my opinion. Her signature is all over this one. If you love her work, get your nose on Tango asap. Beautiful and complex, as I've come to expect of her work.

Tango is a very spicy sumptuous Oriental also very soothing, which wants to get into the territory gourmand. The very ambarado and sweet spicy start (cumin, cardamom and cinnamon) marks the drive shaft of Tango, the mixture is complex, rich, somewhat in the wake of opulent Oriental old and the old (reminds me Opium) of Indeed, when you put a few drops on the skin is noticed that the fragrance is reddish and leaves a trace of the amount of essential oils that carries (rare these days that all manufacturers skimp on essences to cheapen). The fragrance has a bit of everything, the nuances are intermingled among them perfectly, even difficult to differentiate the phases by the large number of notes and scents it carries. The middle notes I detect a nice arrangement of rose and notes of sandalwood very well balanced with the rest. Drying is best balsams of all kinds, the feeling is sweet, creamy, warm but never cloying, even I think it takes more components that says Fragantica list. The duration is Brutal and excellent wake, also the qualities. Peca be something a little monotonous, but is forgiven by the olfactory result as good. I've tried more Masque and fragrances are really good jobs, and it impressed me at the time "Russian Tea" (rather loved), but Tango, in another style, is not far behind. Rating: 7.5

I love (and own) many amber perfumes- all over the spectrum including dry, resinous, earthy, animalic, spicy, herbal, fruity- some light and effervescent, some dense as lead, and even those verging on syrupy sweet (though that's my biggest boundary)... and the reason why I own this one too is that it covers the amber/floral category in a way that no other that I have tested does. I LOVE flowers in real life, but often struggle with their portrayal in perfumery- so floral perfumes are a smaller subset of my collection than most other genres. Here they are done just right for my taste- the jasmine floats divinely over the resinous affair, and the damask rose is tuned in at the perfect pitch to hum along without overpowering. I see a lot of reviews saying boring, safe, middle of the road. Ok, maybe... yeah, in the sense that there is nothing offensive here and I would happily wear it around my mom (which I would not do with 3/4 of my weirdo collection), but I still reach for it in the privacy of my own home because it scratches a specific itch... beautifully. Retail price per ml is nuts on this one, but performance is great. Travel size is available, and there are great deals to be found on full bottles if you're patient.

I've been meaning to comment on this for a while, but I couldn't do it without allocating a separate and special time. This fragrance was love at first sight for me. It is the thing that broke my prejudice against cumin. I have many samples and a bottle of this house, but I think this is the most special among them. The clearest summary: spicy-vanilla-powder. Yes, even though the powdery is not visible in the head accords, the drydown is all about it. This spice is very soft and beautiful, not like the Ambre Sultan (by Serge L) style spice market. The trinity of cumin, cardamom and cinnamon is in the air! Fluffy! It has a sensual mood that feels very intimate. In other words, the scent is both intimate and spreads very widely in space. I think the floral notes give it strength in the background, but this fragrance is never what I would call 'floral'. Every stage is lovely, the drydown is wonderful because it is very very smooth! Vanilla, tonka, musk and a soft powdery note (although I don't understand where it comes from) linger. It is a perfume more suited to winter and autumn. I am very happy to have it. Sophisticated and sensual queen!

I'm exploring a few (affordable would be nice) alternatives to Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea. It was suggested I try Masque Milano "Tango." I own and adore MM "Kintsugi." I thought, "Why not try Tango?" Tango is an immediate, automatic, very strong like...almost a love!! Opens as a thick, dark, very spicy, resinous, dreamy amber. There's spicy cinnamon, cumin and cardamon (I love cardamon in fragrances). I am not a fan of the cumin phase, which immediately lends somewhat of a skanky, or dirty accord to the fragrance. Florals still in their dirt and a melange of spices develop and beautifully blend with the numerous unfurling notes. The woods provide the perfect backbone for this spicy, resinous, amber-centric, floral perfume. Tango is nice. And while I refrain from gender-categorizing fragrances, I'd like tango on a man more-so than I like it on myself. And surprisingly as a woman, I much prefer Jovoy "Ambre Premier" over Masque Milano "Tango." However Ambra Aurea will always be the Holy Grail of amber-centric fragrances.